 |
Case Studies
Mr and Mrs Beresford moving back to England after several years overseas
(A cautionary tale)
What Happened
Mr Beresford works as the commercial director on major construction projects for a multinational company. He was posted to the UK with the company's own 'self help' relocation package. Mr Beresford summarised to us the unhappy history of his move to England:
| Beginning August | Company confirmed his relocation to manage new project in the UK |
| End August | Moved to England with his wife, staying in local accommodation |
| Beginning September | Began his new post |
| Weeks 1-3 September | Mr and Mrs Beresford searched for suitable accommodation with property agents |
| End September | Exhausted and demoralised by the search, a compromise house was picked |
| Week 1 October | The Beresford's struggle through negotiations and English property agreements |
| Week 2 October | They finally move in, wishing they had stayed in Germany |
It took the Beresfords a frustrating and stressful 38 days of searching to find a house. The house was not really what they wanted. They had to compromise their requirements and spent nearly six weeks in an uncomfortable local hotel which cost £90 per day.
Mr Beresford needed to be reasonably close to his work, and the hotel was the only convenient place on a list provided by his employers. His wife, who is not English, was unfamiliar with driving on the left in the UK and wanted to be near a town centre.
The Beresfords had to do everything themselves:
- Finding and contacting rental agents was strange and difficult for them after a long time overseas
- Viewing houses was often inconvenient for Mr Beresford, having started his new job
- Negotiating the rental and tenancy agreement was very stressful, costing both time and money
- Mr Beresford had to sacrifice six very valuable working days during a demanding time in his new post
The Beresfords finally had to settle for the 'least unpleasant' of the properties they had seen. The whole process was very time consuming and difficult, even more so because to them Britain in the 1990s was 'like a foreign country'.
Mr Beresford's company offered the following assistance with the relocation:
- Moving allowance to help cover the first thirty days accommodation and living expenses
- A list of hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation (provided just two weeks before the move)
The time the Beresfords had to spend in the hotel proved to be inconvenient and uncomfortable, it was also expensive. Meals, laundry, and some evenings out in order to escape the dreariness of their small hotel room all contributed to a hefty bill.
Costs
Minimum relocation costs for the 38 days:
| Accommodation (38 days @ £90 per day) | £3,420 |
| Meals and other expenses (38 days @ £60 per day) | £2,280 |
| Total expenses | £5,700 |
| Relocation allowance from the company (30 days @ £150 per day) | £4,500 | Total cost to Mr Beresford | £1,200 |
If They Had Used A Relocation Agent
They could have:
- Had a much wider selection of suitable property to choose from, resulting in more suitable housing
- Benefited from a lower negotiated rental agreement, making large savings over the 3 year posting
- Avoided the disruption, major discomfort and stress
- Moved into their new home by 1 September - over one month earlier
- Saved both time and money (for themselves and the company)
- Had the choice of a range of other useful relocation services to help them with their move
Most importantly, Mr Beresford would have been able to concentrate his energies on his new post, rather than having to deal with the worry and inconvenience of the move.
Relocation Service Costs using Anglo Domus
| A viewings visit prior to the move of 2 days and 1 night: | |
| Hotel bill and meals | £250 |
| Anglo Domus orientation tour and area introduction pack | £350 |
| Anglo Domus full Rental Home Search Service | £1,650 |
| Total relocation costs | £2,250 |
| Savings using Anglo Domus | |
| Expenses saved by Mr Beresford's company (£4,500 less £2,250) | £2,250 |
| Expenses saved by Mr Beresford (£1,200 above) | £1,200 |
| Estimated savings for Mr Beresford's company (6 days off @ £700 per day) | £4,200 |
| Initial saving | £7,650 |
| Anglo Domus often negotiates savings of over 10% of annual rental cost. | |
| In the case of the Beresfords, over 3 years this would be a further | £4,320 |
| Total saving | £11,970 |
Conclusions
Mr and Mrs Beresford told us they would definitely have used a relocation agent had they known about such a possibility or if the company had offered such 'essential' help. Furthermore, even if it had not saved them time or money, they felt using a relocation company would have been worthwhile just to be spared the trouble, inconvenience and unhappiness they suffered, thereby ensuring the posting would get off to the best start.
Anglo Domus now acts for Mr Beresford's company handling their international relocation requirements.