The Road to the Future

The Road to the Future

The old hometown looks the same

As I step down from the train

And there to meet me is my mama and papa.

Down the road I look and there runs Mary

Hair of gold and lips like cherries

It's good to touch the green, green grass of home.

Yes, they'll all come to meet me

Arms reaching, smiling sweetly

It's good to touch the green, green grass of home.

Claude “Curly” Putman Jr. 1965

The Green, Green Grass

Once you have established a life abroad despite all the excitements, adventures and new experiences to be had, there are bound to be moments of longing for the green, green grass of home.

It is not surprising. Even in these days’ of 24/7 connectivity with Zoom, Teams and What’s App chats, it is entirely natural to get the odd yearning for a face to face with a friend or family still back in blighty. And you don’t have to be spending a year long stint manning a remote lighthouse to feel homesick. It can happen anytime anywhere.

It doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with your life overseas, it is just an emotional reminder of the life you left behind. It does however make some people wonder about what will happen in the future.

Many jobs overseas are well paid to compensate for this, and sometimes they are extremely well paid because there is an element of insecurity about the position. You may be pocketing large wages, but ‘How long can it last?’ is a worry that some people express.

Nuts for Winter

There are plenty of phrases full of wisdom out there. Save for a rainy day. Make Hay while the sun shines. Strike while the Iron is hot. Or - my favourite – Take time by the forelock. This last one being a variation of the Latin phrase, Carpe Diem - Seize the Day.

If there is an opportunity in front of you it should be grabbed. And that what’s investment is. It’s an opportunity to stake a claim on your own future. Money put aside today is money available to you tomorrow. How much you can put aside and for how long is determined by your own individual circumstance. At APW we always recommend conducting a full audit of your own unique situation. Not just your cash resources, but also your skills and how much time you have available to take on new challenges and manage new responsibilities.

Once you have done your audit, you can move on to defining your goals. We have another article on how best to do that, but as we like to say here at APW, “You are not likely to hit a target you are not aiming at”.

The alternative is to heed the advice of Philadelphia Baseball pitcher, Tug McGraw. When Tug was asked in 1975 what he would do with his $75,000 salary: “Ninety percent I’ll spend on good times, women, and Irish whiskey. The other 10 percent I’ll probably waste.”

Sooner or later, though, many tire of dissolute living and start to plan for a more secure future for themselves and their dependents.

Home is where I want to be.

Buying a piece of real estate in the UK is what many expats imagine doing. There are multiple reasons for this decision, and not just sentimental ones.

·     The UK has a secure and established property market where rights of ownership are wrapped in centuries of law.

·     The UK has a wide variety of properties to choose from.

·     Lenders have developed a sophisticated mortgage market to cater for overseas owners.

·     Depending on your tax residency status, you may have unused tax allowances in the UK, which give a measure of tax-free income on any property that you own and rent.

And, of course, the sentimental reason is that one day you might want to return to the UK and a firm foothold in the property market is a one way of achieving. It might not be the property you want, but when you are ready to move you can always sell one property and buy your dream home whether that’s a seaside bungalow, an old rectory in the shires, a penthouse flat in the city, or a cottage in the hills. That’s your choice and comes back to your own personal goals.

At APW we can’t help you with your goals, we can help you define them a bit, and once your choice is made, we can help you with the rest, by putting you in touch with the right people to bring your property vision into reality.

In a quote widely attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt ..

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

Although you might prefer this one from Malcolm X …

Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.

Thanks,

Callum