Part-time retirement to the UK from US in 2030
 

I’m a UK/US dual national planning on retiring in 2030 at the age of 65. My working life has all been in the US. Investments, social security, 401k etc. are all in $. I've also maintained a UK bank account and credit card since 89. My plan is to buy a small house in Florida for retirement which will be my primary residence taking summers in the UK playing golf, spending time with friends etc. I’m hoping to keep our family house in the UK which can easily be closed up for the winter as it’s a townhouse with an association that takes care of the exterior.

I’m guessing this will work until I hit 80 at which point the travel will likely not be so appealing at which point I’ll have to commit to either the US or UK depending on how I feel at the time.

Interested to hear from anyone else who may be doing something similar.

Re: Part-time retirement to the UK from US in 2030
 

We have (at least) one regular member who is doing something very similar. I will try to atract his attention for you.

Re: Part-time retirement to the UK from US in 2030
 

many thanks!

Re: Part-time retirement to the UK from US in 2030
 

I’ve been doing this since I retired in .. 2014? Can’t even remember now.

We bought a leasehold flat in a small town in Norfolk. Easy to lock up and leave. We have a house in rural New York State. I spend six or seven months each year in England, and five or six in the US. My wife pretty much lives permanently in New York, she’ll typically just spend a month or six weeks in England each year.

The additional fixed costs of having the second home in England are significant, obviously, but not ruinous. Ground rent, service charge, council tax, tv licence, water, electricity and WiFi/phone. That’s about it, I think. For those categories, about £3,200 a year. So about one-third of my British state pension.

Spending six or seven months in England each year, I’m a British resident. I updated my driving licence, got a free bus pass, and enrolled with an NHS practice. (I’ve been to the doctors maybe twice in the five years.)

As for the US, I have a Medicare advantage plan with a high deductible - it basically costs me the standard part B premium, $144 per month I think it is. Again, I haven’t really been to the doctors in the last five years.

I agree with the point you made about age. Flying to and fro every few months is doable now (I’m 70) but within a few years, my wife & I will have to settle on more of a “final resting place” (as it were.) I’m happy with English weather 12 months of the year, but New York is too cold some of the time, too hot other times. So I’m not sure what we’ll decide long term.

Re: Part-time retirement to the UK from US in 2030
 

Thank for the reply Robin! I'm not planning on being in the UK for longer than 6 months at a time so that should hopefully help with keeping income tax filing simple as I will not be a UK resident. I'll have to pick up some sort of travel insurance for any emergencies while I'm in the UK - I presume that may get pricey as I age.

I currently live in Manhattan - Upper East Side. Love it while I'm working but once I hit 60 I think it will loose it's appeal. Much depends on the exchange rate in 10 years but on balance I think I've lucked out having a working career here in the US. Social Security is significant for me at 67 vs what my friends will receive with a UK state pension.

Anyway nice to know you are making it work!

Re: Part-time retirement to the UK from US in 2030
 

We don’t really want to stay in the New York north country indefinitely, too cold, too remote etc. We’ve thought seriously about moving to the Bronx, where monthly payments to a co-op would be less than what we now pay in heating, property taxes & homeowners insurance. Milder weather in the winter and plenty of choices of things to do every day. We love the upper West Side but can’t really afford it. Not sure we are ready to live in a tiny space, though.

Re: Part-time retirement to the UK from US in 2030
 

I am not clear how retirement can be "part-time". You are or you aren't. A bit like pregnancy. A "Yes" or a "No" !

Re: Part-time retirement to the UK from US in 2030
 

If and when the pandemic ends, I am planning on doing this. Touch wood self and spouse will continue to be in good health and it will work for quite a while. The reason I mention this is that I have a friend who does this and his health has declined rapidly since age 70. So it is an increasing struggle for him to travel and have support systems etc in both countries. Sometimes things don't work out as you are hoping they will and it's good to have a plan "B" for that eventuality.

Re: Part-time retirement to the UK from US in 2030
 

I am also contemplating doing the same thing, only dividing my time between Australia and the UK. Robin1234, I would be interested to know whether you keep a car for your use in the UK? If so, what happens to it when you are not there? Many thanks.

Re: Part-time retirement to the UK from US in 2030
 

When we did this we had the advantage of relatives living close by. While we were in England our son drove our car every month to ensure the battery stayed charged and brakes were not seizing etc. While we were in Texas my sister and her husband did the same thing with our car back in England. He also did a check of the house to see that there were no leaks etc, and to pick up the mail from behind the door.

I also had a camera set up and trained on the front door in Texas and in England so I could see remotely how much mail was accumulating.

Re: Part-time retirement to the UK from US in 2030
 

No, I wish I had a car in England but for the time being, I’m doing without. I just don’t want it sitting there unattended for months at a time. I have a very good neighbour, an elderly lady, who empties my mailbox and generally keeps a eye out for me, and she’s offered to move the car once every so often if I bought one, but I don’t want to burden her too much.. !

I rent a car if needed, and otherwise use buses and trains. (Obviously this is all pre-pandemic thinking.)

The main part of my strategy is that I make a positive out of not having a car. I walk every day, winter and summer, many times walking back home from a place reached by bus, obviously this is something you can’t do with a car. Or, weather permitting, I cycle. Now that I’m 70, I doubt if I ever do much more than 30 miles in a day, but there are still plenty of new country lanes I haven’t explored.

Re: Part-time retirement to the UK from US in 2030
 

Thanks for your helpful reply. I like your idea of using a camera to monitor the letter box - I hadn't thought of that!

Re: Part-time retirement to the UK from US in 2030
 

Thanks for the info. It just confirms my thinking that I will have to use public transport or be in close proximity to relatives.

30 miles cycling a day sounds a lot to me!

Thanks again.

Re: Part-time retirement to the UK from US in 2030
 

We have a similar plan.
We have access to a family narrow boat in the UK.
Plan is to split the time between UK and Florida.
Winters in Florida, summers in Huntingdon UK.
Working on the details now, but retirement is in 4 years.
May take a few trial runs at it before we get to the actual date.
Have an awful lot of State vacation and sick time to use up.

Re: Part-time retirement to the UK from US in 2030
 

I'm interested to know the best options for insuring a house both sides when the house is empty. How do you deal with this?