Tiggerbige

Hello everyone, I've been a visitor for a while but am still in the early stages of considering where in the world to move! My husband & I run a successful business in NE UK and have a beautiful house almost paid for so are nearly financially secure!! Wow great you all think why move??? I have always moved around as a child and always wanted a secure childhood for my 2 kids ( girls 3 & 6 ). However the state of the country and the ever deteriorating social outlook are giving me some wanderlust. I am desperately looking for : -
Good upbringing for my kids in a country with good a good morale code
Some nice weather to enjoy an outdoor lifestyle instead of kids stuck in front of the tv.
An open area of land to develop a more self sufficient lifestyle which we love.
Not too worried about the location as long as within an hour of a hospital and nearby (15 mins or so) from a good school.
Not too worried about a 'finished house' style as we are fairly hands on so could do up a place.

Anyway any ideas of a country to start???? Have considered New Zealand & loved countryside of Austria on a recent visit but don't know much about job availability or people. We would need to work but hope to both just have to work part time ish.

Thanks for any pointers.

Bob

Welcome to BE and good luck!

Guess it all depends on what you're going to do for work...

Tiggerbige

Hiya thanks for reply. We have an injection moulding business at the moment but would be happy to move into any field of business. I have a business degree so could do most business support or office work. I'm happy to try any job at pretty much any level for a better life outside of work. I suppose it's about a work life balance really. My hubby could do most practical manufacturing business jobs either in inj moulding or similar but I'd like to have him around more, I've no problem working more to ensure this is ok.
Most places we've looked at in eu seem to be struggling as much as we are here so locals with fluent language can't get jobs so little hope for us maybe? I'm open to learning a new language if necessary.

Bob

EU is the easiest option, simply because of the language.

There are plenty of EU countries where language isn't an issue.

Have you looked at eastern EU for manufacturing opportunities? There might be more scope to set up shop just because it's much cheaper out there.

Also have you looked into China? Manufacturing skills and management, could be a potential option.

Tiggerbige

Thanks
Where in eastern eu is cheap to set up with good weather and reasonable ability to get some land with a house, not too much but a small holding. We've looked at Spain & France but economic climate seems to show very few jobs for native speakers let alone expats? Which countries have a good outlook for schooling etc & the kids future. Uk seems to us to be going downhill all the time? Any thoughts on this or are we just being defeatist?

Bob

Spain and France aren't eastern EU... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Europe

Think Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary.

Language might be a bit more of a issue than the Scandinavian ones, but if you'll probably get by with English and German.

Oh and if you think the UK is going downhill...well it's the same every where else. Same shit, different bucket.

Tiggerbige

Yeah sorry I knew that... Ha ha. Spain & France are just the only 2 eu countries we've looked at. Will it be warm in eastern eu. Austria was lovely weather but was summer & obviously snows, at lot, in winter so cold! Want a more outdoor life. Will look at the countries you've suggested in more detail, thanks.

Sally Redux

Make the most of what you've got and have nice holidays abroad.

You won't take this advice it's well-meant though.

Bob

Sure they get cold in the winter...but it's a pretty dry old, not damp or bone chilling, so be able to get out and about and enjoy the snow, go skiing and all that sort of stuff.

No idea how viable they are for your needs, or about the schooling, but they're certainly options.

Tiggerbige

Thanks we have considered this lots but the general daily grind is getting to us with the general economic downturn & the youth culture too!

Sally Redux

To me, it sounds like you have a great deal going, with maybe just a few minor adjustments needed to get the kids more active.

Might be worth looking in the NZ section of the forum as it seems to be perceived as a more 'old-fashioned' place.

Tiggerbige

You hit the nail on the head we're definitely "old fashioned" thirty something yr olds!! We pay our mortgage & bills 1st, have no credit card & want a simple life. Anyone have a time machine?
I've been looking at middle to south of France may ask what the work availability is like on that section.

Sally Redux

Definitely ask some questions on the parts of the forum that appeal.

christmasoompa

Ditto! But I don't know what you mean by 'youth culture', unless you mean polite and nice teenagers, as that's all I seem to come across - I've still yet to see a 'yob' in my part of the UK! Out of interest, are you in a town? If so, would a more rural lifestyle give you what you're after?

It would certainly be a hell of a lot cheaper to move within the UK! As we often say on the Canada forum, move for the love of a country, not the perceived negatives of the one you'll leave behind, as often after you've moved you'll find that the grass isn't greener after all and you're then just struggling with the same problems in an unfamiliar culture.

Good luck deciding what to do, hope you find somewhere that suits.

And welcome to BE btw.

Tiggerbige

Hi thanks.
Yes we live in the country & the area is lovely but you only have to travel 5 miles to find a disappointing village, then another 5 to find another lovely 1. Our eldest has just started her second year at school & is already coming home doing MTV music dances to I'm sexy & I know it!! I'm not a prude but even so!! Its a lovely country school with few kids.
I'd like some warmer weather too.