Moving to Italy may be your lifelong dream, but are you absolutely sure it is a dream shared by the immediate family members who may be moving out there with you? It may be as well to make very sure you and your loved ones are singing from the same song sheet before you take that definitive step…

Partners: If you are moving to Italy in order to work, will your partner also be in a position to find employment and/or other activities? If they are not quite as convinced about the whole enterprise as you are, it may be worth attempting a trial run before truly burning your bridges. If that works out, fantastic! You can start planning a new future in Italy. If it doesn’t, then you always have the option of returning to the UK.

Children: Unless your children are very young, the chances are they will feel unsettled at the thought of moving away from the home they know. They will be leaving behind their friends, their school and their social activities, as well as cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents who may up until now been pivotal to their daily lives and feelings of normality and wellbeing.

Although children are purported to be a lot quicker at picking up languages than adults, your school-age offspring are going to be catapulted into the deep end in a far more abrupt way that you will be when you arrive in Italy. There is a good chance that you will find Italian adults with at least a minimal level of English whilst you go about the process of establishing yourself in the country.

Your children, however, will be forced to do absolutely everything in Italian from the moment they step through the school gates, whether they have a grasp of the language or not. Their lessons, their homework, their interaction with the teachers, their first tentative attempts at social interaction with their peers - all will be in Italian. And although they will probably be babbling away like natives before a year is out, those first months can be a very scary and isolated time indeed.

Taking into account the changes in their education is also important, especially if you have a child with particular educational needs. Could changing to a new educational system, in a new language, be detrimental to their formative years? It is also worth bearing in mind that Italian children are, in general, a lot more boisterous, physical and loud than British children. Italian adults, teachers included, are also a lot more physically affectionate with children. Some less ebullient British children may find these things a bit of a culture shock that takes a while to get used to.

Pets: Dogs, especially, tend to be happy as long as they are with their human family, but it is important, especially when thinking about transporting an older pet, that the move will work for them as well.  Ensuring that you are close to suitable dog-walking terrain or a safe area for your cat to eventually roam, a good vet and that the new timetable that goes hand in hand with your new life still leaves time enough to take care of your loyal pet, are all important things to take into consideration.

Some dogs or cats may also be unsuited to warmer climes, making them distressed, or even affecting their health. If you suspect this may be the case for your pets, then get a professional opinion from your vet before taking the plunge.

Start your hunt for a home in Italy here…
If you’re searching for an Italian property, a good place to start is the Italy Buying Guide’s new property search facility. To start your search now visit
http://www.italybuyingguide.com/content/italy-properties