A slowly recovering economy and a prolonged winter may be just some of the reason why you may consider leaving to UK for a new life overseas. If you are considering on packing up, buying your foreign currency and emigrating, you may want to see where in the world the other 4.7 million Brits living abroad chose to call home, and why.
Australia
The Sydney Opera House, koala bears and barbecues on the beach; the reasons to want to move to Australia are a-plenty. A recent survey showed that over one million expats have chosen to head down under, making the country the most popular destination for those leaving the UK.
The Wall Street Journal also recently reported that house prices in Australia are slowly recovering after three stagnant years, which could show growing confidence in their economy. This differs to results across Europe, where property prices remain at a stalemate, and even dropping again in certain areas.
Another common and perhaps most popular reason to choose to move to Australia is the weather. Their average lowest temperature during their winter season (June-August) is 15C, although in some places temperatures will continue to stay around the high 20C’s. The summer season (December-February) sees temperatures rarely drop below 25C, with average highs of 35C. Who could ask for anything more?
USA
829,000 people from Great Britain now live in the United States of America, and when the country offers great house prices, bright smiles and even brighter weather, who can blame them?
In the UK £125,000 could perhaps buy you a modest home in the Midlands or a hovel in Central London, whereas in Orange County in Orlando it can get you a 4 bedroom house with a large garden and private pool. House prices have been low ever since Florida’s property bubble burst in 2006, but the economy would seem to be stabilising and some prices are staying the same, some even rising.
However, property purchases in Orlando are subject to taxes and fees at a rate of 5%, which leaves you with £119,048 to spend from a £125,000 budget. Also keep an eye on any fees that will be incurred by making international money transfers to purchase property, as this will also come out of your budget too. Shop around with different providers to find the best rate.
Spain
Sand, sun and sangria – what’s not to love about Spain? It would seem not much, as 808,000 British expats have emigrated there. Low house prices and the convenient “Easy-jet corridor” to the UK make it an ideal destination for those looking to move abroad.
Since the financial crisis hit in 2008, Spain’s property market has tumbled. This means that house prices have dropped dramatically, and homes that have been repossessed have even been reduced by up to 70% in value by banks trying to offload the property. Recent figures also show that there are 2.2 million homes available to be bought, but only an estimated 200,000-250,000 properties change hands annually, so prices are lowered to be competitive in an overwhelmed market, giving buyers plenty of options.
Four out of five expats living in the Costas and Balearics claim that they have a lower cost of living in Spain, and a similar figure also said that they are happier there than they were in Britain. Therefore moving abroad could mean more than good weather, but lifetime happiness too.
Amy Fry writes for an assortment of subjects and industries including travel, health and business. Previously, Amy has written for lifestyle and health blogs, and now lives in London with her son and her cat “Madame de Bovary”.
