The Move Abroad Economy

The relocation economy is booming.

Whether you’ve already decided to move abroad, or you’re just exploring the idea, there’s no doubt you’ve come across countless offers for people who want to help make your dream a reality, for a small fee.

There are more and more headlines about businesses who help (mostly American) people move abroad, and how they’re busier than ever.

International House Hunters is no longer just a tv show, there are entire businesses built on helping newcomers find homes in their chosen countries.

Everyone who has done it before you has a PDF, a check list, a how-to video. And hey, I’m not pretending like I’m above it, I know I’ve got my paid tier turned on.

But what are these people really selling? Will that PDF actually help you, or is it just trying to capitalize on your anxiety, and provide a false sense of reassurance that there is an answer to everything?

After moving abroad multiple times, and especially after moving to France without the structure of a job or corporate immigration team, I’ve learned that some things are absolutely worth paying for, but the hardest parts of moving abroad are usually the ones you can’t buy your way out of.

Some services are genuinely worthwhile. If you need immigration advice for the love of god please consult with a lawyer instead of crowd sourcing information on Facebook. Nothing will warp your brain faster than trying to decipher how two people can so confidently give diametrically opposite answers to the same question.

If you’re curious about your tax situation, speak with an accountant who works with international clients. Taxes are complicated, and personal. This type of advice is usually 100% worth paying for, even if just for peace of mind that you’ll have everything properly in order.

Other services, however, are harder to make a case for.

In all of my moves the biggest thing I wasted money on was a French relocation agent. Someone who claimed to have plenty of connections, and could help us navigate the notoriously difficult French rental market.

They assured us that their services would give us an edge since we aren’t the typical rental client - there aren’t exactly a ton of landlords eager to rent unemployed Americans who can barely speak French.

Unfortunately, in France, the rental market is so tough that a service like this is basically meaningless. We were actually able to secure more viewings on our own than through our agency.

There’s also the “hand holders.” People who help you with small tasks, to whom you can ask questions, for a small fee. Sure, these services can be helpful, but what they’re more likely doing is creating a false sense of security in your ability to integrate into your new community, and limiting your ability to figure things out on your own - a necessary survival skill for life abroad. Honestly, if you can’t figure out how to set up an electricity account on your own, you’re probably going to have a pretty tough time.

And then you have what I’m calling the move abroad creator economy. The online personality who claims their digital download will immediately solve all of your problems and answer all of your questions. Again, no shade, some of these are genuinely useful, but while most appear to be selling information, what they’re really selling can be a deceptive form of reassurance.

The thing is, no two moves are exactly alike. What helped one person might help you, but there are also going to be bits of your situation that are unique, and you’ll end up having to figure those things out on your own anyway.

Sure, a checklist might help you get organized, but when you’re on the phone with the water company trying to figure out why your tap has run dry, that PDF is not going to save you.

In my opinion, the real lesson in all of this is that the situations that are the hardest, are the ones you can’t buy your way out of.

You can’t hire someone to make you more adaptable. You cannot pay someone to make you comfortable with uncertainty. And you can’t simply swipe away the moments when you wonder if it was all a big mistake and you contemplate going back “home.”

That reality is, undeniably, annoying. The best you can do is get comfortable being uncomfortable, making a fool of yourself and then shrugging it off, and continuing to try again tomorrow.