Splitting time between UK and Canada-realistic?
 

Hi everyone,

I'm Canadian by birth, moved to London, UK age 24 (am now 51); hold dual citizenship (British/Canadian), am self-employed as a psychotherapist and fantasize about moving back to Canada to spend more time with my elderly parents & to have a more peaceful existence than what London has to offer; I'd also like a bigger home (on a lake); the catch is that I am not mentally/emotionally ready to say good-bye (permanently) to my life in the UK.

I've been looking to move out of London for years (but still be close enough to commute to work) and I've not found any homes that compare to where I would love to live in Canada...I'd love a home on a lake (my parents sold their home on a lake last year) and it was my place of bliss (to retreat to) for over 25 years. We all have that one place where we are happiest-that was mine. Lots of space between neighbours, lots of nature, etc.

I could potentially still work from Canada (treating my UK clients) via Skype, but ideally I'd like to spend 6 months i in the UK (working)-say from September-March, and then 6 months in Canada (March-September)-not working or working very little & just enjoying life, family-time, etc.

Aside from flights costs, and the costs of running two homes, are there any other issues/restrictions I should be aware of? London has been very good to me re-work, and earning a decent living, but Canada (the Laurentians in particular) is where I see myself slowing down and really enjoying life.

My parents are still relatively well so whilst I said I'd be moving back to spend more time with them (which is true)...if I found a wonderful home within an hour's commute of London I might reconsider my decision to move at this moment in time, but it's just not happening. Canadian country houses (i.e., Laurentians) are distinct from what you would find in the UK and I am looking to "up-size" as opposed to downsize (I've been living in a 2-bed flat for nearly 15 years) and am outgrowing it and really need a bigger place.

Any thoughts on the practicalities of my situation would be most appreciated & if you've ever done what I'm thinking of doing, please let me know how it has been for you.

Many thanks.

Re: Splitting time between UK and Canada-realistic?
 

Aside from the costs involved (of which you seem to aware) another thing to consider is your tax residency. To maintain UK tax residency it's probably prudent to spend at least 183 days per tax year in the UK. Therefore perhaps April - September at the lake?

My advice is, if you can afford it, do it.

Re: Splitting time between UK and Canada-realistic?
 

Thanks very much for your advice re-the UK taxes. I haven't discussed my thoughts with my own accountant yet but suspect he would be able to advise too. I appreciate your reply. :thumbsup:

Re: Splitting time between UK and Canada-realistic?
 

As I appreciate yours. I no longer live in Canada (as many posters here may remember) and unlike you, I'm retired. I (we) now spend roughly 6 months in the UK and in France with the tax residency balance favouring the UK.

It's a good life but I couldn't have afforded it at your age. Go for it.

Re: Splitting time between UK and Canada-realistic?
 

Two things that spring to my mind are driving licence, you can only hold one at any time and 6 months is too long to drive on a foreign licence and qualification for health care.
Love the idea in principle though - best of both worlds.

Re: Splitting time between UK and Canada-realistic?
 

Thanks for the encouragement Novocastrian; do you split your time between France and the UK?
B/w,
Marla

Re: Splitting time between UK and Canada-realistic?
 

Thanks HGerchikov,

Good points re-driver's licence and healthcare. I need to think this through a little more it seems:).

Re: Splitting time between UK and Canada-realistic?
 

I'm assuming all clients have Skype or Facetime? As well, your day is going to be 5 hours out of synch in terms of the time zones to consult with clients. Make sure that any place 'by the lake' in Canada has a good internet connection.

Re: Splitting time between UK and Canada-realistic?
 

Re: Splitting time between UK and Canada-realistic?
 

I would have thought it easier to maintain clients by being in the same country. Wouldn't something like this https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...-66996913.html meet the need for lakeage?

Re: Splitting time between UK and Canada-realistic?
 

Hi DBD33,

I hope you are joking? That property is over 2 million pounds :). I can't afford it, but more than that, my therapy practice is based in London and that area is about a 7 hour drive...I may as well be in Canada, Skyping my clients:). Yes, of course, if the properties on Lakes in the UK were affordable for me I *would* consider building up a practice in a different location but the Lake situation in the UK is not the same as in Canada-in Canada it's cheap and cheerful to own a property on a lake. In the UK, property on a lake is at a premium and I cannot afford it.

Best wishes,
Marla

Re: Splitting time between UK and Canada-realistic?
 

Interested in this thread as it's an idea we've thought about too for the future. Summer in Canada, winter back in UK due to keeping in touch with UK, avoiding harsh winter. I would continue consultancy work for UK company and could do that in both places, most probably part time. Initial issues I thought of were the costs inc flights, we could do without car in UK, can't see how we could have a dog, could we rent out one property when we are in the other country, imagine we'd get fed up of the back and fore after a while and perhaps stay longer in Canada, who knows.

Re: Splitting time between UK and Canada-realistic?
 

Oh, I'm so glad I'm not alone here:). Ahh yes, the dog. I don't own one but would love to get one, but obviously it might become problematic, i.e., having to put the dog in the hold (I don't like that idea at all). It's interesting & I agree with you-the way many of us work these days-we don't actually have to be based local to our clients. One option is to rent whilst in one country, whilst you live in your owned property in the other. So, for example. I might consider buying in Canada, but renting a flat in London for 6 months at a time. This would however require a new (rental) property search every 6 months which could prove stressful (I'd rather be enjoying my time in Canada than spending it on Rightmove):).
There are so many benefits of both life in the UK and life in Canada-we need to keep brainstorming...there must be a way to make it work:).

Re: Splitting time between UK and Canada-realistic?
 

Depends where in the UK. Lake (Lough) living might seem expensive around London, but you also have other parts of the UK (Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland).
Where we are in the Republic of Ireland, there are lakes or loughs everywhere and isn't that expensive. Even flying to London is possible.

Re: Splitting time between UK and Canada-realistic?
 

I was slightly joking about that property but the cost of somewhere in Ontario on a lake with the kind of infrastructure you need wouldn't be reasonable and neither would be cell phone plan that'll support that volume of data. Have a look at cottages on, say, Lake Joseph. Maybe it's different in other Provinces but here the commercially usable internet runs along the 400 series highways and juts out into a few rich bits. Rural properties don't generally have internet that will support streaming except via tethering to the phone and that's not cheap; one meeting per week runs me about $250/month.