US or U.K. or Europe? Where to live

[Polestarsim]

We've been trying to buy a house in this insane market for over 2 years. This along with the U.K. seeming more and more unstable we've started to rethink if here is the best place for us to live. The government seems to simply not care and people are turning on each other for trying to access basics like healthcare and fuel rather than look at the central failings of the government. There seems to be no ability to forward plan.

So we've started to wonder if maybe we ought to move completely and start over. We can legally reside anywhere in the EU, U.K. or U.S. Where would you choose?

What do you do for work? Do you have children? Where are you we family / friends?

EU- avoid the US, and the UK is a shit hole, thanks to Brexit and overall aggregate stupidity

South Med, France and Germany offer a good quality of life for kids. Malta too

Good luck

@saltedcaramelanything Work is portable. There will be more/better opportunities for work in the US. Family and friends in all 3 with the least in Europe. 3 kids under 10.

I’d say the U.S., New England or California.

No chance I would move to the US, we had the chance 20 years ago and refused and I would refuse now even more. Very expensive healthcare, non existing safe gun laws, the shift to extreme conservatism and recent abortion discussions all mean I would avoid living there. I have some US friends who are in the UK thanks to European parent passports and none wants to move back.

Europe - it depends, all countries are different. But you need very good language skills. Even if lots of people speak English you are expected to know the host language to get around. I think Scandinavia or Finland are slightly different but Denmarks is moving towards a non-foreign friendly approach.

It can't be anywhere colder than here so that's Scandinavia out! The abortion laws in Texas are sickening but we wouldn't move to Texas.

France

As you have (rightly) issues with restricting access to healthcare, the US probably isn't the best place for you.

So that takes you to Europe.

I'd choose somewhere in the EU.

I’ve lived and worked in all three places. We have also has a rethink and are heading to Netherlands/France. I loved the US but we did have good health care. I feel most at home in Europe.

I've lived in all three and I would recommend EU. Of course it's a hugely personal choice but to me l European countries (France, Germany, Netherlands etc) have higher standards of living than US/UK. Plus depending on where you live you can travel to lots of different countries even for a day trip so you have a lot of freedom. I live in the NL and have been to France, Germany, Belgium etc for day trips/concerts/weekend getaways etc very cheaply

I lived in the USA, it's a very acquired taste! If you have a very high income you can live like kings no doubt but the cost of living is approximately double on average (does vary from expenditure to expenditure of course) and then there's healthcare, horrendous cost. The public schools are huge and not good beyond 12 unless you have a very sporty child.

The EU varies tremendously of course too, some countries are more open to outsiders moving there than others. Then there's the language issue and taxes are far higher.

I'm not sure where you live because the house market isn't insane across most of the U.K. I've sold and bought in the last year and it was fine

Why not just pay for private medical in the U.K. if that's a major worry? In the EU you pay more for healthcare and get more back but varies a lot, have French friends moaning about lack of gp access currently!

Do you all have EU passports? The visa situation since Brexit has been a nightmare, if you don’t, even if you can work anywhere. For example, you can’t get the “easiest” visa for Spain if you intend to work while you’re there; whether it’s remote or for an English company or whatever…

That’ll play a big part in where is possible for you.

I don’t blame you for wanting to go. I’d love to.

@TakeYourFinalPosition We all have 3 passports so that part isn't a limiting factor.

I'd choose a Scandinavian country in a heartbeat. They aren't all cold! Sweden has very similar weather to the uk and a great quality of life.

@BlijEi Would you mind sharing more about NL? It's somewhere I've only been on business trips. How are the schools?

Ahh that’s amazing, @Polestarsim! That’s our big hurdle. I wish I’d applied for a Spanish passport when I could have…

Canada or Europe would probably be top of my list. I lived just outside of Amsterdam for a while and that was amazing, such a good quality of life and the people are lovely. Sweden would be on my list to investigate too, although I’ve never been. I know a few people who live in Germany and are very settled, although I haven’t been there either.

The US would need some thinking for me, given some of their policies, but half of my colleagues have moved over and love it, so I wouldn’t rule it out (as a whole, some states would be out of the question!)

Forget about NL. There's no housing left...

Schools are good though, and under the age of 10 they would pick up the language in no time.

www.dutchnews.nl/news/2021/09/thousands-march-in-amsterdam-for-an-end-to-the-housing-crisis/

I live in the US and even though we're in a Red state where we definitely don't agree with the politics, I love it here. Housing costs are reasonable, lots to do outside of work, plenty of job opportunities. I don't like the schooling system and if we stay here once our child goes to school we may pay for an independent. I would prefer to be in a progressive state overall, they seem much better from a healthcare perspective.

I've lived in all three. With young children, I would say the EU but it depends which languages you all speak and how adaptable you think your children would be.

@dreamingbohemian I think my eldest (9) would struggle a fair bit with learning a new language but maybe I underestimate her. DH is fluent in several languages so he'd be fine. I'm sure I could get there eventually.

I've worked quite a bit in Sweden and that's definitely not the right place. It's usually about 7-10 degrees cooler than the U.K. and even darker than the U.K. I think it would be a very tricky place to make new friends as well.

I had a friend who moved to the USA for a new life, living the dream etc. She moved back within a year, her children were having nightmares after someone brought a gun into a neighbouring school and all the local schools got put into emergency lockdown. Her dd was diabetic and the medical costs there just to control her condition were astronomical , plus insurance on top of that. They lived in Texas then couldn’t settle there and after a tornado they moved to California and we’re very close to the wildfires a few years ago. I’d move to Northern Europe in a heartbeat

Op I'd forgotten somewhere where there are things to do in winter. I find UK winters really tough and boring. I'd go somewhere with summer sports, lakes to swim in or the sea and close to mountains perhaps for skiing etc in winter.

Also remember some eu states are more diverse and open than others each with very different distinctions.