Makaya

Thank you all very much for your thoughtful advices. I really appreciate your genuine help. This is a tough but yet exciting decision we have to make.

In terms of lifestyle, we tend to live quite frugally. We don't have a car (which is partly why I live in Yaletown, easier to commute with the skytrain and everything is closed by), we don't even have TV (I compensate by wasting a lot of time on internet hehe!) and we don't have Iphones or other expensive toys/hobbies (except for skiing once or twice a year)...

The baby will definitely be a life changing event. We were still going to try to live in Vancouver without a car (I usually rent one when needed): the hospital and midwife are a few blocks away, family doctor and grocery stores within two blocks... London is a big city with a much more developed transit system than Vancouver, but I don't know if it is realistic to rely mostly on public transportation when we have to go around with a stroller, or if we can live in a place where everything is at a walkable distance. I'm also not a big fan of more than 1h or commute each way (I'd rather spend my time with my wife and kid), which is why we'd prefer to live not too far from my work. We are ok to live in a decent 2BR apartment/flat (is that realistic in that area with my salary)?.

There is one important thing that I didn't mention about myself... I'm from France and I have my brother and his wife living in London, and my sister living with her husband and newborn child in Paris (2h30 away by Eurostar). This is a BIG plus for me and that's why I'm really tempted to accept the offer. However, there is a good reason why I emigrated to Vancouver... I was living in Paris before and didn't like it at all. I've never lived in London and I don't know about the lifestyle there, whether it's a bit better than Paris... A big difference though is that I will be making much more in London than I was making in Paris at that time, which will certainly help make life easier/better.

As far as my wife is concerned, she would be very happy to move there too. She would look after our child and complete her BA in English Lit (which she started 10 years ago, but couldn't complete for various reasons). She's from Singapore and there are direct flights from London. She's like me, a bit worried about all the changes and trying to figure out what we should expect. A big advantage is that we would no longer have to choose between going to France or Singapore each year, since France is so close that we can just go there for a week-end. She's pretty happy about that!

Thanks again for your help. I really appreciate. By reading your messages, I'm feeling confident that this move is not gonna be as bad as we initially thought.

Cheers.

Alan2005

Don't underestimate how important this is - anywhere is going to suck if you don't have a lot of cash. Contrary to the others I think £74k in london is quite decent, and is more than most people living there earn. You won't be living like a non-dom Russian billionaire, but you won't be poor either.

Living without a car is easy in Vancouver providing you don't stray far from town or transit routes (I've done a couple of day trips to Whistler on the greyhound bus - so you don't really need a car to ski). However if you want to go further afield in BC, there are no other alternatives whereas London (and the UK in general) is much more friendly to those that don't own cars.

In your position, and given the other things you suggest in your post, I reckon you should go to London.

One thing you should think about though is your immigration status. What are the implications of your kid being born in the UK as opposed to Canada?

crusheduk

in London that's not high enough..you think Vanmcouver is high.......search London and see what you can get for £300k or what about $500,000 Can$$'s

I'#d say you would need at least £120k a year...take massive tax off that and you'll be ok..but only ok.

You need to do some reasearch on london...house prices, cost of living etc...Have you never been there? That would be my first thng to do. It's not for everyone... MASSIVE CITY.

Alan2005

The vast majority of those living in London don't earn anywhere near that and they manage pretty well.

crusheduk

No way...you'll spend every penny of that just living. The whole of the UK is mega expensive...London is a RIP...

Full tike nursery fees are £600 pm here in the North.....what that about $900 Can $. Exoect London to be at least 20% more than that....

crusheduk

you'll find both parties work and make ends meet....you make it sound like he'll be comforatable..wife kid London NO WAY...

JonboyE

I agree with Alan.

I can't imagine the lifestyle between Paris and London being all that different, except the food is better in Paris. That said, I lived in various parts of London for 7 years and I've only visited Paris. A bit of disposable income makes a huge difference. While you are there you will want to enjoy the concerts, the West End, the easy travel to Europe. It all costs money. I don't suppose that you want to live in some of the skankier areas either, and that means money too.

Public transport in and around London is pretty good. You don't really need a car. You can manage with a stroller if you avoid rush hour. If you get one that collapses for handling you might even be able to negotiate around in rush hour if there is one of you to hold the baby and one to manage the stroller.

However, I would test drive your commute before signing up for a rental. One hour during the rush is not at all unusual.

Alan2005

He'll be comfortable. Think about what you are saying rather than being reactionary and stating bollocks like people need £120k per year to live when the average salary in London is more like £40k. Sure, he won't be buying any property, but then that's true of Vancouver too (which is actually more expensive by affordability ratios than London).

crusheduk

You make it sound like he's going to be lording it up with Alan Sugar on that kind of money..Vancouver more expensive than London LOL.. ROFL really?

He'll live on the salary in London, child no working wife....nothing else....and see what you get for your money compared to Vancouver....

Alan2005

By affordability Vancouver is more expensive than London. This is a verifiable fact - look it up.

iaink

"London" is a big place. The further out from the core the farther that income will go. They need to balance the impact of that on quality of life vs the additional commute hassles.

I'd have though £74k in the commuter belt renting and without a car would be pretty comfortable. Many raise kids on far less.

Affordability ratios isnt much help when comparing fixed salaries, and the exchange rate has tanked so much in the last few years that I dont know if the usual suspects have caught up with it, which if anything will push up a UK salary beyond where affordability alone would take it. Good news for the OP I guess.

Rob_999

If the family can live comfortably on $95k in Vancouver, they can easily afford similar lifestyle in London on GBP74k.

el_richo

You clearly don't live in London and/or earn anything near the OP

Atlantic Xpat

In summary, unless taking your newborn away from family and friends in Vancouver is a problem, go for it. GBP74k is a good wage in the UK by any standards. I lived in commutable distance to London very comfortably on less than that. You can exchange the weekends skiing with travel throughout the UK and Europe. When will you ever get another opportunity to do this, funded by your employer?

JonboyE

I just had a look on line at rents in and around Ealing. I used to live near there and commuted into London on the Central line. At the time I worked on Cheapside. I am not suggesting this is the only area to look at but I know it is a decent area to live in.

You can get a decent looking 2 bedroom flat within walking distance, or a short bus ride, of a tube station for around £1,700 pm. Would council tax, utilities, travel pass and groceries come to more than £1,300 a month? If not, it will leave the OP with around £1,000 in disposable income. Seems plenty to me.

Oh, and cell phones are dirt cheap compared to Vancouver.