The purpose of this book is not to sell the idea that retiring abroad is a good thing. Instead it has sought to help you weigh up the implications and come to an informed decision and point you in the right direction if you decide to take the plunge. However, after giving the matter serious consideration you may decide to proceed no further. This is not necessarily because you have no taste for adventure or a place in the sun, but because of a combination of other factors.

Reasons For Not Retiring Abroad

Emotional Ties

If you have strong roots in your local community it may come as an enormous wrench to pull up these roots and plant them elsewhere. Emotional ties are important, particularly as you grow older, and a sunny clime is no compensation for what you leave behind. Your friends and relations, the skittles matches at your local pub, WEA courses, whist drives and church socials may be essential features of your life which you will miss.

Failing Health

If your health is poor or you are disabled, the strain and stress of moving may prove more than you can bear. Even if the climate of the country you have in mind is healthier than that of the UK, it is reassuring to know that if your health breaks down in Britain you will be treated by people you know in conditions with which you are familiar and – if you are a National Health Service patient – free (or almost free) of charge.

Insufficient Finance

You need to bear in mind that although housing may seem cheaper in many foreign countries your actual living expenses could turn out to be higher than in the UK in the long run. Even if you have a reasonable pension, this may not be adequate to cope with unforeseen eventualities, and some cash in reserve is a must.

Difficulty In Selling Your House In The Uk

Quite often the purchase of a property abroad is dependent on the sale of one’s home in the UK. In a buoyant house market this presents few problems, but if the market is flat, you may consider it too risky to proceed with the acquisition of a property overseas.

Second Thoughts About Retirement

The veteran novelist Mary Wesley once said that she considered retirement to be a form of suicide. There must be many retired people who share her view and secretly long to be actively employed. There are, alas, very few job opportunities for retired expatriates, and some countries discourage you from working.

A Case History

An entrepreneur from the North East decided to move to Spain and appoint a manager to run his business. However, it was not long before he became bored with life in the sun and having no work to do. When the factory began to go through a bad patch, he decided to return to the UK and take the helm again, and was very happy to do so. Living abroad had not worked for him.

The Alternatives

When all is said and done, there is a good case to be made for staying put and taking extended holidays. The great thing about being retired is that you can take holidays in the off-peak seasons which usually coincide with school terms. At this time of year holiday resorts are quieter and often much nicer, and charges are much, much lower. Or you might even find some work assignments to do abroad.

Let’s look at these suggestions in greater detail.

Renting Accommodation

How about spending one, two or three months abroad? In the off-season holiday home rental charges fall dramatically, as do charter air fares, and the longer you stay the cheaper it gets. A number of the established tour operators feature long-stay holidays in self-catering accommodation in their brochures, with prices as low as £70 week for a long stay.

If you do not want to be ‘packaged’, look in the classified ad columns in holiday magazines such as Private Villas, or in newspapers, including the weekly Exchange and Mart,for accommodation offers placed by individual owners. Some estate agents also handle lettings as a service to their clients.

You may be worried about leaving your home in the UK vacant while you are abroad, and your insurance company may also have qualms. If you are unable to find a friend or relation to keep an eye on it or live in it, you should consider engaging the services of a ‘house-minding’ agency such as Homesitters or Animal Aunts.