mikelincs

Matt Baker owns and runs a farm, Julia Bradshaw is very active in countryside matters and has a lot to do with rambling etc. All the presenters do have credentials regarding farming and countryside matters, none are hired for their presenting skills alone.

dontheturner

We have one, but personally I never use it. Waste of Electric and water. Maybe if we had parties. But otherwise, NO

windsong

A dishwasher is nice to have but it would be way down my list of priorities in the overall return to the UK, I think.

I am now asking myself what things I may have come to take for granted while living in the USA and what I will have to sacrifice when I return to the UK. I hope I don't go back to the dark ages!

Smaller rooms I can handle
No dishwasher - I can deal with that if I have to
Kitchen must be decent, though
Bathroom must be decent, too
No 70s, 80s, 90s (or even earlier) decor

I am not planning to have a car in the UK, at least not for a while. The only thing I think I would miss it for is weekend driving to the countryside to see the UK and it is a big expense to have just for that.

The funny thing is I think I would find it strange to get used to having a stand-alone wardrobe in my bedroom. I am SO used to built-in or walk-in closets in the USA.

What else do I have to get used to over there?

curleytops

crappy plumbing/mixer taps and those dinky little showers that are all too prevalent in rental properties here top my list of gripes

dontheturner

Bedroom Furniture is all built in, but of course, if you go for a small cottage , then there will be no built in fitments. - but most are very cheap to heat!- If you went for a small detached, say no more than 15 years old, you could start out by renting for about £600 per month. - most expense is the Council tax - which in our case, being a four bedroomed, with garage, that is currently running at £1400 per annum - payable over 10 months. - I can only price regarding Shropshire, other counties, may be more. Don

dontheturner

If you have crappy plumbing, take out a maintenance contract with British Gas, and they will fix for free.

lf1

No electrical sockets in the bathroom. I have a devil of a time remembering to recharge my electric toothbrush as the charger is in another room.

dontheturner

Electrical Sockets IN A BATHROOM? are you joking - thoroughly dangerous

Still, I suppose must be good for a fry-up!!

lf1

Common place in Canada. All attached to a circuit interrupter.

windsong

How do you dry your hair?

windsong

Ugh!!! This is one thing that concerns me about rental properties - less than up-to-date features and barest of bare.

lf1

I have to trek all the way into the bedroom. I am finally used to doing that, but it did take a bit of adjustment. The other thing I am still struggling with is remembering to turn out the bathroom light. The bathroom light switches are located outside of the bathroom and I am forever, closing the bathroom door and carrying on downstairs, without turning the light off.

Mallory

Stick your head out of the window, and let the wind dry it!

We stayed at my cousin's house, and 4 different hotels last summer.
Plumbing is a problem, i.e. mixer taps (hate those). I take a battery operated toothbrush, instead of my electric one, so that solves that problem. The hotels had hair dryers in them (in the wall). One hotel had a box-like toilet, and we rushed in the room, used the toilet, and the handle fell off before we could flush. Couldn't get in it to fix it. Another hotel (at the airport), the toilet wouldn't flush properly. Had to change rooms in both hotels.

In another old world character hotel in Devon, the floors were uneven, and the shower had a glass bi-fold door. The door kept falling out on top of us. In that hotel the first morning they ran out of hot water before we got a shower.

In two hotels they advertised WiFi, but it never did work. One hotel we had to buy WIFI. One hotel WIFI worked great.

We had early dinner in one 4-star hotel and plaice was a "special" on the menu. We both ordered the plaice. I got plaice, but my USC husband was told they didn't have any more plaice.

We had a great time, but plumbing can be quirky!

ElizabethK

We own a rental property in Wirral (North West England) and it's very much up to date We just had a brand new bathroom installed last year- all very clean and modern. Don't be too worried, there are some lovely properties up for rent out there!

Also if you're worried about drying your hair with the lack of plugs in the bathroom, maybe just get an extension cord and plug it in in the bedroom then dry it in the bathroom! It's never been a big deal for us when we go to UK for holidays

Mallory

In the US the electric in the bathroom is 110 not 220. All the plugs in bathrooms have a special thing on them that makes them shut down if even a spot of water gets on them. There is a red button to restart it.