Mission to Malaysia: How to Run Reconnaissance for Your New Home
If you’re planning to move to Malaysia in the near future you no doubt have a lot of questions that need answering. Foremost among those, of course, is how and where you plan to live – if you’re anywhere close to your move date, you probably have some idea. But have you taken a look at your potential housing with your own two eyes? Have you been able to independently verify the living and renting conditions there, beyond just what’s listed on an expat recommendation site? You’ll always feel more secure committing to your new life after you’ve seen it for yourself, so here’s Allied’s professional opinion on how to handle your reconnaissance mission.
Time things right
Moving internationally is already an expensive proposition, so you need to make any scouting trip short and sharply focused to keep your budget healthy. You can only properly look at so many properties during your trip, so whittle down your shortlist ahead of time using websites or proxy services. Speak with some local property agents beforehand for help organising your trip, and have them arrange things with landlords to smooth your path so you save time overall.
Be canny with condos
Many offers for expat-targeted housing seem almost too good to be true; sadly, this is because many are. Inflated descriptions of facilities justify heightened prices, rental agreements are treated as guidelines rather than binding documents, and greedy landlords will sell or release rooms out from under you before you even realise your occupancy was off the books. Of course, there is a high percentage of housing which is totally above board, but your firsthand experience can help make sure you’re not moving into one of the former. Seek advice from local agents or authorities, or know the common issues before you start shopping around.
A developed interest
If you’re looking to buy and develop property in Malaysia, your scouting mission takes on a whole different colour. You have no doubt looked into the various legalities and restrictions on the sort of work you want to do, since that sort of information is easily gathered online. Instead, your scouting mission should be focused on investigating the local conditions. Quirks of weather, wildlife, neighbours, climate – the sort of thing which doesn’t come up on real estate reports but can easily be a deal-breaker once you’ve moved in. Malaysia has plenty of cheap land to be bought up in the countryside, but be sure there’s enough infrastructure around to support your move – contact the international moving experts at Allied for a quote if you’re not sure.
So when you’re ready to make the move to Malaysia, come to Allied and we’ll get your belongings there safely, on time and at an affordable price. www.alliedpickfords.com.my
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