loubiblu

Yep, you've finally got through to me! Cars will be ordered early next week (as soon as I make my mind up what I want!)

Mail redirection is on my list.
Healthcare sorted as OH has been working between Chicago and UK office since January.
We've been HSBC Premier customers since 2011 and although their branch network is non-existent in Il, the dollar account we have set up will serve its purpose until I can sort local banking out.

Lots to do...

loubiblu

Busy last couple of days...

26 days to go

Up with the lark (well 5.45am) as youngest son is going on a school trip to Alton Towers today. Dropped him off at 6.30am.

Contacted the GP surgery to make sure the kids had had all the necessary vaccinations that the school district asks for. Obtained their vaccination records and a copy of their medical notes detailing when they had had chicken pox.

Cleaned the house from top to bottom as the rental agency is coming to take photographs. Two runs to the tip/recycling centre and a couple of runs to the charity shop.

Received and completed a pre-rental application, gathered all the info they asked for in lieu of being able to do their normal checks:

* Copy of husband's offer letter/contract of employment
* Reference contacts
* Copies of our UK Credit Reports - I used the Experian free trial service (cancelled immediately after downloading the reports)

Sent everything back to the potential landlord for them to review and scheduled a call for the next day.

Picked up the cat's 'pet passport', scanned it and uploaded it to PetAir UK to confirm his jabs history.

Trip to into the city to get last minute things for the music festival my daughter is going to this weekend.

Need to figure out if I can fit in a trip to Ireland to see my sister. She and her kids were due to fly over on Sunday for 10 days, doing the rounds seeing family etc, but her husband as been taken to hospital and is awaiting surgery. Her trip looks like it's off.

25 days to go

Photographer and managing agent due at 9.30am so woke the teenagers up and checked their rooms were still ok. Went through the management agreement with the agent, trying for a higher rent so that we come down to what we want and the tenant feels like they've got a deal too! Management fee reduced from 15% to 12.5% too, with no set up or up front fees. Large family rental houses are like hen's teeth in our area.

Reviewed a lease for a temporary 8 week furnished let that we had found by looking on VRBO. We'd found this by enquiring about another property that wasn't available for all our dates and explaining to the owner that we were looking for a furnished place and did he know of any. Turns out he has a regular let that the tenant was due to move out of at the end of July. It was unfurnished, but he would furnish it for us. For 8 weeks, we were prepared to take it sight unseen as husband has spent a lot of time in the neighbourhood over the past few months. Couple of things in the lease that I was uncomfortable with so composed an email to negotiate changes. Came back with the changes I'd asked for.

Spoke to the shipping company to confirm their timing for each day and completed the customs forms.

Asked my FIL to look into selling my car. We're going to keep my son's small car in storage for a year as his plan is to return to the UK next Sept to take up his uni place he's deferred the entry to. Lease on my husband's car was up at the end of June, but we extended it by a month.

Had a call with the owner of the house we are looking at for rent long term. Agreed a date of September 1st to start the lease. Now waiting for the lease to be sent for review.

Spent the whole of the evening and most of the night cleaning up after my youngest son who has a tummy bug. Thank goodness the photographer came earlier!!! Very broken night's sleep :-(

24 days to go

After an awful night, I'm up again super early. This time to drop my daughter off for her coach to the T in the Park festival. Pick up was at 5.30am so of course she was up at 4 to 'curl her hair'

As soon as my husband leaves for work, I'm going back to bed for a few hours. When Chicago starts its working day, I'll get the signed lease for the temp accommodation sent out and arrange for the company to pay the deposit and rental fees!

phodg

I hope it warms up a bit for you by the time you arrive. Bloody miserable Summer so far. We're averaging way below normal temperatures. 8th coolest Summer since 1871 so far, for what it's worth.

July’s off to 8th coolest start since 1871 and running 5-deg behind a year ago; warmth/humidity return this weekend amid t-storm clusters | Chicago Weather Center: Skilling's Forecast and Chicago Severe Weather Alerts

loubiblu

Day 24 cont...

Signed the lease for our temporary home and emailed back a scanned copy. The landlord then sent it back with their signature on it so I gave the go ahead to the FD to pay the deposit and rent. We have somewhere to stay when we arrive

Dropped our signed management agreement off to the letting agent and arranged for an EPC inspection for the next day. Our house can't be marketed without one. Retained a gas safety inspector to come and do the gas checks when we have a tenant. Booked an electrician to PAT teat the white goods we are leaving and to certify that out wiring and fuse board is up to standard. Unlike the gas safety certificate, these are not legal requirements, but we do have a statutory duty to ensure the electrics are safe.

23 and 22 days to go

Friends hosted a garden party so we could use up some of our alcohol stocks! We need to drink our house dry over the next 3 weeks. I was fairly sensible as I cycled the Blackpool to Manchester ride yesterday!

21 days to go

Gave notice to our cable provider and informed the Council of our moving date for Council Tax purposes.

I'm working this afternoon and this evening so no other 'move' stuff today.

kodokan

I'm really enjoying your countdown posts, loubiblu, it's taking me right back to 2011 when I had a similarly hectic to-do list when we moved from Switzerland to here, de registering from schools, trying to organize the end of our rental lease there (you have to find a new tenant and return the property in as-new freshly-painted condition), how we'd return the company car but then get us and 9 suitcases to the airport, all that sort of thing.

If you have time, I'd love to read similar Day 1, 3, 5, Week 1 sort of posts on the other side after you land, to us know your early impressions as you overcome the initial bureaucracy and settle in.

WEBlue

I'm enjoying this thread too!

My kids are all grown now, and our last country move (UK to US) was just the husband & me. But your posts remind me of the previous 3 moves when we had the kids and dog as well as what seemed an enormous amount of "stuff" to organize and move over oceans.

I felt my life was hectic to the point of near-insanity for those moves, lol. I can't believe how calmly you're writing about yours.

Springy6

Just when we though we too were on the finishing straight - the tenants for our house have pulled out and my husband's new boss is leaving. Stress levels rising even higher now!

Pulaski

Never rely on tenants for anything. Assume each month that they will skip out before paying the next month's rent and leave the place filthy. Then be surprised when they don't. Any other mind-set will cause perpetual stress.

CKB40

Loubiblu, with regard to your children, make sure you bring out a copy of the their immunisations. Ask your doctor to print out a list of them with dates etc. for each child, I found this will be very handy when enrolling the kids at their schools, as you normally have to prove they have had them. Mine were 15 and 12 when we moved to California.

If possible for your 16 year old, try to get any of her teachers, including the head of the school, to write her a personal recommendation, these maybe handy for college applications in the future, if she decide's to stay long term.

Good Luck with the move!

markonline1

Yep! That's why we are selling our other house that we rent out! Been nothing but a ball ache this last 12 months!

loubiblu

Apologies for my apparent neglect of this thread! Where have the past 2 weeks gone? I'll do a proper update later today.

Vaccination records done and I got my BiL (he's a Dr) to check them against the school district list to see if any were missing. Also have their notes from when they had chicken pox.

I've got school reports from yr7 onwards. Her school sends out a progress report every 6 weeks, plus a comprehensive full report at the end of the year. Excellent idea re personal letters, I'll try and speak to a few of her teachers.

CKB40

Excellent, sounds like your all set.
Good luck with the move