Work Travel Volunteer

Where do you begin? Firstly, write down your reasons for taking a working holiday. It may be a number of different reasons; to see the world, to expand your horizons, to get some more experience. Also have a think about how much time you want to take off and if your employer may let you take a sabbatical (if you want to still stay at your present job) and most importantly what you want to do and where you want to go!

Visit our round the world page to find out more about round the world trips. We also have inspirational pages on the different destinations you could visit in our Travel Section. Get out a map, put some pins in, get excited!

Organising a career break is much harder than organizing a gap year because of the commitments you already have in your life - the main ones being work and the house.

Work

Do you know if your employer will let you take a break? There may be something in your contract if you're too frightened to ask just yet. If you want to stay, approach them armed with the knowledge that an extended break from work leaves employees more motivated, healthy, fit and full of new skills. It also means employees are less likely to leave the company meaning less hassle for them. The reason you may want to go abroad is because your employer offers placements in their offices overseas. In which case, there should be application procedures already set up in place.

If you have decided you want to leave, you'll need to check how much notice you have to give. Most employers ask for a month but some ask for three so double check before you book any flights.

Remember that the two weeks or so before you leave, you'll be winding up all your work or handing onto someone new. In my case, this was the most stressful time of my life because as well as having to deal with all those irritating tiny jobs (find passport, arrgh! Renew passport, cancel milk etc etc) your job suddenly becomes more stressful too. You may be lucky, but in more cases than not, prepare for the last week to be manic.

If you are leaving for good, make sure you take your list of contacts with you for future work and ask for a reference in advance from your employer as it will save hassle when you return and are full of doom about finding a new job.

House

If you're renting or living with your parents - lucky you. Check your contract to see when it runs until and then hand in your lease or just ask your parents nicely if you can move back in when you return! Again before you leave, if you are renting, ask if you can have a reference so when you return, you'll be nicely prepared to move in somewhere else.

Now, if you own a house....

If you have just won the lottery you could just leave it vacant and continue paying your mortgage monthly. I'm guessing most people reading this won't be so that leaves two other options.

1. Sell the house
2. Rent the house out

Renting your house out is the usual option for most people but it does involve a lot of work prior to leaving so don't leave it all too late!

Plan of action to take...

Decide whether you want to go for renting the house out independently or through an agent.

Pros of agent - most of the hassle is taken away from you. They can find tenants, pay money into your account, check the house is being looked after okay and advise you if any problems occur.

Cons of agent - you won't get as much money as if you rent the house out yourself. Usually agents take 10 to 15% of the rental amount per month plus they will take money if jobs have to be done or if they have to advertise for new tenants. Also they aren't legally obliged to get you the money. If a tenant isn't paying, they will try hard for you but ultimately that will always be your responsibility.

Pros of doing it yourself - More money! You can decide who you want to live in your house

Cons of doing it yourself - More hassle especially if you are abroad. You must have someone nearby who can help if plumbers need to come out, hedges need to be trimmed etc. Great if your family live two doors down but not if you are a solo body.

Irrespective of what route to decide to take there are also a number of things you'll have to do to your house to make it "tenant proof"

• If you are on gas, you'll need a gas safety certificate
• All furniture must have a fire safety label on it e.g. sofas, mattresses
• It is not a legal obligation as yet but it is advised that all electrical equipment is PAT tested by an electrical
• You must inform your mortgage provider of the tenants. They usually ask you to sign a "consent to let" form. Again, it's a hazy subject as technically you are supposed to go onto a buy to let scheme but if you give the reason of temporary break from work to go traveling and mention a consent to let, they should be fine.
• You must also change your home insurance to a landlord insurance. There are hundreds of deals around so shop about. Generally policies are offered with accidental cover or without so make sure you know what you are getting. You must also state the cost to rebuild your house should be irreversibly damaged. This amount can be found on your surveyor's report on your house before you bought it.
• Decide whether you want to let the house furnished or unfurnished. If you decide you want to leave the furniture there, remember it may not be in the best state when you return. Don't leave anything of value in the property.

You'll need time to move all your stuff out before you leave and before the tenant moves in. Either you'll be lucky enough to have friends or relatives that you can store it with (and trust me you will have a lot of stuff so make sure their space is big enough!) or you'll have to move it into a storage unit.

You must phone up all your suppliers and tell them the date you are moving out for a final bill to be prepared and so you don't get saddled with your tenants' bills! So electricity, gas, council tax, telephone, broadband, sky all need to be called.

Finally you'll need to cancel your papers, milk etc and redirect your mail or tell providers a new address (we directed our mail to our parent's homes whilst we were away)