… To be considering leaving the UK?

[globalnomad25]

We have been considering leaving, even if only for a few years. Many of our clients have already gone or are planning it, and some of our friends too.

I’m not sure where we’d go: UAE, Portugal, Jersey, Ireland, Canada, Australia? We don’t currently want to move to the US, even though that would probably make the most sense from a business/client point of view.

For those out there who have already left, how has it gone? Was it a horrible mistake or are you glad you did it?

For those also thinking about it, where would you go?

Kids are school-aged and smart and used to international travel as our work already takes us all over, although they’d miss their friends (as would we). We aren’t English so our family is already based all over the place, although we visit them frequently.

Take it on balance. Houses are very expensive but are now in line with cities like London. Toronto for example was relatively VERY cheap for a long time. Petrol is a lot cheaper. And so is electricity. And so is water.

Living there is very different to visiting. There are many good coat of living calculators comparing countries people can use:

So flights are more expensive but also worth mentioning that distances are larger. Toronto to Vancouver is a five hour flight.

Commuting abiut equal
distance from Home Counties to London - £30. Suburbs of Toronto equivalent? £11 - and free parking at the train station.

Ireland has an excellent education system. If you can afford to purchase a property, you would be happy here.

Renting is a disaster, although those with tenancy agreements are protected.

The cost of living is higher than the UK, it balances out as wages are higher too.

The DC are very friendly and mix well, school is very inclusive, religion is optional in all schools, my youngest DC go to a Catholic school, many of their pals opt out, there is no issues.

Not everyone wants this and some (like me) positively loathe the idea. The thought of moving back to the town where I grew up, surrounded by my old school friends and extended family, and belonging to a ‘community’ where everyone knows everyone’s business is genuinely the stuff of nightmares. Absolutely unthinkable.

It makes me laugh, the rich are the wealthiest they've ever been, but their desire to hoard even more money because they have to pay tax for the privilege is quite grotesque.

Tbf at least it will just leave the people who want to fight for what's best for the country behind. Maybe we can make it a better place. Good luck with climate change with some of those options though and it must be nice to care so little about slavery and human rights issues you'd consider the UAE. 😬

Hubby's folks have lived in Cyprus happily for years but are now escaping to Portugal due to lots of recent changes that seem to be making life harder for them. We personally just came back after 10 years in the Netherlands - we miss it terribly and not sure if we made the right move coming back to the UK tbh. Quality of life is much poorer here.

Are you in finance OP?

What a strange reaction . Does it personally offend you that OP wants to leave the UK?

Honestly, worth every penny tbh. That's largely WHY they have such a high quality of life. I doubt the same system could ever work well in the UK at this point but living there, it felt natural.

So much jealousy on here towards OP. Probably because the jealous people know that they have nothing to offer anywhere else and therefore cannot escape too increasingly batshit country.

Enjoy hating the rich, they are leaving because they have choices. While the envious ones with not much to offer stay behind and pick up more of the tab for those who have nothing to offer.

Hmm, that’s an interesting point but I suppose I hope my kids will still feel like they’ve got UK ‘roots’ even if we leave as the bulk of their formative years have been spent here. And I tend to feel at home quite quickly in a place anyway. I have moved around since I was 17, as has my husband, so maybe we don’t feel the pull of one particular place as much as some people might ? Having said that, I still love visiting the town I grew up in (and still have friends there - many of my school friends stayed local) although I don’t feel any particular need to live there again.

🙄 That kind of attitude is useful for decisions like what shall I have for tea? or even where to go on holiday, but this is a massive, life changing decision.

Cayman Islands. Moved in 2022. Never going back to the UK. No regrets.

Something similar - a corporate role.

Sounds fab! Grand Cayman?

They have a flat rate of tax that you can pay- which can be a low marginal rate depending on how wealthy you are.

I have lived in five different continents and am most happy in the UK. Every country has its problems. It does seem a specific British phenomenon to be particularly down on the UK. When I weigh up all the factors and the British people in particular, I would not be able to find a better place to live overall.

I live in Dublin and think Ireland is the best country in the world !!

Seriously though, in my opinion the list of places I could live has become very short because of heat . It's really down to northern Europe now . I cannot imagine living in a country where you can barely go outside during the day for months every year . It must be hellish !

A friend moved to Bermuda and loved it! She now lives in Singapore but talks very fondly of her time in Bermuda. Quite a popular choice for 20somethings in finance, with some staying and making a life there.

Yes, the other 2 islands are very small and sparsely populated. Everyone and all the businesses are in Grand Cayman. Healthcare has been exceptional (i had my son here last year). Working hours are very good but depends on the firm/team. Choose carefully as work permit restrictions make it difficult to change jobs. Quality of life is excellent. Schools are good and follow the British curriculum (although they cost 40k per year, you cannot send your kid to the free schools as an expat).

I’m here too!

I would leave if I could, so good for you. I don’t think the UK is heading in a positive direction. I worry for my children’s future here.

Personally I would go to the EU country that I’m originally from (marginally higher taxes but incredible public services), or the Middle East, or somewhere like the Cayman Islands.

There are many welcoming countries if you have enough cash, and standards of living are high.

If you are considering the Channel Islands, you will need to have something to offer the community. You need a five year residency before you can even think of applying for a professional job. They have plenty of openings for bar staff, waitressing, chambermaiding, sous chef, and cleaners. There may be openings in medical occupations like if you are a surgeon or director in finance. Decent houses are a million upwards and you have to be there ten years to buy one. You can't rent a house till you are resident at least five years and that will be about £3000 a month. There are bedsits and lodging houses available at about £1,000 a month but these are like gold dust because you have so many people chasing them. It's a fab place if you're minted and can afford the luxury life style. Beautiful beaches, villas, yachts, and very safe. Connections to and from the mainland can be iffy especially in winter when the storms come in from the Atlantic. Days go by when there is heavy fog and food supplies get short and supermarket shelves get empty. Summers are lovely though.

Have you considered Switzerland @globalnomad25 i left the UK 5 years ago and love it here. High salary, low tax, excellent schools, brilliant health care system, everything works and because home ownership is low, they invest alot in parks, public spaces, lots of free events/access to sports. It's amazing.

I lived in Grand Cayman for a year- some people love it but it’s not a place for me long term. It’s a very expat bubble type of with Filipino or Jamaican nannies and helpers, and clear racial and class division between the white professionals and locals. While the beaches are beautiful, you can drive around the whole island in about an hour so it is very very small. Expats tend to send secondary school aged children back to the UK for schooling. There is limited shopping or access to the arts or that type of thing on the island so regular trips to the US are part of the lifestyle. I paid USD $900 per month for health cover and that was heavily subsidised by my employer, but then I didn’t pay tax otherwise. Being gay is not really accepted so that may be a factor. This is not to be down on Cayman specifically, the point is that all countries have their issues.

You can still have a sense of belonging and being part of community even living somewhere for a shorter time. The idea of living in one area for my whole life fills me with a sense of dread. But like you say, each to their own.