Things to Consider When Moving to The UK

Lmatthewli88 on 08/04/2016 - 10:42

Hi everyone

My girlfriend and I are thinking about moving to the UK to live for a couple years before we come back to Australia to settle down and produce spawn. We aren't planning on going until mid-2017 but I want to be as prepared as possible before heading out there. It definitely does not help that 2016 will be a big year with wedding planning and a new job amongst other things.

I am an accountant by trade (CA) and was hoping to land some contracting accounting work while I'm over there. She is a registered pharmacist and was hoping to work at a pharmaceutical company while there. She can't work as a pharmacist in the UK as it will require 12 months study followed by a 12 months internship so she's willing to halt her career for the time being and spend some time in the industry side of the business. We are both in our mid 20's if that makes any difference to things.

What are things we will need to consider and plan for before we hop over there? We have done some very high level research and plan to do a lot more. I am definitely keen to make sure we have as many bases covered as possible before we go though.

tl;dr My girlfriend and I want to live in the UK for a couple years. What do we need to consider?

Travel

Comments

      • noramando on 16/04/2016 - 14:20

        Would you mind give me an insight on how to get Australian/UK nationality? Weatherwise it sounds like Melbourne already. No wonder why there is a lot of cockney there.

  • The Gent on 12/04/2016 - 11:11

    Unemployment is high, wages are low, but cost of living can be relatively low too.

    Shop at Aldi and Lidl for groceries.

    Asda has a "whoops" section which you can sometimes find cheap booze in if someone dropped it or something :)

    Pizza is an astronomical price in the UK - I remember about 5 years ago I ordered a meatlovers Dominoes pizza…it cost me 20 pounds.

    If you're taking savings over (I assume you are) and land a job that can support you, I would recommend buying nice things over there as they are sooooo much cheaper - everything from designer clothes to consumer electronics.

    Good luck, have fun :)

    • cockneylondoner on 12/04/2016 - 20:18

      Did you not get your Pizzas from Asda??? Two 10" pizzas each with a choice of four toppings for £4.00!!!!

    • [Deactivated] on 13/04/2016 - 13:20
      -1

      It is important to remember that prices are relative. Wages in the UK are the dollar equivalent. In other words if you do a job in Aus that pays $100k per year then in the UK it will pay 100 thousand pounds.
      That means that a 'meat lovers' in UK Domino will cost 19 pounds delivered, (at the local one I would go to) whereas my Aus local would charge me around $19 for the same size and quality delivered, which is the same relative to earnings.
      Therefore to be a tourist in the UK is expensive, but to live there is the same as here.

      • The Gent on 13/04/2016 - 14:20

        I lived there the first 19 years of my life, my friend - I can tell you Aussies have a more disposable income to buy the "extras" - phones, TVs, cameras, computers etc.

        And equivalent pizza delivered here would be around $8-$10

        • [Deactivated] on 17/04/2016 - 16:50

          Thank you. I lived there the first 50 years of my life.

        • The Gent on 18/04/2016 - 18:11

          @Ninjastud: What year did you move if you don't mind my asking?

          Also, wow I only just understood what you wrote saying a $100k wage here = 100K pounds in the UK…that is so far off.

          An example: my sister is working as a civil engineer in a nuclear power plant…she's making around 21k pounds a year (~$38-39,000). The median for a similar job here would be a little less than double that, sitting at ~$75k.

          Source.

        • [Deactivated] on 20/04/2016 - 07:40

          @The Gent: The average wage in the UK in January 2016 was 498 pounds per week.
          The average wage in Australia was $1145.
          That very close to exactly the same.
          Certain jobs will obviously be paid more here that the UK and vice versa, depending on a number of factors.

        • The Gent on 20/04/2016 - 15:36

          @Ninjastud: I read those stats a little differently.

          UK - $917 AUD

          Aussie-$1145

          Difference: $228/week which is quite significant, especially when one considers the massive population difference and the percentage of people who would need to be below Australia's average wage to cause that disparity.

          When did you move?

  • cockneylondoner on 12/04/2016 - 19:59

    There is something you should know if you're going to discuss sport with us Pomms. We are a compassionate country and try to help out our Colonial Cousins whenever we can, so for them to save face back home we very often allow the Aussies to 'beat us' in things like cricket. We can't do that all of the time, after all we did invent the game, so on occasions we feel duty bound to show you how the game should be played.
    I hope this helps to explain things - lol

  • TrafalgarSean on 12/04/2016 - 20:10

    Recommendations on sites to use to find accommodation and work? My partner and I are heading over to the UK to work next year as well.

    • cockneylondoner on 12/04/2016 - 22:04

      Others will be more equipped than me to answer your question but there's plenty of advice above to get you started.
      One thing I would suggest (and recommend) you do is before you land on our shores on an, albeit, semi permanent basis is to take an extended holiday here to decide if you want too, or indeed can afford, to live here. It has been stated recently that London is the second most expensive place in the world to buy a property which of course is reflected in rental costs. Property costs outside of London are cheaper but one would have to factor in the cost of getting to and from work (for instance).
      Another important point that must be considered is that Australian qualifications are not always transferable (or visa versa for that matter) so although one might enjoy a good salary in Australia this is by no means certain to be the case in the UK.

      It was stated above that we have high unemployment, this is not the case. The number of people currently unemployed and, significantly, LOOKING FOR WORK is the lowest it has been for decades. What we are suffering from is a skills shortage.

      I hope you'll find my posting interesting.

      • TrafalgarSean on 15/04/2016 - 23:39

        I have visited London quite a lot but I usually just stay in the hostels and explore. But this time around I want to actually work and live there. I guess I shod ask what are the safe suburbs and which are the ones to avoid?

    • spacemansam on 14/04/2016 - 00:33
      +1

      I'd recommend www.spareroom.co.uk and www.zoopla.co.uk

      Places normally go within 48-72 hours of them being posted so if there's something you like the look of, contact the agent/landlord ASAP. If you're looking to go into a sharehouse, prices are fairly reasonable for double room (can be less than £200 pw) if you're looking for a 1 bedroom flat its more likely to be closer to £350-£400pw. If you're ok with a small space, you can get a studio for £1000 per month (which is what my husband and I are doing).

      I also listed some Facebook pages on my blog that might also be useful for accommodation
      https://poonannsontour.wordpress.com/2016/02/02/the-ultimate…

      Good luck with it all!

      • TrafalgarSean on 15/04/2016 - 23:37

        That blog is amazing thank you!

  • Mysterious Laptop on 12/04/2016 - 20:52

    I hope you and your wife have considered where you are going to stay when you arrive there, and when you come back. By the sound of your post it seems to be sorted, here in Australia and over in the UK. Lucky man, with his free properties.

  • Starcraftmazter on 12/04/2016 - 22:08

    Probably the most stupidly politically correct country in the world.

    • [Deactivated] on 20/04/2016 - 07:41

      Probably right.

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