GeordieWifey

Hi

I have just join and I am hoping to get some insight into what it's like to live and work in Nassau.

My Hubby has an interview for a job next week which has kind of come out of the blue. He was having a bad day/week at work in Feb so sent off his CV to a couple of places not really expecting to hear back from them. Any how he now has a telephone interview/chat on Monday and I'm trying to find out as much info as possible so that should he be offered the job we can make an informed (ish) decision on whether to accept it and move over there.

If anyone could answer some or all of these questions or just give your opinion I would be really grateful. Oh yes there would be 5 of us Hubby, Me, DD16, DS14 and DS4 and his job would be in the Cable Beach area.

1. What is a liveable salary. We don't smoke, happy to stay at home and BBQ, cook dinners, watch a DVD.

2. Where is a good/safe/reasonably priced area to live would like 4 beds but could survive with 3 beds and sons could share.

3. If I couldn't get my kids into Private schools what are the good State schools. Kids go to state schools in UK.

4. What are the best Private schools DS is very able and wants to take triple science at GCSE level.

5. I keep reading about high crime rates what is it really like on a day to day basis. Can the kids play outside (they do here), is it safe for me to go for a walk/to the beach with the kids. I live just outside Newcastle upon Tyne and have travelled the world so know to take sensible precautions.

6. What should I bring over with me as apart from clothes and laptops and toys I'm unsure what else I would need as all my electrical goods wouldn't work on US voltage.

7. How good is the internet speed for Skype etc.

8. How much are household utilities water/elec/gas/phone/internet a month.

Sorry it's such along post but my head is buzzing with questions.

Thanks
Sue

michali

Please see my answers embedded in your post, GeordieWifey
[QUOTE=GeordieWifey;10643027]Hi

I have just join and I am hoping to get some insight into what it's like to live and work in Nassau.

My Hubby has an interview for a job next week which has kind of come out of the blue. He was having a bad day/week at work in Feb so sent off his CV to a couple of places not really expecting to hear back from them. Any how he now has a telephone interview/chat on Monday and I'm trying to find out as much info as possible so that should he be offered the job we can make an informed (ish) decision on whether to accept it and move over there.

If anyone could answer some or all of these questions or just give your opinion I would be really grateful. Oh yes there would be 5 of us Hubby, Me, DD16, DS14 and DS4 and his job would be in the Cable Beach area.

1. What is a liveable salary. We don't smoke, happy to stay at home and BBQ, cook dinners, watch a DVD.

That is a difficult one! Having three children who you probably would want to put into private schools, would cost quite a lot. I do not know the fees offhand but some have their own websites. The most recognized private schools are Queen's College, where both my children went, St. Andrew's and St. Augustine's. There are several others including Lyford Cay School, which is very expensive but would be closer to you, as well as St. Johns. The ones I mention above are all in the East.

As we pay no income tax, everything we buy includes tax. After a while, you don't notice it but it does make food etc quite expensive. But then, when I come to the UK, I do not find it much cheaper there!

2. Where is a good/safe/reasonably priced area to live would like 4 beds but could survive with 3 beds and sons could share.

Many people now live in gated communities and to get an idea of rental costs, it might be a good idea to check real estate sites. You may have to pay at least three thousand dollars a month in rent, but again, check it out on real estate sites or look for areas such as Delaporte and Sandyport, or Nautica, all of which are in the Cable Beach area.

3. If I couldn't get my kids into Private schools what are the good State schools. Kids go to state schools in UK.

I think it would be better to get the children into private schools. Many children do well at the state schools but some are overcrowded and you would not want your children to be disadvantaged by the move.

4. What are the best Private schools DS is very able and wants to take triple science at GCSE level.

Now, this is something you would need to check but I think that children no longer take GCSE here. I do not know if some schools still offer it but the local exam BGCSE has replaced GSCE.

5. I keep reading about high crime rates what is it really like on a day to day basis. Can the kids play outside (they do here), is it safe for me to go for a walk/to the beach with the kids. I live just outside Newcastle upon Tyne and have travelled the world so know to take sensible precautions.

We are all concerned about crime here but,as it is a small island, we are more aware of every incident. When I read about crime in England, then I think we are not doing too badly here! But, yes, you do have to be cautious as in any city. It would depend where you are living as to whether or not it would be advisable for the children to play outside. There are several communities where I am sure they could. If it is not too hot, that is! Again, walking on the beach safely depends where. In the Cable Beach area, there are several areas where people walk along the beach and go in the sea. However, I see there are a few posts on this forum from people who have moved to Nassau and they mention crime and safety. Good to check those out.

6. What should I bring over with me as apart from clothes and laptops and toys I'm unsure what else I would need as all my electrical goods wouldn't work on US voltage.

As you say, not electrical goods as the voltage is different but it depends on where you want bring your own linens, etc or buy them here. Depends on shipping costs.

7. How good is the internet speed for Skype etc.

I use Skype all the time to talk to my son in London and friends in the UK. Internet is fairly OK. Some areas seem to have more interruptions than others.

8. How much are household utilities water/elec/gas/phone/internet a month.

Again, hard to say how much utilities would cost you. It depends on the size of the property and if you would use the AC a lot. I live in a small flat in town and pay about $190 a month for electricity, $134 for water every quarter, phone is only about $12 a month unless you make a lot of overseas calls (local calls are free) and you can use Skype! We pay $160 a month for Cable television and Internet combined. We spend about $250 a week on food, gas (or petrol as you would call it) and toiletries.

If Medical Insurance is not covered and paid for by your husband's employer, you would have to consider that cost.


Sorry it's such along post but my head is buzzing with questions.

Hope that all helps...feel free to ask any other questions!

Alison

GeordieWifey

Hi Alison

Thanks for answering my questions.

I have looked at the schools and like both Queens College and St Andrews which would be your first choice?

I've had a look on line at houses to rent and saw a couple that I thought looked nice I know its hard to tell until you view them. I saw one on Skyline Drive and one on Tower Heights, are these safe areas?

Thanks for giving me an idea on utilities and food I think if I budget $2000 a month it should cover it. Is there any gas on the island for cooking? I just prefer a gas hob to electric but not a big deal.

Well hopefully I should know a bit more tonight as Hubby is having a telephone interview/informal chat this afternoon (2pm GMT). So I may be back with a lot more questions.

Thanks
Sue

michali

I hope the interview goes well. As it is so many years since my children left school and the Bahamas, it would be difficult for me to pick which school would be better. I think you would need to contact each one and get their exam results and what exams they offer.

I am also not sure of the safety of the two areas you mention though I have no reason to believe they are not as safe as any other area! I think if I were coming here, I would pick a gated community such as the ones I mentioned.

Yes, several people use gas for cooking so you would need to factor that in to your choice of rental property.

I will certainly try to answer any more questions you may have. If your plans proceed, I would also suggest you contact those on this forum who have come to live here as expats. We are an older couple now and not really "in the loop"!

killerhales

Caution: I left the Bahamas around 15 years ago, but still in touch with friends, so not completely out of date:

Everything is very expensive and you will find plane loads of Bahamians visiting the States to buy things to use up their annual duty-free allowance.
Your husband's employers should be able to provide a cost-of-living index for Nassau comapared to the UK. So in general, bring as much over with you as you can (obviously not large electrical items).

For smaller electrical items which use low power (eg hifi) you can buy small transformers in Nassau; a lot of the expats used to do this.

We have friends whose kids went to St.Andrews who were very happy. They offer the International Baccalaureate for the final two years at school, which is a great programme and totally transferable.

Crime has got worse in recent years but children are not any more at risk than anywhere else. There are certain areas to avoid ("over the hill") but you will be briefed on this. We lived in two locations, one near Cable Beach, the second off the Eastern Road where a lot of white Bahamians live. We were advised to get a dog, which did help. There are some very basic things to do like keep your car doors locked at all times, but even this we felt was OTT (but we got clear advice from my employer, which we followed).

Your sense of personal safety is partly due to your state of mind, I had boss who was very nervous, but we never felt under any particular risk. A couple of the restaurants we liked to attend were raided by gunmen to steal watches and rings (not while we were there I should add), but we happily went to these restaurants!

Bahamian people are very welcoming. We had a young child, so making friends through kindergarten was very easy, but we made a point of socialising with Bahamian families who really looked after us. If you fall in with the Greek-Bahamian fraternity you will be helped a great deal.

To over-generalise we found the expat community quite cynical and world-weary. However, the best description of The Bahamas came from a young expat accountant who told me that living there was like being in a Tom and Jerry cartoon. Crazy things would often happen (like Tom getting flattened) but he would always bounce back and carry on trying to catch that mouse!

After a number of years I'm sure I now have rose-tinted spectacles, but I would still really recommend a three year stay. The other tip is that you mustn't stay too long, otherwise you kind of go local (slow down).

Finally, make sure you have enough spare cash to visit Florida two or three times a year, for long weekends. New Providence is a small island and we found we needed to get away occasionally, get in a car, put the American rock on the radio, and drive! Once you get that sense of space back again everything is fine.

Good Luck!