Seriously thinking about leaving the UK - AIBU?

I suspect most other countries are just the same.

We are in the process of moving. Just bought a beautiful house. Both high rate tax payers although retiring in the next few years.

I think we would have retired overseas anyway but after Brexit, we thought sod that and we are off back into the EU. It helps that we have lived there already and in the USA so have experience of living overseas. Plus dh and dc have EU passports.

Not all countries get to make a choice. A lot of people have dual nationality giving them freedom of movement without the say so of the country they choose to move to. Yaboosucks.

The UK is utterly shit, but there are so many places that are so much shittier they make the UK look like the land of milk and honey.

You can thank whatever god you're hooked on you're not in their situation, ie so desperate to get into shitty UK and out of your current shit hole.

"I no longer see a happy, or particularly safe, future here. "

What is making you unhappy? What is making you feel unsafe? How are those things different in the country that you propose to go to?

Before running away, check what you are running to and whether the grass really is greener.

By all means point out to these magical facilities that have been improved solely because of en masse “expats”

It can be harder to find somewhere that caters for their needs though, and would they be entitled to benefits in their chosen country?

Good point. Where I live (growing city, East Anglia) could not be more different from West Dorset where my folks are !
Resources are far less strained and people seem happier .
Sadly, it comes at a cost and am priced out!

That always tickles me as well.

No tuition fees either - if you have kids at uni !
Big positive

I would encourage my DD to try different places but not emigrate totally. It’s good to travel and take advantage of all the good bits, but like the UK, everywhere has good and bad.

Does come across a bit like like”I’m alright, Jack!” Others aren’t so lucky with their environment and NHS experiences!

I would love to leave but at the minute I don't have specific skills or qualifications so I feel a bit trapped.

To say that people would be adding to other countries immigration is a bit silly, we are talking about legal migration with visa, desired skills etc.
The problem in the UK isillegal immigration. I don't know anyone who would have a problem with a skilled person from another country contributing and living in the UK on a visa.

I would love to live in Asia, I certainly wouldn't be put off living somewhere in a huge continent because today there was an earthquake in one area, that's a crazy way to live.

But they like the fact that the facilities in the town have been improved thanks to the golden geese laying golden eggs! They like the profits in the restaurants and clubs upped by the wealth retirees!

If you have the criteria for entry into a country where you speak the language, have the skills and experience to get a job to support yourself and have the kind of personality to wave family and friends goodbye, go for it!

Up to you.

This depends a lot on where you want to go and how much you’d be earning.

Life isn’t all sunshine and seaside in southern Europe, for example.

We moved to Montreal. DH is French Canadian although came to the UK on a scholarship for Uni. We both have French as our first language and have transferable jobs - DH a doctor and me a corporate financier.

We have now, in our mid 50’s taken early retirement. DT’s have graduated from Uni with one working in Amsterdam and one in Brussels.

@Alllll Not where I'd like to go.

If I was younger and healthy I would definitely leave to start somewhere else.

People with disabilities are allowed to choose where they live you know.

What about leaving your extended family? We have friends who are expats and when we speak to them all we hear is a diatribe about what's wrong with 'broken Britain' and then they start rambling on about how terrible it is where they are living (middle East). They've made a shed-load of cash but still not happy and to us appear rootless.

Like @sunshineheart we are in a village with a pub, shop, parish council, lovely people and absolutely beautiful countryside. A short bus ride to an historic Cathedral City and most importantly, half an hour away from our family and grandchildren. Where we live is viewed as a historically deprived area, not Home Counties chic!

I had serious health concerns last week, spoke to 111 then the next day had a GP appointment. I was referred to a specialist unit for tests and after a mammogram and ultrasound, was given the all clear. This all happened within a timescale of exactly seven days. I defy even private healthcare to have been more efficient and this was under the NHS.

Our grandchildren are educated in a lovely primary school, where they are thriving. Our son-in-law has done very well in the financial sector, working from home mainly, giving him time to take the children to school to ease the burden on our daughter who has a young baby to care for.

I agree the politics of the last decade or so have been terrible - both Conservative and Labour - we have experience of this first hand as public servants in the local government social services and education sector. But these good people in these services bash on regardless and aim to give the best service to the public they are able to. My experience this week proved this - everyone was professional and kind.

We all have choices, but ask yourself also why so many people want to come here? Also you take yourself with you wherever you go and face many of the same human challenges.

Retirees also push house prices up so locals can no longer buy, and create enclaves of British retirees. Some villages in France are almost exclusively retired foreigners.... not sure the locals appreciate that!

Lots of places won't take disabled immigrants. Not so inclusive and friendly now, are they?

That's in really poor taste.

Yes where is this Utopia?

Well it depends what you’re after, there isn’t a perfect country, so you need to really think about what genuinely matters, rather than just being reactive. You need to think about the skills you have to offer, are you in an okay position, do you need to upskill, so you need to re-qualify or can you directly transfer across. There are other things like housing, do you own, if so will you rent it out or sell it, do you have pets, if so it can be expensive to transport them so you need to have a decent amount of cash for that.