originalgoonie

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to know what would be a realistic amount of money to set up over from the UK to New England area (Connecticut main choice) if we had jobs to go over to.

The plan is to get jobs over there in the next 2-3 years, sell our house and get a measily profit , and rent to begin with in the USA. What I'm trying to figure out is would it be cheaper to buy basics over there (i.e. kettle, dinner set, cutlery, bath towels, bedlinen etc) or to would it be worthwhile to ship these items over (minus electrical items).

From experience of those who have moved over what would you say be the bare minimun of money needed for a family of 4 to go over taking into consideration rent, deposit, costs of getting essential items or shipping, and buying food for the first few weeks until the cash flow starts coming in. Also costs including set up phones, cell phones, electric, etc!

There's so much to consider I just want to go over and get it done with now nevermind waiting a few years until we pay off our loans so we have a good start! Just want to get a rough idea so I know how much we need to save.

Thanks,

Jerseygirl

First of all may I ask if you or your husband are US citizens...if not what type of visa do you hope to obtain?

originalgoonie

I am a USC and my husband is British so presume he would be going for a green card in the end (need to look into the process!). When we move we intend to move permanently to the USA.

Jerseygirl

OK...that's good...in that case I can point you in the right direction. Please post any questions you have about the actual immigration process for your husband in our US Marriage Based Visa Forum.

Before posting please take time to read through any 'sticky threads' or announcements that may be posted at the top of each forum. Also take a look in the BE Wiki. It is really helpful if you do a little research before posting questions.

Regarding bringing belongings over...some people do...some don't. You have to balance the cost of shipping vs the cost of replacements. Things like beds and bed linen are mostly different sizes. If you Google you'll find plenty of websites that will give you bed sizes for both countries for comparison. Electrical/electronic equipment is much cheaper here and the voltage is different. Things like laptops and computers usually have dual voltage.

Edit: Have you obtained UK citizenship? If not it's well worth doing so...you may intend this to be a permanent move but never say never. Your children will be USC's too...therefore they will need US passports to enter the US.

goldenstate31

Hi Welcome
For the most part your original thread is 'how long is a piece of string'
everybody's needs/wants are different.
For the most part, though,
money to pay for your Health insurance is a must.

Nutmegger

Connecticut is a large state -- and the differences in cost are great. Tri-state area, very expensive; Massachusetts border, less so. You will need to be much more specific.

Manc

since when?

Nutmegger

LOL -- I get your point! Not in comparison to the rest of the US, but in comparison to the UK -- and large enough and diverse enough to need more specifics as to which area one is interested in!

I used to think it was such a long drive from Yorkshire to London, and here no-one thinks twice about jumping in the car and driving from, say, NYC to Boston.

md95065

It is impossible to give an accurate answer to this, but I would say that, to an order of magnitude, you should be thinking in terms of tens of thousands of dollars.

First and last month's rent and security deposit plus some basic furniture and household goods will almost certainly burn through the first $10,000.

Then you will need one (or possibly two) cars and car insurance - that could easily be another $10,000 (or more).

... and you will need some money to live on before the paychecks start to come in ...

Since you are a US citizen I assume that you will have some kind of US credit history - that should help a lot when it comes to things like getting utility services like gas and electricity (hopefully) without needing to provide an up front deposit and also if you need to get a car loan.

While your mileage may vary depending on your specific circumstances I would find it hard to recommend to anyone - especially someone with a family - that they could expect to get by with less than about $25,000 for their initial setup costs.

penguinsix

When we are relocated overseas, we're often given the option of shipping all of our stuff (upto a 40 foot container) or taking a cash option, which is about $6,000-$10,000. We usually do the container unless it is a short move and because we think we can bring over > $6,000 worth of gear saving money in the long run (vs. buying all new crap from Ikea or whatever we find overseas).

Even with shipping everything we find that we end up buying some new stuff when we arrive. I think for this assignment we probably spent about $2,000 US on stupid crap (mops, trash can, cleaning supplies, a mattress, tv stand, etc). There is always something you don't have at a new place, and if you are going to be dumping your electricals (note: which is recommended more or less) than you should be budgeting for a new hair dryer, power drill, TV, etc when you arrive as well.

But as others have said, it's really up to you and your standard of living and salary. With things like a rent deposit, first and last months rent, car purchase, and other big ticket items (i.e. > $20,000 total) worrying about $2,000-$4,000 is not that big of a deal. Focus on those large expenses and what they will cost as those will likely be the deal breakers behind any move.

Good luck.

p.s. Check out the WIKI--lots of info there.

originalgoonie

Wow Thanks for all of your replies. I'm from the north western part of CT originally but would like to move to Bethal, Monroe or Shelton area. I was hoping we could get by with about £10k and plan on going over just 2 weeks before starting work to shorten expenses. Unfortunately with property prices I don't think we will make much more on the sale of the house in the next few years

I do have a lot of family in CT so may ask to stay with some of them for the first few weeks maybe until we can sort ourselves out!

Bob

In a couple years time, who knows.

But main concern is the visa, that's a few grand off the bat, but getting that squared away while you are in the UK makes it a lot easier and quicker, but get looking into that soon as it's still not that quick.

Depending on where your looking to rent, if it's a city or a big commuter town, you could easily be looking for a deposit that's up to 3 months worth of rent and if you use a realtor to help you find that rental, they could well charge you 1-3 months rent as a finders fee. They may well not be that high of a cost, but plan for it, it would be that bad.

One of the big costs will be medical insurance, so if you've got a job lined up, find out from them, or factor in a large monthly expense.

Credit score and history, being a USC should help, but how long have you been in the UK? If it's been a while, you won't have much US history and that'll put a big ding in things, so factor in deposits for utilities, more expense for mobile phones and car insurance than the advertised low rates on websites.

bevinva

To get an idea of how much things cost as far as household goods go.
www.walmart.com
www.target.com
www.bestbuy.com

nettlebed

A much better link.

Nutmegger

Check this site to get an idea of rental prices in these three towns. Bethel and Shelton have similar house sale prices, whereas Monroe is a bit more expensive.

http://www.trulia.com/