To leave UK due to weather and cost of living

[Blossompink]

We are absolutely fed up of this constant cold, wet and dreary weather and are seriously thinking it's time to leave the UK. It's not just the weather which is making us miserable but also the cost of living is just ridiculous simply trying to keep the house warm and do simple tasks like drying clothes outside.

We are late 50's, no mortgage, have some savings, but would probably need to have an holiday let type set up to bring some money in or a small business.

AIBU to have had enough of life in the UK and want to move elsewhere?

Of course you can move if you want to but if you want it to be successful then you need to come up with some sort of plan otherwise it's just a pipe dream. The cost of living has gone up everywhere,not just the UK. Do you speak any other languages?

Where would you like to go?

Have you considered the practicalities of whether you are eligible to live in another country? Can you speak another language? Setting up a business in a foreign country may be very different to the UK. What about your pensions?

The grass is greener. You need a real plan.

Global warming...weather is weird everywhere!

Where you off to?

Yes, would need to have a plan before moving. No we don't speak any other languages.

I would want to go somewhere with better weather, within an hour or so of the coast, but also not too difficult to get back to the UK to see adult children.

Sorry to be a bit doom and gloom but if you plan to move away "forever" then you need to consider if you'd be happy widowed etc and "alone" in a foreign country.

If you plan to return to the UK for your later years you should also factor this in, and whether you'd be eligible for care support vs. be able to cover fees yourself.

You do often people make big life decisions (move to the country / coast / abroad) as they approach retirement, but then don't move back soon enough.

Not yet worked out the practicalities of whether we are eligible to live elsewhere. No pensions as were self employed, yes I know we should have sorted this earlier, but have some savings and would hopefully lower our living costs.

So it sounds like you mean Europe then. Except you don't speak any other languages and we no longer have the right to go and live and work in any EU country. So it might be quite hard.

I’m sorry to say you may not find it that easy, particularly at your age, unless you are quite wealthy.

Where are you considering?

I don’t think you’ll find that’s an easy task, unless you like swealteringly hot weather.

Your best bet is probably mid France.

Weather everywhere is screwed up and it’s not as affordable to live overseas as you think. You need to consider visas, language, and healthcare as you age. What happens if in 20 years time you get dementia? Will you come back, or will you be stuck in a Spanish care home like some of my friends parents have been.

Maybe France or Spain or even Portugal.

I love the changeable seasons ! Would hate to live in a country where its hot all the time - I walk in all weathers- The Lake District would be my go to place to live - would never leave the UK

I think we're all feeling quite discontented atm. Not sure if the answer is to up sticks though. For starters it's hard to do so now we're out of the EU, it's harder for you to do so now you're over 50. Also at close to 60, you must have built up friends, family, people who you care about, over the years. As you move into the later stages of life, do you want to lose all of that?

I get that you don't like how life is rn and I don't blame you - life in the UK is pretty piss poor. But, you do have some options. You own an asset, you have savings, you have community ties. These are all very valuable things. What do you want your life to look like? How can you utilise these things that you have, to get your life how you want it to be?

Very true, lots of things to think about.

“Some savings” meaning what? £50k, £100k, £300k?

if you are quitting work at 50 with no pension I really hope you’ve got at least £500k otherwise you’ll be stuffed with no U.K. benefits to bail you out if money runs out.

What are you hoping to get from the thread OP? Tips, or a genuine AIBU?

I don’t think you’ll get many people saying YABU to want to essentially retire abroad, even if they don’t want to themselves. A lot of people used to retire to Spain pre-brexit.

But it might not be achievable.

• Rent out your UK house for income
• Buy a small flat in the UK
• Buy a nice but modest sailing boat in a Mediterranean marina
• Live aboard that boat for the 90d duration you’re allowed to live in Schengen
• Sail it around if you’re adventurous
• Return to the UK flat after 90d
• AirBnB the boat while away
• AirBnB the flat while away

Agree. Go for it op but be realistic about more than weather

I agree, with everything else being shit, even shitter weather means very few reasons to stay.

We have a very small family, mainly our adult children, not many friends and not much of a community feel where we live right now.

We would like our life to look peaceful and relaxing and simple and imagine that would be more possible in the warmth and without the pressures of UK living.

Well...You can't just live there anymore. You know, Brexit?

I ways thought I'd do this retire somewhere with better weather now ice decides I'll stay in the UK and go away for the dreary mo ths. Rent my place out and spend winter elsewhere for 90days come back and go away again. Avoids all the tax and state pension issues etc. Maybe you should look into something like that?

You could dip a toe in by renting or buying a small place in Europe.
You could spend 90 days out of a rolling 180 days but this would give you an idea of what life abroad is like, before fully committing.

Lots of people thought that voting for Brexit would stop immigration into the UK, whilst not realising that it would severely limit our freedoms to live and work elsewhere in the EU. Because of course we don’t regard ourselves as ‘immigrants’. Yet another Brexit’ win’ 🙄