Originally Posted by sambapink

I'm up for that!!

I might do some sums and see how viable it is.. i'll have factor in paying council tax, and sky (if we have it) and bills... vs. actually just renting out a cottage for the amount of time we're there. OR just hope to win the lottery

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl

...Other expenses are TV license, gardener, window cleaner.

Originally Posted by Bob

Why a tv license? It's not like your using it, and you can just pay monthly for when you pop over...

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl

You can't pay for it on a month by month arrangement Bob I enquired. I can 'cash it in' for any unused quarters each time I leave...but that would be even more expensive.

Originally Posted by Bob

really? It used to be the case, was for students and retired folks at least...my mother pays quarterly, or she did the last time the subject came up.

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl

You may be able to pay for the annual fee monthly or quarterly but it still has to be paid whether you're there or not.

Originally Posted by Bob

hmmm....well I know you were able to pay montly in the past, did that at uni, as you'd only need it for part of the year.

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl

As I said before you buy the license for a year...you can claim a refund for unused quarters. I emailed them and explained that I would only be in the UK for X amount of weeks per year and that's the answer they emailed back. So maybe that's what you did as a student...claim for the 3 unused months in the summer...or maybe they have a special deal for students. The same applied when we first moved here and still had our house in the UK.

I emailed them and explained that I would only be in the UK for X amount of weeks per year and that's the answer they emailed back.

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl

It is expensive to keep a house empty for much of the year. I am paying for gas and electricity...I have left the heating on and have lights on timers indoors and outdoors. I get a 10% reduction in council tax...although the percentage depends on your local council. Other expenses are TV license, gardener, window cleaner. Obviously I have had to buy furniture...a washer, tumble drier, fridge, TV, bed etc. I also had a new security system installed. There are also a few changes I want to make...which are difficult to co-ordinate when you live so far away.

Dunroving was correct it was difficult to get house/contents insurance...most companies don't want to know if it is left empty for more than 1 month. In the end I did get insurance because my sister lives next door and pops in each day to check on things...my parents live less than a mile away so there's always someone around.

When we first moved from the UK we kept our house for 3 years...it was only used a couple of times a year because our daughter was at school therefore my time was more limited than it is now. Then the biggest headache was any repairs that may need doing ie roof tiles after a storm etc. I was worried about burst pipes during the winter...we had a burst pipe a few years earlier...all the ceilings throughout the house had to be replaced...all the carpets etc. Another worry was that it was obvious there was no-one living in the house...no cars outside...no curtains closed at night etc. I was concerned about the house been broken into...worse still squatters. Buying the house next door to my sister has eliminated most of these concerns.

Originally Posted by sambapink

Thanks JG.. lots of food for thought there.. It does seem alot of extra expense and worry. Will still do the sums and see what figures out cheaper. Not sure my original idea would be viable though

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl

Initially I intended to buy an apartment...purely for the security and no outside maintenance to worry about. Then a detached house next door to my sister came on the market...it's bigger than I need but it's got a fab conservatory.

Originally Posted by sambapink

Funnily enough that was something else I was thinking about - theres some great apartment complexes where we used to live. Maybe less to worry about too, bills should be less etc. We have Glaxo in our town there, so may even be able to do very short term lets. Would still need kitting out.. but cost would be lower.