To come back or not?
 

I suspect that this will open a can of worms but, in my search for an answer, here goes...

My (Chinese Malaysian) wife and I (British) are planning on moving back to the UK early next year… if we can get her visa sorted out. All the additional paperwork and financial requirements have now got me thinking twice about our reasons for returning, so would value the views of anyone in a similar (health, wealth,work) situation as we find ourselves, and their honest thoughts.

Having been an ‘economic migrant’ and left the UK in 1995 for a better paid job in Malaysia, I found myself more at home in Malaysia than the UK, so after leaving that job (2002) and then doing consulting work around the region till recently, I now find myself semi retired, doing poorly paid part time IT work.
Whilst the likelihood of getting a job in the UK at 60 is slim, I can always do part time work and use my small pension income. But getting work in Malaysia is even less likely at my age. My wife thinks she can get work in the UK just as easily as she is able to in Malaysia, so wants to move.
I don’t have any property in the UK and just savings and pension plan, but certainly not enough to buy anywhere in the UK, so I hatched a plan for us to move back, buy a cheap 4WD and cheap caravan so we could tour around for a while, looking for work, plus find a narrowboat to buy and live on, and then sell off the caravan.

Having had major foot surgery last year and due for a hip replacement next month, I am not the world’s fittest of people, so have to consider this in my choice of abode for future years. Malaysia has the heat, but the UK has the health care (that I paid for with continuous NI contributions even overseas).

However, one minute I look at pretty pictures of the English canals and remember how nice it used to be pottering round visiting new places and stopping for a few nights in some of the most picturesque spots in rural England… then I watch YouTube and see UKCops, read news stories and forum threads by people who went back and hated it so much they lasted 1 or 2 years before getting out again. I have only been back for visits of 3 to 6 weeks every few years, so have not got a true picture of current daily life back in Blighty.

Even just a trial ‘visit’ for a year or 2 will require considerable expense (narrowboat, car etc) only to possibly dissolve my past memories of the UK, and dispel my wife’s desire to “see England” , so requires serious thought.

Therefore I am searching for other 'returned rovers' who have done likewise to offer their words of wisdom…. Please..

Re: To come back or not?
 

I spent much of my adult life working in the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe. I came back aged 63 in 2010. It was a good move. I should have done it earlier. Being "a stranger in a strange land" is fine when you are young, fit and adaptable. It gets more difficult with age.
I came back to Scotland but not to the area where I grew up. I chose an island off the West Coast. Like me, it is showing signs of age. Population loss means that properties are cheap to buy and rentals are easy to find.

Re: To come back or not?
 

I'd happily live on Skye renting out boats to people, and I think my wife would like Scotland (until winter comes!) but not easy for her to find work... except maybe helping a few Chinese tourists to find their way back to Mallaig,

Re: To come back or not?
 

Tourism from China to Scotland is one of the growth areas in the economy. Skye might not be possible but Bute - where I live - has loads of cheap housing !

Re: To come back or not?
 

I realise this is an expensive suggestion (as you pointed out yourself) but a recce trip would be a good idea. Don't treat it as a vacation because enjoying holiday activities is a lot different than living here. Try to look at the country through eyes that live here if you can.

In my younger years I avoided coming back to visit because I was afraid my past happy memories would be shattered by a less than rosy reality. Then fate stepped in and I met up again with a childhood friend who is now my husband. Because of that, my choice was easy and I returned to the UK four and a half years ago. I love my husband and my homeland and that's what keeps me strong but life here has not been easy for us.

Good luck, I hope you find the answers you're looking for. :starsmile:

Re: To come back or not?
 

Well, I will check out whether that boat hire place is still for sale. At least I am half Scot. Will also check the other islands.

Re: To come back or not?
 

What were the bits that were not easy upon return?

Re: To come back or not?
 

Your plan raises a number of questions for me.

Have you costed the narrowboat plan? You haven't just got the cost of the boat to consider, but also mooring fees, maintenance etc. Still cheaper than housing and I would have thought it was feasible if you did not also need to work. But if you do need to work, can you be sure that the narrowboat is going to be near the work?

Re: To come back or not?
 

Are you sure? I used to sail round Bute out of Largs... all the property seemed expensive and didn't see any tourists. There again that was 1984.
A quick search and the cheapest house I could find on Bute is 200,000.

Re: To come back or not?
 

I dont know where I can find work so having a mobile base seemed the best idea. The work is likely to involve travelling anyway so where I am based is less important.
So far, when I worked out the cost of renting and travelling greater distances is far more than the boat running costs for a year, plus any depreciation in the boat itself.

Ideally I'd like to come back and buy & run a small business, but need to be there to investigate what's availabe and where. I have already missed a good opportunity I had spotted online, due to not realising my wife's visa requirements changed since 2012.

My real question is not the finer points of my plan so much as : "Is it all worth it?" ... I hear so many negatives about life in the UK these days.
Malaysia used to be so much cheaper (40-50%), but now it is only about 60-80% of the UK cost and rising.

Re: To come back or not?
 

My niece moved to Skye 18 months ago and loves it there. I spent 6 days there last May and fell in love with it. Beautiful place.

Re: To come back or not?
 

when you say 'is it worth it', is it because of your age, or just the financial aspect more than 'I want to be in the UK but cannot decide'?

Without the recce its going to be harder to know. Some have suggested to spend a year back in the UK to get the feel, set up what it is that you want to do, or you could do it cold turkey.

At some point you will make a decision, although as time passes, things happen, one gets older, cost of things rise & the decision may become more difficult.

As for the doom & gloom or negatives of life in the UK - you will have read so many positives of ex-pats on this forum that have returned happy after being away for more than 10, 20 even 30 years.

Take Scot47 who lives on Bute who posted that he moved there in 2010 at age 63 after being abroad. After reading some of his posts, it would appear that there are social housing properties available for rent on Bute in the ~£80/wk range or less.... just saying

https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/housi...g-associations

Home Argyll | Available homes

http://www.homeargyll.co.uk/content/properties/

Properties for sale in Argyll & Bute

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/hou...gyll-and-bute/

.

Re: To come back or not?
 

I'll keep it short, in a nutshell 3 job redundancies, 2 costly moves and another in the offing have pretty much wiped us out financially. This is in a time span of about 4 years. For the last year my husband has been working away so there have been in effect 2 rents to pay and I see him once a week. No telling how secure the current job is so we're apprehensive about forking out for another move and at this point neither of us is sure we even really want to live where the current work is. It seems like we never get the chance to recover from one knockback when there's another and sadly we aren't alone in this plight. We feel like gypsies and just want a place we can settle down in.

Re: To come back or not?
 

Thanks for all the advice .... It was a no brainer to leave 20 years ago... why is it so hard to decide
I really think it depends whether you like where you find yourself. Rural UK is such a difference to the inner city garbage that I hear about online. But I suppose it was always like that.

curlytops, I feel sorry for you having to cope with all that... that's one of the reasons I want to stay mobile and am not expecting much... then anything is a bonus. Hope it all works out for you.

Re: To come back or not?
 

£200,000 for a house on Bute ? What size are you looking at ? Apartments star at about £20,000. Houses at about £60,000. Maybe you are looking at Butte, Montana ?Port Bannatyne has the cheapest property of any coastal settlement in Scotland !http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...&viewType=LIST
Towns in Scotland traditionally have lots of apartments. Perhaps more European in style than our Southern neighbours who dream of a semi-detached ! On Bute we have apartments and houses. I know no one who lives in one worth £200.000 ! Must have a word with the Marquess when I see him, and ask what his gaffe is worth.I am not sure that living on a narrowboat would be advisable in the Scottish climate. A bit damp.