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New Survey Reveals Hottest Expat Locations For Brits

How often do you find yourself looking outside your window at work, thinking about packing up and saying goodbye to the UK’s dismal rain and clouds for somewhere…better? You are not alone if you find yourself wondering if the grass is indeed greener on the other side of the pond.

But while we all dream of sunny skies, warm weather and lazy days on the beach, many of us never do more than just wishful thinking.

ICE (The International Currency Exchange) recently completed an interesting study that gives new insight as to why most of us don’t emigrate to some of the most popular destinations, such as New Zealand, Spain, USA and Australia.

Nearly half of all the participants in the study said that financial security was the main reason that kept them from leaving the UK, because even though the prices are high, weather is poor, and politicians leave something to be desired – participants have a bit of financial security vs. not knowing what their financial outlook will be if they move.

One-third of those surveyed said fear of not finding a job kept them from where they are. Others said language barriers made them uncomfortable, which would likely apply to those moving to Spain. However, of all the obstacles, this would be the easiest to overcome.

One problem that surprisingly wasn’t covered in the study was how to move an entire household full of belongings to a new country. One would think that would be one of the most stressful and problematic parts of the entire process.

But according to David Anderson, of Meadows International Removals, moving your things is one the least stressful endeavors you will encounter during the move. “I think it may be a common misconception among people who have never actually relocated abroad that the whole process is a stressful nightmare. We often find that for our customers it’s the complete opposite.”

“Another reason is that international removals work slightly differently to moving house just around the corner. A lot of people moving in the UK tend to get very involved in the move, sometimes even hiring a large van and doing the whole packing and moving job on their own. With an international move, often our customers have us come to their home, securely pack everything and take it away in our vans. The next time they see it is when we arrive at the front door of their new home they have relocated to. We aim to make all our customer’s moves as stress free as possible.”

So while you still have to worry about finding a job and making sure your finances are secure, and you will still have to figure out where the children will go to school and whether you need to take that Spanish class – at least you know you’ll have peace of mind when it comes to the removal process – and that is half the battle.

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