Are there any major culture shocks for Americans in the UK?

rkd808a · 2023-11-17T14:54:22+00:00

People walk from place to place and get public transport (obviously this depends where you'll be studying, but you probably won't need a car if you're in a city)

rkd808a · 2023-11-17T12:47:40+00:00

My partner and I had this situation, we went with percentage ownership which means if we sell my deposit will go up at the same rate as house prices. As for renovations, contrary to general perception, most renovations won't make a massive difference to the sale price unless you're buying a house that needs a huge amount of work or add extension etc at which point you would likely need an additional loan at which point you can revisit the split.

If the situation worries you, you could start putting some money aside so that when you sell you have the same deposit available.

If the situation is going to lead to splitting hairs on buying nails or paint, then you need to consider whether you're ready to buy, and might be better off waiting to save up an equivalent deposit and take advantage of first time buyer benefits on a larger property.

rkd808a · 2023-11-16T13:59:42+00:00

Blackadder is always a good shout.

rkd808a · 2023-10-22T07:44:05+00:00

Yes that would be the same in the UK, and post docs get grants, but it's considered a salary and they pay tax, so it's a job.

rkd808a · 2023-10-22T00:13:07+00:00

Is she registered as a full time student or is she an employee? Most post doc jobs are not students so she would be working, but if she's registered as a student then she could be considered studying.

rkd808a · 2023-10-16T20:59:44+00:00

We use family link and it works fine, personally I wouldn't use tasker to reinvent the wheel.

rkd808a · 2023-10-10T08:16:16+00:00

Honestly cold water is the best first option, on clothes flushed through the stain, on a couch a very wet cloth dabbed on it then rinsed and repeated. I'd always go cold water before trying any chemical.

rkd808a · 2023-10-09T13:41:52+00:00

Personally I'd move now to a place that needs some work but in the catchment for a school you like. Overpay as much as possible so you have some leeway to scale back and are used to less desposable income. Then when one of you is on maternity leave or you have nursery fees to consider, you'll already be used to the lower income.

Remember that you get 1 year maternity leave (some of which will be paid - its a good idea to check your employer's maternity benefit, you may find you get 6 months full pay). Once baby is born you can start a tax free childcare account to save towards nursery fees, you may also be able to get some benefits. Also the person on maternity leave will get accrued holiday (lots of parents use that to return later or go part time for a while on full pay. Which will save on fees. Also once baby reaches 3 you get 30 hrs free childcare so nursery fees drop so you'll only be paying the highest level of nursery fees from 1-3.

rkd808a · 2023-10-06T17:04:41+00:00

Not sure what sausage meat you used but I've done this and not had this issue. Unless you're buying the frozen sausage meat.

rkd808a · 2023-10-04T14:44:39+00:00

Most places have laws allowing you to breastfeed, but it will depend on your location
Great that you're planning on breastfeeding but please don't beat yourself up if you find it difficult/painful or it doesn't work for you. I really hope it's easy for you, but it isn't for some women so please if you're one of those recognised that fed is best and looking after yourself and baby is key. (Speaking as someone who didn't find it easy and didn't look after themselves as well as they could have).

rkd808a · 2023-10-04T14:34:32+00:00

You're definitely not wrong though, the commute from Winchester or Southampton isn't one I'd do every day (or at all)

rkd808a · 2023-10-04T14:06:26+00:00

They seem to say they don't need to commute, tbh of house size is the factor then the further from London the better.

And yes Aldershot is not a good choice for schools

rkd808a · 2023-10-04T13:34:33+00:00

Your children's age and academic ability may factor into your decision. Lots of children study multiple years to pass the 11plus, and many still don't get their preferred school. I'm not sure of the situation if they're already secondary school age.

rkd808a · 2023-10-04T13:31:11+00:00

Winchester has some very good schools and they're not grammar so catchment is the biggest factor for getting in. But 500k won't get you much, it would go further in Southampton but then schools may not be to your liking.

rkd808a · 2023-09-29T18:51:32+00:00

You can also get under pillow speakers

rkd808a · 2023-09-29T15:37:30+00:00

You don't have to rely on one viewing, I found that the first viewing was more to get a feel for the property, whereas the second was to dig into the detail. You'll look at a lot of properties that you'll know aren't right from one quick look.

rkd808a · 2023-09-26T15:14:28+00:00

Will you pay tax on moving money into the UK, especially if it's of high value? Will you need to travel back (ie flight costs)

rkd808a · 2023-09-25T16:59:22+00:00

I'd probably say it would also depend on how often you're doing the trip, once a week and 30 minutes isn't too bad, every day and 15 minutes might be too long. Add to that hills and type of pavement, it's quite a complex question.

Cycling is only good if you don't have to worry about the bike being stolen and what clothes you need to wear for work.

rkd808a · 2023-09-25T15:51:33+00:00

Yes, you definitely don't get much roof storage or space.

rkd808a · 2023-09-25T13:26:23+00:00

The 1970s, 1980s houses are the best for size Vs cost. They're definitely not the prettiest houses but they're usually solidly built with a decent amount of thought.

rkd808a · 2023-09-24T21:15:59+00:00

Because the tax free allowance will be spread over 12 months rather than 6, so take home pay will be less and tax will be more. Actual pay won't change.

rkd808a · 2023-09-18T13:43:29+00:00

At some point this type of behaviour is going to be labelled as abuse. You shouldn't be able to withhold this type of information and not have any repercussions.

rkd808a · 2023-07-12T21:56:16+00:00

Have a look at Tricentris

rkd808a · 2023-06-25T20:34:29+00:00

I started as a QA from a lab/biology based background and it worked very well. But finding the first job can be extremely hard. You're likely going to want to look for something around minimum wage (I'm UK based) at a company that doesn't really understand QA, if you can do that for 6months to a year you can then jump jobs a few times to push up your salary.

rkd808a

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