Originally Posted by cheers (Post 11853041)

A few people have mentioned that they have found used cars to be as cheap as "chips".
My advice is to stay away from owning a car. One reason is there is no place to park the thing. That is a generalization, you understand!
Cheers

Originally Posted by Victor Meldrew (Post 11852737)

Loads of excellent responses which I am sure have helped you feel more positive and confident about your move. To echo what others have said - you are very brave.

In answer to some of your queries, and possibly repeat what others have said:

Yes there will be plenty of places where you can get rental for £1,000 pcm. Why a bungalow? this may limit your choice. I would say there are fewer bungalows for purchase and/or rent in UK than there are in US.

You say you want somewhere 'picturesque'. Do you mean rural? if so, this may give some practical challenges regarding access to public transport, shops, healthcare (in particular hospitals). There are many attractive areas in the suburbs of most large cities and towns which might be easier from a practical day to day basis and with access to parks and open areas.

Do you have any preference for a particular area of UK> North/South/East/West? The Midlands have many nice towns and cities as well as good transport network (rails, road, airports). I live in Birmingham and there are many semi rural/country feel places such as Worcester which have less expensive property than other similar areas.

Internet connectivity is generally good in and around towns ans cities. In some rural areas it is less reliable. Usually you will need to get a 'landline' in order to get internet. There are lots of companies to choose from.

Mobile packages. Consider bringing your won mobile with you (as long as it is not locked into a US company - even then you can pay to unlock it. I am with EE on a 'SIM only' package at around £14 pcm for unlimited text, calls, data. Mobile phones are cheaper to buy in US than in UK.

Car prices more expensive than US, but on the whole, people tend to look after their cars well and many will have service history. You can get a 10 year old car with low mileage and full service history quite cheaply. Look at Ebay and also autotrader.co.uk where you can filter price, mileage, make, model, location and lots of other things to see what is available. In general look for a car that has done 10,000 miles per year or less. Research popular makes and models and reliability.

Driving lessons £20 to £30 per hour. You will need at least 10 even if you can drive now. If you have never driven a stick shift, you might want to consider taking an 'automatic only' driving test/licence. There is a knowledge of theory test too. This isn't that easy and, as others have said, can take a few goes before passing with time in between each test booking. You cannot take your practical test without first passing the theory. There are books and example tests available from Amazon.

Regarding work make sure you get a National Insurance (NI) number as soon as possible as it can take a number of weeks and many places will not even consider you without this, or proof that you are eligible to work.

You mention 'packing heat' - do you mean guns? UK is generally safer gun wise than other countries, but there are also areas of high crime and low crime. There are sites which you can go on where you can get police statistics for crimes in different areas. Research areas you might be considering.

You haven't mentioned any capital or savings which you have. I would suggest at least 12 months worth of expenses (eg £12,000 for your rental plus £12,000 running costs/bills) in order to ensure you do not come unstuck. If you are considering claiming benefits this is not as straightforward as some of the media, eg the Daily Fail, make out. It will take at least 3 months before they will even see you for an interview and longer before any claims are processed.

Do you have a pension? you say you are 60 years old. Have you considered/planned for your later years and how you will live?

Think that covers most things. God luck with your quest! :thumbsup:

Originally Posted by holly_1948 (Post 11853381)

You will need a car if you come to live in the North where housing is cheaper and jobs scarcer. Not so much if you live in or around a big city in the South.

For whatever reason (it's not obvious), in Britain new cars are very expensive and used cars are quite inexpensive. Even cheap by continental standards. Petrol is expensive but few things involve a long drive and cars get excellent fuel economy by design.

If you are thinking of the Liverpool region I would suggest looking at the Hoylake / West Kirby area. Frequent trains into Liverpool city centre (superb museums) are fast and inexpensive and Merseyrail has the best on time performance record of all UK railways. You can also go to Chester by train inexpensively if you want picturesque. Mind you Southport has the same Merseyrail service.
Typical Hoylake street scene, 300 yards walk from railway station. https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3922...2!8i6656?hl=en

Originally Posted by Bermudashorts (Post 11853563)

What has being in the north got to do with needing a car or not? :unsure: I spent first 25 years of my life in the north and never had access to a car, my family never had a car and none of my friends had a car. I am in the south now and would be utterly stuck without a car. But it nothing to do with North or South, it is to do with rural versus town.

Originally Posted by JustSo (Post 11855469)

Hmm.
You asked for thoughts...
I have a question - you mention health resources no less than 3 times in your post , is this your main motivation in your proposed move? You do understand that Britain is a country where "no one goes without healthcare or loses their home to pay for it" because millions of tax payers have supported the NHS throughout their working lives and many throughout their pensionable years. This is how it works.

Originally Posted by JustSo (Post 11855586)

Well that was the whole point of my question really. Is the healthcare the motivation, does the OP have an expensive array of medical conditions to be taken care of? Just curious with the wording of the post.

Originally Posted by JustSo (Post 11855586)

Well that was the whole point of my question really. Is the healthcare the motivation, does the OP have an expensive array of medical conditions to be taken care of? Just curious with the wording of the post.

Originally Posted by JustSo (Post 11855586)

Well that was the whole point of my question really. Is the healthcare the motivation, does the OP have an expensive array of medical conditions to be taken care of? Just curious with the wording of the post.

Originally Posted by JustSo (Post 11855469)

Hmm.
You asked for thoughts...
I have a question - you mention health resources no less than 3 times in your post , is this your main motivation in your proposed move? You do understand that Britain is a country where "no one goes without healthcare or loses their home to pay for it" because millions of tax payers have supported the NHS throughout their working lives and many throughout their pensionable years. This is how it works.