Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Our house is currently on the market (wanna buy it?!), and our estate agent fee is 0.75%. It's a 'normal' estate agent, but you can use agents such as Purple Bricks that don't charge commission too, just a set fee. Unfortunately for Purple Bricks, they valued our house at £400,000 less than all the other agents, so we rather lost confidence in them with that and didn't pursue it. No agent proposed a fee of more than 1% to us.

A relocation agent normally charges a set fee (say £500), and then a 'success fee' of around 1.5%-2%, from which the original set fee is deducted. That's for a house search, if you want driving around areas, schools, help with other stuff, then they usually charge extra for that.

HTH.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

The vast majority of houses for sale are listed at rightmove , even other online agents like purplebricks. Many agents list on zoopla too, but the latter is mostly useful for historical searches of house prices. The expectation is that you will put in the legwork.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

And I suspect that most of the business for relocation agents is from corporations paying for the service for their employees, not from Joe Public, who is already stretching the limits of his budget. In other words, if I had an "extra" 2% available, I would add it to the price I would pay for a house, not pay for a relocation agent.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Could always apply to be on Location Location Location, and not have to pay for the service https://britishexpats.com/forum/imag...lies/smile.gif

https://www.channel4.com/4viewers/ta...ation-location

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Agree. I know I've only one experience of using a realtor to find somewhere to live, but I found the process very restrictive and time-consuming. A low brow version of Locationx3 if you like. I didn't like it because I like being in control of processes like finding somewhere to live, and I don't think the realtor really "got" me.

It makes sense if you are so new to the country that you would be lost without a realtor or relocation agent, or are moving to a place with very different language/culture, or have trailing spouse/family that needs the support you get from your colleagues. But the advantage of the UK system is being able to look at the property details yourself and then visit the area/road to rule it in/out before even making an appointment to step in the front door. And these days you can do it all online (even viewing the area/road). All my house purchases were done the old fashioned way of visiting all the estate agents in town, registering my interest with them all, coming out with handfuls of A4 listings (with one photo at the top of them), reading them all, narrowing them down and then driving round the area with AtoZ in hand to narrow down even more and THEN ringing the agent to make a viewing appointment. It makes me tired just thinking about it!

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

3 and 4 weeks for me.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Just out of curiosity why did it take 7 months? Thanks for the correction.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

At this point no particular location in the UK is carved in stone for my family because of the flexibility we have in place. A great area of London for me if that does become our choice would be in a safe fun neighborhood. Not too posh but one that does have great resale value because of the school districts, cultural distinctions, parks would be nice ect. Most of the attributes and amenities that a good neighborhood would have. Once you're living in a large city it's not a problem to access all the various entertainment options there.

Neither my wife or I have plans to work in the UK because our work interest are for the most part performed from a home office and via communication devices. My work does require some on the ground management but that will change shortly And our kids are adults except for our youngest who will be attending University in the States. So we're at a juncture in life where we're not quite free but we do have options. London is not my first choice because I've done the whole big city thing when we were young and living in that stage of life when you are building a future by attending college and discovering who you are and what you want from life. But if a move to London will help ensure happiness in my family then I guess London or any other options we decide on can be a winning choice. At the end of the day you just need shelter.....and maybe a mancave!

Yes, we're keeping our main residence in the States. It's home. I'm sure you know what I mean. We're not happy about the extra taxes we'll have to pay when buying a house in the UK but we'll figure out a way to make that lost up somewhere else.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Thanks for that information. Will look into interviewing relocation agents. Where's your house located and why are you selling?

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Hi and thanks for posting. I'm curious are sales history of a property public on websites like in the States?
In the States you can check to see if that property has been listed previously but pulled months later and then relisted to refresh interest in that property, you can view the sales history going back decades, and check the property tax that was levied in previous years and the current tax amount. Pretty much everything that can help the buyer become better informed. Even foreclosure status is public record for that property in the States. Is the UK the same?

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Some very good tips. I appreciate that. It should go well but first we need to be in the UK and get a good idea of the best place for the family. Once we conquer that hurdle then the house selection process should, cross our fingers, go well. Famous last words!

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

You're awesome. Thanks to you and the other poster for the Zoopla mention. Will research it for sure.

Someone will grab that property just a matter of time and the right buyer. And I knew you were joking. I actually do love the countryside but mostly on holiday. My family permanently away from city life would be a case study in sociology.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

My family would be the same if living in a city. Maybe we should do a house swap one day, could be interesting. :lol:

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Not all things in London are desirable.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-48646922

Just sayin'...

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Just looking on Rightmove for properties in Windsor, Ascot etc. Certainly get a lot more for your money than you do in Toronto, more substantially built too

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

That's hardly unique to London, sadly. .... Just sayin'.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

We're going to do one heck of a job researching all potential areas before buying. Safety is my number one goal in finding a new home for my family. NYC has certain no go areas and I'm sure that is true of every major city in the western world. But with a little life experience and some street smarts it can feel safe living in a big city. Definitely not as safe as living in the suburbs. But this process is really only in the early stages. We've lived in NYC, Los Angeles and Houston just to name a few. NYC is actually one of the safest big cities in the world. Not sure about London.

What I find sad about the incident in London was how our criminal president Trump used what took place, to troll the London Mayor. Like who would waste their time doing crazy stuff like that.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

+1

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Yellowroom

Thank you again for the Zoopla tip.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/de...hotos/50886055

I like this style of structure but the home it self might be too far out from London. Think it's a 1 hour drive.

I do have a question.

What amazing areas in London would you consider to buy a detached house in, and which areas would you stay away from even if the neighborhood is nice but might have other issues?

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Generally, forget driving to London for activities. Check out public transport instead - google maps is pretty good and accurate for the options. It will likely be longer/slower to drive and then all but impossible to park once you get there. There might be one or two odd exceptions - perhaps somewhere on a Sunday, but in general it's a decent principle.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Agreed, 100%. I lived in Wimbledon, Wandsworth, and Kingston-upon-Thames, and very rarely ever drove into London, and that was before the central driving zone was implemented. There really was no need, with a tube line into the west side of the West End, and very frequent trains into Waterloo, I never even bothered with memorizing the timetable as even late at night there would be a District Line tube and a train from Waterloo every 15 minutes or so until after midnight. And then there were night buses after that.

I drove in once early on a Sunday morning, before the introduction of speed cameras and it took me barely 20 minutes to drive the 14 miles from Kingston to the City of London (financial district). As that is an average of 40 miles an hour you can imagine what speed I was doing for most of the journey! :rofl:

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

I hear the same thing from everybody including my wife. Driving in London is a nightmare and counter productive.

In NYC driving can be problematic and expensive for parking, but never not a good idea. I always prefer to drive in NYC and pay the high cost of parking garages. But you wouldn't want to park on the street because your vehicle can get vandalized. Mass transit involves a lot of walking and if you're shopping that can be a problem. But if shopping is not on tap you can then do a mix of buses and taxis when moving around the city. Taxis are the way to go in NYC when not driving your own car. But to use mass transit all the way from upper Manhattan to the Soho or other lower city districts would be seriously time consuming. The fact that driving is a horrible experience in London does turn me off a bit and makes me want to live outside of the city.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

If you're visiting central London you really need to get used to walking - the main shops and the theatre district are not more than about a 15-20 minute walk from one side to the other, and to mention a couple of key tourist hotspots, Buckingham palace, near the SW corner of the West End is less than four miles from the Tower of London, which is about as far east as you would want to wander. The central area of London that you'd want to visit for shops, restaurants, theatres, and museums is more comparable in size to Midtown than to Manhattan. :nod:

So, (i) you might think you'll want to take taxis in London, but the first time you run up more of the fare waiting at traffic lights than when you're moving, you will probably change your mind, :lol: and (ii) it is never worthwhile talking the tube for just one stop - it will take you longer to get down to the platform, and back up again when you get off, than to walk between the two stations. Personally I would only take the tube for at least three stops, and maybe more if it involves a change of tube .

And bear in mind that the London tube "diagram" is a very poor representation of spatial reality - two stations that are on different lines and require a journey of several stops and a change of lines might only be a couple of minutes walk apart at street level. Famously the stations at Embankment and Charing Cross are so close together that the front of the train is arriving at the next station before the rear of the train has left the previous one! :rofl:

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

I appreciate your post. I know for a fact that we can get up to speed on the whole walking thing but starting out it's gonna be a problem. My amazing wife is not going to love the idea of walking everywhere we go. We are seriously a car family to the tenth power. My kids were driving at the age of 10 in the drive, and by 12 years old on roads less traveled.
I've been thinking about this situation and how best to finesse it while keeping everyone happy. We're only looking at London as a go to option in order to influence our kids thinking about where to live. I might have to come up with a plan B and still keep all the love ones happy.

I definitely don't want to feel like we're living in a fish bowl.

Compared to Manhattan, is London a GREAT city to live in? I ask that question because in comparison, NYC is a great city to live in if you like big city life.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...82075121.html#

This is a cool house in Oxford about 60 miles from London and is extremely affordable. I also read on a website that some realtors are offering to pay Stamp Duty as a sales incentive. Has anyone heard of this before?

The Mrs and I talked tonight about a possible compromise and her thinking on the subject. We're considering renting a place for the boys in London if they agree to moving over, and that way everyone can have what they want. And if they stick to the plan we can look at something more permanent. I wouldn't be miserable living in London but there is a huge gap between happiness and existing somewhere. One of my biggest hobbies is driving fun cars and how would one do that in a city where people sit in traffic that does not move. I think this can work.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...61844325.html#

With a price adjustment this one could be a forever home. Located in Henley-on Thames.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

I can't get over how affordable homes are away from the main cities. This one is in Hook Norton which is too far out from London but I'm never the less impressed.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...78264299.html#

This one seem very pleasant but I don't know anything about the area of Bicester. Apparently 60 miles from London.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...71211853.html#

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Yes, I've seen that before, usually on new builds. You'll pay for it one way or another though - if the stamp duty is, for example £40,000, then the price is going to be effectively £40,000 more than it should be.

In general, it would probably be an excellent idea for you to rent for a while when you do move over as that will really give you a chance to explore areas and find ones which suit you - you have linked to some lovely houses in some lovely areas, but a lot of it is down to personal preference - no one here can really tell you which area/town you will like best.

Will your sons need to get jobs in the UK or are they self employed? If they will need jobs, will that dictate where they live?

As for driving in the UK - can be very different from driving in the US - have you ever driven over here before? Different does not necessarily mean worse, but may not be to your taste - my husband very much enjoys driving and found driving in the US extremely boring - again, personal taste :)

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

And of course the further from London the less expensive the home and you get more property for your money. Funny how that is the rule in every country.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...66742798.html#

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...80967491.html#

This is a stone built home and one of the most moderately priced. A substantial home is definitely more affordable in the UK and the property taxes are 1/3 compared to the States. I seem to be drawn to Oxfordshire.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

You should go to Cork, even more affordable and only 1hr 20mins from London :-) https://www.daft.ie/cork/houses-for-...-cork-1890162/

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

This particular home caught my eye because of the indoor character. The fireplace is insane!

A fireplace In Florida has zero purpose which is why most homes don't have one.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...61411323.html#

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Why are so many amazing houses on the market? I'm wondering if something afoot is going on. This home is a blend between old and new and it's stone built with a crazy fireplace. This is my wife's type of home. We're going to save so much money in the UK.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...81177347.html#

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

It's not 1 hour 20 minutes, door to door though is it? You need to get from your house to the airport - in enough time to get through security. Then get from the airport (Heathrow? Gatwick?) to where you want to be - even London City is 40 - 45 minutes from, eg, the British Museum. What time is the last flight home if you want to go the theatre?

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

This home has a lot of charm. There are so many quality properties on the market in the UK, and it's almost like a strange off putting sensation. I wonder if Brexit is influencing the market in a very impactful way? It feels like it might be.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...79624301.html#

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

I wouldn't necessarily read too much into it - the UK has a very different housing stock to the US, so naturally you are seeing things that are quite different to how they are where you live. Brexit may/may not be affecting the housing market, but there are always lots and lots of lovely houses being bought and sold up and down the country.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Just saying, as you can probably bring thousands of examples where property is cheaper and how many times do you go to the theatre or musuem if you live in the city directly? I think the OP doesn't realise how small Europe really is and nowhere is really far. The money you saved on property tax alone would also pay you a stay in 5 star hotel, so no need to take last flight home:lol: + loads of other great venues away from London.