Relocating from Singapore to the UK

The Brief

Accent Relocation was approached by a global pharmaceutical company to relocate a family from Singapore to London or the Home Counties. The three year move posed great opportunities to the Assignee and his young family; with this came concerns about securing school places that allowed the children to stay in the same educational programme, for example the International Baccalaureate which the older child was studying. Another key priority was that the property was spacious enough for the five members of the family as well as ensuring that there was a separate annex for visitors and a living space for their live in help.

With a budget of £10,000 per calendar month together with the requirement of finding a property of high specification, and only viewing properties with a large open plan kitchen and living area, the Search Consultant was able to conduct thorough research in preparation for the Assignee’s arrival.

The Process

A conference call was conducted by Accent Relocation’s search consultant, allowing a formal introduction as the Assignee’s main point of contact throughout the relocation process. Following comprehensive discussions, a location report tailored to the family’s needs was sent to them, with an overview of commute times and property samples ensuring that they were fully informed on the UK rental process and current property market.

Corporate housing in London was arranged by Accent Relocation which secured accommodation for the family for the 6 weeks following their arrival in the UK.

Familiarisation Tour & Home Search

The first major step in the search involved organising appointments at the International schools in Central London and the Home Counties, which accompanied visits and viewings of several properties in proximity to each school and a neighbourhood tour.

By seeing both the options of living in Central London and in Surrey, the Assignee was able to make a calculated decision on the type of lifestyle that suited the family best. With the availability of larger properties and easy access for the children to travel to London, the family choose Surrey as their favoured location.

In total 26 properties were viewed with the Assignee during the initial two day Home Search, and after discussing the pros and cons of each property the Search Consultant put together a short list of suitable properties for them. On the final day of the Home Search several properties were viewed for a second time, along with in depth tours of the immediate areas around each property, taking into account the distance from the schools. On our recommendation, the Assignee selected his three preferred properties and instructed Accent Relocation to make an offer on his number one choice.

The property was on the market for £10,000 per calendar month, within walking distance of the station, had a separate annexe and surpassed all the family’s expectations. Tough negotiations were required, however Accent Relocation were able to successfully achieve a significant reduction of the rent.

Settling In Period

The Search Consultant assisted the family to settle into the property by organising a handy-man to be at the house for the day of the move, and ensuring that important documentation such as registering for a National Insurance Number, opening a UK Bank Account and applying for a UK Driving License were fully understood. The family all had different needs and by working with the members individually the Search Consultant was able to organise sports lessons and club memberships to ensure that the family settled in as quickly and effectively as possible. Furthermore, the family was put in touch with a previous Assignee of Accent Relocation, who lived only a few doors away.

Conclusion

Throughout the process the Assignee had one point of contact, together with minimal input from the company’s HR department, maximising the personal commitment from Accent Relocation. With the experience and knowledge that the Search Consultant had to offer, the cost of the client’s corporate accommodation was reduced by 12% and with their excellent negotiation skills the rent was also reduced by £260 per week. Overall, the client saved circa £40k over the three year rental period.