How much a year?
 

Hey there, I'm a newbie here so I better tell my story a little. I have lived outside of the UK for 14 years. 7 years ago I moved to Norway to be with my then fiance/now husband, we got married 4 1/2 years ago. We always said that we would settle down in Norway, but then last year we went to UK for a family holiday with my parents and siblings. It was the best holiday I've had in a long while and being back in Britain was like putting on comfy slippers. I came back to Norway and the homesickness hit me like a brick wall. In an effort to cure myself I took a little trip back, without my DH, that wasn't the best idea because it just aggravated the homesickness. Again I came back to Norway and then I was so unhappy I had a nervous crisis. So now me and my DH have realised that we have to move back to Britain, but he has a steady job here and Britain's reputation amongst Norwegian's is that its government assisted poverty. He's agreed to try for a year, but for that we'd need funds to live in UK for a year without work. At least for him because he would take sabbatical from work, I've looked online it says £25,000.

So my questions are: How much would we need to live in UK for a year? Is £25,000 the right amount?

I'd really appreciate any help. It feels like we will never get back to Britain.

Re: How much a year?
 

Hi MrsEgeland, it's impossible to say without more info. Cost of living varies so much throughout the country.

- will you be renting or living with family?
- where in the UK are you heading?

Also, is your DH a British or EU citizen?

Re: How much a year?
 

Welcome to BE Mrs Egeland!

Have a look on Rightmove.com to see what rent is like in areas of the UK that you like that would give you a good idea of what 12 mths accommodation would cost.

When checking out the rental prices remember that in most cases you would need to pay council tax (that was catching me out when I was looking).

Another idea is to go for a Holiday cottage rental - you can often get really good discounts on them for longer bookings (especially if you take in the off season winter months as part of the booking). With a Holiday cottage you wouldn't have to worry about factoring in utilities, council tax etc. and it would be fully furnished.

Check out the online info, vacancies, employment agencies etc. for you and your husband's jobs/professions to get an idea of salaries and which part of UK might offer the best opportunity for employment for you.

Good luck and tell your husband he's one of the good ones for being prepared to at least give living in the UK a try! :)

Re: How much a year?
 

What is the £25,000? His pay during the sabbatical?

As others have said, the part of the country you move to will have a bearing on the budget.

Re: How much a year?
 

Saw your pic and did a double take :lol: notorious for crime with those chiseled cheekbones and gorgeous eyes :rofl:

Re: How much a year?
 

"Cash in the bank" savings, I think. :unsure:

FWIW Depending on where you live you could burn through £2,000/mth fairly quickly, with half or more going on rent. You could certainly survive on £25,000, and of course many survive on much less, so it really depends on how frugal you are, and how you intend to occupy yourself if neither of you are working.

Re: How much a year?
 

:wub: ;)

Re: How much a year?
 

It really is a 'how long's a piece of string' question.

As suggested, have a look on real estate websites to get a rough rental budget. As well as right move there's zoopla and prime location.

Do a 'dummy' online shop at one of the major supermarkets, for an idea of your food/household/personal needs budget.

Think about transport - how are you going to get around? Research costs for buying or renting a vehicle, bus and train fares, taxi fares, fuel, insurance (as applicable).

Try to find out the average utility costs for your area and household size.

Work out a rough budget for all the extras - hair cuts, alcohol, entertainment, holidays, cosmetics, internet and TV licence etc etc .

You'll feel much more confident if you put a bit of science into a budget based on your personal circumstances and spending habits, rather than looking for a one size fits all budget. Wishing you the best of luck :starsmile:

Re: How much a year?
 

£2,000 per month sounds like plenty, to me. This assumes you already own a car which you'll have with you. I agree with the idea of a long let of a holiday cottage, since it'll be fully furnished and all-in. They can be £500 to £800 a month over the winter period, possibly they'd be amenable to a longer rent IF it were to include the whole winter.

Presumably you will still have monthly expenses at home in Norway, though...

Re: How much a year?
 

It would be savings, because he won't get paid during the sabbatical. Its how much we would have to save to be able to survive for 12 months in the UK. I'd like to try the North West, Lake district or North Wales. He won't be able to work in the UK without jeopardising his job in Norway, something to do with company policy, but I could and would work if I could find work, which I am hoping to do. My idea is if I could find work then it would make things easier for him to understand, to make him see its really a good option. Thanks for all the suggestions, I will open a spreadsheet and get busy researching. You have all given me hope that it isn't hopeless and that I will actually get to go home! You have no idea how good that makes me feel!!:thumbsup:

Re: How much a year?
 

OK so you wouldn't have to take tax off it. I think it would be enough, especially if you found work.

One problem is, what is your husband going to be doing? I know mine would hate taking a break for that long with nothing to do.

Re: How much a year?
 

Sally Redux, that is a very good question! Something I will have to ask him because just right now I have no idea. Him being the foreigner, it would be hard for him to be alone, he's not always had the greatest relationship with my parents which is why renting a holiday let is a good idea. Besides which I don't know where exactly we would be living, so I will definitely have to discuss that with him.

Re: How much a year?
 

I think this is going to be key in whether he has a positive experience over there. What kind of work does he do? Maybe his company would allow him to do something related to it in an unpaid capacity in the UK. Then he would get more idea of opportunities in the UK, work culture, meet and socialize with more people, and so on.

Just checking again, he is an EU citizen?

Re: How much a year?
 

He's Norwegian, so yes he is an EU citizen. I think you're right, he's not going to have many friend's when we first arrive because it will be all completely new to him. We are part of a Christian community so that will open some doors to socialization, but he's a bit shy and I don't know if he will find it easy to find friends that way. Besides which, as we all know from experience, emigrating is a lonely and isolated thing to do even when you are with your partner. We will have to talk about it, because its really important to me that he doesn't have to go through what I am currently going through. Thanks for the advise, I will definitely discuss it with him and make a game plan.

Re: How much a year?
 

The bolded part is going to be really important if this is to be successful.

Church will be a starting-point at least.

Hope it all works out well for you :thumbup: