relocating to london - advice appreciated

[emali]

Hi

we are in Canada now and my husband is in discussion with his employer who wants to relocate us to london -- in Ealing area. we have 2 girls, soon to be 3 years and 1 year of age.

i sincerely appreciate your advice on areas to live. the key consideration is the quality of life for our girls, we'd prefer areas with parks, playground etc., and easy access to public transit.

if we go, initially i would be stay home looking after the girls but i'd like to start working in a few months-- hence public transit as i am not sure i can handle driving on the other side of the street! i'd appreciate information on daycare/preschool as well. how much is the cost, what are the hours, etc..if you can provide some links would be wonderful.

it's a big change and i felt a bit overwhelmed as we have a routine here, not sure how to develop one after the relocation. i'd appreciate any input.

Cheers
emali

This link gives catchment areas in list form i.e. a list of streets for each Primary school.

The catchment areas for some schools can vary from one year to next i.e. get smaller if they are popular. So this information could change but will, at least, give you a starting point.

Great idea to look at information on number of applications per place to find good schools.

thanks again for your answers!

hi, BB, from the above link, i found this, which is really great, it's on dcsf site, but hard to find.. from the egfl site was easy.. i still don't understand it all, but the higher the average point score is, i think the better the school might be.. thanks again for all your good URLs! looks like the difference isn't much but when i checked into the ofsted report, it seems correlate to the reviews.

also thanks for the pointers to the car sharing idea. i think we might try it out, but i know if i has the car and CAN drive it, i will use it more. without the car, i can use public transit but probably won't go out as well -- really being a chauffeur for the girls. so if no car, we will just find things local and stay home more. i think it's hard to put the car seats into the shared car and take them out all the time.. in fact i can't put them in properly.

You are a serious nightowl! You've got a one yr old - get to bed!

LOL! thanks Tam for keeping an eye on me! DH is away so I was surfing away..

With everyone's help, I think I now have some basic ideas of what to look for.

One more question, how do realtors work with you? do they each only cover some areas so you may need to work with a couple? Or they can work with any area with some preferred areas? Anyone has some recommendations?

Thanks and your turns to have a good night of sleep

I would say that in London agents are often London wide but have local offices that specialize. I would always suggest working with more than one however. You will get different properties and different personal skills with different agents.

Thanks, Tam.

Just thought of our bikes, do most Londoner use bikes? If so where are they kept? I mean if you don't have a garage..

Is there storage area outside of a flat/not detached house?

Thanks, Tam.

Just thought of our bikes, do most Londoner use bikes? If so where are they kept? I mean if you don't have a garage..

Is there storage area outside of a flat/not detached house?

Hi emali, which part of Canada are you from? We've done the opposite to you, and moved from London to British Columbia, so I know some of the challenges and some of the cultural differences.

One of them is to understand that house buying is very different in the UK (we're just starting the process here). So Estate Agents (the nearest equivalent to realtors) act in very different ways. For example most people I've met in Canada talk about realtors as really nice helpful people. In the UK they are generally thought to be totally untrustworthy, often rated below politicians and used car salesmen. That said I didn't have a problem with mine, but just to be aware that they are there to sell houses at as high a cost as possible, and they act for the seller, and really not the buyer.

Also expect to register with many agents, you won't be able to find an agent you like and have them show you all the houses you are interested in (they won't have access to the keys of houses that are not with their agency). Last time I bought a house I think I registered with maybe 12 estate agents. Also they only really show you around and handle negotiations, everything after that will be done by a solicitor - generally that's the person you want a personal recommendation for. Also be aware that the whole process is a lot longer than in Canada - perhaps six weeks if you are very lucky, so you will almost certainly have to rent first, or live in a hotel perhaps.

On the other hand I'd say that you can live in London fairly happily without too much driving (although I'm a South Londoner, and don't know the West well), and it has become much more bike friendly in the last few years. You'd have to check individuals properties to know about storing a bike though, it will be totally variable.

Lots of people do have bikes but arrangements for storage vary massively. Locally, I have friends who lock them on a post on the street, in a small storage area in the front garden near the dustbins, on a wall storage hook in the communal hall (I wouldn't bank on this one), in their own front hall in their flat.

Hi, nooka, we are in vancouver (burnaby) now, where do you live now? are you happy with your move? getting settled in?

thanks for explaining to me the differences of working with the estate agents and hope you've had a good experience with the relators here.. for buyer side, they can be a bit pushy. we liked the realtor we worked with (now that we've bought and sold).. worked with different one as the goals were different hence wanting different personalities.

how do you find everyday life here comparing with back home? is it much different? oh, i have tons of questions for you, but don't want to scare you i've heard that the produce (fresh veggies and fruits aren't as good there).. i am sure i will miss the cherries here is it possible to message you and get more answered? or you're happy to help me out here?

as for place to live, i am hoping DH will find a place for us to call it home before i and the kids go.. i am taking there back to visit grandparents first.

Hi, Tam, you are an early riser! thanks for the answer and i will keep that in mind when looking for a place to live..

start looking at some properties, what does "offer with no chain" mean? what could it be if this isn't mentioned?

I'm in Kamloops, so small town life here, which is very different! I'm happy to answer any questions Offer with no chain could mean one of two things. Most likely the person selling the house you are interested in has made an offer on another house where the person selling that house is not buying somewhere themselves. That is a good thing because they won't be waiting for a whole bunch of other people to get their legal workup done and move on. Given that you will probably be in the same position (I'm assuming if you have a house in Burnaby you will be renting it out while you are away?) that would be a definite plus.

Chains are a big issue in the UK, as everyone tries to get their moves synchronized, so a problem anywhere in the chain can mean everyone gets stuck (the worst problem being when a sale falls through, which can mean that all the rest of the sales fall through too). This is because in the UK offers are made verbally, and until contracts are exchanged (quite late in the process) anyone can pull out.

If someone has 'no chain' they don't have a property to sell. They could be first time buyers or they have previously sold their property, banked the money and are in rental accommodation (which a lot of people do in London to put them at an advantage). If someone is saying 'offer with no chain' it sounds like they are saying to people with properties to sell, 'don't bother unless you have sold first'.

thanks nooka and Tam for your help again

nooka, hope i haven't made you homesick, hope you've enjoyed the summer here and get to know some local friends. the small town would be quite different from london life, it really could be two sided as well. how do you find so far with the move? any words of wisdom for moving the other way?

for house hunting/buying, as you've mentioned it's quite different from here, from what you explained, i understood as there is really no "buyer's agent" as you are working with agents who are selling the properties directly? here you have an agent for the buyer who will setup the appoitments with different often many seller's agents and then take you to see the properties. sounds like in the UK, you contac the seller agents and go see the properties with them directly.

if above is correct, does buyer need to pay for the agent? how do you put an offer in? is the offer just a monetary figure? does the offer go through the agent who will then negotiate with the seller on your behalf? no wonder they want to sell you as high as possible.. what does the solicitor do? like the lawyer here who finishes the transaction for you? i.e., put the money in the trust account till the actual close date? who will help you put different closing clauses in? i mean, different conditions to protect you so you may pull out? what are the different types of costs for buying a house? sorry for all the question marks.. don't feel you have to answer all of them

we've just found out that we can't use the car seats we bought here in the UK.. can you recommend some car seat brands/places to buy?

Good luck with your search. I live on the Eastern side of the northern part of Chiswick. The advantages are:

-Green spaces: I have a large rear garden and am walking distance from Acton Green, Acton Park, Wendell Park and Ravenscourt Park
-Convenience: Transport links are great. I can walk to 2 tube stops, and a large number of bus routes. I am just around the corner from the stop for the 94 bus which takes me directly into Notting Hill, Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Oxford Street, Regent Street, and Piccadilly Circus.
-Convenience 2: I am a short walk from Turnham Green Terrace and Chiswick High Road (don't have to drive - it would actually take longer to look for a parking spot!)
-Convenience 3: Easy access to M40 (Oxford), M4 (Heathrow and the West), Uxbridge Road (for you - takes you into Ealing), Very close to Westfields (US style mall which is good for convenience)
-Schools: there is an excellent state school (Belmont) and a number of very good private schools
-The Park Club- this is a fantastic place for families, and we are there at least 4 days a week!

Try primelocation.com to aid you in your search. It has listings from a large number of agents.

Good luck!

The seller pays for the agent on completion. It is a % of the final sale. The buyer pays nothing. When you put an offer in you negotiate through the seller's agent. You are right - there is no 'buyer's agent' usually though people moving from abroad do sometimes use a relocation service which effectively can behave as a buyer's agent. If you do use a relocation agent then that cost is covered by you or an employer.

You put the offer in. Your lawyer/ solicitor starts to draw up contracts. A deposit is discussed (maybe 10% of sale price). Then there is 'exchange' when the contracts change hands and the deposit is paid. If the seller pulls out your deposit will be returned and pulling out after exchange is uncommon. When exchange happens a date for 'completion' is also sorted.

Try this: www.easier2move.com/Conveyancing/Conveyancing-FAQ.aspx

The rest of the money is does not go anywhere until the day you get the keys ('completion'.

There is no escrow equivalent over here.

Other costs are searches and surveys although you do receive a home information pack which contains some stuff. The main cost to you will be the lawyer and stamp duty. Stamp duty is a tax. If you google you can find out more.

Britax is a frequently used carseat manufacturer over here. Have a look at the mothercare website.

Thanks SofaQueen for sharing your area and it's great you love where you are! With our budget and our spoiled north american appetite for space, we may need to live a bit further out, hope will find a good compromise..

Thanks Tam for your detailed explanation! I got a clearer picture now.

Do banks in the UK pre-approve mortgage? basically you go see them before you want to buy and get a written statement on how much they will lend you which could put one in advantage and speed up the transaction.

Do buyers normally hire inspectors to check out the building? Seems like the search covers some of it.. I think here the inspectors cover structural and functional things, such as leaking pipes, sinks, electrical circuts etc..

We have britax seats but it appears different country requires different "stamps" on them...

Don't move to the Ealing part of Chiswick (where sofaqueen describes) assuming you will be able to get into Belmont School as it is in Hounslow and extremely oversubscribed even for Hounslow residents

We are in this area (must be very close to you SQ) and even though we are easily closest to Belmont, our local state school is Southfield.

Mortgage pre-approvement is vital. Most vendors will expect your mortgage offer to be done and dusted. It is highly irregular to apply for a mortgage after putting an offer. The mortgage company send round their valuer very quickly to check out the property.

The 'searches' are things like local government searches and environment searches (was that loft extension done with planning permission, any hazards). The 'survey' is what we call the building inspection. The homebuyers pack often contains one already done. Surveyors (inspectors) are independent even if hired by the vendor and a professional body. Buyers sometimes do a more thorough survey that costs more depending on the property.

You may also find that agents won't show you around even without preapproval of a mortgage (although I can't remember if that's a verbal check or if they ask to see anything from your bank). Lots of agents also have a mortgage adviser in house, who will check out good deals for you and fill in the paperwork. These may charge you for that service, and you can do the comparison yourself using a variety of mortgage comparison websites. You may find that you will need more specialist advice in any case, as you may be considered higher risk (certainly we've been told here that we need a product for immigrants).

As for the move, not sure about words of wisdom! We've actually moved twice now, once to New York, and then on to Canada when dh lost his job in the States within a few months of arrival.

I think that in order to enjoy yourself you have to throw yourself into the local scene, and for me, the children's school was at the heart of that because I joined the PTA and did committee and voluntary type stuff (I'm not terribly good at socializing without a purpose IFSWIM). I woudl have thought with small children there woudl be plenty of opportunities of the mother and toddler and pre-school nature. You will find that there are lots of differences in things you might not expect, although I certainly found much more in common with BC and the UK than the States and the UK (NYC to London not so much, as one big city is fairly similar to another).

My childen are quite a bit older, so we had a fair bit of missing friends and general homesickness (ds still pines a bit). You'll probably not have that, although you might have issues with missing familiar foods perhaps (I don't think this should be a big deal though).

The main thing you will probably find is that London is very big and very busy, even in comparison to Vancouver. The amount of traffic and general crowdedness may come as a surprise. Public transport is better. Bike routes have made cycling much more of an option (but it is quite hilly) but you don't get such handy things as bike racks on buses (one very cool thing about BC buses) in fact you are not allowed to take bike on public transport during rush hour (and that's something like 6-10 and then 3-7, so not really an hour!) You'll probably miss the access to the sea and mountains too, although London has some lovely parks and is generally a very green city (and West London is particularly leafy). However it can take a long time to escape the city (depending of course on how far from the centre you settle). The weather I'm told is fairly similar, although I think London in the winter is probably less depressing, and the summer is probably cooler.

Oh, and it is a total stereotype, but you will find (in general) Londoners less obviously friendly than most Western Canadians. I get the impression that the West Coast just makes people laid back, we've always been pleasantly surprised at how friendly and in particular how much time people have to chat. That will of course be less so in Vancouver than our small town (well I think it's the third biggest city in BC, but it feels like a small town to me!), but I still suspect you may find that it takes a little longer to get to know people. I think that there is something in the "British reserve" theory but it's also that London is a fast moving and stressful sort of place (for me that was generally positive, although it was why my dh wanted to leave). Once you do get to know people they are much the same - you shouldn't find too much problems with the culture, sense of humour etc - I've found that fairly similar, perhaps not too surprising as so many people from BC have a grandparent or two from the UK. I really enjoyed Vancouver to visit, but I also think London is a fairly fabulous city, with a huge amount to explore.

thanks all for your reply. sorry that i haven't followed up further on the thread. family has been hit with the flu and cold but all are well now. the search goes on but has lost its steam for some reason . there is only so much time i can sit in front of the computer! and currently we are leaning toward renting instead of buying... no official offer yet but all indicating a go.

nooka, thank you very much for sharing your experience. DH was taken back a little when he visited a while back and wasn't sure whether it's suitable for a young family per the reason you said, it's such a big and busy place. but we've decided to give it a go as i've always wanted to live in europe! DH actually lived in london more than 10 years ago as a single young man. now with family it's different. i totally agree with you that we will have to throw ourselves into the local scene to enjoy our stay.

just want to let the MNers know that we've made it here and have found a place to rent! thanks again for all your advices which i found very useful. we will be in northfields area so maybe will see some of you!