Has Anyone Moved Back To The UK & Regretted It?
Nov 11th 2008, 10:00 pm
#16
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: South Island NZ
Posts: 527
Re: Has Anyone Moved Back To The UK & Regretted It?
Nov 11th 2008, 10:26 pm
#17
Banned
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,769
Re: Has Anyone Moved Back To The UK & Regretted It?
Yes, I moved back in summer 2006 after 23 years on the other side of the Atlantic. Like others, I have been sideswiped by the cost of housing and although I managed to buy an ex-council property am now lumbered with a 25-year mortgage (and wondering if I'll be able to sell if I manage to up sticks and go back to the States, which I'm trying to do). I am also very disillusioned with higher education in the UK, which seems to have nose-dived over the past 10 years (not surprisingly, with increasing access). So I have gone from being in a job that I loved, with a decent standard of living and good quality of life to having a job that I feel I'm just doing to bring in a regular wage, struggling to make ends meet (and I'm hardly on a low salary) and feeling very much, as someone said on another thread, like a fish out of water.
I rarely come on BE these days other than to occasionally catch up on how people are doing, because reading many of the threads on here where people are happy as clams in the UK just reminds me what a dumb move I made.
I rarely come on BE these days other than to occasionally catch up on how people are doing, because reading many of the threads on here where people are happy as clams in the UK just reminds me what a dumb move I made.
I think we all suffer the same syndrome. We leave our roots behind when we move so we end up feeling disconnected and can't settle anywhere. It's not a good feeling.
I have a different reason for wanting to head back to the UK and it's not because I dislike Australia. It's more for business reasons. I have a fashion design business, our own label plus we make everything.
I think it's easier to run a business in the UK. There are more skilled workers and the work ethic is better. I have found it so hard to get anyone to work here. Living on a sun drenched beach resort area like the Gold Coast means people prefer to work as little as possible and have more fun instead. That's all fine but thank God I don't have a business loan or I'd be bankrupt.
I'm not saying the attitude is wrong but after 5 years of being here, I can't make my business grow if I can't rely on good staff. Plus I'm not dead yet. I don't want to burn my bum sitting on a beach or play golf all day. I am very career driven so I get my fix from working hard doing something I love.
Basically, this is my reason for returning to the UK.
I don't like the intense heat or the parched looking scenery but that's about the total of my dislike for here.
Nov 12th 2008, 1:47 pm
#18
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 92
Re: Has Anyone Moved Back To The UK & Regretted It?
We moved back to the UK after three years in oz. I knew within a week of being back that we'd made a big mistake. There are a lot of things I love about england but our standard of living is lower here, travel is expensive, food is expensive, gas and electricity is going up and the weather is pretty grim! Beware the rose tinted glasses you can get when living abroad!
There are many great positives to being back of course like seeing family and friends, great shops,great supermarkets, english humour, television, beautiful english countryside, a sense of history but I feel our quality of life here is not as good as it was in oz and plus I miss my friends and the sunshine! I didn't bank on how much the weather can make you feel and how much it impacts on your lifestyle, especially when you have kids.
Guess you don't know what you've got till you give it up and I've often been told by expats that you've got to go back to want to come back (ie: go back to england to want to come back to oz) so maybe I will end up being a ping pongette!
There are many great positives to being back of course like seeing family and friends, great shops,great supermarkets, english humour, television, beautiful english countryside, a sense of history but I feel our quality of life here is not as good as it was in oz and plus I miss my friends and the sunshine! I didn't bank on how much the weather can make you feel and how much it impacts on your lifestyle, especially when you have kids.
Guess you don't know what you've got till you give it up and I've often been told by expats that you've got to go back to want to come back (ie: go back to england to want to come back to oz) so maybe I will end up being a ping pongette!
Nov 12th 2008, 2:12 pm
#19
Just Joined
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Texas
Posts: 20
Re: Has Anyone Moved Back To The UK & Regretted It?
We did. We spent 5 years in the US then felt we should go back as the kids were getting older and we felt the grandparents were missing out etc. Within a week my DH went into a deep depression, hated his job and asked for a transfer back. Took 2 years to get back but they transferred us and now we are back in the US with no regrets...
Nov 12th 2008, 4:42 pm
#20
Just Joined
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 14
Re: Has Anyone Moved Back To The UK & Regretted It?
I have lived oin the UK for 35 years and regretted every minute of it! 
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question...8120500AA3RFqX
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question...8120500AA3RFqX
Nov 12th 2008, 4:54 pm
#21
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: NI (back from Toronto)
Posts: 3,409
Re: Has Anyone Moved Back To The UK & Regretted It?
I have lived oin the UK for 35 years and regretted every minute of it!
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question...8120500AA3RFqX
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question...8120500AA3RFqX
Nov 12th 2008, 5:07 pm
#22
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,821
Re: Has Anyone Moved Back To The UK & Regretted It?
You have family and friends, good shopping including food selection, humour, good TV, nice countryside etc all in the same place.
To me they sound like the sort of things that account for at least half of quality of life.
Leisure time is quite well covered by socialising, entertainment, shopping, eating, trips etc. It's really only work missing isn't it?
Nov 12th 2008, 5:25 pm
#24
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: NI (back from Toronto)
Posts: 3,409
Re: Has Anyone Moved Back To The UK & Regretted It?
So what's stopping you from trying somewhere else? I moved when I was 25 and had nothing to loose, I'm glad I did go and live in Canada but also very glad I moved back and have no regrets.
Nov 12th 2008, 5:35 pm
#25
Just Joined
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 14
Re: Has Anyone Moved Back To The UK & Regretted It?
Fear of hating it, fear of failure but most of all - fear of losing lots of my hard earned!
Nov 12th 2008, 5:42 pm
#26
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: NI (back from Toronto)
Posts: 3,409
Nov 12th 2008, 5:57 pm
#27
Just Joined
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 14
Re: Has Anyone Moved Back To The UK & Regretted It?
Lord..... a tough one. I mean part of the fear is a land that is too alien or a bit unstable.
Realistically south of FRance, Canada or I do like Denmark.
Exotically, I wouldn't mind being able to afford Cayman Islands....!
or maybe Argentina
Nov 12th 2008, 6:34 pm
#28
Account Closed
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 52
Re: Has Anyone Moved Back To The UK & Regretted It?
Me too. Standing on the same railway station platform, Earlsfield, i used to stand on before i went away and having to miss 3 or 4 trains every morning to Waterloo because of the overcrowding was an awful experience. 6 on the trot was my record.
Like the above poster said, property was well out of our reach. When I left it was 70k for a two bed flat. When back it was 200k. We did enjoy our European trips when we were back though.
Hello from another Ciaran btw.
Like the above poster said, property was well out of our reach. When I left it was 70k for a two bed flat. When back it was 200k. We did enjoy our European trips when we were back though.
Hello from another Ciaran btw.
Nov 12th 2008, 6:40 pm
#29
Account Closed
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 52
Re: Has Anyone Moved Back To The UK & Regretted It?
[QUOTE=islandergirl;6962942]
I was working at Asda, 40 hours a week, just about minimum wage at 6 pounds an hour, but its the sheer cost of living with rampant prices and the cost of gas, electric and council tax. Unless you have family and friends who will help you out, Im afraid the Councils are all but useless when it comes to Housing. They told me 4 years for a council flat, which was just too long.
Just property to let, the minimum was 375 pounds a calendar month, which was nearly half my salary. Unsustainable.
My salary wasn't enormous by any means, I was on 12K a year, but it was a sheer struggle compared to the United States.
$12k a year is a seriously low salary, I was on more than that before I emigrated to Aus in 1995, no wonder you regretted the move, that's awful is that not below the minimum wage or something?
$12k a year is a seriously low salary, I was on more than that before I emigrated to Aus in 1995, no wonder you regretted the move, that's awful is that not below the minimum wage or something?
Just property to let, the minimum was 375 pounds a calendar month, which was nearly half my salary. Unsustainable.
Nov 12th 2008, 6:53 pm
#30
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2008
Location: Back in the UK after 12 years in Australia
Posts: 579
Re: Has Anyone Moved Back To The UK & Regretted It?
[QUOTE=garrettciaran;6966555][QUOTE=islandergirl;6962942]
I was working at Asda, 40 hours a week, just about minimum wage at 6 pounds an hour,
That must have been really crappy, but working retail in the USA is poor money as well, Walmart pay what $8 an hour or so, were you living somewhere very cheap in the US or did you have a better paid job?
I was working at Asda, 40 hours a week, just about minimum wage at 6 pounds an hour,
That must have been really crappy, but working retail in the USA is poor money as well, Walmart pay what $8 an hour or so, were you living somewhere very cheap in the US or did you have a better paid job?