Englishmaple

Erin I think forewarned is forearmed - so yes, it is difficult, but if you know that in advance it makes it a little easier to cope with.

I would encourage you to see if you can figure out some accommodation before you arrive. I found my place on spareroom.co.uk

I didn't have to provide references to my landlord - but then again, I think its a very individual thing.

I'm not going to sugar coat it though - the housing situation in the UK is awful. Having come from a nice secure tenancy agreement in Canada with lovely apartment managers to the situation back in the UK has made me even more aware of how archaic the UK rental market is (I had conveniently buried the bad memories of previous UK rentals I had back as a student!).

I recall saying to another expat before I moved that having a nice home wasn't everything (in terms of being in Canada) but, if I'm honest, at the moment, I really miss the security of my nice Canadian apartment agreement and the plentiful supply of rental property in the city I lived in and I am struggling with the way the UK system is.

The UK rental market is very poor in terms of security and quality (I think) unless you get into housing association property. In my area, the housing association focuses on those in dire need (which is understandable) but folks like me really have only one option - which is privately renting.

I'm okay in my rental at the moment but I met my landlords partner the other night and I'm a little wary ... she was kind but had a forceful manner and seems to be quite a drinker and it raised a few flags for me. Fortunately I am only seeing them at weekends at the moment but they will be around more in the summer holidays (altho' I hope to have a job by then!). In the short term, where I am will, I think, probably work for me. But in the long term (say 6 months down the road) I really hope I can rent my own place (its hard just having a room in someones house) but the price of private rentals here is very expensive and there aren't enough of them.

The BBC had a news story about this issue this morning and what Labour intend to do - but the other party are pouring scorn on it which is a great shame as I think the security of rental property is a big issue and can really affect peoples mental health. The story is here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27225421

Ontario has rent caps and it works (even though rents can be high there too).

So, to be honest, there are times when I really question whether I made the right decision to move back but, I know it's early days and also, nothing is set in stone so if, after a year, things haven't worked out, then I may move back.

I am hoping that the UK job market will be easier than the Canadian one though - that is the one thing I found extremely difficult in Ontario. I've seen quite a few cleaning and bar and barrista type jobs advertised and I'm consciously holding back from applying for them for a month or so just to see what kind of work I can get that pays a little bit more. But if I don't have something lined up in the next 2 months then I will take anything as I don't want to deplete my savings more.

I constantly remind myself that its important that I experience the UK as it is (not some idealized holiday memory) so that I can truly make a good decision with respect to where I belong. And so the issues I encounter are all grist to the mill!

rebeccajo

Well, how's it going today, EM? I'm enjoying reading your adventures so far.

I've been thinking about your musings on UK housing. I hope the worry doesn't get you down. I'm from the US and IMO the rental situation in the UK (as far as contracts go) doesn't seem that different from here. In other words, you might have a contract, but if the landlord chooses to ignore broken stuff or problems, they will. But........there's also good landlords as well as bad ones. The trick is to sussing out who's who. And that's where the difference will be between the poor student housing you had and the place you will find in the future. We (you and I) are older and wiser now. I intend to use my smarts to find a new place whenever our time comes. You seem the determined sort. I bet you'll end up in a nice place you can call home.

dunroving

"Cheap and reliaable to run" describes my car. Skoda Fabia hatchback 1.4 L petrol. Avoid diesels unless you will regularly drive on the motorway or other roads where you can drive at speed for 15-30 minutes. The particulate filter in diesels tend to clog up from basic city traffic driving.

(Skodas are essentially Volkswagens with a nicer badge. )

Englishmaple

Oh I've heard good things about Skoda's! (I had a quick browse on the internet). I will look into this - am looking for a 3-5 year old car. How much does your cost to run a year? I read the average running cost for a car in the UK is 3500 pounds per annum - does this sound about right? I'm trying to put together a monthly budget at the moment to figure out what i need to earn per annum in order to cover my costs!

Also, any idea how much second hand Skoda's are?

Englishmaple

It does get me down a bit .. I catch pieces on the Guardian online about dreadful landlords and it brings all the memories back ...!

So far, touch wood, things are going okay with my rental but I do worry a lot (and I need to stop worrying!). Rents for apartments in this area start at around 675 pounds a month and then you have council tax and utility bills on top which probably adds another 200 pounds a month .. which is a lot on the wages of the jobs available because of course there is food, transport etc on top.

I'm trying to put it out of my mind as much as I can and just focus on job applications - am almost completed my second application form and then I am going to revamp my CV before putting in more application forms (a lot of jobs seem to require application forms).

My arms hurt a lot so I slacked off a bit today and haven't done anything except log on here! I have a doctors appointment next week and am hoping he can help a bit .. I guess its dealing with the uncertainty that I'm struggling a bit with at the moment ... would really like to know that I can get a job that will earn enough for me to save and will accommodate my arm condition with good ergonomics and not involve keyboarding 100% of the time!

But the sun is shining today and it was really lovely walking down to the shops and back this morning. I am beginning to feel like this country is where I belong even though the housing market is crazy and I worry about my future - simple things like sunshine, green hills and fresh strawberries from the grocery store chase my blues away! In some ways, I think people in the UK are so blessed but what we have is not always fully appreciated.

This morning I looked around the town for some walking boots as I want to visit a friend in Yorkshire who wants to take me walking. I looked in a lovely little store in the high street and the prices start from 45 pounds.

I then went to a factory store further down the street which reminded me of the numerous cheap dollar stores I saw in Canada. My landlord had told me it was possible to get a good walking boot in there ... well I saw some for 25 pounds (not in my size, but the same brand as the high street store I went into earlier) ... and it made me really pause and think - that I hope the UK does not go down the race to the bottom that North America has with cheap bargains that result in closure of all the quirky little individual stores that the UK has. We do not know what we have until it is lost and I am going back to the high street store to support the owners business even if it costs me a bit more.

Pistolpete2

Here are the AA's pricing indications per mile, for various (petrol) car price and mileage levels:

https://www.theaa.com/resources/Docu...petrol2014.pdf

under heading of:

https://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/running_costs/

rebs

The costs for running a car will be a bit dependant on the amount and nature of the miles that you drive, but you might be able to put together a rough budget by thinking about what's involved.

For my budget, I tend to estimate a little high, so you may well be able to get these figures down

Insurance - I budget around £300 a year.
Tax disc - varies by car - check the govt site for exact costs - https://www.gov.uk/calculate-vehicle-tax-rates. My car is old and my tax is high - around £350 a year.
Servicing/Mot etc - Again, my car is old, so I budget around £500 a year for an annual service and having anything done that is needed (tyres etc).
Fuel - most variable... I do very few miles so I only fill up about every 3 weeks, so budget around £100 a month. On the other hand, my husband drives a lot more miles in a gas guzzler so I budget over £200 a month for him

I guess my annual costs would be in the region of £2,200 for a year....

For the price of second hand cars - check out Autotrader - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars

dunroving

I also budget for replacement costs. I tend to buy low-budget cars that are 5-8 years old. When I trade in and buy again, I usually end up having to find about £2,000-£4,000 out of pocket (depending on how long since I last traded in - last time, I think the knacker's yard offered me £250 for my 13-year-old Subaru!).

I think my 1999 Subaru cost me £2,500 when I first came back in 2006 and I sent it to the graveyard in 2012. My Skoda (which is a 2005, I think) cost me about £3,500.

It generally works out at about £500+ per year of ownership.

ElizabethK

I'm not sure what type of job you're looking for, but when I got back here last July I was faced with finding something and did the whole online application thing until I was fed up to the back teeth with it. Anyway, don't dismiss the idea of printing out your CV and donning your best smart trousers and blouse and delivering by hand to all the local estate agents, solicitors, medical offices etc etc in the area.

I did just that and was lucky enough to get a job with an estate agent, plus as an added bonus my commute is just 2.5 miles so no car needed really (although I have one)

Good Luck getting a job

chris955

That figure seems incredibly high as there are too many variables.
For me insurance (just renewed) is £164 a year. Road tax is £30. 2 MOTs since owning it around £70and no repairs or money to spend. Fuel is obviously dependant on mileage.

rebs

What about an annual service? Do you do that yourself? Tyres etc? I think the cost of these things can mount up a bit...

dunroving

That's all sorted at no expense, by the car fairies that we have in the UK.

rebs

chris955

To be honest with an older car changing the oil is all that is needed as far as servicing and yes I do it myself. Tyres arent something that gets changed every year so hard to include them in the total, a set of tyres would be under £200 every few years.

chris955

The only car ferries I have seen take us across water.