Moving to London questions

[rfung]

I'm curious what kind of level jobs in what kind of sized companies do you have to work to have all your relocation expenses paid for at such generous rates?

[richt71]

Originally Posted by trionetriathlon

Hello SATXU- lots to talk about here as you will see from my posts. I am an ex-pat as well and my husband's co. moved us over here last year. It has been an incredible experience. I'll answer your questions from my very narrow "American" experience, but I am sure Britons will be able to answer better. RH1 and Southdown are great ones for info as well. This site has been incredibly helpful for my family so do take some time to read through posts if you can. I understand it is an incredibly busy and sometimes overwhelming experience.

First, is the company willing to pay for a relocation expert? I would chose one from UK, not US to help you with your move. Please also Google, Anne Copeland, Ph.D as she is an expert on US to UK relocation. She has written about this experience extensively and was a huge help to us. She is a professor at Boston University, as well.

Okay, to answer your questions; we chose the Richmond area (Richmond, Kew, Barnes, etc) as we had a fairly generous housing allowance. Detached homes can be found, but are rare, and can cost upwards of 6,000 ($12,000) in this area. I have noticed lots of lets for rent in this area. Might try Bernard Marcus in Richmond for a rental (only one I know from personal experience) This area is about 11 miles south west of London (City) and takes about 25 minutes by train. Not sure of the group-thing. Remember, UK and America are allies so you might not need to seperate yourselves! Britons find some of our social stuff, customs, etc. amusing and we have been made fun of in good natured jest, but it really is just in good fun!

We had wanted an American/International, private school, but couldn't find an opening for our two children at the time. (We found out we needed to move in June for September!!!) They have done fine in public school and we have been pleased with the education. We might have liked an International School, but there are so many ex-pats (UAE, Indian, South Korean, Australian, South African, American, etc) where my children are now that I am not sure how it would be much different! It really is fun for them! Hard at first, but they have adjusted brilliantly.

Washers and dryers and most other appliances are smaller, but our clothes have never been cleaner! Food is very fresh here, and there are no food colorings and less sugar. You will find that you have to shop more often here as things are so fresh and fridges are smaller. It is a nice trade-off, believe me! Nice on the waistline as well! Wait until you taste the dairy products! I can't stop raving about it!

Some aspects of relocation have harder than others, to be honest, but give yourself time to adjust. I think it took my husband and I at least 6 months before we were able to make any friends and to feel confident, etc. This is the norm, by the way, so relax and enjoy yourself. There is so much rich history here and we are just loving the exploration! Remember, there are lots of us over here and on this site so take advantage! Also, you may want to contact FOCUS which is an organization for ex-pats located in South Kensington, London. I am headed there for some info on volunteering....

Hope this answers some of your questions.

Richmond is a great place but rather dear. I used to go there quite a bit while my brother lived in chiswick.

[ayazdi]

Hi,
My husband's job wants us to move to London for two years. Is it is normal that companies give you housing allowance and give help with school tuition? What are some of the things we should be aware of in negotiating the terms of this move? Thanks in advance.

[chilaili]

Originally Posted by trionetriathlon

Yes, we do drive. Yes, it can be a bit trying at times. It took some getting used to to drive on the other side with the steering wheel on the other side as well, but it is do-able! After a few mishaps our first few weeks here, we got the hang of it. Just remember emergency number over here is 999. The narrow roads can be quite a challenge in some parts. We drove through Wales a few weeks back and at some points could literally put our hands out the windows and touch the sides of buildings. Also, depending on how many children you have, I would recommend a smaller car. It is hard to put those bigger cars into the parking spaces over here as they are half the size.

IMHO, try to find a home with a driveway... in our area, you need a permit to park on the street (not unlike cities in the US) which costs about 137 pounds a year... sometimes it can be very hard to find a parking space in front of your home. Expect a 10-point turn to get into one.

I usually just drive to the grocery stores. In our area, we have a Sainsbury's with a large car park (translation: car park means parking lot, not a place where you let your car run around and play with other cars) and a Waitrose which is a little more posh (translation: upscale) with an indoor car park; small, but does the trick. I don't think there is a Costco-equivalent here, but that doesn't mean there isn't somewhere in the UK! I think because the homes tend to be smaller (2300 sq. ft is considered huge in London!!), people might not buy in surplus. You can order items from Tesco, as I have done, but there is a hefty service charge.

I think that answers your questions for now. Hope these help. Bye for now-

When I moved to the US and learned to drive on the opposite side of the road I found it tremendously helpful to just get and stick behind someone and do whatever they did until I got home. Thankfully the only thing I had to learn to use with the opposite hand was the gearstick as the pedals were still in the same places.

And you know the old joke about "Why does Sainsbury's exist? To keep the riffraff out of Waitrose." . But I like the food in either place. Marks & Spencer also has a great food hall if you want to splash out and treat yourselves.

[njf63]

Ok, so Richmond is a very upscale* neighborhood (in parts) and rock stars live there. But... the Heathrow flight path passes overhead, the center is traffic-choked and IMO the whole experience is not worth paying extra for ! If you have a good-sized housing budget from your company, it will go a lot further in one of the less "posh" neighborhoods.

As an example (only because I know it): Sutton. Low crime, good schools, very green, 30 minute train ride into downtown*, 30 minutes to London Gatwick Airport by car, good shops on Main St*, what's not to like ? There are several of these "former-towns-which-became-suburbs-as-the-city-grew" in the London area and I think they are unfairly neglected by many (including ex-pats).

Worth checking out ?

P.S. some translations...
* upscale = "posh"
* downtown = "central London"
* Main St = "High St"

[impala666]

This is the school you need.
American School in London