Perth

Glad you are putting plans in place again. We cannot have you getting ill again! NW Norfolk sounds lovely. We looked at Norfolk a while back - mainly because of the lesser amount of rain - but decided to pass because after living in flat Florida the terrain was not appealing. We may fall back into the same time frame again - that is if the tail end of 2016 is doable for you?

feelbritish

HOUSE IS SOLD!!!!
Buyers signed off the conditions on us reducing price again! It is not what we really wanted but we can deal with that. The exchange rate is also not in our favour at this time so we will not be doing any Queen Mary travels over to England! I can deal with that too, perhaps one day!

We do have to get out quickly by 21st July so I am in a mad rush to start organising everything. My visa will be the next big bit of stress to arrange as we have decided to go back on spouse visa due to not wanting to work.

As before, initially we thought of moving to somewhere new and renting a vacation rental until we find a house to buy, but back to plan A and we will move back to our old home in Buckinghamshire because we know the area, house and the transition will be easier on OH.

I feel so sad for OH, he really dragged his feet this afternoon when we had to go and sign. He is so depressed at moment and I really hope he perks up

As predicted our friends came over last week from UK and raved about our house and area especially after we drove them around everywhere. It is beautiful here and I loved having company. Both our families are going to be happy we are moving back, the only one not so happy at moment is OH but I truly believe he will settle once he realises I am happy. I do hope so because it is so hard for us not to be on the same page.

Looking back on my posts this has really been a roller coaster ride!

Celticspirit

Congrats.....Very happy for you. OH will come around.

Lorry1

Congrats on the house sale!
I really hope your OH does come round. I'm sure he will once back here and settled.

My OH really didn't want to return either. He loved Canada & only returned for me. 2 years later, he loves his job in London, we have a great lifestyle, and he is happy

As regard to your friends visiting you. Of course, it is beautiful there and they probably saw everything good and were on holiday. It is different when you have to live there permanently. No-one understands unless you've done it.

You have a tight timeline and things will get very stressful. I'm sure there will be a lot of tension and times where you may just decide to stay. Push through it and relax when you return home. Good luck

Editha

Are you sure about how much you'll have to pay Canada in CGT?

I was quite surprised when I came to work out how much we had to pay. I had to pay on two UK houses:

The first was one that I already owned when I came to came to Canada in '06. It had appreciated in value a lot between then and 2014, so I thought I'd have a big CGT bill. But, no! The fall in the value of the £ meant that I'd actually made a notional loss, because you use the exchange rates current at the deemed date of acquisition and the date of disposal.

I was able to put the deemed loss against my deemed profit on my second house which I'd only owned for a year between 2013 and 2014. On that house, the exchange rates worked against me, because although the house had not gone up much in value in one year, the pound had been getting stronger, increasing my taxable gains.

feelbritish

Thanks for that! Great when someone understands that is why I love this forum

Lorry1

The great thing is that most of us on here do understand. We all want to move home and each has their own problems to sort through in order to do it.

Our house didn't sell before we left, despite listing in the February. Hubby returned in the June to start work and I couldn't stay any longer as I was desperate to get home and we had the QM2 booked and everything ready to go, so I left in the July and the house didn't sell until the following February!

Thankfully hubbys job carried us through paying a mortgage in Canada and rent in England until we sold. It was a struggle but worth it for me. We sold at a knock down price with only money to pay the realtor, the lawyer and our credit card debts in canada, but it was a relief to be rid of the house as it was starting to need maintenence.

As I said, hubby was gutted to leave but my depression was so bad & our marriage, and family, were affected. We are so much happier now and I barely think of Canada at all actually. It was like a dream I was stuck in for 6 years.

We are now about to exchange on our new house here after renting for 2 years. I can't wait!

Everything works out in the end. You have to stay strong and get through this last hurdle and then you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Editha

I wasn't in quite the same position, since my OH was not as unhappy as FeelBritish and LorryI about leaving.

But, on his own, he would have gone on working in Canada for much longer (probably till he dropped) instead of taking early retirement, and then he would have probably retired to Vancouver Island where his closest relatives live. So, he was quite glum about leaving.

What has made him much happier since we returned is finding part time work at the local uni, so he doesn't feel that his career has come to an abrupt halt.

I think men often find retirement more difficult than women anyway, for a variety of reasons. Combining it with migrating must make it more difficult.

fulwood

Feelbritish - lovely to hear you sold your house! I wish you all the best for your move back to the UK..

feelbritish

After speaking to a few people I think OH is more worried about the changes and yes men find the transition more difficult. He was hoping to slowly transition into retirement and now suddenly it has all come quickly but I think it is a better option, no time to brood or think!

Piff Poff

Feelbritish, congrats on the house sale. Best of luck with the move

feelbritish

So the stress of selling so quickly soon became apparent when we could not find a moving company to get us out of here by 21st. I emailed the original agents in UK who moved us over here 13 years ago and they put me in touch with a lovely lady in Vancouver who took over the arrangements. Because we are a military town and the property market is hot at moment, not a single company here could move us, rental vans were also all booked up and so were storage lockers. After some very stressful moments she got a company to sort out our move and they are coming 14th to pack furniture, (I am packing the boxes) and 15th to load the 20ft container. Cost door to door from Vancouver Island on the ocean (as apposed to via country to Montreal) is $14300. I have to arrange furniture that must go, then would like to go and then what can still fit. I will be putting post it notes in green (go) yellow (like) and pink (only if space) and hoping that we get most stuff on.

We then started selling stuff in a big way on Craig's list. One guy bought the bbq and at same time bought our Jetta TDI and gave us a deposit and I can keep my little car until 2nd Sept. We have basically packed most stuff and in the next 4 days I will be finishing it all and cleaning out cupboards, keeping back what we need to see us through next 3 months (which if not wanted will be taken to SallyAnn) and our clothes in suitcases, mainly summer but a few winter ones too as we plan to go 1st Oct.

Then it was the stress of spouse visa!!! Well as most of you know I was a basket case and spent 3 days putting it all together and yesterday I had my biometric appointment in Vancouver and submitted my visa application. I was terribly stressed before hand, terrified I had left something out and totally in the dark as to how they operate here! To crown it all, the whole Island and lower mainland was blanketed with smoke from forest fires buring like crazy and the Sea Plane I was going to be taking over was cancelled and I had to take OH with me and we drove at 5.30am to get the ferry over. Needless to say we got there far too early but I was feeling so sick to the stomach that I wanted to just sit outside the office building drinking a cola!

I have listed under visa section the full story. I was told my application would take around 12 weeks. I asked about priority and I could pay now for this. The sum was $700!!! OH nearly had a heart attack when I told him! After not getting back on ferries because they were full we finally did get one and got home at 9.30pm.

This morning as I opened my email, a standard letter had already come from Sheffield to say they had my application.


Now it is back to packing up house over next 4 days and then cleaning out cupboards and house for new owners. What does not get on container and anything left we will have a garage sale on 18th and I think that afternoon I will try get the re-Store to collect everything that cannot be sold. We plan to then sleep at friend's house but I will be cleaning house and keeping garden going until 21st which is our completion date.

Next update probably be later when it is all over!

feelbritish

Editha, when we left UK in 2002 we had a valuation of our property and then last year got another one. It is around £100 000 which we have to pay capital gains on. We are so stressed with all this move and visa stuff and have decided to see our accountant when we have moved into our rented accommodation. Will go see our Investors Group too and then look at the options open to us. Our accountant will keep our documents from business for 7 years in her store room which is handy. While in rented place, I am bringing along the shredding machine and all our documents and will shred what we don't want and in our luggage will take back important doc. We also have to see ICBC to get claim's free letter and sort out doctors etc. Taking this all one step at a time!

feelbritish

OH is slowly coming around, but is showing signs of stress big time too. He is finding it harder than me. I do believe he will be happier having me happy again and deep down he knows he should go home for everyone including his own family. Good luck with your exchange on house, how exciting. I do have to be strong and for two of us!

Lorry1

OMG sounds stressful FB!
Keep your eyes on the prize. This will all be over soon.