While it may seem incredibly appealing to pack up everything and head for a place in the sun when you retire, going through the whole process requires a fair bit more work than most people realise. Life as an expat can be a relaxing way to spend your time after all those years working and by making sure you've got a few things covered, you know there'll be no problems. Your first steps should be organising everything in your soon-to-be old home, so don't be afraid about getting in touch with people who can help.

Be prepared for some huge changes

A major decision involves your old home; what are you going to do with it? Some people may choose to sell while others decide that rental is a good idea, as it provides a regular income that you should be able to depend on - but what if something goes wrong? You'll need to organise someone responsible to look after it on your behalf who can deal with repairs and ensure that your tenants pay their rent on time, so choose wisely.

Depending on where you're moving to, it could be a good idea to get some lessons in your new home's language. Sure, you'll find that a lot of expats think that English is enough but if you're thinking about integrating into society there's no better way to do so than being able to speak like the locals do. Don't worry if you make the odd mistake; people will be happy that you're making the effort to fit in and may even offer to help you improve your skills.

Call a wealth management advisor as soon as you can

You'll find that you're making a lot of huge choices in a short space of time, so be sure to enlist the help of professionals who can help you take a lot of the pressure off. Your finances will be up in the air, so speaking to wealth management advisors is a great idea. They'll be able to talk to you about everything from how your pension will be affected to letting you know what kinds of insurance you'll need, as well as tell you what you should be budgeting for during and after your big move.

When you're looking for an advisor, make sure that your chosen specialist is experienced in global wealth management. That way you'll know that they're skilled in helping clients who are located all around the world, rather than just in the UK, and have contacts in many countries who can help out with any issues that could arise. Ask plenty of questions and be prepared for absolutely anything, but above all enjoy your new life in the sun.