CalgaryPete

Just wondering if anybody else, that wanted to move back to the UK, chose to wait for a few years, and how that worked out?

I know there's no right answer of course. Just interested in learning from our different experiences.

Thanks

Calgary Pete ( Lancashire Pete again, some day)

Victor Meldrew

I am constantly delaying, which I think is a common thing amongst expats (how many do you speak to who say "We came out for 3 years and are still here 10 years later).

I went to Saudi for a 3 year stint to get back on my feet and am still o/seas 10 years later.

The current 'plan' is 2 more years (though in October it was 1 year). My brother jokes with me saying 'what day of the week is it' as I change my mind like the wind.

The only thing which keeps me overseas is the money and the fact that I may not get a job back in UK.

If money were no object I would go back asap.

britcanuck6

re: calgarypete,

i have days where i seriously re-think my imminent move back home; money & leaving a successful position here, in canada --- but you know what --- lifes too short!!! so im back no matter what ----- my home, my heart is ENGLAND!!!!
Good luck to you sir.

usoruk

We have been delaying the move for the last 5 years, mainly due to finances, jobs, housing etc. But the main thing has been, can we all adjust there, especially my US husband and US born children.
The consequences of delaying, have been, that 2 of the kids are getting older, almost high school age and stuck in their ways, we are getting older so fear of everything about moving is constantly pecking at us. But for me the more I wait the worse the homesickness has become and the regret of not moving earlier is constantly in my thoughts. (cannot believe I have been here 15 years)
Also, the lengthy procedures to make the move is becoming more daunting..ie the life in Uk test!! do we have to sit it???, does my husband need a spouse visa, passports, do I HAVE to become a us citizen? etc. That will be another thread!

I really do not enjoy anything here anymore and it is a daily struggle to think about what to do with the little ones, where to take them since nothing looks or feels like home. I am struggling more with the mindset I have now as opposed to how I felt 10 years ago. Novelty has definately worn off.

At least with the great advise from this forum, we managed to move somewhat closer to the UK. Moved back to NJ from AZ!

Basil Brush

Hi there CalgaryPete,

We have been delaying our return from Aus since at least 2005 when we reached a point of utter frustration and knew that we didn't want to be in Aus anymore (we moved here in 2001 - from Lancashire also!).

In some respects it was a good move delaying our return because since 2005 we have bought land, built a house and having just sold it we are finally in a position to make the move with some money in the bank (which we didn't have last time as we had been renting since we arrived in Aus and didn't have any equity). However at the same time we both feel like we have been in no-mans-land for the last 5 years too and as they say it's 5 years of our lives that we'll never get back.

The countdown is finally on for us now as we are moving back in 10 weeks after 10 years in Aus - Flights are booked & we are soooo ready to get back to the UK and begin to re-establish our lives again. Am I nervous....yep.....do I think we are doing the right thing.....most definitely!

Returnee

Yes, my wife and I have been delaying our move back to the U.K. for about three years. At that time we were on the verge of moving back after 22 years abroad (been back for holidays). Our postponement was due to the sudden collapse of the financial system, which sunk interest and exchange rates and made moving back financially daunting. I thought by now the situation would have improved, but it seems to have gotten worse. I'm on the edge of retirement and feeling anxious and nervous about the road ahead, to say the least.

Beedubya

Don't forget to post your details in flight tracker so we can cheer you on. And good luck with the move, I bet you are so excited.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=702280

Wawa

We are in Toronto and delayed our departure for two main reasons. 1) The recession meant my husband, working in manufacturing (Tool & Die), had to retrain and we had a few nasty years. 2) Stepson is halfway through University so we are planning to go once his education is complete. However its been tough as we are in our 50's and know that it might become increasingly more difficult obtaining positions in UK the older we get.

On the other hand we hope that by the time we do return the economy might be in better shape, and we will have had the time to save a good bit to take with us. House prices might be more affordable, and the exchange rate might have improved. Alot of 'mights' but we have little choice in the matter.

Victor, I know what you mean, I lived in Abu Dhabi for 11 years and found it was near impossible to leave.

So now we have a two year plan, and to be honest I cant wait as my 5 years here have not been particularly pleasant!

sallysimmons

We decided not to move right away to give ourselves time to sort out everything we need to do without being under stress.

We hope to make the actual move in Spring 2013. If it were up to just me, I'm sure I'd be pushing to go sooner, but my husband really wants to reduce the stress (as much as that is ever possible). Because I'm the one who really wants to go home, I'm happy to go at his pace.

So we're slowly clearing out our house and getting things fixed up in preparation for putting the house up for sale next year. We've also been researching moving companies and pet movers etc. Later this year we're going back on holiday and we'll meet with a few letting agents to see what the chances are of getting a place where we want to be.

In some ways I wish we could just go, but in others I'm grateful for the time to plan. I've made two international moves before with very little planning and I think I prefer this approach.

brits1

Yep...we did, it took us about 5 years to finally decide to make the move back (we had already been in Aus for 7 years by then)so after 12 years we are back home and yes in some ways I wish we had done it when we first thought about returning home...we just kept trying to make it work when we were in Aus...then we met someone who said they had been trying to make it work for them for the last 28 years and kept saying they would move back in a year oh so...28 years later they were still in Aus and through ill health and a lack of money and being older they were still wanting to make the move back but now knowing they really could'nt, we did not want that to be us....it was the push (not that we really needed one) at the right time for us....

booffy

i moved back form South Africa (8 years) back in 2003.....now seriously considering moving to Canada.... It definitley changed a lot in that time.

CalgaryPete

It seems like a lot of us have been taking our time moving back, for various reasons. I know I've spent a lot more time thinking about going home than I did thinking about leaving the UK in the first place, 11 years ago.

I've been thinking about moving back since 2007, but at that time I wasn't ready as I'd had enough other changes to deal with. Now, life has become settled again, and that familiar day to day routine makes staying a while longer seem tempting. It seems easy to focus on one or two things, such as the new job I started last year, that could justify staying another year or two.

I started thinking about moving again in 2009, but got into that "maybe in another 2 years" mindset. That seems to be the sweet spot, close enough to hold on to hope, but not so close to have to start making the real preparations!

There was also the concern over the economy at that time. I know the UK economy isn't yet recovering. But it will sometime, and it could be a good idea to be back in the UK at the start of a recovery.

But my real motivation is just to get on with life, without the nagging feeling of waiting. I would like to use the next few years to start a new life in Britain, not to drag out the uncertainty over here. I started this thread because I was weighing up pros and cons for staying a few years longer. Now I want to book the flight!

So now I am planning to move back early springtime 2012, in time for daffodils and bluebells in Britain! Having a specific date to aim for gives me more focus on the practical preparations, and less time for second guessing. When we moved over here, in 2000, the timescale was so compressed, I don't remember having any time for doubts, we just got on with the practical steps. I think that may have made it easier.

CalgaryPete

KerinaK2008

I am so glad i found this thread. I am currently also in the delay mode, but not entirely sure. Its nice to hear that some people who have delayed have managed to move at some point. I was hoping to make the move for May 2012 and have been so excited at the thought of booking the tickets by the end of the year.

Now things are looking a bit confusing.. me and hubby spoke yesterday and he is still not so sure the economy is picking up the way we had hoped by this point. Worried about putting ourselves in a bad place financially and worried about getting jobs right now.

I just started a new job end of last year and they have a few offices in the UK, so hoping if something comes up in the UK office i could try a transfer. I am enjoying the new role so it does help and they are paying towards a certification program for me which will boost my credentials which is a plus. But that will be complete early next year. Even though we are not relying on it. I would try and get a new job if i had too but it would make the move easier.

My hubby would have to try and get a new job, does anyone know how hard it would be with only Canadian experience to get a job in the UK? We have been saving but have recently had a few set backs with other expenses which means savings is not where we had hoped. We are looking at Spring 2014 now but that feels so far.

My hubby also wants us to think about buying in the UK as opposed to renting which means saving for an even bigger deposit. I am not so sure it will be easy to buy straight away though. Has anyone else done this recently? We have never owned a house so i dont know how hard that would be.

I have been in Toronto over 2.5 years now and still so desperate to get home. I am kind of hoping we win the lottery and then money will not be an issue!

sallysimmons

It wouldn't be impossible if you had a good deposit and both had jobs, but we've decided against buying for the first year or two. We just don't want to commit to one area until we've been back a while and had a good look round. With house prices the way they are, I don't think we can look on housing as an investment the way we used to. Instead, we have to focus on finding a home and we're just not ready to say for sure where we want to be.

CalgaryPete

Waiting for a jackpot lottery win could add a few years delay. You'd want to allow about 250,000 years or so, if you're planning for a big win before moving. If you're still not feeling settled by then, probably time to head home.

What line of work is your husband in? Some jobs are the same everywhere, but I can imagine driving instructors, ice road makers or bear biologists might struggle finding work in the UK.

LancashirePete