The Scouting Trip, Before You Move Abroad
It’s the one you’ll regret skipping if, once you’ve moved, you discover the grass was greener somewhere else!
After many moves, our little family developed its own way of preparing the ground. The idea behind it all is to:
– have no regrets;
– find our bearings quickly;
– avoid having to move a second time on second thought… or rather, on second disappointment.
1 – Use the Questionnaire So You Don’t Forget Anything!
The questionnaire already helps you pin down many of your constraints, must-haves and simple preferences. Take nothing lightly. Oversights and careless choices bear bitter fruit, and for a long time: some people end up hating their new country and heading back « home » sooner or later.
2 – Plan the Trip
The second step is to plan a scouting trip, or a longer stay, in the area where you’re thinking of settling.
If it’s time to retire, you may only have a country in mind at first. Back to the questionnaire, then, to narrow down your constraints and preferences: sea or mountains, big city or small village, closeness to schools, universities, hospitals, an international airport, certain sports, specific job markets…
Otherwise, especially if you’re moving for work or if your children are finishing secondary school, you may have some constraints you can’t get around. That said, the tips below will help you just as much to choose a district rather than a city.
3 – Can You Make This Trip Online?
You’ve planned a trip to get to know your future home country. Perfect… Regions, landscapes, cities… plenty to start dreaming about!
And it does make sense to narrow things down when you have no idea where to start: you won’t see a whole country in one trip… In Portugal, for example, Lisbon and Porto, the two largest cities, are worlds apart. You could almost say they’re made for different people! The same goes for Milan and Naples in Italy, or Madrid and Barcelona in Spain…
So starting your trip online is an excellent idea, and a good way to shortlist the places that seem to suit you best.
And online, there’s something else: property! It’s so tempting to browse… It lets you picture yourself there before you’ve even left, it gives you something to dream about… I know, I’ve done it 😉
It sounds like a good idea.
The cost? None! You don’t even have to leave the sofa!
The coverage? Almost complete: there are properties to buy, rent or sell just about everywhere, and agencies to handle them, everywhere too.
BUT… it’s a big « but »… between what you see with your own eyes on the spot and what you see on your screen, because that’s what someone chose to show you, there’s, how shall I put it… a filter.
Most flaws are played down, or left out altogether, and the few presentable shots are heavily enhanced, even retouched, to the point where a small one-bedroom flat looks like a vast apartment. It’s not always the case, everywhere… but one ugly duckling is enough (and there are plenty of them) to give you a very partial picture of the market, without showing you everything that can rule out a « stunning home », the deal of the century.
Listings, often flattering on one side and secretive on the other, play cleverly with floor areas. Example: 250 m² advertised, but 180 m² of it is terrace… and the stunning family home turns into a tiny 70 m² house. Not quite the dream! Or there’s the railway line below, which you only discover when you walk up to the living-room picture window, and which the photos somehow don’t show.
Caricature? Exaggeration? Never sign for a property you’ve only seen on your computer screen… or worse, on your phone!
Also, agencies don’t publish their entire portfolio online: some properties never make it to the internet and are « pushed » in person, at the agency.
Your computer, yes, but only to get a feel for styles, and maybe prices, nothing more. For dreaming, not for buying!
Property is often called « bricks and mortar »… and for good reason: bricks and mortar don’t translate well into pixels 😉
4 – Once You’re There
Four rules to keep in mind throughout your visit:
Rule no. 1: forget the tourist sights… Once you’ve moved, you’ll have all the time in the world for them 😉
Rule no. 2: have a clear idea of what you want from your life abroad. For example, concert lovers will want to be near a capital or a large city with an orchestra or an opera house (although a little getaway with dinner and a hotel has its charm when you live further out).
Rule no. 3: how do you usually get around? By public transport, car, bike or on foot… don’t change your habits drastically. That would be one more stress… or one too many?
Rule no. 4: think of every member of the family. Not everyone has the same needs, wishes or constraints.
What to Look For in Every Place You Visit
- The landscape: sea, mountains, countryside, terrain… and what kind (forest, plains, livestock, intensive farming or market gardens…).
- The shopping malls: large or small, and what kind.
- The supermarkets: food and everything else.
- The town’s heart: lively or not, shops, cafés, pedestrian area, market, cleanliness, size.
- The districts.
- Schools, and how to get there. For a local state school, generally no problem. For an international school, whatever its language… that changes everything!
- Retail parks and industrial zones on the outskirts.
- The surroundings: what distance, in kilometres and in time, do you find acceptable between « home » and a town where you can find most of what you need?
- Access: main roads, motorways, trains, buses.
- The average climate in each season, and its possible extremes.
- Sports facilities.
I’ll stop there.
Make the journeys you’ll be making every day.
Sit at a café terrace in the middle of town and soak up the atmosphere. Do it on a weekday, on market day, and on a Sunday too… it makes all the difference!
All this sharpens with each visit, and you’ll soon develop a sixth sense that tells you: « I have a good chance of feeling at home here »… or not. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll be able to read the wind in no time!
5 – Back to Property… Because You’ll Have to Get There Eventually 😉
If you have a good feeling about a town or a district, now’s the time to press your nose against estate agents’ windows.
You’ll quickly get an idea of what’s on offer… and of prices « in general ».
We’re not talking about finding THE house of your dreams or a hidden gem yet… just getting a feel for the market.
Because yes, sooner or later, you’ll need somewhere to live.
You spot your dream home at your price…? You walk into the agency to find out more, just two or three questions.
And reality hits you square in the face… far too often!
House X: pretty, almost new, cheap… the dream! But a few questions in, the dream turns into a mild nightmare. It’s out in the middle of nowhere, 15 km from town (a small town)… There is a grocery shop, well… a very small one, and the bus comes twice a day: once in each direction.
House Y: perfectly located, cheap and charming… but step through the door, and the state it’s in… Need I say more?
Your home will have to be found. That’s the subject of another article, with a tip to go with it: the temporary move.
Off on the Right Foot
This article is part of our « Off on the Right Foot » series, about future expats’ first steps in their new country.
We see too many newcomers struggle to adapt, then leave disappointed, feeling they were taken in by fine promises.
Settle in step by step, making sure each one works before moving on to the next. Take your time: your new country will wait for you… and you might just fall for it, gently, and never want to leave!
🇬🇧 This article was written in October 2026. Laws and regulations can change without notice. Please verify all details at the time of reading — and consult a professional, you’ll find one in our directory!
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