When you are moving out of your home country for whatever reason, and that stay abroad is going to be long enough to warrant a remodeling of your new home in the new country, things can get quite complicated.
When Should You Consider a Remodel?
A lot depends on whether you are moving permanently or temporarily due to work, but as long as your stay is a long one, consisting of at least a few years, you will likely have to consider a remodel at one point of time or the other.
On the other hand, you do not necessarily need to consider any renovations at all, if you are only going to be there for a year or so. Repairs or slight modifications in the interior décor to make it an environment more suited to your taste is still advised though.
Is Remodeling Always the Right Option in a Foreign Country?
The answer to this particular question depends entirely on the country that you are actually moving to.The socio-economic differences that often exist between a developed part of the world and a developing region are quite significant.
You might need to demolish and rebuild a house in your own design or just add a few accessories, make repairs and modify the bathroom a bit; the possibilities are really not something that can be estimated without knowing the exact kind of housing you are in.
At the very least though, moving to a country with a vastly dissimilar culture, infrastructure and understanding of architecture usually mean that remodeling projects are going to be a necessity if the stay is a long-term or permanent one.
Should You Move Your Furniture with You?
When you are trying to renovate a house or apartment in a new country, it is quite possible that you won’t be able to find the kind of furniture you need. Therefore, resorting to an international moving company to get your furniture from home is highly advised. After all, if you do have expensive furniture that you are going to leave behind, why pay twice and buy new items you do not even like anyway?
One company that comes highly recommended is Philips Moving who has been in the business for nearly a hundred years now so you can trust them to use their 90+ years of experience to safely carry and deliver everything that you need them to. This international moving company has representatives in all the countries to which they deliver and once your furniture arrives, their local representatives will take care of the delivery and the setting up process. It’s a seamless procedure really, but ensure you check out their website to know whether they actually deliver to the region that you are moving to and get a quick quote for that.
Short of paying exorbitant amounts of money for the transport, there is no way you can move everything from back home, to your new place of dwelling, so be choosy and only pick the items that will work well with your new renovation plans and designs for the place.
Be Aware of Local Prices
A lot of contractors and suppliers might take advantage of your ignorance and could be selling you the project at a price that’s much higher than the market rate in your new place.
Ask around, take multiple estimates and go online to find the market rates for the raw materials, labor costs, and contractor charges, before committing to any proposal at all.
Seeking the help of the local government’s housing wing is also a good idea to get the right estimates. Irrespective of the country though, the prices will vary a lot depending on the exact location of your new home more than anything else.
The Structural Integrity Must be Checked
If it happens to be an older structure, it’s best to get it inspected by a professional to know if it can actually support the renovations which you have planned for it. Hire a local civil engineer or an architect to help you sort this one out.
Understand the Locality You are in As Well
Some homes are more prone to storm and flood damage, while others can be in danger from earthquakes. A particularly rainy region will require special external paint on the homes’ outside walls to counter the onslaught of water, while insulation might be of the utmost importance when the area experiences very cold temperatures during the winter months.
Even a beautiful seaside apartment can get ruined fast thanks to the salty, moisture-filled air all around and inside it. The idea is to understand and design your renovations in accordance with the locale that you are in right now.
The rest of it doesn’t really differ much, irrespective of where you are decorating. Renovations will still be expensive if they are any good and at the end of it, you will probably love your decision to make the changes that you did.
