This error cost him all his savings

Julien thought he had everything planned. After several trips to Morocco, he had fallen in love with the country, his culture, his energy. At 34, tired of his daily life in France, he had made a radical decision: selling everything and permanently settling in Marrakech. He was convinced that his instinct would be enough to guide him to a new life. But a few months later, he found himself without a penny, forced to return to a disaster in France.

A hasty start, a fatal mistake

When Julien announced his departure to his relatives, many warn him. “Are you sure you have a plan?” »» »they were asked. He, confident, replied that everything would go well. He had spared some money, had some contacts on the spot and, above all, he was convinced that in Morocco there was no lack of opportunities.

His idea? Mount a small pension in the Medina in Marrakech. He imagined an authentic and warm place, in his image. Without truly studying the market, without making a study on profitability, without investigating the administrative procedures, it started. He thought that the purchase of a riad in Marrakech would be the game of children, that his project would have taken shape quickly and that the customers would crowd.

But once there, the reality was quite different. Find a suitable property, manage the authorizations, understand the gears of the tourism sector … everything was more complex than it imagined. Above all, he had not foreseen that, for several months, he would not have revenue. His budget has founded visibly.

Financial exhaustion and disillusionment

The first weeks, Julien was still full of enthusiasm. He visited Riads, met real estate agents, has projected into his future project. But quickly, the expenses have started to accumulate: rent, administrative procedures, unexpected costs … every day, he saw his bank account decrease.

Then came the time when he had to face evidence: he could no longer keep financially. He had no re -hentry, no plan B, no activity that generated immediate income. He had clung to his dream without thinking about the transition. He had ignored a fundamental principle: in Morocco, as elsewhere, success requires solid preparation.

One morning, after hesitating for a long time, he made the decision that seemed unthinkable to him a few months earlier: return to France. In a few days, he sold what he could, ended the lease and took a return flight. When it came, nothing remained. He had to start from scratch.

A bitter, but precious lesson

Julien could have avoided this free fall if he had adopted another approach. Many new arrivals imagine that Marrakech is the new Eldorado of investors who wish to invest abroad, but often forget the essentials: preparation. Those who are successful are not those who make decisions on a whim, but those who anticipate, test their project before involving and guaranteeing their finances.

Today Julien knows what he did wrong. He understood that the expatriate is not limited to a crush. It should have first developed a remote activity, create a stable source of income, validate the profitability of its project before positioning everything. If one day he decides to try the experience, he will do it differently.

The story of Julien is that of many expatriates who come out with dreams in their heads but without a solid plan. If you intend to settle in Morocco or invest in Marrakech, ask yourself the right questions before taking the big step. Because believe in your project is not enough: you must also know how to make it practicable.