[Archived] Moving to England?

[alexanders]

Me and my wife are quite adventurous and would like to have a year or two abrod and have figured out that England would be a good destionation ( the people, my opportunity to watch the Rovers and the language (easier for me to find a job).

I would like suggestions about where it is best to live. We would like an apartement in London, but I think that is to expensive. We can probably finance something around £200,000. How is with a mortgage? What is the interest now? Is it due repayment straight forward or only interest for a couple of years? How is the property market - stagnated, down or on the way up?

I am already working in the finance business and will try to get a job inside bank & finance while my wife is a nurse and will probably have the opportunity to get a job anywhere if its anything like in Norway?

Any areas close to London which are safe with many families ? Other areas where there are finance districts or able to get a job inside bank & finance?

It will be a major plus to live a central place where its easy to get on a train to Blackburn and to away matches around in the Country. Im thinking about be coming a ST holder and see as many away matches as possible.

Whether we are moving or not depends on how I do it in my job for the last part of 2011. It has something to do with my need to fullfill my goals before moving to another job (become seller numero uno). If this happened I can see us moving during summer 2012.

Hope someone can give some good advices and I may be able to start a discussion from posters from different areas around in the country.

I really appreciate all pointers and advices I can get.

[Clitherover]

I don't know too much about London apart from the fact that you practically have to pay to use oxygen there so I imagine house prices would be sky high. Manchester or Leeds are good alternatives and a lot closer to Ewood.

Have a look on www.rightmove.co.uk for house prices to buy or rent, most estate agents advertise on there, hope it helps.

[AspRover]

It depends what kind of place you are looking to live really. London and the surrounding areas are huge and very varied. Some of them are really nice, family friendly, nice housing and generally a great place to live, some of them I wouldn't fancy walking through, let alone living in.

Housing in London is still expensive, but if you are working in the finance sector then your salary is likely to be higher than in other parts of the country. I also think that qualified/experienced nurses are generally in demand.

It also depends on how far you are willing to travel to work, the further from the centre of London you get, the wider your choice, the cheaper the housing and the greener the area. Quite a lot of people now choose to live in towns outside of London, but with a direct rail link, so you can get into the heart of the city in 30/40mins.

[jim mk2]

Avoid London - it isn't the real England. Base yourself anywhere in the north.

[ChesterRover]

I would strongly recommend looking around Cheshire in particular Chester, ticks a lot of boxes in what you are looking for.

Numerous financial institutes and banks set up in and around the little city and its a very central location for travelling. Major cities of Liverpool and Manchester within 30 minutes drive, and more importantly only an hours drive to Ewood!

I moved here myself from East Lancashire for work and lifestyle reasons, its a fabulous place so much to do and see and without the ridiculous prices of London/South property prices.

If you need any further info feel free to ask

Good property website are rightmove as mentioned earlier and Globrix

[alexanders]

Thanks very much for all the pointers guys. Appreciate it!

Chester sounds like a very good area and looks green and nice too. You mention that there are some financial institutes and banks set up around the area. You have any idea where I can search for available jobs in this area?

I think it might be smart to rent for a period first before deciding to buy. Its kind of hard to be involved at viewings etc from Norway.

[only2garners]

If you are only looking to spend a couple of years in the UK I would rent rather than buy. There are a lot of costs associated with buying and it's also difficult to get a mortgage without a significant deposit and also probably in your case some work history i.e. that you will have the salary to fund repayments.

Your job prospects in finance in London will be greater but it will cost significantly more to live there. London seems to be a magnet for young people these days from all over the world so it's very cosmopolitan but also crowded. If you opt for living in the suburbs it will be duller than living in any one of a number of other cities in the UK so although it will be more affordable if you're looking for lively nightlife this would not be a good option.

I'm a bit biased (I really don't like London) but there are a host of cities more liveable and cheaper around the country. I could recommend any of these: -

Liverpool

Manchester

Leeds

Sheffield

Birmingham

Cardiff

Bristol

Newcastle

Glasgow

Edinburgh

Of these Manchester and Birmingham will have better job markets. Leeds, Bristol and Edinburgh have significant financial sectors.

Then there are smaller places like Chester which are also good places to live. You might also want to consider what you like doing in your spare time (apart from Rovers). If you are the outdoors type (cycling, walking etc) then London is the last place you want to be. If you're into nightlife, culture, galleries etc then London has the most but all the other cities have plenty going on.

[ChesterRover]

Thanks very much for all the pointers guys. Appreciate it!

Chester sounds like a very good area and looks green and nice too. You mention that there are some financial institutes and banks set up around the area. You have any idea where I can search for available jobs in this area?

I think it might be smart to rent for a period first before deciding to buy. Its kind of hard to be involved at viewings etc from Norway.

From what you said you were looking for I dont think you could go wrong looking around the Cheshire area.

I have a very biased viewpoint towards Chester and its surroundings as I have now set up home here but it really is a fabulous little city. Its ancient in historical terms but a has a very youthful feel, good bars and restaurants as-well as the famous race course weekends!

I would say its a very sensible option to rent and plenty of rental opportunities in and around the city. My wife and I did the very same, rented for 18 months to get a good feel for the place.

The main reason we opted for Chester was the fact its very central to the rest of the UK combined with very good career prospects. I also love the fact that as you say it is a very green area, yes its a city but a very small one at that. Half an hour drive and you can be on a stunning beach or out walking in the Snowdonia national park and more importantly an hours drive has you where the heart belongs 'Ewood Park'.

As for where to start looking for career prospects I guess that depends if you are purely looking for work within a Bank or Financial company or your work skills are useful in other Industries.

Chester Business park has most of the financial companies, Bank of America (formerly MBNA) is the largest employer in Chester and workplace to my wife for the past few years. Add to that HBOS (Bank of Scotland), Marks and Spencer Financial Services, The Funding Corporation, Moneysupermarket.com to name a few. All will have websites and career links such as http://www.bankofamerica.co.uk/about-bank-of-america/careers/

The other major employers around the area are: Airbus UK, Hawker Beechcraft, Raytheon Systems, Toyota, Jaguar/Landrover, JCB, Vauxhall the list goes on.....

I think you have a lot of homework and research to do haha, the internet is a great tool for that so happy hunting. There's nothing like getting a feel for a place in person tho, maybe a good option for you both is a short vacation to see the sights and sounds of the various areas and then take it from there.

Like I said earlier, any further info you may need just give me a shout. Always got time for a fellow Rover!

[Paul]

If I've understood you correctly you can afford a £200,000 mortgage? This will buy you a house though the big question is would you be able to sell the house again. If I was moving to another country for two years I would rent and not even consider buying, you will lose money without question and may even find you can't sell again. I recently considered buying a property which needed renovated, moving in and then selling my current house - the estate agents I spoke with suggested only one house in twelve that is on the market is selling. Don't do it.

If asked to recommend a city to live in, and I agree Chester is a nice place, you can do no better than York. My wife and I lived in York for 4 years and in our view it is the finest city in England, I can't recommend it highly enough........and it has the Viking museum!!!!

The south of England is very different to the north. If you want real England you have to be in the north.

[Nate]

If you work in the banking/finance industry and find yourself in Canary Wharf area, there are plenty of units to rent. As Paul said, don't bother buying. Having lived in Greenwich for a while, I can recommend there. It's a short trip on the DLR and full of pubs, if that is your thing.

My missus also agrees with Paul that York is a fine place to live. We almost relocated there when her visa was supposed to expire over here in Australia and we were heading to the UK to live.

[philipl]

One of the things to watch for in London is the way the Olympics is beginning to distort the housing market already. that is going to create a short term bubble.

Where you move is enormously dependent on what work you and your partner do and what your attitudes are to the sort of life style you are looking to live.

I totally agree that London is like nowhere else in the UK or Europe for that matter. It is a megacity of 13m in total and as such is probably the most liveable megacity in the world. Certainly the most cosmopolitan and one of the most exciting and vibrant places there is. It still retains village atmospheres in the neighbourhoods and a quite astonishing amount of green space, particularly south of the river (sit on the left of a plane approaching from the east into Heathrow and you'd never guess the flight path is pretty well over the Thames down the spine of the city as you see the ribbon of open space from Stretham to Hounslow). Transport more or less works particularly if you are sensible about checking the tfl web site.

[roverandout]

you can have my house £300,000 and its yours, dont tell my mum and dad as its theirs, pay me when you get here.

[Mike Graham]

I would suggest York, Manchester or Liverpool. I travel to London about 4 times a month, and lived there for a while - I hate it.

If you want to rent an apartment in Liverpool then I have a 2 bed, unfurnished, coming on the Market mid-August.

Public transport in the UK is dire, budget for a car.

[alexanders]

PB , you live in London? Going there this coming weekend. I appreciate all the help and pointers. My wife liked the look of the Chesire area. I have started looking for a proper job there and then we will see what happens.

[Mike Graham]

PB , you live in London? Going there this coming weekend. I appreciate all the help and pointers. My wife liked the look of the Chesire area. I have started looking for a proper job there and then we will see what happens.

Hi, no I do not live in London but visit on a regular basis. I come from Lancashire (Leyland) and presently live in the countryside in the Preston/Blackburn area. If you are looking at employment in the North West I would strongly recommend Manchester, Liverpool or Chester with Manchester at the top of the list (for transport links - good for Ewood, food, drink and choice of accomodation).

London may be a great place for a tourist but it is very expensive and transport is dire and overcrowded. I am biased but would choose the North of England (and Lancashire) every time.

[joey_big_nose]

Just for my two cents as a londoner - It is a fantastic city in so many ways:- great jobs, incredible nightlife, one of the greatest collections of cultural institutions in the world, very diverse with neighbourhoods being very different from one another, cosmopolitan, beautiful (and ugly) in parts, loads of festivals, great parks.

However the one thing that does suggest to me it might not be for you is that you are married. This sounds like a weird thing to say but as living in London takes up so much time, and you really need to pile your energy into it to get a return, that I think it really could impact how much you and your partner see each other. Also London is a real shock to the system, and the quality of life will be lower even if you earn more money as space is so tight, housing expensive, distances to traverse so massive.

So London is a gamble - and also four hours from Ewood Park!

Chester or York both sound like grand ideas to me. Beautiful cities.

[Tooogs]

Don't bother mate. ###### embarrassing.

[alexanders]

Im surprised by the ongoing events in London. jBN - is it safe to visit this coming weekend ??

[Mike Graham]

I cannot say whether it is safe or not to travel to London this weekend. I expect that much of the trouble is localised and central London should be ok.

If you are still thinking of moving to London you should get good value properties in Croydon, Tottenham, Clapham, Hackney and Peckham.

[PAFELL]

Thanks very much for all the pointers guys. Appreciate it!

Chester sounds like a very good area and looks green and nice too. You mention that there are some financial institutes and banks set up around the area. You have any idea where I can search for available jobs in this area?

I think it might be smart to rent for a period first before deciding to buy. Its kind of hard to be involved at viewings etc from Norway.

I think you would be better renting than buying - especailly as you only want to come for a few years. Try Manchester as it is nearer to Ewood Park - cheaper (just) than London.

[alexanders]

I think you would be better renting than buying - especailly as you only want to come for a few years. Try Manchester as it is nearer to Ewood Park - cheaper (just) than London.

Especially considering the financial crisis we are according to the negative , doom and gloom, sensationalist media about to face.

This will stagnate the property values or worse make them go down - similar to the states in 2008.

Hackney looks like a quiet and nice area. I think ill bring my wife and 3 yr old there

[pg]

Try and organise you bank account before you arrive. HSBC may have a facility to do this in your home country.

You will need a few referees/references to be used on rental bonds so if you don't know some people in England already now is a good time to start.

If you move to London, expect to wait weeks to get your telephone and internet connected. Therefore its critical to get a UK mobile phone number ASAP.

When you buy a car, make sure the registration form is sent into the DVLA in Cardiff. The dealer who you buy it from may not do this automatically..which means you may get a funny surprise a few months later when you get pulled over!

When buying a 2nd-hand car, make sure it has its MOT done.

Make sure to watch Top Gear every Sunday night and University Challenge every Monday night. The weekend Guardian is a good newspaper, although it's probably not as good since they got rid of the 'Living with Teenagers' column. The Observer and Independent are also good.

When on the motorway, keep left at all times and only use the far right lane if you are overtaking. You can generally go 90 mph on a Motorway before you get pulled over.

If you living in the countryside (or want to do lots of winter driving) buy some winter tires for you car. Even if it doesn't snow, you'll have better traction and braking in the dry and wet and temperatures below 5 degrees. English people for some reason think that they are the only developed country in the world that is located at high latitudes that don't need Winter tires. They are wrong.

If you are heading out for a long drive in Winter, pack blankets and proper winter clothing in case you break down and need to walk a few kilometres to get reception for your mobile. You may get stuck on a motorway traffic jam for 12-24 hours (this can also happen in summer due to floods for example).

If you want to treat yourself, go and visit the shoe factory outlet stores in Northhampton and pick up some Loakes, Crockett and Jones or John Lobb shoes for a song.

Spend your weekends driving in the country and visiting village pubs, drinking the local ale and having Sunday Roasts.

[thenodrog]

Try and organise you bank account before you arrive. HSBC may have a facility to do this in your home country...........

If you living in the countryside (or want to do lots of winter driving) buy some winter tires for you car. Even if it doesn't snow, you'll have better traction and braking in the dry and wet and temperatures below 5 degrees. English people for some reason think that they are the only developed country in the world that is located at high latitudes that don't need Winter tires. They are wrong.

If you are heading out for a long drive in Winter, pack blankets and proper winter clothing in case you break down and need to walk a few kilometres to get reception for your mobile. You may get stuck on a motorway traffic jam for 12-24 hours (this can also happen in summer due to floods for example).

Alexanders works in finance and comes from somewhere a few hundred miles north of Oslo! Nice thoughts but I think you may be guilty of telling your grandma how to suck eggs pg.

[Dreyski]

If asked to recommend a city to live in, and I agree Chester is a nice place, you can do no better than York. My wife and I lived in York for 4 years and in our view it is the finest city in England, I can't recommend it highly enough........and it has the Viking museum!!!!

The south of England is very different to the north. If you want real England you have to be in the north.

I'll echo this (if you see my location you'll know I have to!) Your wife should find a job easily enough, but if you want to work in a bank you're probably better off working in Leeds. How would you feel about commuting?

[pg]

Alexanders works in finance and comes from somewhere a few hundred miles north of Oslo! Nice thoughts but I think you may be guilty of telling your grandma how to suck eggs pg.

In which case I'm sure he'll agree with me winter comes that it defies all common sense that winter tires are not used on English roads. One could argue that the weather in England is so appalling that you could fit winter tires all year rount....

I'm sure he'll also have a good laugh when 10 cm of snow grinds the entire country to a halt.