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My husband has been approached about taking a position in the Surrey County area of the UK. We would be moving from Texas in the US and I have a lot of questions!
I'm not concerned about a work visa or anything related to his job. His employer has said that they would coordinate all that paperwork. My concern is the logistics of moving a household "across the pond"
We have dogs. Would it be difficult to bring them to the UK? I'm not talking about the flight. I'm more interested in knowing if other than an international health certificate if there are other requirements. Also, is there a quarantine requirement?
I can't find a cost of living converter from US to UK that makes much sense. If he earns $125,000 in the US, can anyone give me a general amount (either USD or percentage base) he would need to earn for us to retain the same standard of living as we enjoy right now?
We would probably rent for the first year until we get a feel for where we would want to live. As I said, we have dogs. Is there much of a problem renting with animals (we have 3 dogs)? We really would prefer a single family home with a nice sized yard (garden) to renting a flat. Am I being realistic?
All of our electronics - Televisions, cordless phones, DVR, computers, printers...etc - can we use them in the UK without frying them out? Would we be better off selling them here and buying new when we get there?
Finally, I'd prefer a more rural setting to an urban one. Is that possible in this area of the UK without subjecting my husband to a 2 hour commute?
I certainly appreciate any insight anyone can give. Thanks so much
Your dogs will need "passports" (implanted microchips) see Defra, UK - Animal health and welfare - Pet Travel Scheme Your standard of living isn't going to be the same as the US - some aspects may be not so good, others may be better eg houses are smaller (it's a crowded island) but flights to Europe are dirt cheap and you will likely have more vacation time - 4 weeks per year is typical. Having 3 dogs will make finding a place more difficult but not impossible. Check your electronics to see if they say something like "input 120-240V". If so they will be ok. Finding a rural setting should not be a problem - see Neighbourhood Statistics for UK | UpMyStreet (http://www.upmystreet.com/local/neighbours-in-uk.html - broken link)
Surrey has some very nice villages close to railway stations, but is probably one of the most expensives areas of the UK to live. Try a few rail journeys on here: National Rail Enquiries
Renting with three dogs will be tough. Have a look on www.rightmove.co.uk for rentals. None of your electronic goods will work, but new stuff is cheap nowadays.
You will need to do some pretty extensive studying/figuring to see if the move makes sense.
Replacement of most (or all) electronics - UK has different power (220/50 cycle vs. 110/60 cycle in the US). TV's have different scanning schemes. You can log on to Currys to get an idea of prices.
Car prices are higher in the UK (and not just for petrol). Do a search on new/used car prices in the UK. Petrol (best guess) will run over $6.50 US gallon.
Depedning on how you move, you will need furniture, lamps, kitchen gadgets, pots/pans, dinner ware.
Clothing is more expensive in England.
you will lead a different lifestyle and have the chance to see a lot. When I lived there, saw a lot of England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, etc...so you need to look at the move as a cultural experience...even if part of that culture is sitting in a pub on Sunday watching proper football...
My husband has been approached about taking a position in the Surrey County area of the UK. We would be moving from Texas in the US and I have a lot of questions!
I'm not concerned about a work visa or anything related to his job. His employer has said that they would coordinate all that paperwork. My concern is the logistics of moving a household "across the pond"
We have dogs. Would it be difficult to bring them to the UK? I'm not talking about the flight. I'm more interested in knowing if other than an international health certificate if there are other requirements. Also, is there a quarantine requirement?
All of our electronics - Televisions, cordless phones, DVR, computers, printers...etc - can we use them in the UK without frying them out? Would we be better off selling them here and buying new when we get there?
Finally, I'd prefer a more rural setting to an urban one. Is that possible in this area of the UK without subjecting my husband to a 2 hour commute?
I certainly appreciate any insight anyone can give. Thanks so much
Check out this site and see if it gives you useful information re the dogs. I think you should be able to take them with you without difficulty, but you could contact DEFRA for more information: Defra, UK - Wildlife and pets
You will need to get all new electronics. The voltage will be different as will all the pins and wall sockets. Also, lightbulbs are totally different so don't even pack any lamps.
Parts of Surrey are very rural but as someone already said, it's one of the most expensive counties in UK to rent or buy. Where in Surrey will your husband be working - you might be able to live "across the border" in a another county for a bit less?
None of your electronic goods will work, but new stuff is cheap nowadays.
We lived in Texas for 1-2 years and brought back quite a few US electrical goods and have used transformers/converters (step-down to 110v) to make them work here - Kitchen Aid food mixer, slow cooker, blender all plugged in one in kitchen, fridge freezer and washer in another in the garage. Look on ebay for the transformers - very simple!
DM me if you'd like more info on UK life - I am in Brighton but rural Surrey is just up the road from me!
Thank you everyone for all of the excellent advice, links and information. My husband's job would be in Camberley so I think we would have some flexability on where to live.
I did have to laugh about one thing. I was looking at residential rental listings to get a feel for the prices. I was pleasantly surprised at first glance. Even after converting dollars to pounds, it looked like we would be able to afford a very nice rental with no problem. Except......didn't realize that the listed prices were a PER WEEK RATE
Yes ...I'm learning....
Thank you all for the excellent info. Reps to all of you!
You will find that Surrey is VERY expensive to live as its where most of the high earners in the city live as its easily commutable.
Think of a very pleasant area within easy commute distance to Manhattan and there you have the reason its so expensive.
However, from the times I've been down there its a very nice area with little crime and poverty. Should you end up in a village you'll quite likely end up that English countryside life you're probably after.
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