MrMuffin

Try locrating dot com for rentals and homes for sale as it ties in nicely to school regions too. But even if you only need a rental it's a nice overview. Also rightmove dot co dot uk too if you haven't found that already.

It's a big chunk of money wasted if you have to fly back and forwards to arrange for shipping after the fact. I would work hard at finding a place to live, and then get everything shipped personally. Like the other poster said, you can find places to store your stuff too at this end, but you could get charged a lot so try not to depend on that. Moving companies in the UK are called 'removal' firms. Try searching in the area you're focusing on and see if firms offer storage. The nice thing about the containers is that they're normally weather sealed so they can sit in a yard and wait for you in some circumstances. Or if you have a relative that could receive the shipment for you and arrange for it to be unloaded and go into a storage unit, that could be an alternative too.

It's a stressful situation and trust me, I feel your pain. But plan your work and then work your plan. Everything will fit into place eventually. Try not to get overwhelmed. Take care.

ah207

Thank you for the pointers and advice. It is easy to get overwhelmed by timing and logistics, and on top of that, there is the stress of hitting the re-set button from being settled in one place and displacing to another. But like you said, work your plan. I've only been away for 9 years (compared to your 26), and I'm only based in Portugal (same time zone as the UK!) - so more of a short hop than a transatlantic voyage. Fingers crossed.

In the 9 years that I've been based in Portugal, I have visited the UK roughly once every 3 months. So I don't feel completely "out of touch" - but 26 years...wow! Hats off to you for coming back home. Hope things go well and you can enjoy being a local once again

Snap Shot

Excellent post Mr.M

I'm sitting here applauding you

I'm glad you got all the, 'strands' of your move in hand and then moved.

I realise that Falmouth sounds like Whanganui, when it comes to employment opportunities. Whanganui is a small provincial town on the coast where I'm living in New Zealand.

Good luck with your further adventures ! (Or have you had enough, 'excitement' for the present time ?)

bobbyleo

Sent you an message.

Thanks.

Bo S

Great read.

Environment: I live very close to school, no shops nearby, and there is quite often litter after the school comes out. Typically, sweet/chocolate wrappers or flattened Ribena/Fruit Shoot juice cartons. Its pretty evident who's doing it and it seems better to chuck it out of the car than deal with when you get home.

jasper123

Mr Muffin,
thanks for your very detailed excellent post, it was good reading, and I too was nodding my head on much of what you said,

I have been home now for over 5 years, after 36 years in the States, my situation is a lot different then yours, I'm retired and looking after my 97 year old Mum in her house, it was hard for a while for me to adjust to UK living, but now its like I never left,

You are very organised I can see, which I'm sure had a lot to do with you and family settling in so easily, and I take my hat off to you, well done, good for you, I was thinking about one thing you were saying about you probably will have to get used to a lower salary then you were used to in the States, but you are happy here, and quite satisfied with your new life, you didn't say all this but I'm just reading in between the lines!!!

You know as I was reading your post it made me think of this wonderful movie I saw years ago, I think it was called baby boom? or baby something?
it was about this woman who was an executive at a top company in New York with a nice comfortable life enjoying a nice large salary, nice home, nice car, but lots of pressure, anyway I think her Dad died and she had to return to her quite small home town in the country to take care of all the arrangements for her Dad, she met and fell in love with a small town doctor there, while she was there for this short period she was on a temp leave from the company in New York,
Well she got so used to the life back home, she loved the slower pace of life and the genuine goodness and happiness of the people in the town, she could feel herself not only falling in love with the Doc but also the town and the people and the whole nine yards!!!
I may have got this story a little mixed up, my memory is not as good as it once was, but I do remember her having a baby, Im thinking she brought it from New York, but she was single though,
Anyway she started to make baby food at home, and she gave some to other young mothers to try, and there babies loved it!! well it got her thinking and she went on to make a lot more of it and put it in jars and even labeled it and went around shops in the area and left the baby food with the owners to sell for her --- for a commission, and it became so popular --- fast forward she eventually sold it all over the State, and builds her own successful company,
She gets a call from her boss in New York telling her that her baby food company has had a lot of publicity and we would like you to come to New York to discuss a deal of a take over!! she agreed, had her meeting with the board members, they offered her a large amount of money for her company, anyway she thought over all the pros and cons ---- and even though they said that they could market her baby food brand all over the US and then globally, and anyway she was given a great deal, besides the large some of money -- millions!!! she was also offered in the deal 20% of all profits and staying on in an exec role, she turned it down, she said I love my life back home in my little old town, and I love my man, and if you can market my product all over America and the World then in time so can I, and the movie left you to imagine thats just what she did!!!

Well your story made me think of the similarities between her experience of leaving her old more stressful life in the Big City and a nice six figure salary and swapping it for possibly a much lower salary, but happy to trade it all off for a more simple and happier life in a smaller more beautiful place, and where her child or later children will greatly benefit from a much better life!!!
Anyway Take care, I enjoyed your post very much!!!
Rodney.

whistlestop01

Thank you for the update. I am actually going back to Dorset from New England in June after being here for 12 years. My husband and I are divorcing so am taking my two children to live there. (Yes I have permission to bring my children home).

They have been very fortunate to go to England every summer since they were babies so they know the area well. They will be starting year 6 and year 3 so will be very different from the US school system here.

I'm in process of selling our house and starting to pack some of the boxes full of clothes, toys, shoes, and books that I want to take with me. upakweship seems to offer the best deal so probably going to use them.

Where in New England were you? I'm south of Boston.

I just became a citizen in March so now have dual citizenship. Both my girls have dual citizenship since birth.

whistlestop01

By the way I LOVE Cornwall. We have been going there every summer for a week. Such a beautiful are of England.

BEVS

Dorset

bobbyleo

Yes it is. We are moving there in a couple of weeks

Shard

What do your children think about the move?

mikelincs

We're leaving Dorset in about a week, going into Devon, Honiton.

Shard

Quite an upheaval. Hope you'll manage ok with the food, language, customs, etc..

mikelincs

We've been taking lessons..

whistlestop01

A few mixed emotions but they are looking forward to it. They like the thought if wearing a school uniform. They have vacationed in Dorset every year since they were born for 7-8 weeks at a time so they know the area well.

They keep saying I want to move now!