If there’s one thing that will make life easier for the millions of English-speaking expats in their adopted countries worldwide, it’s having an expert to turn to when they need help. I know, I’ve been there.

So I’m going to give you an invaluable tip.

Go and visit AngloINFO.com today.

From simple things like finding out how to get a phone line connected or what to do if you’re involved in a traffic accident, to finding an accountant you can trust or receiving recommendations for the best local school, everything is a difficult hurdle if you don’t have a reliable source of information.

Something like the unbelievably helpful AngloINFO network would have been a godsend for myself and Helen when we first moved to Tenerife many moons ago. Unfortunately though, this great site wasn’t around then.

Launched in  2000, nowadays AngloINFO sites are everywhere - from Belgium to Thailand and 35 other regions. In a clear, precise manner you can find ALL the answers to questions that EVERY expat anywhere is always asking, for FREE.

In fact, try it now. Think of some local service or information that you need to know about and I can guarantee that the answer will be found through the AngloINFO website for your region.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for on the INFormation pages, leave a query on the forum and before long you’ll have connected to others in the region that have the answer.

Believe me when I say I don’t make any financial gain out of singing the praises of AngloINFO, I just think it’s the ultimate information service for all expats in their local region and thoroughly recommend them to all our visitors and advertisers at Mouse-Move.com.

We are all too eager to jump in with our four-penneth-worth when it comes to having a mumble and groan about something, so we should equally be as keen to openly praise those who are providing a helluva service. You’ll see on the site that several people have already done this…

“Congratulations on your website - this is the first time I have been able to get easy to understand information about health care in France for expatriates holding an E121 form.”

“Just a short note from an AngloINFO fan… THANK YOU for managing such an excellent resource. This year, thanks to AngloINFO Riviera, I have been able to prepare for getting my Carte de Séjour, registering my car and having my baby. I’ve made friends with other users, and got some shopping done too! Keep up the good work.“ 

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on the success of AngloINFO and for the wonderful service you are providing, your site is the essential website for the Anglophone society.“

I’ll be adding my comments soon.

If you’re based abroad, or have an interest in a particular overseas region, I highly recommend that you pay AngloINFO a visit.

You’d be mad not to!

The alternative is to blag, bluff or bury your head to those niggles and problems that face all expats at one time or another and are so easy to solve by making use of this fantastic free resource.

So start making your life easier today. Make use of what is one of the best free expat resource sites around today.

To make your life easier, click here now.

PS. AngloINFO are currently looking for franchisees in the Canary Islands, as well as other parts of the world. For more information click here or email franchising@angloinfo.com

They’re everywhere - in your neighbour’s garden, lining your friend’s street, in the apartment block on your summer holiday abroad.

No matter where you are, you just can’t avoid the For Sale or To Let sign. Every estate agent worldwide uses them.

Why?

Because they work.

Even if you’ve opted for a private house sale, research has shown that displaying a For Sale sign can double the chances of selling your house.

Although over 70 per cent of people now use the internet to search for their next home, many deals are ‘drive-buys’.

Whilst for those choosing to sell their house online the internet can globally spread the word to millions, it’s vital not to miss out on the local market. It’s estimated that up to 48% of property enquiries come from people seeing a For Sale or To Let sign.

House-hunters deciding on the area they want to live in will inevitably drive around to get a feel for the neighbourhood. If they like what they see, they’ll more than likely stop at properties displaying a For Sale sign and jot down the contact details in order to make an appointment, or at least find out more details about the house.

No matter how fantastic your property is or how low you’ve set the price, you’re never going to be in the running if the drive-buys don’t know your cherished property is for sale.

Even for those who have decided to sell a house privately, for the sake of a few quid it makes sense to order a sign so as not to miss out on a possible drive-buy sale.

Mouse Move will deliver a professional, eye-catching For Sale or To Let board for just £30 plus postage. Each double-sided sign is personalised with the contact number of your choice and a unique property ID for easy reference on mouse-move.com

Nearly one in five British homeowners are currently planning on selling their house and moving, says a new report from Zurich Insurance.

Rising interest rates and thus more expensive mortgages costs, plus the desire to downscale in later life are two of the major factors influencing this trend.

The study also revealed that the average Briton will own five properties during their lifetime and moves an average of 125 miles each time to find their next perfect location.

This post headline could read, can I sell my house in Doncaster online, or can I rent out my apartment in Benidorm online. I’ve been getting a lot of emails from all over the place about the how’s and whereto’s of selling a house privately online.

It seems that a lot of people are finding out about the benefits of selling a house privately (private property sales sites are the quickest way to sell your house) and discovering the reasons why not to use an estate agent (mistrust, high commissions), but they want practical advice, the nuts and bolts if you like, of how to advertise their property online.

I’m quite happy to receive these emails (and letters), but pretty much all of their queries can be answered on our website www.mouse-move.com

Having said that, keep the correspondence coming; in this cyber-age, it’s still nice to communicate one-to-one, and remember, there’s no such thing as a silly question - only a silly answer.

Fire away to davidwood@mouse-move.com and Helen, the team and I will do our best to give you all the information you need.

Another worrying point about the dubious practise of estate agents was highlighted by tickeverybox.com recently.

They warn that estate agents are ‘extremely well positioned to receive kickbacks for recommending financial services, solicitors, surveyors and now, home information pack providers.‘ These commissions paid to agents can be quite substantial and detract from what should be their main objective ie to secure a sale for their client.

Tickeverybox.com remind sellers of agent’s duties…

1. to report every offer that is made to the vendor
2. never fabricate or provide misleading information about other offers that may/may not have been made
3. not insist that an offer is accepted only on the condition of a buyer signing up to its own (or recommended) financial, legal or technical services.

Unfortunately, some agents tend to forget these duties when the lure of extra financial gain rears its head.

If a client suspects this is the case there are several paths they can follow to file a complaint.

Contact the following if you feel you’ve been duped:

• RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors)
• NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents)
• The Ombudsman for estate agents
• Local Trading Standards Office of Fair Trading

Finally, after several months of blood, sweat and more than a few tears, I’m proud to announce that - (trumpet fanfare, please) - Mouse Move is up and running.

You might not have heard of it yet, but rest assured, you soon will. Mouse Move is going to be huge, of that I have no doubt. It’s THE place to buy, sell or rent your house, holiday home, car, business or even service.

We’re like a dating service for transactions - match-making buyers with sellers, landlords with tenants, services and products with customers. I know, how sweet! But the best thing is we’re doing it for free at the moment, bless us!

Anybody with a property, vehicle, business or product/service for sale or rent anywhere in the world can advertise it worldwide on Mouse-Move.com absolutely free for the next six months as a special trial offer.

Go on. Give it a whirl. You’ve got nothing to lose.