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American would love advice re:moving to England

American would love advice re:moving to England

Old Mar 18th 2012, 8:47 pm
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Default Re: American would love advice re:moving to England

Regarding Ireland, things got pretty bad over there a couple of years back with the recession, but it's slowly bouncing back. We've been thinking of moving back there instead of to the UK, since it might be a better place for our son (mostly because the education system's better than the UK's and I have a lot of family there). So, here's some things to be aware of:

1) Ireland doesn't have an NHS, as such. Medical care is mostly paid for through private insurance, either through the state-sponsored insurance company, VHI, or through fully private insurance through a company like BUPA or Quinns. The big difference between private insurance in the US and Ireland is that pretty much everyone pays the same (fairly cheap) rates, there's no issues with pre-existing conditions or anything and that everything is covered (even hospital stays - no matter how long you're in there, the maximum a hospital can charge is around 700 euros, and the insurance will cover that). There is a universal scheme for those whose income is below a certain level though - if yo u're unemployed or on a low income, you can apply for a "medical card" which will get you free treatment everywhere. The Irish government has been discussing implementing a fully universal system, but this will probably have to wait until they've dug themselves out of the hole they're in.
2) The Euro. Ireland is a part of the single currency and this has certain benefits and problems - no having to change up money to visit the mainland EU, but you will have to exchange your euros for pounds if you want to visit the UK.
3) VAT is pretty high - 21% - and is set to go higher so Ireland can repay its EU bailout. So this means that almost everything you buy will probably be more expensive than you're used to.
4) The pace of life is a bit slower and more family-oriented than in the UK.
5) If you're outside the Dublin area, there's not much to speak of in terms of public transport so you'll have to drive. The Dublin area's pretty good though, with lots of buses, the LUAS light rail network and the DART trains.
6) Housing is ridiculously cheap in Ireland right now - the recession forced much of the immigrant Eastern European community (mainly Polish) who moved to Ireland as tradesmen, to go home, since their own economy was doing better, leaving many empty homes, including entire developments which are just sitting unoccupied. Depending on where you go, you can score a nice, new-build 3-bedroom house for under 100,000 euros.
7) The Irish love their animals. Although many of them are still of the "farmer" mindset and like them to live outside.
8) Better get used to drinking lots of tea and eating ham sandwiches and cakes - that's pretty much what every visit to an Irish person's house entails!
9) There is still work to be had in Ireland, in certain fields. The high-tech sector is still doing pretty well over there. And, if you're self-employed, the business taxes are some of the lowest in the world.
10) The quality of produce you'll find in the supermarkets is excellent, usually locally-sourced (with certification to prove it) and you won't find any GM foods or anything with HFCS. Superquinn's sausages are legendary.
11) Ireland is incredibly beautiful. IMHO, even more so than the most beautiful parts of the UK. There's something about that green, a shade you don't see anywhere else.
12) Irish people are very friendly. It went off the rails for a little while there, for a while all many Irish people would talk about was property prices and their share portfolios, but they seem to have rediscovered their humility since the recession!
13) They like people from overseas. Most Irish families have someone living abroad, so they're quite used to visitors from overseas, especially from Americans. They're also amused at how much of a big deal people in the US make of Paddy's Day.
14) There's been quite a big resurgence of the Irish language in recent years - there are areas in the country where it's still spoken as a primary language, and it's taught at all schools. The odd phrase in Irish might prove useful, as well as knowing what commonly-used Irish words like "taioseach" and "tananiste" mean.
15) Irish kids are clever. The Irish school system is excellent and seems to turn out better-educated kids than the schools in the UK.
16) Irish English, for the most part, follows British English in terms of spelling, grammer, etc, but has quite a few quirks of its own. You'll get an ear for them though.
17) The Irish are renowned as big drinkers - this isn't the case so much any more, but there will always be drink involved in social situations.
18) The Irish drive on the left, like in the UK, and you can be waiting forever to take a driving test (the current wait time is 2-3 years in most places!). But you can drive on a provisional licence (learner's permit) - in fact, quite a few people in Ireland have never actually taken their driving test and have continued to drive on their provisional licences for years! Petrol's expensive, like in the UK, but you'll find most Irish people drive smaller, diesel-powered cars as they're much cheaper to run.
19) Ireland does have gun crime - handguns are still legal in Ireland, unlike the UK, and you do occasionally hear about shootings, but this is rare. Just stay away from the shabby estates in the Northside of Dublin and you'll probably be OK.
20) Despite their very Catholic history and the fact that almost everyone there is at least "ethnically" Catholic, Ireland's becoming quite secular these days, which can only be a good thing.

Hope that helps. Ireland's still a great place, if you can get sorted with work.
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Old Mar 18th 2012, 9:05 pm
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Default Re: American would love advice re:moving to England

Wow, thanks for the incredibly comprehensive post, Rusty! Very good, useful info..I really appreciate it.
Do you have any idea what the cost for private health insurance might be? Also, how would you compare the Dublin area, inc. suburbs, Cork and Galway?
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Old Mar 18th 2012, 9:13 pm
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Default Re: American would love advice re:moving to England

Originally Posted by Homeiswheretheheartis
Hi Sile

Ive only just left the UK for the US (6 months ago) so quiet up todate on things.

Is it possible for you to give us a picture of what type of lifestyle you want in the UK, e.g city, village, nightlife or country walks, forests or beaches. All of this will effect the area you live in, especially your finances as some areas of the UK are very expensive compared to others.

We could help alittle bit more with a little more insight into your requirements.

If it helps Im from the Northwest (lake district), but live in Lincolnshire and will be returning there in a couple of years.

I love England and even more so now Im in the US, even thought financially and materialistacally better off in the US. But as we all know material things don't make you happy.
Thanks for your post. I'll try to give a better picture of what I would I would like...

Firstly, I would say I am "middle class" in terms of finances, and hoping to better that soon. I would love to find a place that is just outside of a big town, probably outside London, as I would like to take advantage of shopping, theatre, events,etc on occasion. I would love a small house, one level, fenced in yard for my dog, in a good area. I would rather a small house in a good area than a bigger house elsewhere. I also don't want to be out in the country. I live currently in a suburb of a large city..far enough out to be pretty and quiet, but close enough to get into the city easily. Also, as I am moving alone and starting without knowing anyone I would,like to be in a place where I can meet people easily.
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Old Mar 18th 2012, 9:14 pm
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Default Re: American would love advice re:moving to England

Originally Posted by sile
Wow, thanks for the incredibly comprehensive post, Rusty! Very good, useful info..I really appreciate it.
Do you have any idea what the cost for private health insurance might be? Also, how would you compare the Dublin area, inc. suburbs, Cork and Galway?
You can see for yourself if you go to www.vhi.ie - it's about 85 euros a month for a decent VHI plan, a little more if you never want to have to pay a co-pay.

Dublin's obviously quite a bit more expensive than the rest of the country in terms of what property costs, but it's also got the most amenities and the best transport infrastructure. Cork's probably second most expensive, but, even so, it's far cheaper than Dublin, and Galway will be cheaper still. Take a look at the housing prices on www.daft.ie. Also, bear in mind what you save in property costs living is the more outlying areas, you'll lose in transportation costs and convenience. Also, being close to Dublin airport can't be underestimated.

Also, if you're considering Ireland, go and register on www.boards.ie - it's a huge forum site, with separate forums dedicated to almost everything. There's local forums for the various areas of Ireland too, so, if you're thinking about moving to a particular area, maybe go and ask some questions on there.
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Old Mar 19th 2012, 4:44 am
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Default Re: American would love advice re:moving to England

Originally Posted by sile
Thanks for your post. I'll try to give a better picture of what I would I would like...

Firstly, I would say I am "middle class" in terms of finances, and hoping to better that soon. I would love to find a place that is just outside of a big town, probably outside London, as I would like to take advantage of shopping, theatre, events,etc on occasion. I would love a small house, one level, fenced in yard for my dog, in a good area. I would rather a small house in a good area than a bigger house elsewhere. I also don't want to be out in the country. I live currently in a suburb of a large city..far enough out to be pretty and quiet, but close enough to get into the city easily. Also, as I am moving alone and starting without knowing anyone I would,like to be in a place where I can meet people easily.
As I said Im from the North but have lived down South as well, but Im sure loads of people will be able to recommend towns down south. What I can tell you is that the weather is better there, but house prices are expensive. But the thing is in England everything is a lot closer to get to, so even if you live in the city its really easy to be in the country for the day and the other way around.

Location is so important, so get as much info as possible. Having recently left I would say that there are places in the UK that are the total pits and places that are just idilic.

Good luck with whatever you decide
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Old Mar 19th 2012, 11:34 am
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Default Re: American would love advice re:moving to England

Originally Posted by sile
What I think the UK could deliver? Better weather ( don't laugh..I live in a place that has blizzards, below freezing temps, then tornadoes, then high, unbearable heat and humidity, then about a month of Fall)
Much of England, especially in the south, east and central parts are now suffering from a 16months plus long drought following month after month of well below average rainfall.....water use restrictions and hosepipe bans are being brought into operation in many areas.


......more civility....

Not necessarily so in London .......time constraints seem to preclude civility in the UK capital.


......much kinder attitude towards dogs......

"Dog Friendly" signs outside pubs and shops do exist but certainly not universal....more so pubs than shops - most pubs have beer gardens or beer courtyards anyway....guide dogs are accepted practically everywhere.
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Old Mar 19th 2012, 11:49 am
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Default Re: American would love advice re:moving to England

Originally Posted by sile
Firstly, I would say I am "middle class" in terms of finances, and hoping to better that soon. I would love to find a place that is just outside of a big town, probably outside London, as I would like to take advantage of shopping, theatre, events,etc on occasion.
Don't fall into the American trap of thinking London is the only place with theaters and culture. There are lots of British cities with interesting cultural attractions and a vibrant arts scene, and lots of places that are only a couple of hours by train from London for those occasions where the show you want is only on there.

The problem with London is that prices are beyond ridiculous unless you're willing to live in a bad area. You say you want a good area, so for a small house expect to pay an arm and a leg (prices are higher than NYC). It's hard to know what you can afford without knowing what you earn but once you narrow down the 'good' areas you can go on Rightmove and see what you could actually afford.
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Old Mar 19th 2012, 11:57 am
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Default Re: American would love advice re:moving to England

Originally Posted by sile
Is there a lot of animal abuse there . I surely hope not.
I wouldn't quite say "a lot" but it does exist, and as the economic downturn progressed recently incidents of animal cruelty and abuse and abandonment increased quite alarmingly......as being shown on various TV documentaries involving the work of the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Protection of Animals), the Cats Protection League and the Dogs Trust (who rescue dogs and home them for as long as necessary and never, ever put a healthy dog down - they are currenly opening up more rescue and homing centres for unwanted or abandoned dogs all over the UK.

Some of the cases shown on TV are unbelievably horrible, it's a shock to see just how cruel some people can be.....a woman going off with her kids and boyfriend on a ten days holiday on the Costa del Sol, leaving her dog to fend for itself in a locked house....neighbours alerted the RSPCA and they, along with the police, legally obtained the right to break into the house - the poor dog was sticking its nose and paws out of the letter box as they got to work....the dog's ribs were showing, dog muck all over the floors and it had resorted to eating bits of carpet and to drinking water out of the toilet pan.

When the dog was offered a bowl of food it gobbled it all down in just a few seconds.

Just one case out of others in a land reputed to be a land of animal lovers.....most of us are, but some most definitely are not, often for pure cruelly selfish uncaring reasons, not really excusable by reasons of no longer being able to afford keeping pets....animal agencies are always there to help out.

I adore all animals and feel very strongly about this sort of thing and am an active supporter of and volunteer with the Dogs Trust in the UK.
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Old Mar 20th 2012, 9:44 am
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Default Re: American would love advice re:moving to England

Originally Posted by sile
I watch graham norton..does that count?
Yes, he can be quite near the knuckle . The thing is everything in UK life is 'sent up' constantly by almost everyone. It makes for a jokey happy atmosphere but please do not be offended by it or you will never fit in.
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Old Apr 4th 2012, 9:07 am
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Default Re: American would love advice re:moving to England

Hi Sile and everyone in this thread.

I've just finished reading everyone's comments. Thanks for all the info. I found my way here by googling "moving to England single woman" as I too have had this dream on my brain for the longest time. I however fully admit to having a very romanticized notion (I watch too many episodes of Escape to the Country), but I also sort of get the reality.

I currently live on the west coast of Canada, and while it certainly is lush and green and beautiful here (due to tons and tons and tons of rain), it has never felt like home.

My biological heritage is English and all of my ancestors dating back to 1700 (and probably beyond), are Londoners or South Englanders. I was adopted by a Canadian couple, and while I have spent my whole life here on the west coast of Canada, I'm currently at a time in my life where I have no reason not to make a break for it and see if what I've always dreamed of is out there (sadly I can't afford any of the properties seen on escape to the country). I do have some independent means of finance to tide me until I found suitable employment, hopefully in the culture/heritage/arts and am eligible to get a ancestry visa.

I am knowledgeable about UK life/culture, mostly through the media and television (have had a UK IP address subscription for a few years, so I tend to only watch UK tv online (not just Escape to the Country… but EastEnders too haha). In Canada we always had a lot of UK TV growing up, so most of us know the humour, and yes, we put a "U" in words like humour, colour, neighbour, etc

So erm, I'm not sure I'm as brave as Sile and would just up move without visiting first, but then again I am terrified of flying, so maybe just going for it is the answer. You do only live once, and I'm not really enjoying my life here so much; I crave culture and history and art, and it's just not here.

Sile, I'd love to stay in touch and hear about what you've decided to do, so I hope you'll keep up with this thread.

Thanks, everyone
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Old Apr 8th 2012, 2:37 pm
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Default Re: American would love advice re:moving to England

Originally Posted by sile
Thanks for your post. I'll try to give a better picture of what I would I would like...

Firstly, I would say I am "middle class" in terms of finances, and hoping to better that soon. I would love to find a place that is just outside of a big town, probably outside London, as I would like to take advantage of shopping, theatre, events,etc on occasion. I would love a small house, one level, fenced in yard for my dog, in a good area. I would rather a small house in a good area than a bigger house elsewhere. I also don't want to be out in the country. I live currently in a suburb of a large city..far enough out to be pretty and quiet, but close enough to get into the city easily. Also, as I am moving alone and starting without knowing anyone I would,like to be in a place where I can meet people easily.
Sile

If I may ask, what part of the usa(midwest,Pacific west coast,metro nyc area) are you currently living? Might help in stirring you to a place more suitable.
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Old Apr 9th 2012, 3:56 am
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Default Re: American would love advice re:moving to England

Ukwinds, I am from the Midwest. Thanks for your interest. I certainly would love to have a good idea of where I would be happy there so,I could just go and land in the perfect place for me. This would be, of course, a huge move in every way. I know no one there. I believe I have some relatives that likely live somewhere in England, but I will have to do some genealogy research.
I must say, there are days I feel absolutely sure that this is the thing to do and other days I think I must be goofy to entertain the idea of leaving all I have ever known to move to another country alone.
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Old Apr 9th 2012, 8:22 am
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Default Re: American would love advice re:moving to England

Originally Posted by sile
Ukwinds, I am from the Midwest. Thanks for your interest. I certainly would love to have a good idea of where I would be happy there so,I could just go and land in the perfect place for me. This would be, of course, a huge move in every way. I know no one there. I believe I have some relatives that likely live somewhere in England, but I will have to do some genealogy research.
I must say, there are days I feel absolutely sure that this is the thing to do and other days I think I must be goofy to entertain the idea of leaving all I have ever known to move to another country alone.
Hi i am from UK but have been living in California for 28 years. I usually go home for a couple of months every year or two. I stay with my mum in Windsor, which is a train ride from London. I have been following your post with interest because i am often thinking of moving back and where would i like to live etc over the years. Economics and my daughter have prevented it so far. I am 52 and female. Maybe we happen to be there at same time and i can be of any help.
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Old Apr 9th 2012, 7:50 pm
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Default Re: American would love advice re:moving to England

Originally Posted by sile
Ukwinds, I am from the Midwest. Thanks for your interest. I certainly would love to have a good idea of where I would be happy there so,I could just go and land in the perfect place for me. This would be, of course, a huge move in every way. I know no one there. I believe I have some relatives that likely live somewhere in England, but I will have to do some genealogy research.
I must say, there are days I feel absolutely sure that this is the thing to do and other days I think I must be goofy to entertain the idea of leaving all I have ever known to move to another country alone.
Sile

I don't think moving to a different country and leaving all you know behind is goofy at all, if you know in your core that the place where you are is not the place you wish to call home. A leap of faith,yes but its no different than any other judgement call we make in our every day life.It does however require greater planning and extremely reliable financial resources.

You can allways move back home if things were not to pan-out as planned.But what you can't do is turn back the clock and live a dream that has past you bye.These type of goals have an expiration date on them especially for individuals in our later years that move some where without knowing the lay of the land.At 65 years of age this goal is doable even if we've never lived in the country in question.

But to move to a strange new culture in a different country, is easier when we are in our 40's, and 50's in terms of socializing to make new friends, and in terms of setting up a support network and everything else that helps us to acclimate to a new place. I say, do careful research about every possible aspect, and if you are sure this is something you truly want,go for it.

Personally for me,I'm thinking about two areas,the outlining area of manchester because I enjoy being near but not in a large city.And the north has the reputation of being friendlier. Also in consideration an area about 50 miles near London. I'm still researching options.
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Old Apr 10th 2012, 10:47 am
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Default Re: American would love advice re:moving to England

Originally Posted by Rusty Chainsaw
You can see for yourself if you go to www.vhi.ie - it's about 85 euros a month for a decent VHI plan, a little more if you never want to have to pay a co-pay.

Dublin's obviously quite a bit more expensive than the rest of the country in terms of what property costs, but it's also got the most amenities and the best transport infrastructure. Cork's probably second most expensive, but, even so, it's far cheaper than Dublin, and Galway will be cheaper still. Take a look at the housing prices on www.daft.ie. Also, bear in mind what you save in property costs living is the more outlying areas, you'll lose in transportation costs and convenience. Also, being close to Dublin airport can't be underestimated.

Also, if you're considering Ireland, go and register on www.boards.ie - it's a huge forum site, with separate forums dedicated to almost everything. There's local forums for the various areas of Ireland too, so, if you're thinking about moving to a particular area, maybe go and ask some questions on there.
Hello

I've read this whole thread with interest.

I'm Irish, from Dublin but now live in England. When I first moved I lived in Central London and with every successive move have moved further out. I now live outside London in a semi-rural area but we are looking to relocate again. This time a much bigger move.

Rusty has said pretty much everything I wanted to about Ireland. It is a fabulous country but one which has changed hugely in the last decade. The boom has left a large legacy, especially in Dublin where large swathes of the city are covered in soulless new housing developments. If by moving you want a more quintessentially Irish house then I don't think those are for you.

I would happily move back to Ireland if employment for my husband were an option. His area is very specialised and one that unfortunately there is no market for currently there. If I were to move I would look at coastal or slightly inland Wicklow, Meath or north Co. Dublin. While these areas have suffered boom development with people priced out of Dublin using them as commuter areas there are still many 'old' towns largely unchanged. Bungalows are very common in these country towns and you will be able to get far more land for your money. You would need a car but if you were near a train station Dublin would be easily accessible.

London and surrounding areas are very expensive. Property prices are ridiculous. Public transport is also very expensive. We are 35 mins on the train for central London, a one way ticket is £6.60 There are slightly cheaper options by way of travel cards (£18 I think) but fares are only set to rise. London is a wonderful city full of opportunity but for me, personally I've had enough. It's busy, frenetic, expensive, dirty in parts.

Weather wise south east England generally has a slightly better climate than Ireland. That said, both are frequently wet and grey. However, there is something amazing about walking on a beach when it's wet and windy. That's one of the things I miss most about living in Ireland. There are stunning stretches of coast within a few miles of where I grew up. I loved walking our dog there in Winter (off lead). Now to take my dog to a beach I have a much bigger drive.

Without knowing what type of environment you envisage yourself living it's hard to suggest specific areas.

I realise I'm waffling now so to summarise, I would say definitely don't rule out Ireland from your move plans. I often read this blog which is an American woman's experience of moving to Ireland knowing nobody. It has a large foodie element which I love but even if cooking isn't your thing it might be informative.

http://anamericaninireland.com/
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