Relocation: how to prepare for the move, rent a house abroad and not run into scammers

How to prepare for a move

Most likely, moving to another country will not take place in one day, so you will have time to prepare. Here's what to do.

Collect Documents

Obviously, the more original documents you take with you, the better: you never know what might come in handy. In addition to your passport, birth and marriage certificates, driver's license, and work-related papers, you must have the following.

1. Medical insurance. Over time, it will be possible to issue it already in the host country, but it is better to start with the basic temporary (tourist) option in Russia. It is called “For those traveling abroad”.

If you are leaving for a long time or forever, then it is better to take extended insurance. An important point: be sure to pay attention to the availability of dental services in it, since at your own expense to treat teeth abroad is very expensive. You can take out such insurance, for example, for six months.

Further, you will most likely have to legalize in the country where you plan to live in the near future. And along with obtaining a residence permit, you can also take out local insurance.

2. Certificate of no criminal record. Ideal with apostille, but you will have to wait up to 30 days for such a document. The usual certificate will be made in MFC or MIA in a few days - you just need to apply for the "Gosuslugah".

3. Copies of passports - make at least 5 pieces of each document. One of them will come in handy in case of loss original, the rest will be needed in various departments when applying for citizenship, obtaining a work permit, placing a child in school, and so on.

4. Statement of bank accounts. This document will prove the solvency of the account holder and can be useful in a variety of situations: from obtaining a visa to renting a house. You can issue a statement both in the bank and in its application. But for European countries it is still better to have the original with a seal.

5. medical documents, if they are not stored in cloud or by mail. These can be the results of MRI, ultrasound, CT and so on. They are especially important for people with chronic diseases. Children will need vaccination certificates.

6. Copies of property documents. It is better to leave the originals in Russia in case they are needed for transactions. If necessary, they can be sent by express mail.

7. Help 2‑NDFL. You may need it to rent a house.

8. Documents about education. In some countries, such as Israel, they are mandatory for employment in the specialty. In this case, documents will need to be certified in a special department already in the country of arrival.

9. Letter of recommendation from a previous landlord if you have previously rented an apartment. In some countries it is an important attachment to the tenant's application form. In Russia, this is not the most common practice, but if you remain on good terms with the owner of the apartment, he, of course, will not refuse.

The letter of recommendation should indicate that payments were made on time, complaints from neighbors was not, and housing remained in excellent condition.

Decide what will happen to the property remaining in Russia

It all depends on your plans.

Leave under supervision

If you intend to return, then you need to find a person who will look after the property. It can be not only one of the relatives or friends, but also an agency that is ready to take on this function.

Supervision refers to periodic visits to an apartment or house for inspection, the ability to promptly to come in an emergency - for example, if the neighbors downstairs complain that water is dripping from their ceiling - control bills for housing and communal services and other current issues.

You should not be limited to handing over the keys - draw up a power of attorney and certify it with a notary. It is obligatory even for close friends and relatives. The authorization must be as complete as possible. The following tasks must be taken into account:

• Receiving correspondence from government and commercial enterprises.
• Representing the interests of the principal in public authorities and conducting correspondence with them, including with the Federal Tax Service or the MFC.
• Receipt of receipts and payment for services related to the property of the principal.

For cars, a separate power of attorney is required - it can also be obtained from notary. And do not forget about the ability to pick up a car from a car impound - many do not indicate this option.

Basically, car care involves snow removal and occasional trips: cars do not like to stand still for a long time. Therefore, it would be good to negotiate with a reliable driver who can both warm up the car and drive it at least a couple of times a month.

Rent out

If you want to rent out a property, keep in mind that the power of attorney we talked about above will also be needed for this case.

And you should also know that MFC employees almost never agree register (even temporarily) people in the apartment without the personal presence of the owner - a power of attorney is unlikely to help here. This can be a problem if tenants need to register – for example, to enroll a child in a school or kindergarten, or to apply for a resident parking permit.

You can rent an apartment both with the help of your friends and through a real estate agency - in this case, you need to leave a power of attorney for the realtor who will work with you in the same way. It should indicate that you are allowed to visit housing, hold showings, request certificates from government agencies, and negotiate with potential tenants.

It is worth bearing in mind that realtor, most likely, will not take responsibility for the calculations for the apartment, so for this you should find someone else - relatives or acquaintances who will accept money and transfer it to you.

Be sure to specify in the power of attorney who and when will receive the rent. But it's best to just provide your bank details to the tenant to avoid cash payments.

Also, do not forget to indicate in the power of attorney all passport data and full information about the apartment - preferably not only the address, but also the cadastral number and even a brief description: the number and area of ​​rooms, the availability of repairs and furniture. Usually notaries provide for all this, but it is better to make sure that everything is correct.

In addition, do not forget in advance, while you are still there, to draw up inventory property - then it will be much more difficult to remember what exactly was in the apartment. When compiling it, do not just indicate “TV” or “refrigerator”, but specify the information: write down the brand, model, diagonal and other data.

This will come in handy if the tenant breaks something and has to buy a similar item or appliance instead. If you did not manage to make an inventory, you can ask the realtor to do it for you.

sell

If you are planning to sell property, while abroad, the power of attorney should contain much more points - usually notaries have templates, but it is possible that you want to supplement them.

It is worth paying special attention to the points related to the possibility of paying for the transaction: this is the opening of an account, and money management (if necessary), and the ability to receive certificates from state institutions.

Keep in mind that selling by proxy is considered risky for buyers, not everyone is willing to consider this option. You may even have to come to personally participate in the transaction.

What problems can await after the move

So, with the remaining property sorted out - it's time to think about what you will have to face in a new country, and prepare for local features.

• Lack of central heating. This is the main difference between almost any foreign housing from Russian. This factor greatly affects the quality of housing. So, in most coastal cities both in Europe and in Asia, dampness provokes the development mold in apartments - in any minimarket there are always containers with bleach to help remove it. It is logical that wallpaper in such conditions is not a very practical solution. Also, instead of humidifiers for the home, in hardware stores you will find dozens of types of dehumidifiers and clothes dryers.
• High prices for electricity and heating. This is especially true for the countries of Central and Northern Europe. It's cold here in winter, and you have to turn on the heaters. Sometimes cold rent (what the owner receives) and warm rent (full amount with utility bills and heating) can differ by half. These countries include those popular with today's relocators Türkiye, UAE and Israel.
• Special security rules. For example, in Israel, since a long-standing military conflict is still relevant there: from time to time the country (especially the southern regions) comes under shelling. Most new houses have bomb shelters where you need to go down in case of an air raid alert.
• Problems with local fauna. So, in India, even residents of some elite complexes complain about monkeys climbing into apartments, and in Indonesia and Thailand - about insects and snakes. Therefore, it is better to rent housing here not on the first floors, but when renting, pay attention to protective (including anti-mosquito) grids.

What rules to follow when renting housing remotely

The main rule is obvious: do not pay for housing until you visit it in person and sign the lease documents. Given the huge influx of relocators, scammers began to use every opportunity to easily make money on people.

Therefore, it is better to start a targeted search already on the spot. The ideal option is to rent temporary accommodation, for example through Airbnb or Booking (with availability foreign bank card or friends who have it), and on the spot to come to grips with the search for a suitable long-term option. By the way, Airbnb can issue a booking ban if you are in the Russian Federation, but it works fine as soon as you cross the border.

If you want to immediately rent a house for a long time, use the following rules:

• Find a confidant who will be able to come to view and make sure that the object is in order. You can search for such a person, for example, among friends who have previously moved.
• Ask to provide not only photos, but also videos - Preferably online. It is better if your trusted person can confirm the relevance of the video so that expectation and reality coincide.
• Request scanned documents proving the landlord's right to lease the property.
• Ask for a rental agreement. Considering that it is most likely written in a foreign language, make sure you understand everything correctly. moments. In the contract, pay attention to the clauses related to payment, the provision of guarantees and the terms of the lease. Do not miss the information about early termination of the contract and possible sanctions. Find out all your rights and obligations: which utilities you pay, and which ones the owner pays, should you do repair upon departure, do you have the right to hang a shelf, is it possible to rearrange the closet in the bedroom without fines and others.
• Find out if the apartment has furniture. Abroad, this is not at all necessary - often apartments are rented empty, and the purchase of furniture and appliances falls on the shoulders of the tenant.
• Check the address of your potential home on the panorama maps. They will help you understand if there is a noisy nightclub in the neighborhood and if the area is really clean and tidy, as indicated in the ad.

Which rental sites should you use?

Use only trusted sites. Each country has its own, but here is a list of the main ones.

• Kazakhstan: «Roof».
• Uzbekistan:Uybor.
• Georgia:SS.ge And Gege24.
• Armenia:List.am And TunMun.
• Türkiye:Hepsiemlak And Emlakjet.
• Montenegro: montenegro‑bar and Tradegoria.
• Israel:YAD.
• Italy:idealista.
• Germany:Immowelt, ImmoScout And Wunderflats.
• France:Leboncoin And SeLogger.
• Universal sites operating all over the world:Uniplaces, HousingAnywhere And Spotahome.

Keep in mind that now housing can also be found on social networks: in many countries, real estate is rented through special groups, as well as on Telegram.

Feel free to write that you want to rent an apartment in the channels of the desired city: there are many chances to find an option without unnecessary bureaucracy. In addition, sublet is popular in many countries - releasing an apartment rented for a long time at the time of departure. And you will also find information about such housing in social networks and telegram channels.

What are the risks in renting a home?

The main risks coincide with those in Russia.

1. Invalid ads. Either such an apartment does not exist at all, and the photos are taken from photobanks, or another, much more attractive housing is shown in the ad. To protect yourself, demand a real-time video review, ask to see the house number and apartment number, and then compare them with those specified in the contract.

2. Meeting with scammers and losing money. There is always a risk of falling into phishing site, which will steal your personal data (including, for example, your card number and CVC code), and as a result, fraudsters will be able to withdraw all the money from the account. The recipe is simple: do not follow the links sent by "good" agents, even if their address seems safe to you, and do not enter personal data. And be careful with prepayment, especially when you are in a hurry and the apartment is allegedly rented “only for you” at a price below the market.

3. Chances are that the rent will be much more expensive than you thought. Say exactly what you pay and in what amounts:

• Is there a commission that the realtor will receive, and how much will it cost.
• Do you pay for any other services and do you definitely need them - for example, some landlords charge for parking, which you may not need, while others try to pass it on to tenants taxes.
• How much is the prepayment. In some countries, you need to pay for a year of residence at once.

4. Problems with the real owner. It happens that scammers rent an apartment for a short period of time and during this time manage to rent it out to ten other gullible tenants. They collect an advance payment and disappear in an unknown direction. Therefore, make sure that the real owner is in front of you.

Do not rent from representatives or from those whose identity and attitude to real estate is suspicious. Ask to show you the original documents for the apartment. If you do not understand the language, seek help from intermediary translators: these can be both acquaintances who have previously moved (and already orientated) or a hired realtor.

5. Contact with the "news agency". In the real estate business, this is what unscrupulous agencies are called. The scheme works like this: you apply for an attractive ad, it turns out to be irrelevant, and agency employees immediately offer to conclude treaty to provide exclusive offers - of course, for a small fee.

Subsequently, it turns out that the offers are the same as those in the public domain, but you will also be offered the most disadvantageous options that no one wants to take.

What guarantees can the landlord require?

In addition to legal subtleties and the risks of meeting with scammers, the main difficulty is related to paying rent. Good preparation will help you navigate: read local telegram channels and pay attention to posts in which people who have moved earlier ask for advice.

Especially carefully read the answers from local residents. All this is tedious, but informative. Feel free to write down the most important discoveries: it is possible that they will be useful to you.

Below is a list of the main problems that you may encounter when renting a home.

1. Guarantees that landlords require before concluding a deal. In some countries, they may ask for bank statements and employment certificates. In some cases, you will have to translate statements in the language of the country you have moved to. This is done in special bureaus or in the country of origin (the state from which you are relocating). You can also contact your local notary.

2. Guarantees for you from the citizens of the country if you are not a citizen. For example, they can be requested in Israel. Only friends who have previously moved or good Samaritans who are ready to take on financial risks will help here. The fact is that words alone are not enough - in Israel, "guarantors" must also provide payment checks. In fact, they pay for your housing for several months in advance (sometimes up to a year), and you will have to return this money to them every month. For "guarantors" this is a huge risk, so usually no one is in a hurry to act as a guarantor.

3. Long term payment - many months ahead. It may be needed in any country - in this way, the owners try to hedge against the extra hassle of finding new customers if you decide to move out. You, of course, this option is unprofitable - all of a sudden, housing really turns out to be not very suitable.

4. Obtaining the status of a resident - this requirement, for example, is spelled out in the laws of the UAE. And only after receiving it you can rent a house for a long time.

It seems that relocation is a complex process. This is partly true. But if you trust your intuition, keep lists (this will help you not to forget anything), and scrupulously check everything, it will become a pleasant experience.