People have their individual reasons when moving to another country for an extended stay. For whatever reason, they need a place to stay during the whole duration. Buying a property can be an option, but renting can have its benefits. Being new to a place, renting should be the better alternative during the first months so you will be able to know if you can fit into your new environment for the longest time. When you buy a house, you may need some time to find the perfect buyer when you need to sell the property.
Finding the right place to stay requires a long preparation if you don’t want to experience last-minute glitches while moving into your new residence. You can start looking for the right contacts while you are still at home. Googling on properties for rent in the city where you would be residing can be of great help. Websites can offer you more details about the properties so you can narrow down possible choices.
Here are some of the most important things that you should do before you make the final decision to sign the lease contract.
Research, Research, and Research
Indeed, there are a lot of things to research. You should have a bird’s eye view on everything about the country where you are moving in like their culture and laws. For sure, you don’t like to be in trouble in a foreign land because of your ignorance of their customs and ordinances.
Research about the community. When you have narrowed down on your choices, it is vital to know about the community around you. What about the peace and order, the traffic and pollution and the facilities nearby? What kind of neighbors will I have? All of these things can be resolved if you have a trusted contact, or real estate agent to help you out.
It is important to know in advance about the transportation and communication in your next place of residence so you will know what to expect. You should also research the cost of living like electric and water rates and gas prices in the area so you will know how to budget your income and not run out of cash any time soon.
Inspection First before Payment
Don’t pay any cash until you personally inspect the property. Some properties that are posted on websites may have been photo-shopped to look perfect. Compare the report of your contact or real estate agent. He may have missed some essential things which can leave you uncomfortable for the rest of your stay.
Consider staying in a hotel first until you do your personal inspection of the property. Your contact might have gone to the place during day time and saw a peaceful community. But when dusk creeps in, the environment would become a party place until dawn.
You should also look for some perks that can come with your rent like free internet connection, among others.
Negotiate for the Price
When you hire a realtor, he can do the job for you. But you may be able to talk for yourself more efficiently. You should know all the pertinent documents needed when signing a lease contract which you should have read well.
