Ex Pat Returning To UK And Renting Questions.
Dieselsmoke
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Age: 78
Gender: Male
Posts: 63
Location: Here 'n there.
Hi folks.
I'm single.... healthy.....divorced 10 years....67 y/o and have my own shop (rented.) European automotive business.
I am imagining I shall return to the UK from the US in about 5 years or so. Lost everything in the divorce including lawyer fees. She took my home and spent $143,000 of our money, so I have little to my name even after ten years.
I estimate I should have about $12,000 to $16,000 to take to the UK by then.
I will need to rent a inexpensive studio or 1 bed flat. Location immaterial. Cost will be a priority.
My income will be around $1300.00 a month. ..may be slightly more depending on pension adjustments.
My question is aimed at those of you in the UK. I would like information on cost of living and council tax etc.
I see many UK apartments at or around 300.00 pounds GB . This I could afford.
What do I need to pay monthly utilities ? I live a quiet life and frugal. Any information you can give me would be helpful and appreciated.
regards
ds
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Dieselsmoke
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Age: 78
Gender: Male
Posts: 63
Location: Here 'n there.
Thank you for your interest....
Anywhere, Wales, Scotland, Devon, Cornwall....no preference.
..around 800.
Will have a motorcycle so preferably not in town.
Cold doesn't bother me as much as the last two summers here in Oklahoma.
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It completely depends on the area. Generally speaking, Southern England is more expensive for housing. Northern England is cheaper. Scotland is cheaper still. I have no experience of Wales or NI.
Then there's the huge price difference between urban and rural settings. In a city such as Edinburgh you might pay a minimum of, say, £400 per month for a small single room in a shared flat. In a rural Scottish village you could rent a whole cottage for that amount. I speak from experience. I can't speak for the other areas of the UK as I have not rented there but I know that in places such as London the prices are through the roof.
Personally if I had the choice I would live somewhere really rural. Not only is it cheaper but it's also nicer to be away from all the jabbering NTs. But it depends on how you feel about isolation. Are you somebody who wants to be away from all the crowds?
Dieselsmoke
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Age: 78
Gender: Male
Posts: 63
Location: Here 'n there.
Personally if I had the choice I would live somewhere really rural. Not only is it cheaper but it's also nicer to be away from all the jabbering NTs. But it depends on how you feel about isolation. Are you somebody who wants to be away from all the crowds?
Prefer isolated areas. I think I would make a great Robinson Crusoe. Tropical island and forget Friday.
Okay, what's with this 'Council Tax' ? just another name for 'rates' ?...and who has to pay it?
I'd be fine in a studio flat or 1 bed flat. I would also like to find a part time job doing what I do now, European vehicle specialist...VW/Audi and Mercedes electronics and drivability analysis and troubleshooting.
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Dieselsmoke
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Age: 78
Gender: Male
Posts: 63
Location: Here 'n there.
Welcome home.
Interesting. How much do you have coming in, if it's not a too personal question ? (Americans ask you this all the time !)
Thanks for the welcome...will be in a couple or four years from now so nothing set in stone.
\I visit every year...East Anglia and Somerset. Spent three weeks there last June and rented a iLoad panel van.. Hells bells, the diesel was close to $9.00 a gallon !
Good job the van made 34 mpg. I drove over 1800 miles. I had heard the country was saturated in foreigners, but I saw very few people I would call non native.
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Council Tax is (I thnk) what used to be 'rates' - your share of the cost of communal services provided by the local council & it's based on the value of your property. You get a single person discount of 25% but amounts are set by the council for your area.
Personally I think you're in a much better position to live cheaply if you're not tied to major centres, as you can get some lovely places to live in rural or semi-rural settings which just can't attract enough commuters to drive up rental costs.
If you do want to do some p/t work then you may want to not be too remote; Audi/Merc customers are more often found in richer areas/towns/cities & as you said fuel costs are much higher than in the US.
Don't have much experience of the South, but North Wales, Northern England (Yorkshire, Northumbria, less costly parts of Cumbria) & Western Highlands & Islands of Scotland have so many wonderful scenic places to live. If you don't like rain the South would be better though. Worst case you could come & try one location & move on if it didn't suit you, renting allows much more flexibility that way. I wish you all the best in your search!
Dieselsmoke
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Age: 78
Gender: Male
Posts: 63
Location: Here 'n there.
Thanks for the input Nier. Everything right now is subject to what happens in the near future.
I have had my workshop here in Oklahoma for 22 years. One man operation, obviously.
Have a wealth of customers who come for maintenance and other work so I don't need to quit.
In fact, the thought of leaving and going to the UK after 30 years fills me with dread. I'm fine on a visit, but the permanent part is what I fear. Learning to be a Brit again along with all the interactions that make living and knowing your needs and where and what I would be expected to know.
Like....... a library card......where to find a doctor........ where to go for dental work....... bus pass, all that people who have grown up there in the last 30 years take for granted.
I guess it's fear of the unknown. The reason I am doing this research now is to be prepared should I loose my shop.....which is where I live too in my 40ft RV.
Let me explain.....after 22 years here, my landlords died. He/she told me that I could rent for as long as I wanted and for the same rent no matter how long that may be. Dan and his wife became good friends, knew my AS condition .
All maintenance of the building is done by me as a way of appreciation. I fact the two other guys, in the three buildings of this plot ...we all fix everything ourselves from ground work to plumbing and electrical.
For 22 years here I have never had a rent receipt or a contract. The rent has been the same too.
It has been a gentleman's agreement and an original handshake. Never missed a payment and never had them worry me, although they might come by once every few years for a visit on their way to OKC. His wife visited a little more often as she had a troublesome Cadillac !
He died 5 years ago and she died 2 months ago. So now I have to wait on the family's decisions of what they might do with the property. The daughter inherited the property.
I paid her three months advance and she lives 200 miles away.
Now I know your gonna argue I should have done this in a business like manner with paper work an all, but things like this are common in rural farming Oklahoma.
Now I feel in limbo. So I think it's time to be prepared to move. My proposed action would be to auction off everything here with a local auction company who's owner is a customer with a VW. Of course even starting now all this would take around two months as I have other work here in hand to complete .
The terror I feel when I look at what's ahead is almost tangible. I know it has to come sooner or later but I'm the worlds worst procrastinator.
Thank you all for your observations and ideas, please keep them coming.
regards
dk
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You could easily be paying double the rent in London no joke.
Actually sometimes it is better to be outside the suburban belt, because it is actually faster to get into town. Paradoxical but true.
I would research areas of the UK that have appeal. Like other have said the North is cheaper, however some places are becoming popular, the prices are going up.
I would also contact the citizens advice bureau or similar such organizations.