4 countries, 3 months each, for retirement : how do you organise yourself ?

haven't retired yet - but thoughts:

• you do actually get fed up with moving on all the time. This will be fun for a while but eventually you will want to put down roots rather than continually moving. Six months in each place will work better.
• yes, all the other things are entirely true. The ideal is having an 'opposite number' someone who swaps houses with you for the other half of the year.
• medical issues only get more difficult as you get older.

sorry to be negative - consider it for a few years rather than as a 'to the end of life' option.

Hi,

Sorry, I haven't done this either, but I do go between Australia and Indonesia, usually spending about 3 months in each.

My initial thought is that buying property in each place would be a nightmare! Having one property in a country you are not a legal full-time resident in sounds tricky, but having 4? I think that would make for one stressful retirement!

My experience in Indonesia and Thailand is that there are many travellers who come looking to put down roots for a few months to a year, so there are quite a few accommodation options (for example, furnished bungalows with a little kitchen) for people who are looking for long-term stays. Maid service can often come with the bungalow, and in my experience, this kind of thing isn't so hard to organise for the short term.

You would probably have a mobile phone connection rather than getting an actual phone line, so that's probably not going to be a big issue.

Of course, I've only done this kind of thing in Asia - I don't know about Brazil, Morocco etc.

I think it sounds like a pretty cool idea - lots of fun. I'd do it for a year and see how you liked it, and whether, as #1 says, 3 months is too little time in one place.

Oh, one more thought, you could check out airbnb.com for furnished apartments/houses. They seem to have a decent selection, although a bit more expensive that what you'd pay if you just landed and looked around for accommodation, IMO.

Good luck!!!

Thanks for your feedback. I do use AirBNB often when I travel, good selection indeed.
The issue with 6 months is that you mostly get into visa issues once you are over 3 months (I have 2 nationalities so 2 passport, so that may help).
I take your point that this must be a living mode for a couple of years and then I may want to stabilise. Maybe start with 4, then 2...then one.

If you end up flying from one continent to another 4x a year, wouldn't that NOT save you money?

Ah, but the objective is not to save money, it's having 'fun' at a good rate. At the end of the day, the flight is let's say 1000 USD 4 times per year, which is easily offset by tax gains and day to day costs.

I like your 'neverwinter' nickname, this is a bit my objective haha, have sun all year round :-)

yep, did seven years without a winter! As someone said 'nights are drawing in, time to change hemispheres'.

you do want to come home eventually - and I've been lucky enough to return to a relaxed lifestyle - but it was rather fun. Must get on with the memoirs.

My inner pedant needs to point out that Florida is not a country.

What about owning a home in one or two countries in 'good' locations and then organising house exchanges with them. That could be an interesting way to spend a few years.

I don't think having 2 passports will make any difference on visa issues.

It would certainly be an interesting way to live for a few years. Personally I think I'd prefer the 6 months option with a few holidays thrown in. Keep us posted on what you end up doing.

You need legal and accounting advice re investments and tax residency - it totally depends on your current citizenship - if you are Irish or NZ its very difficult to become non-resident - while for the uK and US its quite a lot easier.

As above I can't imagine anything worse than owning 4 properties- and ownership will more than likely make you a tax resident to some degree.

House sitting is big in some countries - or you just hire an apartment short-term- this seems very cost effective in Asia.

Travel insurance will probably come down to, again, where you are now and what your citizenship is - ie where do you want to be repatriated to?

Why on earth would you want a home phone? Buy a SIM as you arrive at the airport.