stllurnin48

Just a little update. I am now back in the UK and have been here for a couple of weeks. This is definitely a step by step process but slowly getting there! Moved from a hire car into my own and now just have to do that with property. I have the place I am in for another 2 weeks so time to look for something a little more permanent. I hear that you have to have 6 months rent up front for most agencies so that will not be a shock when I hear that from them today.

Living in the UK is actually great , given the change from South Carolina. I have seen so much of my family in the last 2 weeks which has been amazing and that has kept me sane through the settling in!

I just need to get my US wife over which is the next thing to think about so will start working on that, but need to find a job first! Got quite a few applications already in the works so we shall see.

Okay, just had to get some of this out there and ask if there is anything that can help the transition, from those that have gone before.


A couple of questions:

I still have my Uk driving licence and also my US one. How long is the US one valid for, once you move back? I don't want to try and do anything with my Uk one until I have an address that is a little more permanent.

How long , generally has it taken to actually move into a rental property after you agree on the right one?

Nu-Shooz

No idea about the driving licence, but as for rentals..once you sign for it you get the keys straight away.

Bevm

I think it's 6 months for the licence. Not a rush, anyway.

Bev

Mummy in the foothills

When i moved back for a year I hung onto my old US DL, it had a date two years out on it, so when we ponged back to US, I just went into DMV and did an address change before it expired and they sent the renewal to our old house.

stllurnin48

But don't they have to do all the credit checks etc before the keys happen? That could take a while..right?

I was also told today that you can get round the 6 month rent up front if you can get someone in employment to sign a guarantee form for you. That way you just have to find the month and a half, which sounds a bit easier!

stllurnin48

Thanks Bev. I reckon once I am in my semi-permanent place, I will still have to send my old licence off to DVLC and get the address changed so that will take a while so for now I will be driving on my US licence.

Nu-Shooz

My parents were going to be our guarantor, but it depends on the landlord and what he wants. They wanted 6 months upfront as we didn't have jobs. Wasn't a problem as we preferred to get it out of the way, also it builds up your credit rating.
No credit checks can be made if you don't have a credit score...so that's why they want 6 months up front.

stllurnin48

That is interesting to know. So you just pay your 6 months up front and that is it for the 6 months rent, or is that a deposit, and then you have to pay your monthly rent as normal after that?

aes1

I thought it was one year.

stllurnin48

Well I will take either. Any interest in the house, aes?

aes1

Few and far between. Everyone who looks at it says they love it, but then they don't come back. Apparently potential buyers are just not committing, they are taking their time and seeing many houses. Hard to get loans still.

Nu-Shooz

6 months up front, nothing to pay then until the 6 months is up, then just normal monthly payments. We had to pay a deposit of 600 pounds which is returnable when we move out. (as long as house is all clean).
Cheeky isn't it, asking for 6 months up front. But with no jobs or credit score i suppose it's the only way.
But...if you are working can't see you having to do what we did.

aes1

I wll be back in England from the US end March, and then I am planning on leaving for Malta for six months. I understand you have to pay upfront for flat rentals there too, and they want cash! Just wondering how you did that...did you have pounds already, or did you transfer, bring cash on the plane??? What?? For me this is even more complicated because I need it in Euros!! No job, no foreign bank account, nor credit score!!

Stillurning.........where in SC were you?

stllurnin48

We ended up getting less for our house in the end. We settled on a price that was slightly higher than what we paid for it but once the appraiser had done his thing he priced it at about 10,000 less then our buying price so we had to go with that so it is the appraisal that will hurt. Still lucky to get a buyer though, I feel. What will you do long term?

stllurnin48

Well that isn't too bad. I am not working at the mo so I will have to do that I guess. We have enough in savings and the house sale to cover that so we should be okay.