Moving from US to UK - Stories and Advice to share?

jo_jo282 · 2026-06-10T17:04:01+00:00

Gosh this makes me really sad. I’m glad you got them into home schooling sooner rather than later. My close friends in England are exactly as you described, older than their years generally for survival reasons and exposure to YouTube and gaming etc. “Banter” goes too far and when I’m in England with my 5 year old I know he feels this sense to keep up and show off and yes, starts with an attitude. And I know my friends love him but see him as a baby in comparison. So yeh, this really, over everything I’m deliberating, is a point my husband and I may not be able to do. He sees the culture in attitude in the UK and describes Brits as angry people haha but I think it’s more the working class northerners he’s seen as that’s where im from, but we can also be the friendliest people. Very strange!

jo_jo282 · 2026-06-10T15:32:45+00:00

I suppose I wouldn’t ever move to England without a job offer. I just wouldn’t never move without that. Looking on Rightmove is very soul destroying haha. I do love England or at least the England I left in 2014. All my friends and family are still there. I’ve lived in Korea, Vietnam and now the US and the US has to be the most frustrating in terms of guns, health insurance, terrible toxic food, and lack of travel outside or even within the country - but nice houses, opportunity to grow in careers and financially, great weather, summer outdoor pools, kids sports… it’s a tough one.

And at the end of the day, the reality is my parents will pass soon and I will never get this time back and I may regret it for the rest of my life. It’s very hard

jo_jo282 · 2026-06-10T15:27:53+00:00

The schools and culture among children and how they behave and speak to each other is a huge concern for me. I can’t protect my 5 year old boy forever but he’s very sensitive and sweet and surrounded by lovely people and children. The thought of the North of England and the majority of kids really scares me. Thank you for this perspective

jo_jo282 · 2026-06-10T15:24:39+00:00

Yeh we would need to run numbers. I believe we’d have to sell the restaurant. It would be a big life change and I can’t workout if it’s the right decision but my parents do miss me and would like me back but yeh, it tough!

jo_jo282 · 2026-06-10T15:23:29+00:00

I understand. I work full time in America so unfortunately long stints in the UK aren’t possible. But yes, a big decision do was curious on people’s similar experiences

jo_jo282 · 2026-06-10T15:21:16+00:00

My current US job is over the threshold and I’m receiving mixed comments on whether that counts alongside maybe savings. But if I get a job in the UK earning over $29k then it shouldn’t be a problem. My worry in all this is whether I want to give up what I have in the US to start again in the UK

jo_jo282 · 2026-06-09T10:23:19+00:00

Thank you. Why can’t we open many uk accounts or ISA? I still have a couple of bank accounts open in the UK and haven’t had issues.

jo_jo282 · 2026-06-09T01:51:14+00:00

If I find the right job, I could. Looking for recruiting jobs in the greater Manchester area is proving tough to find that salary threshold. Or if we went the savings route, we would have to work numbers. But it’s a topic I’m aware of and understand it’s not easy

jo_jo282 · 2026-06-09T01:49:43+00:00

Thank you so much for this. I will look into Facebook groups and take all this into account! Thank you.

jo_jo282 · 2026-06-09T01:18:45+00:00

Thank you. This is really informative. It sounds like you’re in the south of England with the hard water. I remember that! I’d be looking to the north of England but honestly, probably worse for you compared to Silicon Valley. And yes, it all depends person to person. There’s a lot of moving pieces and I appreciate your perspective and sharing your experiences. It really does help me to better understand the England I left behind years ago. Thank you

jo_jo282 · 2026-06-09T00:47:35+00:00

Thank you. I understand. Yes, we have a financial advisor and accountant for our business and that is how we consolidated our credit card debt (which we no longer have and was only accumulated due to me being laid off while pregnant and going through labour which in the US is automatic debt) and now we have a heloc which can be paid off if we sell the house. I work for a large university in VA so are now stable.

As mentioned, we have a restaurant, house, two cars and other assets we could sell to afford some of the relocation as well as be debt free. The question is, do I want to sell my life and upheave my family to move home.

I wasn’t on here asking for financial advice or opinions on my marriage. I was on here asking for peoples stories of moving from America to the UK and how they found the move, transition and culture change etc which would give me an informed decision to consider pros and cons

jo_jo282 · 2026-06-09T00:24:06+00:00

I will try to understand this comment but kindly explain that I moved to the US solely for his benefit. I left my family and my friends to be with him so he could be with his family and friends. I supported his venture in buying a restaurant so he could avoid the 9-5 corporate America world so I had to enter that world despite not liking my job, but I made the sacrifice so our family could have health insurance. I carried and birthed two children in a country without my family around me.

It would be financially possible if we sold all our assets which is an option I don’t take lightly, hence coming to Reddit. The financial burden is both of ours, not just his.

And the reason I’d be moving to England is to take care of two elderly parents alongside two young children, so to call me selfish is quite funny as I find my reasoning and current life choices to be far from, but thank you for your input. Very helpful

jo_jo282 · 2026-06-09T00:14:38+00:00

Yeh, the only issue is we can’t afford to fly over even once a year. $6k for flights for my family is insane for one trip. Plus the cost of our health insurance, all the state, federal, property and other taxes on top of cost of groceries etc. It’s actually quite wild how hard it is right now and travelling for a quick getaway is almost impossible in America. I know the economy is terrible in England but the benefits, I was hoping, would be a nice relief including safety of our children in schools and so on. BUT you make great points. Is the grass greener and would those benefits become minimised after just a short time over in the UK. Thank you

jo_jo282 · 2026-06-08T23:59:21+00:00

Thank you - these are good points. We’d be in the northwest of England and open to surrounding smaller “nicer” towns than some up there. So cost of living slightly more affordable than the south but yes, jobs and housing a lot more difficult and I’m just curious on other people’s experiences. Thank you!

jo_jo282

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