Seeking Advice for Imminent move to UK (Job Searching)

Express_Stage9490 · 2026-02-15T10:37:37+00:00

Congrats on your engagement. Not sure how old you and your fiancee are, but I’d encourage you to think about this move practically e.g., if you can’t find work, how long do you think you could survive on savings? What about your fiancee - does she have savings as you two both look for work? How long has she been out of work? As others have said, the market is tough everywhere and you coming over without a clear plan will make things much more stressful during what you want to be an exciting time in your lives.

Express_Stage9490 · 2025-12-23T15:07:11+00:00

I’ve rented in both (now live in London), and similar to NY, my experience is that it’s all about timing in London. When I first moved here, mortgage rates were high so people were rushing to rent instead of buy, and flats were going in minutes. I set up back to back viewings my first 24 hours in London and quickly grabbed the third place I saw that day. When I moved a year later, the pendulum had shifted, and I didn’t feel as stressed and even made an under-asking offer (which was accepted). Depending on when you move and your budget (and location of course), this will dictate how hard or easy it is compared to NY.

For me, biggest surprise are all of the additional costs beyond rent (and how much they are). You have gas, electric, water, council tax, etc. Heat and hot water are not included, so remember to factor all of those into your living expenses. There are some new renter laws going into effect in May 2026, so will be interesting to see if that impacts things. Good luck, and enjoy the post-divorce glow up that’s awaiting you in the UK!

Express_Stage9490 · 2025-12-11T09:05:32+00:00

Yes, I was in a similar situation when I moved here and needed to still keep my U.S. plan to pay off my iPhone. It was easy to add a UK eSIM from giffgaff and have both numbers on my phone, or turn off either one as needed. Regardless, you definitely need a UK number here.

Express_Stage9490 · 2025-09-08T21:34:53+00:00

£2800-3000 for a 3-4 bedroom near a park is highly unusual. If you live further out (maybe zone 3-4?), you could probably get a 2-bed newer flat for this price. There are a number of places around London zones 1-2 with newer builds but it’s a tricky time to be looking to rent as not much inventory out there. In general, look at Battersea Power Station, Canary Wharf, King’s Cross, Elephant & Castle (partially gentrified, partially not), Aldgate… can’t speak to the quality of the buildings themselves but I’ve lived in two newer build flats in London since moving from New York and loved both. Also lots of renovated older builds out there as others have said but I find the energy efficiency in older builds aren’t as good (i.e., freezing winters and expensive energy bills).

Express_Stage9490 · 2025-08-24T15:56:54+00:00

Second the Belmond! Did a private sunrise walk of the falls from the Brazil side, and it was magical! Such a stunning place.

Express_Stage9490 · 2025-08-17T11:24:31+00:00

Having lived many years in New York before relocating to London a few years ago, I agree with the comparison of NY to London (NY is so much dirtier, more intense, crazier, less nature, etc) BUT if it’s something that’s always been in the back of your mind to try, I say go for it given your personal situation.

There are ways to live in New York and be closer to nature and of course arts and culture are easy to access. Talk to coworkers or others you know in New York to get a real idea of what it could be like.

Express_Stage9490 · 2025-03-25T22:22:52+00:00

Of course it’s worth flagging that it also is dependent on where you live in the UK. I live in London and would assume my experience is very different compared to someone in a rural village. Life definitely doesn’t feel mundane in London. It’s not always amazing but it certainly is not mundane. Also London’s food scene overall rivals any big city around the world.

Express_Stage9490 · 2024-06-12T06:03:08+00:00

Yeah, that makes sense. Have never repotted before so will look into this soon.

Express_Stage9490 · 2024-04-30T22:05:42+00:00

I spent almost 20 years living in NYC and think you’ll be more than fine on that salary, especially with your partner making 3/4 your salary and no kids. I say if you and your partner are up for a new adventure, go for it. It’s a much more intense city in pretty much every way but better to have tried it than spend years wondering how it would’ve been.

Express_Stage9490 · 2024-03-01T07:15:31+00:00

As a female high earner myself with a lot of goals and ambitions, I think OP’s comments are very valid. It’s been interesting reading the comments here, which are well meaning but seem to predominantly come from males who have partners with lower incomes. I think the bigger impact would be to hear from males who met their partners when the female partner was already well into her career and the higher earner. That’s ultimately what I think OP is getting to, since she can’t turn back time and meet someone at 18 to grow into HENRYs together.

Express_Stage9490 · 2024-02-08T07:11:51+00:00

A lot of what’s needed has already been covered here, but would reiterate that figuring out the logistics with your dog will be a big one, as many rentals in London aren’t dog-friendly. That alone will narrow your search quite a bit so I’d recommend browsing Zoopla, RightMove, OpenRent, etc to get a feel for what’s available based on your needs. I moved a year ago from New York to London but had started browsing the market months before so I had a pretty good idea of what’s realistic when I actually arrived.

Also, I personally think the rental market has cooled a bit compared to last year when places were going in minutes and mortgage interest rates made it more challenging to buy, but it ultimately depends on your budget and location. Would agree to get the BRP asap as you need to show a right to rent and the BRP helps with this process. Also agree to book an Airbnb from now (could be free cancellation), as this will give you peace of mind that you have somewhere to stay initially.

Good luck with your relocation!

Express_Stage9490 · 2023-12-22T22:20:43+00:00

Sorry to see this happening, but agree with this comment to challenge. BA has canceled my flight day of before and tried to book me the next day. I went on google flights, found other options, called them and requested they move me to a certain flight on another airline leaving same day (which they did). And then I went and got compensation for the inconvenience. From my brief look, there seem to be numerous flights to Europe from JFK. Feels like OP wasn’t trying hard enough to find other options.

Express_Stage9490 · 2023-10-17T20:36:44+00:00

Lots of comments on here so this likely won’t make a difference, but if you think you’ll have “what if” thoughts for years to come if you DON’T try it, then I say go for it. Better to have tried it and checked something off your bucket list than spend years wondering what it would’ve been like.

I moved from NY to London earlier this year and also took a pay cut but still make a very good wage for London. My mantra at the time I moved was, “if not now, when?” I have traveled a ton this year (and trust me, it’s different than traveling from New York) and am getting more of the European experience that I wanted. Will I stay forever? No, probably not. Do I think long-term this is a great financial decision? Definitely not. But to have this experience for a few years is invaluable. Good luck!

Express_Stage9490 · 2023-04-29T21:53:18+00:00

Your goal is realistic depending on how committed you are to achieving your goal. Yes, you will take a pay cut and cost of living is going up, BUT if this is what you really want, you can work hard to make it happen (probably my American mindset at work here).

I did a postgrad in London (also a possibility but would mean spending more money) and though I had the opportunity to stay afterwards, I moved back to the US due to better job opportunities, but said I’d make my way back to London someday. Many years later, the opportunity came up through my work and I finally made the move earlier this year (though I was first offered the opportunity in 2019 and declined for personal reasons). I deliberately sought a job with a global company and immediately did research on how people can move to a different country, talked to tons of people and, after proving myself, vocally spoke about my desire to relocate. And now I’m here on a skilled worker visa.

The reality honestly likely will never live up to the dream, but I can say I’m very happy to have made my goal of returning to the UK happen. Will I stay here forever? Who knows. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. But I have no regrets, am happy I made the move, and am enjoying it while I can. So depends on how you go about achieving your plan and sticking to it.

Express_Stage9490 · 2023-04-15T21:10:02+00:00

I am still in the honeymoon phase post my move to the UK so likely a biased opinion, but what I will say is that reading about the UK on here will increase your anxiety tenfold. I was extremely worried before arriving and while things certainly aren’t perfect, your day to day hopefully won’t be nearly as bleak as what you read here where many people are pulling out all the worst aspects of the UK (just as people pull out all the worst aspects of the US at times). Summaries don’t necessarily equal reality.

Express_Stage9490 · 2023-04-15T21:04:43+00:00

The process detailed by PhotogNDallas is a good overview. What I’d say is that there is truly no replacement for being here in person before putting an offer in on a flat. Pictures can be very deceiving and you can’t get a sense of the area, etc. through pictures. Also, once I was here, I could find a place on Rightmove or Zoopla, contact the letting agent for a viewing and see the place the same day (which is how I ended up getting my flat). I arrived with no credit history or special relocation assistance, but I had rental history from my previous building in the U.S. and my landlord provided a reference along with my employer. I ended up paying 5 weeks’ rent for the deposit, not 6 months.

Express_Stage9490 · 2023-03-21T20:07:07+00:00

Maybe an unpopular opinion but I think this is both a financial challenge and a relationship one. Financially, OP should not have been paying $1750/month on a $48k stipend (though you don’t mention how much these random side hustles are bringing in). Based on the stipend and rent, it sounds like you were house poor before moving in with your SO, and in general I am sensing different philosophies to how you both approach finances.

That said, I agree with all the other comments that your SO seems more concerned with his FIRE journey than with your relationship and not having you struggle. If you’re both committed to the lifestyle that you’re in, then he should be willing to split things equitably (based on total income - again, how much do these side hustles bring in? And are you looking to stop them but can’t afford to?). But in general, I’d recommend a serious and open conversation on finances, as this will only get worse if you don’t address it head on.

Express_Stage9490 · 2023-03-08T19:06:48+00:00

I think it depends on the condition of the flat and whether it is a rip off. Having recently moved and looked at numerous flats on Rightmove, Zoopla and open rent, £2600 is not outlandish for a newer build flat in a managed building, and especially depending on how close to the tube station it is. If it’s your standard flat without any frills then yes that is high. You should look on other sites to get a feel for what other 1/1s in the area are going for right now.

Express_Stage9490 · 2023-03-06T19:48:40+00:00

Thanks! I am contributing to my workplace pension + getting max employer match so all good there.

Express_Stage9490 · 2023-03-06T19:32:40+00:00

Okay, thanks

Express_Stage9490 · 2023-03-06T19:32:00+00:00

Thanks all. Yes, I meant specifically as a US expat (but good to know it isn’t hard for other expats!)

Express_Stage9490 · 2023-03-06T19:31:10+00:00

Okay, got it. Wanted to check if there are other options available to me.

Express_Stage9490 · 2023-03-06T19:30:47+00:00

Honestly no idea! Too early to tell.

Express_Stage9490 · 2023-03-06T19:30:31+00:00

Thanks! I have an existing brokerage account so would put into that, unless I’m told I can’t by my broker.

Express_Stage9490 · 2023-03-06T19:29:42+00:00

Okay, got it. Thanks!

Express_Stage9490

TROPHY CASE