MiSc0701

Hi there,

My husband and I will be moving to Orlando in June this year as I have been offered a job with the company I work for. The company will help us with the visa application, relocation etc which is great.

We are planning on renting a house when we get to Orlando and I was wondering whether you could give me some advise with regards to the costs other than paying rent. Do you pay something like council tax? If yes, any advise on how much and what it depends on? How about utilities?

Any other tips you might have for us?

Thank you so much

Guindalf

First, your company MUST file the application. You cannot do it yourself. If they are planning on having you there in June, I hope the process is well on its way, or you won't be coming for a lot longer than that!

The usual requirement is three months' rent in advance. This being the first and last month plus security deposit.

There is no council tax or similar.

As for utilities, it's impossible to answer as it depends on the rental. Some are inclusive. Typical costs are electric (all year heating and mostly cooling) - allow for around $200/Mo at a guess; water/city rates - variable depending on where you settle; cable - again depending on what level of service.

Car insurance is relatively expensive and you WILL need a car in that area. Around there, you will encounter a lot of Brits driving rental cars with no idea of how to drive on the 'wrong' side of the road. This is a major hazard and the cause of many accidents!

I hope your company is helping with health insurance which is another must. There's no NHS to help you out and one major illness could bankrupt a family, even with insurance!!

You will most likely want cellphones and the good news is that the urban areas like Orlando/Kissimmee and the surrounding areas are well covered by major cellphone companies. There are cheaper options available than if you lived in a rural location. Typically, the major companies (AT&T, Verizon) would cost around $150/Mo for two smartphones with all the bells and whistles. However, there are PAYG options for around $50 each and smaller companies that can offer service for as low as $35-40/Mo each.

I would suggest a visit if your company will finance and/or allow the time off. Steer clear of the House of Mouse and other touristy locations (difficult around there, I know) and contact some letting agents. Come back here for details of the better or worse local areas once you have an idea of where the office will be and your commute (avoid I5 in the vicinity if at all possible!!).

MiSc0701

Thank you for your reply.

Just to clarify - the company takes care of the visa application etc. I will also get health insurance via work for both of us.

Unfortunately, we won't be able to come over before the planned move to have a look around, but we will be staying at a hotel for the first few weeks anyway and the company pays for a real estate agent to help us find a place.

Do you pay insurance for the house when renting or is that the responsibility of the home owner?

Guindalf

There are two types of insurance, homeowner's, which covers the building, etc. and renter's which covers contents. You would be responsible for the latter, which is relatively cheap ($100-200/year last I checked).

Oh, and company-issued health insurance usually involves an employee contribution as well. Impossible to say how much without knowing the company and coverage offered.

rpjs

You can take out renters' insurance to cover your contents etc which is usually not too expensive. The terms of your lease may require you to have it. Buildings insurance in general is covered by the landlord.

Wibblypig

Hi, do you know where in Orlando? It's a huge place and can easily take an hour to get from one side to the other. Traffic can be a nightmare so you really want to be within a reasonable distance to work. The tourist area is actually only a tiny corner in the south-west. Do you have kids? That will be a huge factor on where you live as schools vary greatly.
Obviously utilities vary greatly depending on the size of house, pool etc. Our electricity ranges from $100-350 a month. Water is around $40-50. We don't have gas. When renting property tax, which is similar to council tax, is already added into the rent as the home owner is responsible for it. Lawn care and pest control may or may not be included in the rent. Insurance is expensive!
Ask your company to pay for an expat programme such as AIG Travelguard. That will help with things such as a car, insurance, credit card etc.
If you have any other questions, just ask, I live in Orlando � ����

Pulaski

Employers applying for L-1 visas for their employees can get those visas much faster than the other visa categories frequently discussed here, in about a month or so, IIRC.

Bob

One thing that's not been mentioned, is to budget for deposits. Good chance you'll have to put $50-600 down as a deposit on all the utilities but be happy if you don't.

You've got no US credit history, which will affect rates on any financing you get such as a car loan, but that would be a good way to start building up history.

English88

I'm renting in South Florida and it was $100 deposit for electricity when I moved here (which I get back in ~10,000 years), there's no gas and water is included so that was it. May be different in Orlando though.

MiSc0701

Thanks for all your responses - it's really helpful.

The office location will be near the airport so I guess we will be looking to find a place that site of Orlando. What areas can you recommend? We dont have any children (yet) so don't have to worry about schools anytime soon.

Deposits are fine as I'm getting a housing allowance which we will use to pay for it.

We are planning on opening a bank account with HSBC from here already as we are both HSBC customers so that should make things a little bit easier. Also, I already have a SSN as I have lived in Denver for 9 month a few years ago but at that time the company took care of everything.

dcreelman

Consider trying to get a US bank account when possible if you are inclined to lift money from an ATM. You will be charged about $3 per transaction with a HSBC card. Citi have ATMs in every 7-Eleven and chase have machine sin all walgreens stores.

Bud the Wiser

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Pulaski

When you come to look for a "local" bank in Florida, you should consider Wells Fargo. They seem to have a branch on almost every street corner down there, as well as branches coast to coast across the US. When the time comes, they are the dominant provider of mortgages in the US too, responsible for about one third of all new mortgages, so it is useful to have an established relationship with them.