Newcomer shares relocation experience
Euan Tait is chief commercial officer for ROVOP Ltd., an independent ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicles) service provider headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, with an office in Houston.
Like many people, Tait found himself moving to Houston when his company tapped on him with a new opportunity.
That opportunity was to run the company’s Houston business.
So, with a wife and three children in tow, Tait moved from Scotland to Houston in April of this year.
Having the proper resources, assistance, and support are critical to the success of any relocation, particularly one involving a move to another country. Fortunately for Tait, he had all three.
Thus, he described his relocation as relatively easy, once he and his wife found the right house, located in a community that seemed well-suited for their family.
“We came over in November to have a look around,” explained Tait. “There were people working here in the office who gave us suggestions. So, we got in touch with Cindy Grillo, a Realtor with the Marta Mohan Team at Keller Williams Realty Southwest, and she was excellent. We were looking in Sugar Land, Katy and Cypress, and we ended up in Katy.”
After looking at 23 homes in two days, Tait and his wife chose to lease a home in Cinco Ranch.
Leasing is often the best option for expats, because it gives them a chance to get to know the community, while providing the necessary flexibility should their move become less permanent.
Tait said that the decision to move to Katy was driven largely by the location, the schools, and the familyoriented feel of the community.
“Cinco Ranch, has every kind of amenity, which is great. And, the school is literally a five-minute walk away. We have a 9-year-old, 5-yearold, and a soon-to-be 4-year-old. We decided to go with the local elementary school, because we knew the schooling was good. There’s also a part of me that says that if we are going to be local, then we should go local,” Tait said.
While finding a community and a house was a reasonably smooth process, Tait said that the challenges for him and his family were more about the adjustments of being away from friends, and getting into a different routine.
But, he said that meeting new people in Houston has also been pretty easy. His said that his wife has connected with other expects through Facebook, and she has also met a nice group of Katy residents and other stay-at-home moms.
“My wife had been to the states quite a few times, but she had never been to Houston before November. So, my position is that as long as she’s happy, and as long as the kids are happy, everything else is going to click into place,” said Tait. “The kids seem to have settled in, too.
“I think they are still a little bit in a honeymoon holiday mode. Our house has a swimming pool in the backyard, and the weather has actually been good. It’s also nice when you are able to take the kids to a baseball game and a variety of other places. There’s always loads going on for a family in Houston, and that makes the transition a little bit easier.”
As for the changes to his work routine, Tait said that the move has allowed him to spend more time at home with his family.
“I worked in Aberdeen, but we lived in Perthshire, which is just north of Edinburgh, so I was away for three or four nights a week, whereas now, I’m home all the time,” said Tait.
In terms of some of the other important things that Tait needed to take care of as part of his relocation, such as opening a bank account and applying for a social security number, he relied on the assistance of a co-worker, who explained how to best navigate those processes.
Now that Tait has had a couple of months of Houston life under his belt, he said that he would offer the following advice to other expats who are moving here:
“You need to have a fairly high-level checklist. You need to have your house, Social Security Number, a bank account, a driver’s license, a car, and that’s kind of it. I think those are probably the main things.
“If you are coming with kids, you need to have a good understanding of the schools.”
Michelle Sandlin is an award-winning writer, journalist and global mobility industry expert. Her work is frequently featured in Worldwide ERC’s Mobility magazine, and in various business and industry related publications and corporate blogs. Follow her on Facebook: www.facebook. com/ The Michelle Sand lin and on Twitter :@ MichelleSandlin. Also visit “On the Move” at blog. chron.com/onthemove.