Stranger-ranger

Hello, everybody! If someone can help me with an advice?! I v got two different job offers: in the UK (Aylesbury) - the salary rate somewhere around 34000 J per annum
and in Sweden (Gothenborg)- the salary is about 2500 euro monthly. Pls, clear it up what is the best option?
Plenty of thanks in advance!!!

Celtic Princess

Only you can decide what the best option is for you. I can, however, help you with specific info. I used to live in a similar place to Aylesbury in the UK and now live in the Goteborg region of Sweden. So have experience and knowledge of both options.

One thing I can tell you is that with your UK salary you will struggle to find somewhere to buy in the UK whereas with your Swedish salary you will find it easy to buy somewhere really nice. Our family incomes were on a similar level to your offers, both in the UK and here. In the UK we couldn't buy anything and had to rent a small terraced house. Here in Sweden property prices are hugely less and we have bought a 4 bedroomed, detached house in the countryside (which we are now selling if you're interested.)

On the other hand, England is far more lively than Sweden. So like I said, it depends on what you're after.

If you want to know anything else, give me a shout. Good luck.

Stranger-ranger

Dear Celtic Princesss! Many thanks for your quick and thoroughful reply as well as a willingness for more help. So, I will take futher advantage. The quite importent particular I didn't mention in the previuos thread is that we are a family of four including two very small kids (two year old and a new-born). The question is if we can hold solely on my wage at least within one year.
And, one more completely different question: living in the contryside how can you manage working in town? or your employment is base in the same place as well. And, apropo, just for a general quest, what is a price you're gonna ask for your house. Many many thanks again.

Celtic Princess

We are a family of 3, with one very expensive teenager, and we manage. I'm not working yet, it's my husband who works in Goteborg. We live 10 minutes away from a major train station with direct trains to both Goteborg and Stockholm. He takes the train to Goteborg every day. It takes 40 minutes, although there are trains that only take 25 minutes but these cost more.

As for small children, I believe Sweden is considered the best place in the world to raise them. I don't know much about why this is as we have only been here a year, but from what I can see it's because of the whole 'package' that parents get. From massively subsidised daycare to paid time off work when little children are sick. Also fathers get mountains of paternity leave compared to other countries. Another thing, schools here are free, and I mean completely free. The schools provide the pens, paper, calculators even lunch for no charge.

As for daily living costs, we have found that food costs are pretty much the same as the UK. Some things cost a lot more but some things are far cheaper, so it evens itself out. Petrol prices are the same. Electricity is expensive and there is no gas, but houses are far better insulated that the UK and some of the heating systems available here make the UK ones look like antiques.

The real difference though is in accomodation. Here you will get a lot more for you money and therefore you will have more money in left over once you've paid your mortgage. For example a 3 bedroom house in Aylesbury, on average, costs £230,000. Our house, a 3/4 bedroom house with a separate guest house and a massive garden is about £40,000. (The estate agent is coming round later today so I can give you the current price then.) Also the costs of moving in Sweden is cheaper and easier. There are no lawyers involved, like in the UK, just the estate agent. So if you are buying, the only cost you have is the cost of the house and possibly a survey, which cost us £150. And it's quick. The whole process, from finding a house to owning it takes about 4-6 weeks. In the UK I believe it takes forever.

Celtic Princess

Our house has just been valued at 400,000 SEK (approx £34,000).

Stranger-ranger

Many many many thanks for the povided info. What a fantastically exhaustive answer.
Well, now I am more confident about Sweden. I am going to undertake a jorney there (at the employer's expense) to snap the whole picture.
Thanks a lot again.
And my best wishes.

Celtic Princess

All the best with whichever job you take. If you need any other info just holler.

Katamoungdapidgeons

Hi, I am new to this forum but find myself with exactly the same dilema and hope you might tell me what you have decided and why!
I too have a job offer in the UK & in Sweden for almost exactly the same pay differentials , Snap! I would be moving my partner & family.
I'm not convinced by the cheaper property, I dont know if rents have risen recently but the portion of my pay I would have to devote to rent is very similar in both countries & the standard seems relatively shoddy for the money in Sweden. I wont be buying just in case we dont want to stay for longer than a year, though realistically I know if we move we will probably be here for at least 3 years to recoup the removing costs and get enough spare to return to UK.
I applied as was under the impression that Swedes had a great standard of living & were great people. Since I've been researching its all just been - depression , alcholism , domestic violence, falling standards of education, with very little chance of my non-Swedish speaking partner getting a job and high living costs and high tax burden relative to the average salary.
I also worry about fuel costs as the landlords I spoke to quoted loads pm to heat a small houses.
The more I find out the more I wish Sweden was the place of my dreams I once imagined but the more I realise I may very well have been a bit misguided. Advice Please.

Katamoungdapidgeons

Hi again,
Since I logged off I've been thinking that our main problem is my salary v's high rent . If I genuinely thought I could afford to keep us there it would be worth a shot. I'm just stressing about the other stuff because i think its just not realistically affordable for us on one salary.
So Celtic Princess I hope you might reply ,if you read this ,with some info on buying/selling and the location of your property if it is still for sale.
I need to move to the skane area .
Thanks,
Kat

derbyflan

Just seen this thread.

I live in Aylesbury and I'm wishing my life away trying to get out.

I have no experience of Sweden - but if offered say...Kabul over Aylesbury I'd be packing a suitcase.

Celtic Princess

Hi, I'm afraid I have no knowledge of the rental market as we bought a house straight off. We decided that as the buying process is simple here, takes about 4 weeks only, and cheap that it was easier to buy and then sell up if we need to, which is what we are doing. Our house is sold now and we move on Friday. YEAH!!!!

With regards to buying, house prices vary greatly depending on the area. Our house is an hour away from goteborg and is dirt cheap, the same sort of house in goteborg would cost an arm and a leg. The best place to get info on prices is here:

http://www.hemnet.se/sok?flik=1

All the different estate agents list all their properties on it.

To look at houses for sale

click on 'bostader till salu'

1. Select the county you want, for example Skane or for Goteborg select vastra gotalands.

2. This is the town/municipality you want within your selcted country. Hold down control to select more than one.

3. Leave this bit blank.

Then click on the 'sok bostad' button.

1. This is the type of property you are looking for. You need to select villa/radhus for a house and/or bostadsrattslagenhet for a flat. Leave the others blank.

2. Is what you want in you property. Pris = price, antal rum = number of rooms, boarea = size of living area, hyra/avgift = rental/service charges which I assume is for flats where you buy it but still have to pay a monthly charge, sokord = search for this word, so leave this blank.

Then click on the 'nasta' button.

On this page you only need to choose one of the buttons under 2. Choose either 'visa lista' which will give you a list of all the properties so you can look at all the prices/areas/sizes at the same time, or 'visa pa karta' which will show you a map with all the house locations, you can then click on one to get further info. 'Bilder' is what you need to click on to see more pictures.

At the moment, searching the whole of Skane the cheapest 2 bedroomed house is 250 000 kr although the majority are around to 400 000 kr mark.

Shout if you need more help.

Stranger-ranger

Hi!
I've just seen your message. Ultimately, we decided to go for Sweden. I recently have been to Sweden and seen the potential work place. I was excited by the people environment and general conditions. It is quite surprising to hear about all this bad stuff you found through your search about Sweden. I presume, all these occurenses may be happening in all over the world and not just in Sweden.:
Well, I can't foresee if my empression will stay the same in the future. Hope it will stay as pleasant as it's by now.
Anyway, I hope you find your best option. Good luck!

derbyflan

You made the right choice pal

Celtic Princess

Congratulations, and valkommna. And can you bring me some prawn coctail crisps when you come over?

Katamoungdapidgeons

Celtic Princess, Thank you for the helpful link I had a good look around the site & I see what you mean, buying is the way to go in Sweden esp if it is also quick, easy and cheap. Some of the listings I looked at I think were looking for bids, have you come accross this before? Is hogstbjudande higgest bidder? Is it common where there is an asking price to make an offer or would that seem really odd to them? I am really grateful for the link as I think I could defo meet the repayments on a home for us rather than bleeding out thousands on rent as I do here. Do you know anything about mortgages, I think the estate agents had links to lenders is this how its done or is there a better way.
Well done on the decision Stranger Ranger! It seems like a great opportunity and your children are at the perfect age to really get the best out of it. The Kindergarden and early years learning seems wonderful & there seems to be excellent choice for later schooling. I'm glad you decided to go for it, it makes me feel more positive.I think all the staistics put a zap on my head. If 20% are then 80% aren't everything is realitive! By Swedish standards I imagine all of us in the UK are depressed alcoholics!
If you dont mind me asking, are you going to hire movers or move yourself. I looked at the ferry( to Norway & Denmark) prices and they are higher than I imagined and there is some driving involved!
Has anyone heard of or tried hiring a portion of a container or used airfreight, if anyone can share any moving experiences! or advice.