Relocation Scotland to Surrey
Discussion
Hi - I originally posted something in the employment section, but didn't get much response, so thought I would try here.
Am originally from England, but have been in rural Scotland for past ten years. Considering moving due to work opportunity - Virginia Water/Egham area.
I realise it's a very, very different world down there, but a couple of questions....
Will have approx 35k nett after housing costs to live on - reasonable? I wonder how much more expensive 'day to day' living is down there?
Wife has background in business admin and healthcare - job opportunities still good despite recession? (She wouldn't want to commute into London itself though)
No kids to worry about.
Am I mad to consider it due to quality of life? Am I mad NOT to consider it ? I don't know the area at all, so some local knowledge would be helpful. As per typical PH style I am not really good at mixing with the 'lower orders'.... easily avoided?
That all sounds really snobby, so apologies in advance, but just being honest really.
Am originally from England, but have been in rural Scotland for past ten years. Considering moving due to work opportunity - Virginia Water/Egham area.
I realise it's a very, very different world down there, but a couple of questions....
Will have approx 35k nett after housing costs to live on - reasonable? I wonder how much more expensive 'day to day' living is down there?
Wife has background in business admin and healthcare - job opportunities still good despite recession? (She wouldn't want to commute into London itself though)
No kids to worry about.
Am I mad to consider it due to quality of life? Am I mad NOT to consider it ? I don't know the area at all, so some local knowledge would be helpful. As per typical PH style I am not really good at mixing with the 'lower orders'.... easily avoided?
That all sounds really snobby, so apologies in advance, but just being honest really.
)Plenty of nice places to live within striking of Virginia Water (which is a lovely spot). There are employment opportunities, the best bet would be to sign up with some of the local agencies (and medical agencies) in the area to start to get a feel.
Loads of the PH crew around this part of the world - where are you thinking of living?
Loads of the PH crew around this part of the world - where are you thinking of living?
Hmmm, difficult one - as always these discussions become quite subjective!
Virginia Waters and the areas close by are very nice but very expensive, if you give yourself a 1/2 an hour commute (assuming work is Virginia Waters/Egham) then you will open up a world of more affordable places to live, but you will need some local knowledge to ensure you move to the 'right' area. Bracknell is a good example, some of the outlying villages and housing estates are quite nice, some - erm, well watch 'police with cameras' or similar - you get the picture!
£35k nett of taxes, housing costs etc, should allow you the odd curry or night in the local! By national standards that is good, if you have the best part of £3k per month for shopping, bills etc then you certainly won't go without bread and milk.
I have been traveling to Newcastle and Cardiff recently and there is no 'marked' difference in petrol prices or national chains such as Tesco, BOOTS etc, where I have noticed a HUGE difference is local sandwich bars or coffee shops - much, much cheaper than the Thames Valley.
The intangible is what seems to define the Thames Valley, it is commuter belt and as a result there is a lot of credit available to its inhabitants. Not a bad thing, but it does make the area appear artificially affluent, there are lots of big houses (with crippling mortgages), lots of very nice branded cars (that belong to finance companies or the bank), lots of 'lifestyle' accessories like gyms/spa's, boutique coffee shops etc - depending on your social circle it can be a bit pretentious, and you can find yourself trying to 'keep up'.
Personally I like the area, but if I had a bag of sheckles to spare I would probably move into Dorset or Sussex, but I don't have the sheckles and the kids are settled in their schools so the whole argument for moving is a bit academic for me at the mo!
Good luck with whatever you do!
Virginia Waters and the areas close by are very nice but very expensive, if you give yourself a 1/2 an hour commute (assuming work is Virginia Waters/Egham) then you will open up a world of more affordable places to live, but you will need some local knowledge to ensure you move to the 'right' area. Bracknell is a good example, some of the outlying villages and housing estates are quite nice, some - erm, well watch 'police with cameras' or similar - you get the picture!
£35k nett of taxes, housing costs etc, should allow you the odd curry or night in the local! By national standards that is good, if you have the best part of £3k per month for shopping, bills etc then you certainly won't go without bread and milk.
I have been traveling to Newcastle and Cardiff recently and there is no 'marked' difference in petrol prices or national chains such as Tesco, BOOTS etc, where I have noticed a HUGE difference is local sandwich bars or coffee shops - much, much cheaper than the Thames Valley.
The intangible is what seems to define the Thames Valley, it is commuter belt and as a result there is a lot of credit available to its inhabitants. Not a bad thing, but it does make the area appear artificially affluent, there are lots of big houses (with crippling mortgages), lots of very nice branded cars (that belong to finance companies or the bank), lots of 'lifestyle' accessories like gyms/spa's, boutique coffee shops etc - depending on your social circle it can be a bit pretentious, and you can find yourself trying to 'keep up'.
Personally I like the area, but if I had a bag of sheckles to spare I would probably move into Dorset or Sussex, but I don't have the sheckles and the kids are settled in their schools so the whole argument for moving is a bit academic for me at the mo!
Good luck with whatever you do!
MadDad said:
Hmmm, difficult one - as always these discussions become quite subjective!
Virginia Waters and the areas close by are very nice but very expensive, if you give yourself a 1/2 an hour commute (assuming work is Virginia Waters/Egham) then you will open up a world of more affordable places to live, but you will need some local knowledge to ensure you move to the 'right' area. Bracknell is a good example, some of the outlying villages and housing estates are quite nice, some - erm, well watch 'police with cameras' or similar - you get the picture!
£35k nett of taxes, housing costs etc, should allow you the odd curry or night in the local! By national standards that is good, if you have the best part of £3k per month for shopping, bills etc then you certainly won't go without bread and milk.
I have been traveling to Newcastle and Cardiff recently and there is no 'marked' difference in petrol prices or national chains such as Tesco, BOOTS etc, where I have noticed a HUGE difference is local sandwich bars or coffee shops - much, much cheaper than the Thames Valley.
The intangible is what seems to define the Thames Valley, it is commuter belt and as a result there is a lot of credit available to its inhabitants. Not a bad thing, but it does make the area appear artificially affluent, there are lots of big houses (with crippling mortgages), lots of very nice branded cars (that belong to finance companies or the bank), lots of 'lifestyle' accessories like gyms/spa's, boutique coffee shops etc - depending on your social circle it can be a bit pretentious, and you can find yourself trying to 'keep up'.
Personally I like the area, but if I had a bag of sheckles to spare I would probably move into Dorset or Sussex, but I don't have the sheckles and the kids are settled in their schools so the whole argument for moving is a bit academic for me at the mo!
Good luck with whatever you do!
Thanks for taking the time to post that - it seems to be pretty much what I had assumed - everything just seems very close together down there! Virginia Waters and the areas close by are very nice but very expensive, if you give yourself a 1/2 an hour commute (assuming work is Virginia Waters/Egham) then you will open up a world of more affordable places to live, but you will need some local knowledge to ensure you move to the 'right' area. Bracknell is a good example, some of the outlying villages and housing estates are quite nice, some - erm, well watch 'police with cameras' or similar - you get the picture!
£35k nett of taxes, housing costs etc, should allow you the odd curry or night in the local! By national standards that is good, if you have the best part of £3k per month for shopping, bills etc then you certainly won't go without bread and milk.
I have been traveling to Newcastle and Cardiff recently and there is no 'marked' difference in petrol prices or national chains such as Tesco, BOOTS etc, where I have noticed a HUGE difference is local sandwich bars or coffee shops - much, much cheaper than the Thames Valley.
The intangible is what seems to define the Thames Valley, it is commuter belt and as a result there is a lot of credit available to its inhabitants. Not a bad thing, but it does make the area appear artificially affluent, there are lots of big houses (with crippling mortgages), lots of very nice branded cars (that belong to finance companies or the bank), lots of 'lifestyle' accessories like gyms/spa's, boutique coffee shops etc - depending on your social circle it can be a bit pretentious, and you can find yourself trying to 'keep up'.
Personally I like the area, but if I had a bag of sheckles to spare I would probably move into Dorset or Sussex, but I don't have the sheckles and the kids are settled in their schools so the whole argument for moving is a bit academic for me at the mo!
Good luck with whatever you do!
"Will have approx 35k nett after housing costs to live on - reasonable?"
Just wondering what kind of house you're hoping to live in? And to rent or buy? As most properties around these parts, well the nice parts anyway, are VERY expensive (compared to the national average or even some places 20-30-40 mins away).
You may have less to live on than you realise. Or maybe your employer is putting you up? Anyway, at the level you mention, your net income sounds, as Rolls Royce would put it, sufficient.
Just wondering what kind of house you're hoping to live in? And to rent or buy? As most properties around these parts, well the nice parts anyway, are VERY expensive (compared to the national average or even some places 20-30-40 mins away).
You may have less to live on than you realise. Or maybe your employer is putting you up? Anyway, at the level you mention, your net income sounds, as Rolls Royce would put it, sufficient.
Edited by GeoffW on Monday 21st January 18:23
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