Is the UK worth moving to or not? very confused!!!

I personally have never lived in the UK - but hope to enter on a YMV this summer if all goes well, but I have been six times for very lengthy visits and feel that while I did not work or have to pay bills, I got a good feel of where you should and shouldn't live.

I hate to point this out, but a lot of people who have posted with negative experiences have lived in London. Rule number one is DO NOT LIVE IN LONDON. Not unless you, like that one poster said, work for rent and that's it.

England is wonderful, and Wales is remarkable. If you want to try it out, I'd suggest a smaller city like Chester or Bristol, or somewhere in Wales. Wales is said to be much cheaper, but that's just what I've heard.

Don't look into London only. London is only a small fraction of the UK. You will be amazed at what is out there when you expand and explore the country more. Now whenever someone asks me to recommend places in the UK to visit, almost none of them are in London.... first off its costly. Secondly everyone's done everything in London. Look further afield and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Of course you need to keep in mind the job market in these towns, but really, if you're lookin for "something different" I think the sacrifices in pay and whatnot are worth it. Thats what adventure is made of... not knowing for sure just how great it can be - or just how great you can make it.

Good luck and I hope you choose UK. It has a lot to offer for the people willing to work and look for it

I have to agree with Erin - Most Canadians (as well as Aussies, Kiwis and South Africans on YMV's) seem to move to London and seem to believe that it's impossible to find work and exist outside of London.

London is really not a very nice city at all in my opinion - like all capital cities it suffers from sky-high prices compared to the rest of the country.
Aside from the prices, it doesn't have a lot going for it - it takes over an hour to get from one side of the city to another, it's very densely populated and the people are obnoxious and rude. Rush hour is an absolute nightmare, especially in places like Waterloo, Kings Cross or anywhere on the tube for that matter. Remember there isn't the room to spread out and build like in Canada so it feels very claustrophobic.

Cities such as Bristol (south-west) and Leeds (north) have been redeveloped over the past ten years and have built large financial service sectors, so they offer just as many opportunities for administrative office work if that's what you're after. They are also just much cleaner, spread out and greener cities to live in and the people MUCH friendlier as a result.
You also have Edinburgh and Manchester as options.

It just irritates me when all people talk about is London. London is NOTHING like the rest of the UK, and this is why English people can often be heard half-joking that it is a separate country in itself. I just don't understand why anyone would want to live in London.

Re; the cost of England. OUTSIDE OF LONDON the prices for virtually EVERYTHING is considerably cheaper than Canada. Food is much cheaper - you can easily live well on £20 a week for food/groceries as there is so much supermarket competition here prices are rock-bottom. Alcohol is probably 50%+ cheaper. You can get cans of beer in Tesco for about 80p each if you find the deals, and even if you can't you can buy exceptionally high quality microbrewed ales or even German/Belgian imported beer for about £1.70 a large bottle (over 1 pint). Decent wine for £4 a bottle. Cheap vodka, whisky starts around 8£ for 750ml.
Transport is cheaper - Megabus.com offers dirt cheap bus and train tickets for inter-city travel. You can pick up tickets for £2 or £3 if you book ahead for 4 or 5 hour journeys. Much cheaper than Greyhound and the terrible train services in Canada.
Air travel: Ryanair and Easyjet you can pick up tickets with these airlines for sometimes £10 one way from UK to cities on the mainland. Bristol to Morocco is currently £20 each way. Infinitely better than Westjet or anything North America has to offer.

NHS: Yes, it has some problems (that are usually over-played in the media), but it's a billion times better than the 'health care' system in the US and it's universal and free (just a small contribution each week from your salary, something like £5 in the low tax bracket), so generally is better than Canada. Prescription costs are about 7 quid in England for any medicine you need and completely free in Wales and Scotland. Painkillers like tylenol and ibuprofen can be found in shops for 20p a packet. So about 500-1000% cheaper than Canada.

Convenience; England has shops selling ready made sandwiches, baguettes even sushi from about £1 on virtually every street corner. That just doesn't exist in Canada. You have to hunt around malls to fork out 6$ for an equivalent snack. So again it's probably about 500% cheaper and more readily available.
Post Offices; UK post-offices don't just send mail for you, they also change money (at the best rates, commission free), change travellers cheques (again, commission-free) offer travel insurance etc etc.

As for salaries, bear in mind the pound is weak at the moment compared to the Canadian dollar, that is doing well from oil exports and hasn't been affected nearly as much as the UK in the recession as a result. This makes it appear that salaries are lower because the exchange rate is abnormally low at the moment. For example, 2 years ago you got $2.50 for £1.00, now its around $1.50 to the pound. So it may seem that salaries are low here - they are not, because it's all relative to how much the cost of living is in the UK. The prices reflect the salaries, and the UK is still considerably cheaper than Canada in virtually every area other than leasing or buying property. Even then, the cheap food, medicine/health care, alcohol and transport makes up for it.

In conclusion I wouldn't base your research solely on London - talk to people who live outside of London in wonderful cities like Bristol and Leeds. Yes, the economy is bad right now, but depending on your qualifications/experience you still have as good as chance as anywhere in getting a job. If you aren't fussy you will definitely find work. It really depends on what you want to do and what you enjoy.

For what it's worth, I came over to the UK in September 2010. I work for a UK-based company, so getting a job wasn't a problem. I'm also a dual-citizen and all my mother's side of the family is here, so the UK's always been like a second home anyway.

While I didn't have to look for a job and go through interviews, I did have to negotiate a salary. As most people have said, generally, you will be paid less for the same job you held back in Canada. I researched salaries for my position in the UK prior to making the move and negotiated accordingly. I'm getting a little less than I asked for, but the company is also paying a little more than they initially offered, so I'm happy both sides are satisfied. I'm also fortunate to have good bosses and a little more is coming my way in the not-too-distant future.

As others have said, some things are more expensive (like gas/petrol), but generally I'd say booze is cheaper, and the big grocery stores have some good deals (or on offer as they say here). Also, smaller "no-name" stores like Aldi and Lidl can be good for less expensive purchases.

I haven't had much exposure to the NHS other than registering with a doctor's office ("Surgery"), but it seems at least on par with healthcare in Ontario (I actually think you get a little more here than Ontario).

Council tax and utility rates aren't bad for me, but I'm a single occupant and get a reduction on my council tax.

Someone else mentioned getting information can be difficult. It can be, but I think it's just a different way of going about it. I needed travel insurance for a snowboarding trip recently, and apparently couldn't get coverage because I hadn't yet been resident 6 months (I'd been here 5), so I called the insurance carrier. Was initially told, "there's nothing we can do", but once I politely explained my details was told there was another option and 5 minutes later had my travel insurance. If you encounter some difficulty in this regard, I'd suggest keeping your patience (which is hard I know!) and explain your situation and ask for guidance; I do think most people try to help.

You can drive up to 12 months on your Canadian license in the UK. They have separate licenses for standard and automatic transmission here, unlike Ontario (don't know about other provinces).

I don't want to drone on anymore than I already have, but happy to offer any help I can to anyone considering moving to the UK, so feel free to drop me a line.

P.S. There ARE hockey teams over here, I play for one and it's only about a 20 minute drive to the rink!

Matt

I was born in the UK and emigrated over 20 years ago, I presently live in Alberta. I have family in Wales and return every year sometimes twice or three times and absolutely love being there. I would like to return to the UK to live (fed up of Alberta winters), but my greatest concern is how prevalent ageism is in the UK. I am in my 50s, have a university education and loads of experience as an Executive Assistant. I subscribe to TotalJobs.com which is a fabulous website, and there are plenty of jobs I could do. However my age is a concern in that I would not be considered, because when you complete a job application in the UK you have to disclose your age, which is actually illegal but they seem to get away with it. As some of you are working over there, do you get any sense that this is in fact the case? My family isn't much help in this department as they work mostly in education which is not my field. I would really appreciate some feedback as I have been struggling with this decision for several years. I have a home in Wales and returning there is something I very much want to do, but I also need to work. I will be giving up a very good job, my home, car and possessions, but my need to return to Wales is greater than all of this combined. Feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

That is such a hard question, motivators for moving abroad are quite personal. Also I used to find London too overwhelming and could only take it max 3 days at a time. Then after years of visiting I ended up really loving the city. Now I consider myself so lucky to live in this amazing city.

I always wanted the experience of living abroad (and didn't feel I was equipped for a language struggle, nor the distance New Zealand would bring).

Yes there are differences here from North America, that is part of the fun, and sometimes a frustration. Learning how to sort out utilities and the day to day grind can be exhausting and 4 years on I am still learning how things work here.

There are also advantages, so many great places to travel so near, pretty cheap flights (shame about the value of the pond). England is fascinating, rich in history and it is an experiences you won't forget.

When I read your email the first thing I think is you are pretty settled where you are and don't seem very committed to leaving what you have built up. My suggestion for you is maybe to try and find a way to have the experience without giving up what you have built up where you are. For example a sabbatical (for a year or 6 months even) or some other way you could come over for months rather than weeks.

Michelle
www.bluenosegirl.com

We've lived here for five years and are moving back to Canada this Spring and absolutely can't wait. The number one thing people here ask us when we say we are Canadian is "Why would you leave there to live here?" We've had a lot of fun experiences and a lot of bad experiences and in a nutshell, if I had to do it over, I wouldn't come.
We live in greater London and find the whole area expensive and crowded and the people so cross. People shout at each other on the street and honk their horns at the slightest provocation.
It's been a real adjustment.
We love the architecture and the history but really hate the education system which takes itself far too seriously (and we value education!) , making young kids write oodles of tests and do heaps of homework. It is far too much to be sensible.
So we go home lighter of pocket and with some nice memories and a greatly enhanced appreciation of life in Canada.
Great place to visit. Wouldn't want to live here...

We did what you are considering. We gave up solid, well paying jobs, sold our lovely detached Victorian and took our wee children with us to England. In less than six months we have: settled our children in English schools, acquired family doctor, dentist, bought a house and had our first Uk family vacation. We've done a lot in a very short space of time but it's been all done with deep waffling in emotions. Did we make the right move? Yes, if you think that if we hadn't we'd be left with what if? No, if you consider how much security we have blown away. If you move, where you move is also important. London is wonderful but very expensive. We chose a mid size town. Helped us figure out things faster that way, since more people are friendlier than in an urban city, just as in Canada. Politically and economically, England is suffering no doubt, but we haven't let that bog us down. Listen to CBC almost every day to provide some reality checks and realize similar economic woes exist in Canada. Not surprisingly, as the economy suffers the anti-immigration sentiments become frequent. I do get the sense that people here think I'm taking a job away from someone( although I'm a British subject by decent) but seem to forget that British immigrants to Canada, are doing the same thing to Canadians. One thing is undeniable for us: the landscape is unbeatable. Yes, Canada has some breathtaking landscapes, but it takes so long to get to it. Quick

weekend trips are very possible. I have spent some time in San Francisco, and think it's one of the
best cities to live in in the US. For me, it's the most liberal vibe, but the poverty and racial
inequality is still pretty shocking. So a move to England will be a shock because it is not always
liberal, definitely not sunny, though mild, and does have a fairly efficient NHS system. Not sure if
any of this helps, but just wanted to let you know that if you have the money, you can live here
comfortably. Houses are smaller, unless you have a lot of money and people are always everywhere. But it's the culture, history and doorstep to Europe that is the driving force behind
most expat moves I have found. You just have to ask yourself if that's enough for you. If you can't
get a clear answer, as we couldn't, then a move would definitely give you that answer you seek. Best of luck.