Thinking of relocating to Orlando area (Winter Park, Winter Garden: real estate, insurance, vacation)

[adavies]

Hi, I am thinking of relocating my family from the UK to Orlando. We have visited several times and the idea of moving permanently becomes more appealing after each trip! We stay in Hampton Lakes, Davenport when we visit and understand the area to be friendly, with a good mix of UK expats so would appreciate any info and recommendations that anyone could give me. My kids are 8 and 10 so info on schools in the area would also be really helpful too. I understand it would be better to have a job before moving and as I work for a US bank (with many offices in Florida), it's not unreasonable to think it could be possible to transfer. We'd like to stay for 2 years at first and rent out our home in the UK (not cutting ties just yet!) and would look to rent in Davenport for that time. Are we just in the holiday mood or would a move to Orlando be the best thing we ever did? Any info and advice would be very welcome!!

[Prichard]

That's going to be a difficult to for those of us who have never lived in the UK to advise. I can't imagine just picking up and moving to the UK with my family to live. I know that Davenport has many x-pat English and Irish living in and around that area. I suppose that it's no more expensive, perhaps even less, to live in Florida than the UK. Wages are probably lower as well and you will have to pay all of your own insurance and medical expenses, unless you have an awsome executive position with a large company.

Be careful of buying houses that haven't been built yet - seems that English x-pats get duped more often than others into signing really bad contracts with really bad builders that promise the world and deliver nothing.

[UnitedKingdom]

Originally Posted by adavies

Hi, I am thinking of relocating my family from the UK to Orlando. We have visited several times and the idea of moving permanently becomes more appealing after each trip! We stay in Hampton Lakes, Davenport when we visit and understand the area to be friendly, with a good mix of UK expats so would appreciate any info and recommendations that anyone could give me. My kids are 8 and 10 so info on schools in the area would also be really helpful too. I understand it would be better to have a job before moving and as I work for a US bank (with many offices in Florida), it's not unreasonable to think it could be possible to transfer. We'd like to stay for 2 years at first and rent out our home in the UK (not cutting ties just yet!) and would look to rent in Davenport for that time. Are we just in the holiday mood or would a move to Orlando be the best thing we ever did? Any info and advice would be very welcome!!

Hi, I am originally from Orlando, and then got a job in UK last year 2006, in UK, Lytham Lancashire for exactly a year, and now back to Orlando.

If you can afford to buy a house around 300K which is only 150K BPS, you can get a house in Dr Phillips area, and the size of the house is three times bigger than a house in UK, backyard, front yard, garage, and rooms in the house, and school for your 8 and 10 in the area is good, crime is nothing to worry, YMCA is in the area too. Everything in Orlando is half the price in UK, utility bills (gas, electric, phone, cable, cell phone, car gas, food, car insurrance), and if you get a same pay as you get in UK, so it is definitely a good move, shopping in Orlando is tripple pleasure, I mean shopping time, price, and number of items, 2 Wal-Marts are in the neighborhood, 24 hours, it means 24 hours, not like Tesco in UK, 24 hours, but close at 10 on Saturday, and 4 on Sunday, return policy at Wal-Mart not like Curry Digital or PC World, one time I bought a PC Link Router for my computer, even I got a confirmation from the store that I could return it if it is not the right one, it still costed me 5 BPS, 10 dollars, because I made a circle mark on the box, around the type of the device, due to store could not resale it as an unopen/no mark box. I don't know about property tax/real estate tax in UK, but in Dr Phillips area, it would cost around 300 dollars for the tax, health care is another thing, which you don't pay in UK. Freeway/Motoway is another pleasure in US, you make a wrong turn, it only costs you 10 minutes, out and in, not like in UK, it took an hour to correct a wrong turn due to lacking of exits and ramps to enter. About crime, Lytham is kind of safe area, you can find the same atmostphere in Dr Phillips area. The air probably not as good as in Lytham, but not too bad. I am glad to be back to States than I never ever found before.

[val17]

Hi there. Just moved to Florida from after 3 years in Spain, but am Uk born bred and lived there for the first 50 years of my life. I am struggling to like anything about it. The traffic is horrendous and there seems to be no heart to the place just depressing theme Malls and tacky chain restaurants. I guess I just love the European way of life. with smaller intimate shops cafes and bars. I was excited about the prospect of a good library but found the downtown area full of down and outs. I am no shrinking violet and lived in Hackney in London before it was smart when it was not very safe, but at least it had a sense of community with multi ethnic shops and a sense of history. I think I may also have some visa problems as although my partner and I have been together for 15 years we are not married... Ironic i have just come from a country where I could not find a job but could have worked to somewhere where I could find a job but cant work.. so much for the "special relationship " between England and USA! i am trying to be optimistic but even the rain of England looks inviting at the moment. We are trying to find a rental at the moment in Winter Park which is near a bit more culture. I guess it just depends what you are looking for! Dont sell that house in UK yet I might want to rent it from you!!.. good luck though Val

[kinglouix]

Originally Posted by val17

Hi there. Just moved to Florida from after 3 years in Spain, but am Uk born bred and lived there for the first 50 years of my life. I am struggling to like anything about it. The traffic is horrendous and there seems to be no heart to the place just depressing theme Malls and tacky chain restaurants. I guess I just love the European way of life. with smaller intimate shops cafes and bars. I was excited about the prospect of a good library but found the downtown area full of down and outs. I am no shrinking violet and lived in Hackney in London before it was smart when it was not very safe, but at least it had a sense of community with multi ethnic shops and a sense of history. I think I may also have some visa problems as although my partner and I have been together for 15 years we are not married... Ironic i have just come from a country where I could not find a job but could have worked to somewhere where I could find a job but cant work.. so much for the "special relationship " between England and USA! i am trying to be optimistic but even the rain of England looks inviting at the moment. We are trying to find a rental at the moment in Winter Park which is near a bit more culture. I guess it just depends what you are looking for! Dont sell that house in UK yet I might want to rent it from you!!.. good luck though Val

You hit the nail right on the head. There isn't even a single british pub in Orlando, unless you want to pay $7 a pint a cricketers arms. I suggest anyone thinking of moving to Orlando spend a month or so here first, because people assume Orlando is something it's not because of the theme parks and then find out over time just how incredibly little this area has to offer.

[the9thwonder]

Yes, spend some time here FIRST. I regret moving to Orlando.

[xgemaxmwahx]

hi, we moved over to orlando from manchester 4years ago. First we rented in UK and had a holiday home here while the market was good to buy (like it is again now) and then we bought a business and moved across. You should talk to your company and see if you could transfer across over here.

[cfIfan]

Hi there, well as someone who moved here over 5 years ago from the UK (Kent) i love it, and always loved coming here which i used to do 3/4 times a year. But be careful, living somewhere is completely different to vacationing somewhere but from my point of view i would never move back to the UK. I would say to the posters who moved here and hate it and complain about the tacky restaurents and chain stores, did you not know this when you used to visit, and also if you choose to live in the tourist area you will have these stores. I live in a beautiful area of Windermere/Winter Garden and we have some nice independent stores. I would deffinatly recommend checking with your company first to see if its an option, because if not the only other route you would have would be to buy a business. If it does all go through, i would consider buying a holiday home here so you can come and stay for 3 months in your own home and see what you think of living here full time. I have a number of clients that do this and if it doesnt work out, they rent out the property and use it to vacation in. If you need and more info about living here from a Brits point of view or on how i went through the immigration process feel free to ask me, for my UK clients, i would be happy to call you also to have a chat about it all and give you any info you might need.

Best of luck

Nick