So happy to be home
 

Been back home in the UK for nearly three weeks now! So happy to be home.
It's been a very busy time, lots of ups and downs! but finally getting there.

We rented our UK home out through an agency to what we thought were a 'respectable' young family! In 12 months they managed to pull two kitchen cupboard doors off and a drawer front and the fridge door handle, burn pan rings on the worktops, brillo pad the stainless steel cooker and sink, put posters up in the living room and bedrooms with sticky tape, taking paint off when removed, lost all the front door keys, damage french doors, damage fireplace and the house was filthy dirty!! They then claimed this was fair wear and tear for a young family for a year?? Luckily the agent has before and after photo's of everything and refused them their 1000 pounds deposit, which went into out bank account today:thumbup: unfortunately this doesn't cover all the damage and we will have to take them to court for the rest:thumbdown:

Our furniture was delayed by bad weather, sent it 3 weeks before we left Canada and not looking like it will be here until mid January now, but the lovely manager at DFS has loaned us two leather sofas ( took pity on us ) and luckily we stored all our electricals up the loft, so only really missing a bigger TV and a comfy bed ( although the airbeds are not too bad:unsure: )

Now for the positives :D House is now all clean again and feeling like home, just bought a van and a car, hubby straight back to work and mega busy ( and earning twice as much as in Canada) unbelievably CHEAP prices in the supermarkets compared to Canada and so much choice, same with clothes shopping and eating out, better TV, 15 year old daughter is so happy to be home, back at the same school with her old friends we have caught up with most friends and family, looking forward to Christmas day at my mum's with sis and family, Christmas tree is up, gifts all wrapped.......lovely to be home:wub:

Re: So happy to be home
 

YAY! So happy for you. I'm glad everything worked out, you must be so happy to be spending Christmas at home.

Sorry about the house, but at least now it's all cleaned up and hopefully you will be able to recover the rest when you go to court.

Continue to post as I would love to hear your progress. Again congrats on a successful move:thumbsup:

Re: So happy to be home
 

Thank you Brigette :D

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Hi Brigette,

Congratulations on your return.

I don't understand why somebody would destroy another persons home :confused:
I wonder if they would treat their own home that way, or would like somebody else too?

We have rented a few houses and we feel guilty if we even scuff the wall by accident. The last house we rented we cleaned it up so good on departure, they said it was better than before we moved in :lol:

Good luck for your future and hopefully we'll be following soon :thumbsup:

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Sorry about the rotten renters. Nice to hear you are settling in well. :thumbup:

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That's disgusting that someone does that to your home. Dirty Muppets!

Hope your settling in continues to go well. Best wishes. :)

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Glad you are happy to be home even with the bad start with the bad renters. :sneaky:

I'm the same as Lorry above, I just left my place the other week and the landlord commented how I had left it cleaner than when I moved in. :thumbsup:

Re: So happy to be home
 

Our landlord in Canada texted me on the way to the airport when we left to thank us for leaving it spotless and looking after the place, the new tenants moved in half an hour after we left.

The offending tenant actually came round on Sunday ( they have bought a house in the village around the corner) to tell us he was not happy that the deposit has not been returned, such an arrogant pig he was too! and after much 'law quoting' and talking down to me, like I was the one in the wrong? he then said 'Oh by the way I hope you enjoyed the bottle of wine we left you' ( they did, we didn't drink it!) He was very lucky to walk out the house with that wine bottle intact in his hand and not smashed over his head :D:D

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Thank you:)

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Completely OT....but where in Stafford? It's my Home town and Dad (who lives up near Weston) has to send me the Staffordshire Newsletter once in a while for my sanity...still a great local paper.....I really miss roundabouts and traffic lights.....:(


Sorry to hear about the renters, but I bet it's glad to be home :starsmile:

Re: So happy to be home
 

Welcome back to the UK. I'm glad that horrible family didn't know you had stuff in the loft!

Re: So happy to be home
 

Welcome back.
Having had a similar experience with tenants causing damage and living in filth I would never ever again rent out my own house.
We took our ex-tenants to court, received a CCJ against them, he laughed at me as we left court, we set the bailiffs on them and after 1 year still haven't been able to recover any monies.

Britain certainly has lost many moral values and even the legal system can't uphold it's own judgements.

But welcome back anyway.

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Sorry, just realised I posted to Brigette instead of Marietuluse :lol:

Re: So happy to be home
 

I'm from just outside Stafford, Great Haywood and know Weston quite well. You can read the Newsletter on line, not sure if it's the full version but you may like to take a peek. Just google Staffordshire Newsletter. I emigrated to Canada almost 33 yrs ago.

Re: So happy to be home
 

That sounds great Marietuluse, I'm so pleased that the move back is going so well (except for the ex-tenants, but at least you have got that sorted).

Sounds like you have a lot to celebrate.

Merry Xmas.

Optimistic

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We are at Walton on the Hill, just a few miles out of Stafford town centre, on the edge of Cannock Chase :wub:

Re: So happy to be home
 

Glad you are enjoying being back home. Walton on the Hill is a a nice area not too far from Great Haywood. I still miss walking my dog over Cannock Chase and through the park at Shugborough Hall. Unfortunately couldn't afford to buy a chicken coop back in Great Haywood let alone our old house :(

Maybe we should have rented out our house all those years ago, but having read how your tenants left your property I would have been heart broken. Enjoy and Merry Christmas.

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I'm just down the road from you - in Huntington, Cannock - also on the corner of Cannock Chase :)

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Small world! I drive through Huntington alot to go to my mum's in Hednesford :D

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I have friends in Little Haywood and their mum lives in Great Haywood, both lovely villages.
That was our main reason for not selling up, if we came back (which we did lol) we wouldn't be able to afford the prices here in Walton again so although the house wasn't as we left it, it will be again and it's still great to be back :thumbsup:

Merry Christmas to you too :)

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I used to walk over milford common and cannock chase (seven springs) and if you saw a deer, I got so excited.....I still can't get used to seeing them strolling past the bottom of the garden :)

I don't suppose the "wimpy" is still there?

Have had many happy days of hednesford raceway; bangor and bomber racing, this was about as exciting as life with the ex husband (who actually went to go to Walton High School and Live in Brocton.....) so I know the area well.

I only read this part of the forum to make sure we know what to do when we plan on going home, but suddenly I feel all nostaglic..

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I'm not sure if the 'Wimpey' is still there, you could check on google earth. The Barley Mow pub is though one of those chain themed places that are so popular now. We had lunch there the last time we were back in 2007.

We used to see loads of deer over there if you went at dusk. Our dog would always have her nose to the ground following their scent. We used to hide from her, the dog, in the tall bracken she used to look funny jumping up over the bracken trying to find us. The punch bowl and seven springs were our favourite walks over the chase.

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Yes the Wimpy is still there as is Hednesford Raceway! Still both going strong lol and our daughter goes to Walton High School :D

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How long where you in Canada for? And can I ask what finally made you decide to go back?

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I don't think there was one final thing that made us decide to come home, more a build up of seperate things:unsure: We were in Canada for just 13 months:)

The main reasons for us were, my husband earned alot more money in the UK and preferred his work in the UK ( he's a plumber and has his own business here), we found it very expensive to live in Alberta compared to UK, especially things like eating out, grocery shopping, clothes.....etc with nowhere near the choice.

We were also bored, never seemed to be able to find things to do or places to go once we'd done all the main 'sights' several times, we just found Red Deer a dull place to live, compared to what we had here in the UK, I think it just came down to, we didnt realise just how good we had it here until we left, luckily we have managed to pick right up where we left off, our house is now sorted out ( no thanks to to the tenants:thumbdown:) husband is back at work and really busy, our 15 year old daughter is happy to be back at her old school with her friends, she never really settled at the school in Red Deer and never really made the close friends she has here.
The same for me too, I think, I was very lonely and missed having friends to just call up and meet for a coffee or pop round for a chat:(

So, we like to look on it as, we did something we always said we would like to do, made the most of it whilst we were there, happy that we did it, haven't really lost anything by doing it, it was an adventure, like a long holiday.....but we are all very happy to be back home:D

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Hi Marietuluse

Im glad you have settled back in to life in the UK, I am going to be in the same position next year:-).

We would have been away approx 2 years when we go back and the kids would have missed 2 school years.

Like yourself we will go back to our house we rented out and one of my children will go back to the school and class she left last year. The other will have moved to High School.

I am slightly worried because I am aware that it wont be exactly how we left it and we might find it hard it fit in again.

Doesn't sound like thats happened to you and your family, so glad. Hopefully it will be the same for us as well.

Probably like yourself I've found living away not all its cracked up to be and the biggest lesson I have learnt, is how happy I was at home and didn't even realise it:o

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Exactly our feelings :D

I hope your move goes well :fingerscrossed:

Our daughter has settled right back into school, taking a few after school classes just to catch up in a few subjects but she's much happier here.

And, even as I sit here in a near empty house, still awaiting the arrival of our furniture, that Tippett/Richardson assured us would arrive on 4th December! A storm raging outside and Jeremy Kyle on the TV! I'm still happy to be here too :lol:

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We have now been back for 5 weeks, woken up this morning to blue skies and sunshine over Stafford:) the garden covered with birds, the cat not quite knowing what to do with them all, after 13 months of virtually no bird activity in Red Deer!

Meeting a friend for coffee today at the new Costa that has opened ( although I have to admit I miss Timmys:( and as yet have not managed to get a decent coffee anywhere) Off out with our best friends for a curry tonight - the 6th curry in 5 weeks :D can't get enough of them after a year of 'Canadian' curries:thumbs_down:

Had a lovely chat and catch up last night with a really good friend I met through Expats whilst we were both in Canada, Cumbrian Lass, arranging our big weekend get together in March, A lovely lady and friend for life:thumbsup:

Also meeting up next week with another lovely friend who I met in Canada, her husband and mine worked together here in UK a few years ago and then met by chance, working together on the same site in Red Deer, they moved out to Canada the same time as us and came back the same time! We didn't meet them until a few months before we had all made the decision to leave:( but we only live half an hour away from each other and have stayed in touch.

So all in all, we met some lovely people, both English and Canadian who we will always be friends with, had a lovely experience, especially our summer trip last year to Forks Washington ( for the Twilight fans in the family lol) driving through and stopping off in BC, and on to a stay in Seattle before staying in Forks, something we would probably never have done from the UK?
But equally happy to be jetting off to Tuscany this year for a fraction of the price ;)
Still happy to be home:D

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I totally agree with you there,in all areas. I too made a lovely friend of you,which i am so excited to meet up with you soon.

We were in Sylvan Lake for 10yrs and i really dont know how we lasted so long.We were bored to death and nothing was reasonably priced,although it was when we first arrived in Canada 10yrs ago. We found the price of groceries unbelievalbe and the overall cost of living. We have been back in the UK since August 2011 and cannot believe how cheap things are,and so much variety. Including trips abroad.
We have already been to the Canary Islands,and had a trip to Edinburgh to bring in the new year....which was AMAZING!:eek: never heard a soul celebrate in Canada,although we did have parties,but they dont know how to celebrate like us BRITS! We are unbelievably happy back here.......yes the country might be in a bit of a mess but hey if you have a job and are getting by and happy HOW CARES :thumbsup:
Houses might be smaller,but less to clean !!!! We will eventually build our own house to our liking. I think some places are run down and dull,but it all depends on where you live. We live in an absolutly beautiful part of the country,with far more to do and see than we ever had in Sylvan lake. We live 15mins drive from lake Windermere.We can go walking through the woods without fear of being eatten by a bear or the dog getting quilled by a porcupine...........its total HEAVEN:thumbsup:

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Kendal sounds like a gorgeous place to live. It's a shame it's so far from London for work! :(

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Yeah it is a bit of a trek ! :(

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Yes it is! I am so envious but soon I hope to be there in Kendal myself, and we can have a coffee together and crow about how lucky we are :lol:

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awh I so looking forward to meeting you Sally!!!!
at what stage are you in at the moment?
We move on the 6th Feb into that house you showed me.Really looking forward to it,I hope it sorts out my small house depression.I am sure it will,as its a nice house in a beautiul area. We are happy we came back no matter what other people said about the UK. The thing is the people that slag the place off are obviously not living in a nice area or have the funds to move into a nice area and house.So those that say "what have you moved back to that dump for?" are really not in the right place.........its BEAUTIFUL!!!!!:D and it has sooooo much history and places to go ....Canada never had that to offer us.....BORED BORED AND EVEN MORE BORED LOL. We did live in a brand new top of the range acerage.......but whats a house when the other things around dont add up to much.I would much rather be here any day:thumbsup:

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Yes, that area is just lovely. I'm sure you'll be much happier there. I'm surprised it has taken so long to move in - were there other tenants in there already?

We just put our house on the market - it went live yesterday actually. We have put it on at a very good price - lower than the agent suggested - so now we're just hoping that's enough to attract a buyer in these tough times. Fingers crossed we'll be back there later this year!

Re: So happy to be home
 

This is SO TRUE, I did my shopping in Adsa last week and it is no exaggeration when I say my trolley was overflowing, inc bottles of wine, meat, decent bread, real cheese that actually tastes of cheese ( and melts like cheese, instead of bright orange 'cheese' that slides off the bread when trying to simulate cheese on toast in Canada lol) also all cleaning, washing, toothpaste, shampoos etc...etc.....etc.... the cost for this was 108 pounds! It has taken me most of the weekend :D to compare the prices with what we were paying for the same in Alberta ( obviously some things I couldn't compare as Walmart doesn't have the the large range of choice ) so had to search other supermarkets, liquour stores etc.... anyway the price for similar items, had we bought them in Alberta was $267.00!!!!! & YES I know certain people are going to bang on about 'well that's still works out at nearly $200' Yes it does, but if youre living there and earning in dollars, it makes Canada's groceries more expensive than UK's groceries!

Another example is eating out, we went for a curry on New Years Eve, 6 of us, A very nice restaurant, I might add, not a back street balti house, The bill was 90 pound, the food was excellent, we never managed to find any restaurants reasonably priced during our time in Canada :(

Clothes shopping.......I've never been a big fan of 'the sales' as it's usually the crap the drag out that they've failed to sell throughout the year!
But i do find that if you go to a decent high street shop, Next, Wallis, River Island, Top Shop...etc then the quality, choice and price is far superior to anything we found in Alberta. Obviously if you shop in Primark, you get what you pay for! Im not knocking Primark, it's a brilliant shop for the young girls to get up to the minute fashions for ridiculously cheap prices ( my daughter loves to shop there, as a 15 year old, who's life revolves around having the lastest fashion, the quantity of clothes she has far out weighs the quality;) )
We found for teenage fashion, shops like Stitches, Bluenotes........were Primark quality with River Island prices, my daughters words;)

House and car Insurance combined $1000 compared to here 400 pounds for the same cover.

My husband has to take daily thyroxine tablets, Canada $30 every 2 months ( thats after his company payed 60%) here, FREE for life.
My prescribed migraine tablets, $27 for 8 tablets ( again not inc 60% paid towards from hubby's company) here prescription charge around the 8 pound mark for a box of 48 tablets that will last a year.

So for us, living back in the UK is financially the better option, we earn more money and pay less out than we did in Canada, my husband earned 3xs his Canadian wage last week, we are lucky that we live in a nice area, We were/are happier here and it took moving away to make us realise that :o

I do though, understand that everyones situations are very different, at the end of the day you have to do what's best for yourself and you're own family's happiness.......and for us it's the UK :thumbsup:

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yes the owners live in the house,so this is the first time its been rented out.I must say they are doing a good job making sure its going to be perfect for us to move into.I did the same when i rented our house out in Canada.......there wasnt a speck of dust any where.So its nice that they are getting it proffesionally cleaned ,carpets cleaned,windows inside and out.Its going to be great.Maybe not exactly what we are looking for but atleast its getting there :thumbsup:

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WoW good for you doing this !!!!!! well done and yes its proof that Alberta is a rip off due to the oil and gas.:eek:
I can remember when we got a Indian take away over in Sylvan lake and hubby came back to say it was $97 and there was only3 of us eatting........UNREAL!!!!! and the entire of it went in the bin ...DISGUSTING it was.Over here it is sooooo yummy and cheap....you cant beat it:thumbsup::thumbsup:

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Always lovely to read a happy story, Good luck and Best Wishes for the future.

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Thank You :)

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I am jealous of all of you. Can I please come and join your gang in a couple of years?