Find your starting point

Different households need different plans. Choose the guide closest to your situation, then use the practical pages to work through the details.

Try everyday life before choosing a permanent home

A move may start with family connections, a memorable visit or a wish for change. Give yourself time to see how ordinary life would work. A rental or extended visit can help you compare areas, record spending and test the routines that matter to you.

Choose two or three areas, visit actual homes and try the journey to work, school, shops or healthcare. Check the individual property’s water, power, internet and access arrangements. Where possible, learn how the home and its access perform in different seasons.

Explore the places on your shortlist

Start with local detail: school journeys and property condition in Fajara, estate and other housing choices in Brufut, or coastal homes and outlying plots around Sanyang. Compare the dated price examples alongside your whole moving budget.

Build a plan in a sensible order

1. Define the move. Decide who is coming, whether the first stay is temporary and what must be in place before departure.
2. Check status and income. Confirm entry, residence and any work requirements, along with the income you can rely on.
3. Price the household. Gather housing, school, insurance and transport quotations, with upfront payments separated from monthly costs.
4. Test the location. Use viewings and a trial stay to see whether your preferred area works in practice.
5. Agree the home carefully. Review the rental terms or arrange the legal and physical checks for a purchase before paying.
6. Prepare arrival. Set up the necessary contacts, services and first weeks of accommodation, leaving room for plans to change.

Budget for settling in and living well

Keep the housing budget separate from everyday living costs. Deposits, advance rent, furniture, school registration and travel can create a substantial first bill even where the recurring costs look manageable.

Use current quotations and record which currency each supplier requires. Allow for ongoing commitments abroad, visits to family and a reserve you can access. Our cost guide includes dated published examples and a household budget checklist.

Confirm residence, work and healthcare arrangements

Requirements depend on your nationality, documents, activities and intended stay. Check directly with the Gambia Immigration Department or the relevant Gambian diplomatic mission. Property ownership, permission to live in the country and permission to work need to be considered separately.

For British citizens, the UK government entry guidance and living in The Gambia resources provide useful starting points. Arrange individual healthcare and insurance planning before departure.

Rent, buy or build around your real timetable

Renting can offer flexibility while you learn an area. Buying needs checks on ownership, the seller’s authority, condition, boundaries and terms. Building adds design, permissions, construction and supervision to the plan, so consider where you will live while that work takes place.

If a relative, friend or another agent has found a property, you can still arrange independent checks. Familiarity with the person introducing it does not answer every question about the transaction.

How Gambia Property Sales can help

Start with a housing brief or a property you have already found. We can discuss the search, introductions and practical transaction support available for your situation, with the work and any fees agreed before it begins.

Solie Law Chambers can be approached separately about title, contracts, conveyancing or other legal questions. The firm confirms the scope, fees and whom it can represent before accepting instructions. Immigration decisions, school admissions and insurance arrangements remain with the appropriate authorities and providers.

Questions about moving

Do I need to buy before moving?

You can explore a move with a properly arranged rental while you establish the area, daily costs and requirements for your stay. Buying can follow when the plan and property have been checked.

Where should I start if I am still comparing African countries?

Use these guides to assess The Gambia against your own requirements: family connections, work, residence, schools, healthcare and housing. Compare the same questions for each country before choosing where to make a trial visit.