Move from London to NYC - request for advice
#16
Re: Move from London to NYC - request for advice
Thank you, that's really helpful.
This may seem like a stupid question, but how do actually find a place to rent over there? Here I'd look on websites, visit some estate agents on the high street. Is it a similar kind of process? I'm aware that the buying process is very different in the US.
This may seem like a stupid question, but how do actually find a place to rent over there? Here I'd look on websites, visit some estate agents on the high street. Is it a similar kind of process? I'm aware that the buying process is very different in the US.
#17
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Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 36
Re: Move from London to NYC - request for advice
Heat & water (usually) included in rentals, especially in the brownstones that prevail in this area - it is newer buildings where it isn't always included. Electric heating in the cold winters = $$. Something to factor in.
No council tax paid by renters.
Cell phone - can get all in prepaid sims for circa $50...or if you get, say, optimum (altice) internet they offer an unlimited everything for $20/line on top of your internet (and/or cable tv) bill. You could always just get your TV with an antennae for some free channels, and netflix/hulu the rest. Unlock your UK handsets and bring them with you - not as subsidised over here as UK and significantly more expensive via carrier. T -mobile et al all do multi line deals too.
One month deposit and first month only, and a $20 max application fee.....not that any brokers pay any attention to this and still charge $150+ application fees. With no rental history or credit, a letter from the employer would help significantly in securing an apartment.
Re: lack of credit, if you don't have a UK American Express card, get one, then use it to open a US card via global transfer. This backdates your US 'member since' date to your Uk one and gives you a credit history right off the bat, avoiding the hell that is secured credit cards with paltry limits to build it up.
#18
Re: Move from London to NYC - request for advice
Illegal as of mid 2019.
One month deposit and first month only, and a $20 max application fee.....not that any brokers pay any attention to this and still charge $150+ application fees. With no rental history or credit, a letter from the employer would help significantly in securing an apartment.
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#19
Re: Move from London to NYC - request for advice
One thing not really mentioned is child costs. You don't say how old your kid is, but that's probably a couple of half days a week for that money. Once in school, there's all kinds of extra costs for after school stuff, sports etc.
Renters insurance seems a little low, unless you have no possessions.
A few of your moving questions are some what covered in the wiki.
Renters insurance seems a little low, unless you have no possessions.
A few of your moving questions are some what covered in the wiki.
#20
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Joined: Feb 2015
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Re: Move from London to NYC - request for advice
#21
Re: Move from London to NYC - request for advice
It's not much more to get $30k worth of cover, but it's certainly more than $15 a month.
#22
Re: Move from London to NYC - request for advice
All that said, the risk of you losing everything in a fire is pretty remote these days, unless you smoke (fewer people do these days), or have crappy electrics, so the risk is burglary - and what would a burglar even run off with? The computer? The TV? One of the great things about the collapse in the price of technology is that it is hardly worth the effort of picking up a computer or TV even if someone left it on their doorstep and wandering away with it, as the used price is so low. The idea of breaking into a home and risking being shot to steal a used TV is pretty absurd.
#23
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Joined: Jan 2020
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Re: Move from London to NYC - request for advice
There's a good chance that your health insurance figure is waaay over budgeted. Please think very carefully about the coverage level as it is very tempting to pay for an "all you can eat" policy, which has minimal additional payments if you use a medical service, as that would be closest to mimicking the NHS, however many Americans are discovering the benefits of having "high deductible" insurance, which means you typically pay the first $3,000 per person yourself (there is also likely a family cap too, ours is $3k/person, $8k for the family), but then get full coverage for larger bills.
The premiums are very considerably lower for high deductible insurance - we were paying about $1,000/ mth in 2007, but that went down to about $140/mth for high deductible insurance, but that has since risen to about $200. From these figures you can see that the savings on premiums are about the same as the deductibles, so if you make lots of claims you will be in about the same position whichever policy you have, and if you need few medical services you will be financially ahead. .... You would also be well advised if you take high deductible insurance, to open a health savings account (HSA) which is like an ISA for medical expenses - you can put in about $3,500 per person (adult) tax free then use the funds for medical expenses including prescription.
The premiums are very considerably lower for high deductible insurance - we were paying about $1,000/ mth in 2007, but that went down to about $140/mth for high deductible insurance, but that has since risen to about $200. From these figures you can see that the savings on premiums are about the same as the deductibles, so if you make lots of claims you will be in about the same position whichever policy you have, and if you need few medical services you will be financially ahead. .... You would also be well advised if you take high deductible insurance, to open a health savings account (HSA) which is like an ISA for medical expenses - you can put in about $3,500 per person (adult) tax free then use the funds for medical expenses including prescription.
It's sounds as if your OH is coming into a high-level position, in which case it would be usual for the company to hire a "relocation specialist" to walk you through everything, from finding the right district in which to live and an apartment there, to getting phones and opening an account with the electric company. It might be worth asking about that right up front. Otherwise, yes, there are online listings, realtors (who will take a chunk of change as commission!), plus if there is an area of specific interest, people walk the streets and ask the superintendent of any building they like if there are any vacancies.
Streeteasy, zillow, or get yourself a broker to find one..plenty in park slope, for which your budget is good - you will be able to get somewhere sizable near the park (and with a garden should you desire) for that budget, although stuff goes fast here, especially the good stuff.
Heat & water (usually) included in rentals, especially in the brownstones that prevail in this area - it is newer buildings where it isn't always included. Electric heating in the cold winters = $$. Something to factor in.
No council tax paid by renters.
Cell phone - can get all in prepaid sims for circa $50...or if you get, say, optimum (altice) internet they offer an unlimited everything for $20/line on top of your internet (and/or cable tv) bill. You could always just get your TV with an antennae for some free channels, and netflix/hulu the rest. Unlock your UK handsets and bring them with you - not as subsidised over here as UK and significantly more expensive via carrier. T -mobile et al all do multi line deals too.
Illegal as of mid 2019.
One month deposit and first month only, and a $20 max application fee.....not that any brokers pay any attention to this and still charge $150+ application fees. With no rental history or credit, a letter from the employer would help significantly in securing an apartment.
Re: lack of credit, if you don't have a UK American Express card, get one, then use it to open a US card via global transfer. This backdates your US 'member since' date to your Uk one and gives you a credit history right off the bat, avoiding the hell that is secured credit cards with paltry limits to build it up.
Heat & water (usually) included in rentals, especially in the brownstones that prevail in this area - it is newer buildings where it isn't always included. Electric heating in the cold winters = $$. Something to factor in.
No council tax paid by renters.
Cell phone - can get all in prepaid sims for circa $50...or if you get, say, optimum (altice) internet they offer an unlimited everything for $20/line on top of your internet (and/or cable tv) bill. You could always just get your TV with an antennae for some free channels, and netflix/hulu the rest. Unlock your UK handsets and bring them with you - not as subsidised over here as UK and significantly more expensive via carrier. T -mobile et al all do multi line deals too.
Illegal as of mid 2019.
One month deposit and first month only, and a $20 max application fee.....not that any brokers pay any attention to this and still charge $150+ application fees. With no rental history or credit, a letter from the employer would help significantly in securing an apartment.
Re: lack of credit, if you don't have a UK American Express card, get one, then use it to open a US card via global transfer. This backdates your US 'member since' date to your Uk one and gives you a credit history right off the bat, avoiding the hell that is secured credit cards with paltry limits to build it up.
One thing not really mentioned is child costs. You don't say how old your kid is, but that's probably a couple of half days a week for that money. Once in school, there's all kinds of extra costs for after school stuff, sports etc.
Renters insurance seems a little low, unless you have no possessions.
A few of your moving questions are some what covered in the wiki.
Renters insurance seems a little low, unless you have no possessions.
A few of your moving questions are some what covered in the wiki.
#24
Re: Move from London to NYC - request for advice
But most renters aren't going to have laundry appliances, nor probably much jewelry. So what's left? A computer - surely most aren't worth $2k these days? A TV? - you can get a 60" for $400 new ... Furniture? Maybe I could see that being worth a few $k
All that said, the risk of you losing everything in a fire is pretty remote these days, unless you smoke (fewer people do these days), or have crappy electrics, so the risk is burglary - and what would a burglar even run off with? The computer? The TV? One of the great things about the collapse in the price of technology is that it is hardly worth the effort of picking up a computer or TV even if someone left it on their doorstep and wandering away with it, as the used price is so low. The idea of breaking into a home and risking being shot to steal a used TV is pretty absurd.
All that said, the risk of you losing everything in a fire is pretty remote these days, unless you smoke (fewer people do these days), or have crappy electrics, so the risk is burglary - and what would a burglar even run off with? The computer? The TV? One of the great things about the collapse in the price of technology is that it is hardly worth the effort of picking up a computer or TV even if someone left it on their doorstep and wandering away with it, as the used price is so low. The idea of breaking into a home and risking being shot to steal a used TV is pretty absurd.
Also, very old homes, close up neighbours and/or condos so you don't have much choice if a neighbour smokes, or if homes have fireplaces. Also, people will smash a car window for the parking change left on the dash board to get high. They'll smash a window and grab a tele by the window if they see it.
#25
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Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 36
Re: Move from London to NYC - request for advice
I don't know about you, but here, yes, most will have their own laundry appliances and a number of other appliances.
Also, very old homes, close up neighbours and/or condos so you don't have much choice if a neighbour smokes, or if homes have fireplaces. Also, people will smash a car window for the parking change left on the dash board to get high. They'll smash a window and grab a tele by the window if they see it.
Also, very old homes, close up neighbours and/or condos so you don't have much choice if a neighbour smokes, or if homes have fireplaces. Also, people will smash a car window for the parking change left on the dash board to get high. They'll smash a window and grab a tele by the window if they see it.
Own laundry appliances..here? No. If your rental apartment here is lucky enough to have an in-unit it will come almost certainly come with it as it is a HUGE plus. If not, you may have a shared one in the building basement. Lots do not have them, and crucially are not permitted to have them either, hence the abundance of laundromats.
As for TVs/electrical gear being stolen, stooping is a NYC pastime, so not so much worry there...plenty of free stuff readily available all the time..plus getting a 55" tv stealthily down & out of a fourth floor walk up isn't the one
#26
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 97
Re: Move from London to NYC - request for advice
You won't get an awful lot for $5k in Park Slope, but definitely try and make it work if you can, as it's doable. Alternatively, take a look at Windsor Terrace and Prospect Heights, as it's still close to the park. Don't bother looking in Bay Ridge. It's a fairly residential area with not much going for it for a newcomer. It's nice enough, and will certainly be a little more 'old school' New York, but for a family moving to NYC for the first time, it's not suitable. Hoboken is convenient, although a little soulless, you won't feel like you're in NYC (well, you won't be, but you know what I mean), but the PATH is easy.
A lot of people say to try and avoid a broker because of the fees, but in 10 years in NYC and 4 apartments, it was always easier with a broker. This is especially true if your partners company will cover it.
Would second the comment about high deductible plans. I have a high deductible with an HSA account, so we paid the first $5k or so last year, but our premature twins (one of whom had a couple of major surgeries) generated around $3mm in medical bills, and we didn't pay a penny as we'd already hit our max earlier in the year.
A lot of people say to try and avoid a broker because of the fees, but in 10 years in NYC and 4 apartments, it was always easier with a broker. This is especially true if your partners company will cover it.
Would second the comment about high deductible plans. I have a high deductible with an HSA account, so we paid the first $5k or so last year, but our premature twins (one of whom had a couple of major surgeries) generated around $3mm in medical bills, and we didn't pay a penny as we'd already hit our max earlier in the year.
#27
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 26
Re: Move from London to NYC - request for advice
You won't get an awful lot for $5k in Park Slope, but definitely try and make it work if you can, as it's doable. Alternatively, take a look at Windsor Terrace and Prospect Heights, as it's still close to the park. Don't bother looking in Bay Ridge. It's a fairly residential area with not much going for it for a newcomer. It's nice enough, and will certainly be a little more 'old school' New York, but for a family moving to NYC for the first time, it's not suitable. Hoboken is convenient, although a little soulless, you won't feel like you're in NYC (well, you won't be, but you know what I mean), but the PATH is easy.
A lot of people say to try and avoid a broker because of the fees, but in 10 years in NYC and 4 apartments, it was always easier with a broker. This is especially true if your partners company will cover it.
A lot of people say to try and avoid a broker because of the fees, but in 10 years in NYC and 4 apartments, it was always easier with a broker. This is especially true if your partners company will cover it.
Would second the comment about high deductible plans. I have a high deductible with an HSA account, so we paid the first $5k or so last year, but our premature twins (one of whom had a couple of major surgeries) generated around $3mm in medical bills, and we didn't pay a penny as we'd already hit our max earlier in the year.
#28
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Re: Move from London to NYC - request for advice
I’ve been checking out neighbourhoods and schools on niche.com
Wondered if anyone had comments on the reliability of the info, or additional/alternative sources?
Wondered if anyone had comments on the reliability of the info, or additional/alternative sources?
#29
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Joined: Apr 2011
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Re: Move from London to NYC - request for advice
Your child’s actual experience, though, is unfortunately something that can’t be researched for as it’ll be entirely down to the teacher they get. My daughter - in a very highly-rated school - had a 3rd grade teacher that she LOVED, who really ‘got’ her as a person. But that teacher was very new, and not very firm, and let my somewhat lazy child get away with making very little academic progress that year. Still, she had a good time! The following year, she got a vastly more experienced teacher who was much firmer and a lot less personable and fun; academically she did ok, but it made it a year-long battle to get her to go to school each day as she hated being there. My son, on the other hand, would’ve loved a teacher like that, as he respects people who challenge him, and finds it motivating.
It’s a crap shoot, really, but on the whole picking any reasonably decent neighborhood will be fine. Your child will make nice friends for play dates, you’ll likely get along well with the other parents. Put ‘school’ in the box of ‘things you can’t really control for anyway’, and choose based on your other desired factors.
#30
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Joined: May 2016
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Re: Move from London to NYC - request for advice