Ronnie03

Hi there,

We're in the process of moving to the US with my husbands job.

We're relocating from West Sussex to Sugar Land, and I'm looking for people to connect with as I'm worried about becoming homesick.

To begin with I'll be a stay at home mum but I'd like to go back to teaching at some point. We have a 2 year old toddler who I'd love to find some friends for. My husband will be working at Fugro at Hillcroft.

Any tips/advice really appreciated. Thanks

R xxx

Bob

Welcome to BE and good luck with the move!

Might be worth a punt and having a search, though probably most threads were over the summer

Owen778

Welcome! There's a few of us around, but most of the Houston regulars here live in Katy or Cypress. Sugarland is a nice area, though. If you have any questions, we can certainly help.

Ronnie03

Thank you Bob and Owen.

I need recommendations for house hunting. We want to rent for 6mth-1year to suss out area etc then look into buying. I've been looking in har and zillow and I've emailed about a few properties but either I don't get anything back or I just get an 'its gone' generic email or a more detailed email which has awful spelling/grammar and is barely understandable. Any tips would be most welcome. The company are providing 1 months worth of accommodation, most likely in a hotel but I want to find a house, a home to help me settle and build connections xxx

Owen778

I know the advice is usually to use har not zillo. My now wife (who is a US citizen) was already having a house built when we started to look at me moving here though, so I'm not the one to help. Hopefully others will be along tomorrow to give you more useful advice.

Moses2013

There should be plenty of properties available for rent, but as always you need to be there in person. Internet is great for getting an idea, but I wouldn't rush into something before seeing it live. Connections will come naturally, but you can't force it. 6 months or a year is nothing when you move to a new country, so don't even think of buying yet. It usually takes a lot longer to really settle and find out what you really want.

vulcan

I'm sure others will come up with lots of tips for you but I have one that comes to mind, if and when you get round to buying property.

Slab foundation problems are not uncommon in TX. My advice is to make sure specifically the slab foundation is professionally inspected. If the property has had foundation repairs they often carry a lengthy warranty that's transferable. In some cases a foundation that has been comprehensively repaired with a warranty may be preferable to one that has had no repair work.

Slab foundation repairs can range from a few thousand dollars to $50k + and can be extremely disruptive to the residents.

Having said all that don't let foundation problems overwhelm you, it's pretty much an accepted part of life in TX.

Just be aware the potential for foundation problems exists and should be handled appropriately.

Bob

madmapper.com is a good app/website for looking for places. It pulls up places from all the sites and you can filter by all kinds of requirements and it tags which ones you've had a look at which is handy.

city-data.com is another useful site for local info.

Definitely don't look to buy in the first year. No credit history will make things bad enough, but if you buy a duffer, because you don't realise how different home ownership and lifestyle is over here means it could be a very expensive mistake as it costs far more to sell a house here than it does in the UK.

Ronnie03

Thank you for all your advice. We really are a bit clueless! X

Bink

Welcome! HAR.com is the best resource but the realtors are most responsive when you're here - are you getting put up in a serviced apartment/long stay hotel initially?

Sugar Land is nice but like most of Houston's suburbs is fairly large and covers quite a large area. Commuting tends to drive people to specific neighborhoods and the commute to Hillcroft shouldn't be too bad for your husband. Might be best to use HAR.com to find a Realtor or perhaps if your husband asks through work they have a relocation company that they use on a regular basis that can help put you in touch with a realtor directly.

TopSec

Ronnie, I have a friend with young children who lives in Sugarland, she is originally from Hants. I will pm you with her details

Weeze

I agree with bink, realtor is the way to go. We had one provided by work as part of the move.

Welcome to Texas!