PAT M

Hello everyone,

We realised our dream and returned to the UK, we moved into a nice furnished 2 bed flat near Sutton, Surrey at the beginning of this month. We were very lucky indeed, it's a real home from home until our house in Italy sells. After 3 years on the market we did not want to wait any longer, we cannot rent it out as the rental value is too low. We plan to find jobs in the new year to help with the bills, a bit daunting at the ages of 62 and 74 but here at least it is feasible unlike Italy. So far we are loving it, lots of letter writing and form filling to notify change of address and apply for bus passes and Private Hire Driver licence (which my husband wants to do). I will register with a temp agency for admin support work soon. Please ask away if we can be of any help with details of daily life. Kindest regards to all and an early Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

Pat

mikelincs

Don't forget, with these properties, the fees will usually include insurance for the building and maintenance for the property fixtures etc, you would normally only have to pay contents insurance, and in some of these places the fees also include water, and many have a laundry room included, so no cost for washing and drying. You can get apartments for much less, even down here a one bedroom apartment is only 65-70,000.

cheers

I agree that you have to watch out for community maintence fees which can be high.
There are some converted mansions that if you buy a converted flat they can sock you for major repairs, like a new roof, so people should be aware of that.
The price for that bungalow seems a little high but it is specked out nice.
Another problem with a property like this is that if you passed on your children couldn't take possession because of the age restriction.

cheers

US healthcare.

How about someone we know of who has a bad kidney. He was let go, at work, because of attendance Just what he needed, right. End of health insurance. He needs a new kidney and this would be his second one and he is only in his 30's. Financially they are living on a financial settlement from his previous employer because they fired him because of health related reasons which is apparently illegal.

scot47

All I can say is thank God for Nye Bevan and the NHS

Perth

Anyone know anything about mobile home retirement parks? Before we decided to return to the UK we considered going out to Arizona where it is common to retire to a mobile home park since there is no severe weather, such as the hurricanes here in Florida. They seem to be competitively priced compared to a standard home, but not sure how warm they would be, although many are advertised as having double glazing.

Perth

Pat, hoping to sign up with a temp agency myself, so would appreciate any tips and experiences you may have. Have worked for the last 15 years with my husband in our small biz doing some of the office work, but as we start to wind down, I will be looking at temping here in the US for the last 3 years (to keep current as well as earn a little extra money for the trip...hubby pays me a pittance

cheers

Not everything is cheaper in the UK, I see they are paying £1.90 postage to send Christmas cards to the US.

Fish n Chips 56

There has to be thousands of people in this same situation every day in America.

As many of you will know this is my major disappointment with the U.S.A. I just think its wrong to treat people this way, Cheers, the man you know got lucky, he has some money, at least while it lasts, Its wrong that a person has to sue in order to pay his bills and its wrong in so many ways that he should have this financial worry especially when he is sick, what if he hadn't won his lawsuit, what then?.

We all need healthcare just like we need food and water, its a basic necessity.

Fish n Chips 56

I second that, without Nye Bevan the UK might be stuck with our type of health system.

Fish n Chips 56

I encourage any of you Downton Abbey fans with a sense of humor to look for Thursday nights edition of the Colbert Report, I wont spoil it for anyone, but I will tell you it was a special put together for Colbert, as I said before you will need a sense of humor, I thought it was Brilliant...

J.JsOH

Here is an article in my local paper today about mobile homes
http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/community/...hows-1-4581341
We lived in a rented caravan for a while when we first got back, in summer, and it was stinking hot inside - which doesn't bode well for snugness in winter.

mikelincs

Plenty of mobile homes for sale round here, prices from 65 - 115,000, but you can't get a mortgage to buy one. so has to be cash sale or a bank loan. They are usually very well insulated, and easy to keep warm.

sallysimmons

I'd be careful about the Morecambe area. It's really quite deprived these days and might be quite depressing to visit as the nearest town. I do like the Lancaster area.

Damn, I just tried to watch this and the Colbert Show is blocked here. Even Tunnelbear doesn't help - they seem to have figured out a way to block proxys.

scot47

"A Gated Retirement Community for the Over-55s" ?

That sounds to me like a euphemism for a ghetto for pensioners !