Finding a place to live.

Old Aug 2nd 2017, 11:01 pm
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Default Finding a place to live.

When I check into the forum I always search to see if there is any information that is region specific and have not found much re the areas we have entertained as possible habitats. I looked at the map of UK returnees and really couldn't see any pattern. Everyone's needs are different, so thought I would see if anyone has any ideas for us about how to work with estate agents (or anyone, really) to find a place to live.

A little background: My husband has been just about everywhere in the UK and I have traveled much of the country's regions with the exception of the NE coastal areas and the very north. We really don't want to be in a high density urban crush or a town that is 100% tourist centric however cute. I like neighborhoods and a village feel with access to cultural activities and city living. We want to walk, want some open space and parkland to relate to, a nice high street, and cultural activities/dining not terribly far away. Public safety is high on the list. And ideally we would be within a few hours drive/train-time of London, although generally I would like to avoid driving as much as possible. I like communities where I don't have to get in a car for every errand and can walk or take public transportation.

We have thought about living near Cambridge, York (I have not yet visited), and south of London. I also liked the Cotswolds Warwickshire, the west midlands, and want to visit some towns in that area. We have even considered Cardiff and surrounds, ala Whitchurch, a little suburb just north of the city center. So I guess we are pretty open.

A big part of the decision is the affordability of housing and what money buys. Rents seem reasonable but would like a hedge against inflation and that means getting on the UK property ladder. We won't have any credit history there, and although we have a decent banking relationship with a big international bank I am thinking we will have to pay cash. We would like a 3 bedroom house with a garden and parking but would settle for less in the right area.

I will say that combing through Prime Location and Right Move listings is beyond tedious! Buying and selling real estate seems totally decentralized. Basic information like lot size and how many square feet of construction is either entirely omitted or presented in a fractured sort of way. It is incredibly hard to compare apples to apples. I keep thinking I am missing something because every other piece of information one might desire is there for the asking, but not cost per square foot and parcel size. We have also tried with no success to interest estate agents in working with us. It has nothing to do with realistic expectations--we understand that the market is the market--but cannot get people to return calls when inside the country or follow up via email when not there. I imagine like everything else, it requires a physical presence but how is one expected to even develop a feel for the market if sales people won't give you the time of day? And how many estate sales people relationships should one expect to have?

So any tips or insights will be appreciated.
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Old Aug 2nd 2017, 11:27 pm
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Default Re: Finding a place to live.

From looking at your earlier posts it would appear that you and husband are pensioners - so presumably this is why you can look at such different places when considering moving to the UK.

Firstly, as you are a USC, have you looked at the requirements which you have to fulfill in order for your husband to sponsor you for a settlement visa?

Specifically the financial requirements?

No point in the forum providing loads of info as to where to settle in the UK if you are unable to get a visa.

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Old Aug 2nd 2017, 11:38 pm
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Default Re: Finding a place to live.

There should be no issue securing a visa. We would not be considering this otherwise. And if, for some reason we don't go that route, i.e. we decided not to live there year-round, we are interested in a second home assuming we continue to have family and friends there.
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Old Aug 3rd 2017, 12:34 am
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Default Re: Finding a place to live.

The places you have already mentioned - Cambridge, York, Cotswolds are all places I would consider when returning. Also Norwich which is a delightful market town. The Guildford area in Surrey and lots of Sussex towns are also places to consider.

Coming from the Cardiff area myself, while Cardiff and Wales has its charms, if you want to visit London frequently, then I think this is too far out. If you want beautiful coastal areas then the Gower or Pembrokeshire coast are worth a look.

Houses for sale in the UK do not generally have square footage mentioned - the number of rooms and bedrooms are the indicators of the house size. Lot sizes are generally provided.

Unless you engage a realtor (called estate agents in the UK) who is experienced with dealing with overseas clients, you are not going to find any local agents willing to find homes and undertake the buying process for you.
You should also be aware that estate agents in the UK do not work like US ones. They do far less work than the US realtors (for example, whenever I visited a home I was interested in, if the home owner was there at the time of the appointment, the estate agent would expect me to go by myself)

I think you will find that you have to wait until you are in the UK to start seriously thinking about interacting with agents.
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Old Aug 3rd 2017, 1:43 am
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Default Re: Finding a place to live.

It's good to know the differences. We have bought property outside of the US, and don't expect it to be the same as in the US.

I also like Guildford. Definitely on the list.

I wonder what would preclude an estate agent from wanting to work with an overseas client who is going to pay cash and is planning to relocate, or buy a second home or investment property? Is the process complicated when one person is on a settlement visa (or no visa at all)? Our friends there say that foreign investors have really driven property prices up in the UK, so someone must be willing to work with them.

Do you know who typically pays the estate agents' fees? Is it the seller or buyer or is that negotiated? Does the commission vary? Do they ever cooperate with other agents, split commissions?

At the end of a day we probably need to be local. My only problem with that is having to move twice (rental to buy) and the fact that one is limited to a snapshot in time. I wish there was a less random way to zero in on property than the listing portals.
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Old Aug 3rd 2017, 3:19 pm
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Default Re: Finding a place to live.

What are your thought processes on buying a house from overseas? Do you plan on buying sight unseen, or flying over to view properties or perhaps having a friend or relative view the property for you?

I ask because we have just been through this exercise and we decided that we needed to see for ourselves any property that we wanted to buy so we decided to rent first while we looked. We rented a place from overseas by looking at houses to rent online then having friends go view the properties for us. The real estate agent accepted our overseas credentials with images of passports and pension statements (no UK credit record). We still had to pay 6 months rent in advance.

Once over here in the rental house we looked for a place to buy and the real estate agent and lawyers accepted US brokerage statements as proof that we could pay cash for the house we had an offer accepted on. (We had already sold our US house and were living in a rented apartment in Texas).

Just after our offer was accepted we returned to Texas to wind up our affairs which took a little over 2 months and while in Texas we were able to complete the house purchase via email, including transferring the money for completion from the US to the UK while still in Texas.
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Old Aug 3rd 2017, 6:04 pm
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Default Re: Finding a place to live.

That sounds like a great approach, actually. Thanks for the tips.

We wouldn't buy anything sight unseen. Our thoughts were to fly over for a house hunt and also prevail upon friends to view areas or do drive-bys in the interim. It probably makes a lot more sense to rent and keep things in storage for awhile.

What were your sources of property information?
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Old Aug 3rd 2017, 6:12 pm
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Default Re: Finding a place to live.

Originally Posted by VeryVeritas


We won't have any credit history there, and although we have a decent banking relationship with a big international bank I am thinking we will have to pay cash. We would like a 3 bedroom house with a garden and parking but would settle for less in the right area.


So any tips or insights will be appreciated.
Have you consider seeking help from HSBC USA's International Banking Center? They can help you in opening HSBC accounts elsewhere and even move your credit history to another country. Please see links below for details - (first link - overview & second link - transfer credit history)

https://www.us.hsbc.com/1/2/home/per...banking-center

https://www.us.hsbc.com/1/2/home/per...credit-history
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Old Aug 3rd 2017, 6:25 pm
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Default Re: Finding a place to live.

I did not realize they could give us a "credit presence" in a foreign country. That is great! But yes, we are in the process, having opened a Premier account, of opening an international account. I will definitely ask them about that! Thanks!
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Old Aug 3rd 2017, 6:54 pm
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Default Re: Finding a place to live.

Originally Posted by VeryVeritas
That sounds like a great approach, actually. Thanks for the tips.

We wouldn't buy anything sight unseen. Our thoughts were to fly over for a house hunt and also prevail upon friends to view areas or do drive-bys in the interim. It probably makes a lot more sense to rent and keep things in storage for awhile.

What were your sources of property information?
Rightmove was our main source for both rental and buying.

Rightmove - UK's number one property website for properties for sale and to rent
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