A house in the city that is near work and the kids’ schools is the convenient setup for most families. A more spacious home in a tropical paradise where it is beautiful all around and basic commodities cost much less is quite often the family dream.
Nowadays, a lot of people can easily enjoy both. In rich countries like China, it is not uncommon for middle class families to split time between two homes.
Some live in a small apartment in busy Beijing during the week. But come Friday, they take the high-speed train ride to Shanghai for four hours where they have a French-inspired 340-square-meter villa located near the sea.
Indeed, life between two places is manageable and there are different ways for people to obtain this kind of life. If you are thinking of marrying your “practical” life with your “fantasy” life, it is just a matter of planning for it carefully and taking the steps for this lifestyle change.
Choosing Where to Establish Your Dream Life
The most important thing when deciding to divide your life between two places is to choose where your other home will be. If you are maintaining your original home for practical purposes such as your career or your children’s schooling, perhaps your other home should be able to provide you what you cannot have in your current arrangement.
A lot of families that invest in vacation homes abroad or in a different state do so to compensate for the shortcomings of their original place. City-dwellers, for example, choose a place where their little ones can play amidst nature, which city living cannot provide. Or, somewhere they can build a life where their money can actually go a long way.
Study the different places where it will be possible for you to create the life that you will be happy with. As you do so, evaluate your finances, too. Your financial status will determine how good a life you can have in a different place as well as all the options you can have for your dream life.
Look into Solutions and the Services of Professionals
Dividing your life between two places comes with challenges. The biggest one is how much it will cost you. So, turn to professionals who can help make your desired lifestyle a reality.
Wealth planning specialists are just some of the people that can educate you better on how to manage your assets and finances so you can invest in a life elsewhere. They can lead you to the solutions that can make your life change completely doable even if you have limited resources.
Consider looking into second citizenship programs as well if you hope to take advantage of more economical but better living conditions in a different country.
Having dual citizenship is a popular option for a dual lifestyle. With dual citizenship, you can maintain your established career in your homeland. But at the same time, you can have quick access to the benefits of your second country of residence.
Among the prime benefits of dual citizenship are increased investment opportunities, easier international mobility and future tax advantages.
You may be able to afford certain investments in a different country which you cannot make in your homeland, such as owning luxury real estate property.
Focus on the Benefits of a Dual Life
Deciding to split your life between two places presents exciting prospects. However, when you start working on creating the dual life, it is easy to lose joy in the decision.
When you are overwhelmed by the requirements and tasks, remind yourself of the benefits.
The assurance that there is another place you can call home that you can retreat to when life is less than ideal where you are; the new opportunities a different place holds; the exposure to a different culture and people that can make you grow as a person. Remember all these.
In this life, it can be frustrating when you feel confined to just one place. This can cloud your eyes from seeing bigger and better things up ahead.
Deciding to split your life between two places is one great way to mitigate any inclination to have low expectations.
The process may not be easy, but it is absolutely doable with careful planning and by getting the help you need.
One day, you will achieve the dream of a less hurried life with the people you love and new friends in your other home.
AUTHOR BIO
Kaline Kennard is the co-founder of Citizens International, a white-glove specialist firm offering private client services necessary for citizenship investment into the Caribbean. Based in the Caribbean for the past 15 years, she is an experienced consultant who works directly with many professional partners and advises clients worldwide.
