neo·pat
/NEE-oh-pat/ ˈniː.oʊ.pæt
noun. Someone new to a country, whether they’ve moved there for good or spend part of the year there.
usage:Every expat was a neopat once.
Private · Invite-only · Hyper-local
Your trusted local community abroad.
A private, invitation-only community for the expats and second-home owners of one town, island or neighbourhood. Discover who else is there, connect only when it suits you, and help each other with everything from paperwork to plumbers.
Who it’s for
For everyone who calls a place abroad home, full time or part time.
You’ve made the move
You live here now. You need a doctor, a bank, a residence permit and a plumber who picks up the phone, and you’d like to meet the neighbours who’ve already figured it out.
You have a second home here
You’re here for part of the year and away for the rest. You need someone to check the house after a storm, pay the bills on time and have it ready when you arrive, and it’s good to know a few friendly faces when you’re back.
The problem
A home abroad is a dream. Running it is another matter.
01
Finding your people
Others in the same boat may live just down the road, but it’s hard to find them, especially when you’re only here part of the year.
02
The knowledge gap
Taxes, permits, healthcare, contractors: every country has its own hidden rulebook, written in a language you’re still learning.
03
The trust problem
You don’t know who to call, what to pay, or whether the advice you’re getting fits your situation.
04
The outsider premium
Without local knowledge you pay more: for services, for mistakes and for missed deadlines.
The insight
Someone nearby already knows what you need.
The neighbour who just hired an English-speaking plumber. The one who found the best bank. The one who discovered a new rule for registering a property. neopats puts that knowledge in one trusted place, and keeps it current.
What exists today
- Facebook groups: noisy, unvetted, generic
- Expat forums: static, country-level
- WhatsApp groups: answers vanish
- Word of mouth, if you know the right people
neopats
- Only vetted, invited members
- Discover the people who live near you
- Local to your town or island
- Knowledge that’s kept up to date
- Everyone teaches, everyone learns
Discover your community
Know who’s around you.
Most expats and second-home owners don’t know half the people in the same situation nearby. neopats shows you who they are, so you can reach out when it’s useful, or simply know they’re there.
- 1See who’s nearbyMembers appear on a map of your circle, at approximate locations only.
- 2Learn a little about themWhere they’re from, the languages they speak, and what they’re happy to help with.
- 3Connect when you both want toSend a request. Contact details are shared only once it’s accepted.
- 4Take it from there, or don’tSwap a tip, lend a hand, or meet for a coffee. As much or as little as you like.
No feed. No likes. No followers. Just your neighbours, when you want them.
Anna H.
From Bristol · ~2.5 km away
Here most summers. Happy to help with ferries and finding builders.
Marco R.
From Milan · ~2 km away
Lives here year-round. Speaks Italian, English and some Greek.
Yannis K. · Plumber
Skopelos town · Greek, English
“Came out the same day for a burst pipe in February, while we were in London. Sent photos, fair price.”
Anna H. · used February 2026
Eleni P. · Caretaker
Glossa · Greek, English, Italian
“Checks the house every week over winter and messages us after every storm.”
Marco R. · uses her year-round
Trusted Pros
Know who to call.
The best plumber, builder or accountant is the one your neighbours already use. neopats keeps their recommendations in one place, so you’re not starting from scratch or guessing from online reviews.
- 1Find what you needPlumbers, builders, caretakers, accountants, lawyers and more, all local to your circle.
- 2See who recommends themEvery recommendation carries a member’s name and when they used the service.
- 3Get the details that matterWhich languages they speak, whether they’ll work while you’re away, and what a fair price looks like.
- 4Pass it onFound someone good? Recommend them, so the next neopat doesn’t have to search.
No paid listings. No anonymous reviews. Just the people your neighbours would call again.
Insider Tips
Know how it’s done.
Every circle has learned the hard way how things work locally. Insider Tips turns that experience into short, practical guides, written and kept up to date by members.
- 1The best answers become tipsWhen a question in Ask My Circle gets a great answer, it can become a tip everyone can find.
- 2Written by people who’ve done itEach tip shows who wrote it and when it was last checked.
- 3Kept up to dateMembers flag what’s changed, so tips don’t go stale like old forum posts.
- 4Linked to the official sourceTips share members’ experience, not professional advice, so they point you to the official page too.
No digging through old chats. Just what your neighbours have already figured out.
Closing up the house for winter
By Anna H. · checked by 3 members
- Turn off the water and drain the outdoor taps.
- Ask your caretaker to look in after big storms.
- Leave a spare key with someone in the circle.
Related Trusted Pros: Eleni P., caretaker
More tips
- Paying property tax from abroad
- Booking ferries in August
- Finding a doctor on the island
How it works
Trust is the product.
Every member is invited by someone already in the circle, and nothing is public. Here’s how a circle grows, and the safeguards that are always on.
-
Step 1
Request your circle
Tell us about your town, island or neighbourhood. We review every request, set up the circles we approve, and make you the host.
-
Step 2
Invite people you trust
Send private links to neighbours, friends and fellow homeowners. Every invitation is a personal vouch.
-
Step 3
They join and invite others
New members confirm where their home is and you approve them, from anywhere in the world. They can then bring in people they trust.
-
Step 4
Everyone contributes
Get to know each other. Ask, answer, recommend a pro, share a tip. Every vouch carries a name, so the circle stays a good place to be.
Been invited to a circle? Just open the link in your invitation.
Always on
- Members only. Only approved members can see the circle.
- Your home stays private. The map shows a rough location, never whether you’re home.
- You choose what to share. Contact details go only to connections you accept.
- No paid placements. Recommendations come from members, never advertisers.
Funded by members
No ads. No selling your data.
neopats is free to use and paid for by its community, not by advertisers. At the end of each year, members who’ve found it useful can make a small contribution to keep it running. That keeps us focused on what members need.
FAQ
Questions
Does it cost anything?
Using neopats is free. There are no ads, and we never sell your data. At the end of each year, members who find it useful can make a small contribution to keep it running.
Is this another social network?
No. There’s no feed, no likes, no followers and nothing public. neopats is a private, practical place for the people who share your town or island: find each other, help each other, and connect when you both want to.
Do I have to connect with or meet anyone?
No. You can simply see who’s in your circle and benefit from what members share. If you’d like to get in touch with someone, send a connection request; once it’s accepted, you both see each other’s contact details and can take it from there. Until then, your details stay private.
How do I join or start a circle?
Anyone can request a circle for their town, island or neighbourhood. We review every request; if we approve it, we set the circle up and you invite the people you trust. To join a circle that already exists, ask one of its members to invite you.
Is it only for expats?
No. neopats is just as much for second-home owners who spend part of the year there. Many members join from abroad, and the app works as well from London or New York as it does on the island.
Where is neopats available?
Our first circle is on Skopelos, Greece, with Athens next. You can request a circle wherever you live or have a home.
What language is it in?
English, the language most of our members share.
Start your circle.
Living abroad, or have a second home there? Request a circle for your town, island or neighbourhood. We review every request, and once yours is set up, you invite the people you trust.
Request your own circleBeen invited? Open the link in your invitation to join. Already a member? Sign in