Moving to London questions (apartments, rental, health insurance)

[SATXUsername]

We are planning to move to London during the summer. The company will pay for American/International/private School tuition for our kids, so what ones are good for American children elementary and middle schoolers?
The company will also pay for a 4 bedroom house/apt to rent and we'd like to live in a apartment or rent a house near the school, if you think that's a good idea? Do Americans/Ex-Pats tend to live in groups in the city? Are there apartments that cater to the American standards, such as what a washer and dryer size should be, etc.
I know that's a lot of questions, but not sure where to choose and when I look at the map of London, it has so many subdivisions and I can't find any info on what area

[richt71]

To be honest it depends what sort of budget you'll have as to what area's are going to be a good fit for your family. Also wherabouts will work be as some area's are difficult to get to from other area's easily or will take you ages in rush hour.
Not sure about schools but I'm sure others will help you on this.

[seattlerain]

Originally Posted by SATXUsername

We are planning to move to London during the summer. The company will pay for American/International/private School tuition for our kids, so what ones are good for American children elementary and middle schoolers?
The company will also pay for a 4 bedroom house/apt to rent and we'd like to live in a apartment or rent a house near the school, if you think that's a good idea? Do Americans/Ex-Pats tend to live in groups in the city? Are there apartments that cater to the American standards, such as what a washer and dryer size should be, etc.
I know that's a lot of questions, but not sure where to choose and when I look at the map of London, it has so many subdivisions and I can't find any info on what area

My sister lives in the UK and she swears by this forum: UK Yankee Americans in the UK

[trionetriathlon]

Originally Posted by SATXUsername

We are planning to move to London during the summer. The company will pay for American/International/private School tuition for our kids, so what ones are good for American children elementary and middle schoolers?
The company will also pay for a 4 bedroom house/apt to rent and we'd like to live in a apartment or rent a house near the school, if you think that's a good idea? Do Americans/Ex-Pats tend to live in groups in the city? Are there apartments that cater to the American standards, such as what a washer and dryer size should be, etc.
I know that's a lot of questions, but not sure where to choose and when I look at the map of London, it has so many subdivisions and I can't find any info on what area

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.

[SATXUsername]

Thank you for your help! The other questions I have are:
Do you drive a car? I've heard that driving in London is difficult and many Americans use the public transportation. As someone who shops for the a hungry family and loads up at Costco, I can't imagine carrying several gallons of milk and everything else onto the bus or subway.
Also, I have an existing health condition, so is it easy to get a appointment with doctors? We'll have private health insurance, but I'm concerned about living with public heath care system.
Thanks again!

[trionetriathlon]

Originally Posted by SATXUsername

Thank you for your help! The other questions I have are:
Do you drive a car? I've heard that driving in London is difficult and many Americans use the public transportation. As someone who shops for the a hungry family and loads up at Costco, I can't imagine carrying several gallons of milk and everything else onto the bus or subway.
Also, I have an existing health condition, so is it easy to get a appointment with doctors? We'll have private health insurance, but I'm concerned about living with public heath care system.
Thanks again!

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.

Health care: You will need an address to sign up for NHS. I believe you need to find a surgery (translation: doctor's office) within your neighborhood. They are fabulous about appointments as well. Most of the time, I have been seen on the same day if not the next day when I have been ill. Also, doctors here do not keep patients waiting. The longest I have ever waited was 10 minutes and that was just once! No worries about chronic conditions. I do believe you can get the same medicines (at least I have been able to) here that you take in the US. Good to have that private insurance. You still have to pay for your medicines here (7.95 or there abouts) and you still need to sign up for NHS. If you need additional treatment, you have to ask your NHS GP for a private referral. I could be wrong, but that is what I have been told...

Good idea to set up banking before you leave; to get anything done, you will need a bank account. You will be given a 'sort code' and your account number after it. A lot of ex-pats use HSBC as you can have your funds in accounts both in US and UK. If you are being paid in pounds, great. If not, most recommend that you keep all of your money in your US account and transfer only what you need to UK each month. Transfer rate is quite painful; things are double for US folks! Oh well, it is a way to curb that spending!! Sticker shock is normal... London is a very expensive city to live in, especially if you are being paid in dollars!!! Not trying to freak you out, just trying to help you avoid shock

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

[trionetriathlon]

Originally Posted by seattlerain

My sister lives in the UK and she swears by this forum: UK Yankee Americans in the UK

Thanks Seattlerain! Love the web site!

[southdown]

Originally Posted by SATXUsername

Do you drive a car? I've heard that driving in London is difficult and many Americans use the public transportation. As someone who shops for the a hungry family and loads up at Costco, I can't imagine carrying several gallons of milk and everything else onto the bus or subway.

In the UK, I ordered online and had all my groceries delivered every week, and it was a spectacularly great service! I shopped at Sainsbury's but the other major supermarkets have home delivery services too (Tesco, Waitrose, ASDA etc).

Sainsbury's online groceries did free delivery if you spent £70 or more, and had the delivery on Monday-Thursday, otherwise cost £5 - which is still a bargain to me - as it saved me about 3 hours of shopping hell each week!

My tip to get started is to get the loyalty card for Sainsbury's from Nectar - help - newtonectar
but then do a physical shop to get to know all the products. By using the Nectar card when you pay and then registering it at the Sainsbury's website, all your purchases are recorded - so when you do your Sainsbury's shop online you go to 'my usuals' and there they all are! Saves hunting through the website looking for the different items.

I really miss that service - WHY doesn't it exist in Texas??????

PS I am sure there is Costco in UK, my mum shops there....here you go http://www.costco.co.uk/ maybe not in central London tho

[tokyomom]

The posts here are pretty helpful... bu I am looking for specific information for our family.

We are planning to move to London around summer... we are Indian family living in Tokyo since last five years... My son is 10 and daughter is 7... here are the questions i have:

1) I am looking for a good co-ed school for my son and daughter... My husband's office will be on Waterloo Rd.
2) I also need to know approximate spendings per month for the consumables like water, electricity, phone, internet and such... I could figure out my monthly grocery spendings refering to the sites mentioned in the earlier posts...
3) What are the payments to be made in order to rent an paartment? any deposits (how much)?
4) Are longterm rent apartments furnished? Do i've to arrange for my own appliences?

Any replies will be greatly appriciated.

[richt71]

Originally Posted by tokyomom

The posts here are pretty helpful... bu I am looking for specific information for our family.

We are planning to move to London around summer... we are Indian family living in Tokyo since last five years... My son is 10 and daughter is 7... here are the questions i have:

1) I am looking for a good co-ed school for my son and daughter... My husband's office will be on Waterloo Rd.
That's south east central but not sure on schools.
2) I also need to know approximate spendings per month for the consumables like water, electricity, phone, internet and such... I could figure out my monthly grocery spendings refering to the sites mentioned in the earlier posts...
Water about £20-£25 a month, Electric £80 a month, gas £25 a month, phone and internet a very veriable depending on the deal you want but competiive. To give you an idea phone rental starts at about £10 a month and internet the same. However they are very basics but you can pay up to £60 a month for unlimited UK calls, cheap international calls and the fastest broadband (20mps). You've also got council tax averages £100 a month but varies dependant on the size of your property. And lastly if you have a TV you must have a TV license (you get fined if you don't have one) for £160 a year.
All the prices I given are based on a 2 bed townhouse wih electric heating.
3) What are the payments to be made in order to rent an paartment? any deposits (how much)?
Most renting agents will require a bond (usually same as monthly rent) which is help securely until you leave. You get this back as long as you leave he place in the same standard as it was upon arrival. You may also need to pay 1 months rent upfront.
4) Are longterm rent apartments furnished? Do i've to arrange for my own appliences?
Yes you can get furnished appartments.
On appliances - even unfurnished appartments usually include most major appliances - cooker, fridge and washer.

Any replies will be greatly appriciated.

Hope that helps you.