Anyone seriously thinking of emigrating?

[winkie]

How did we get here?

[Save me from the madness!]

To where though? Europe is a bonfire, and not so easy to get into North America and Australia and those countries have their own issues. Japan is at 200% debt to GDP and has massively excessive working hours. Not sure how welcoming or easy we'd find it in China. Gulf states I have a problem with the religious laws.

[mynamehere]

Would love to! Somewhere Mediterranean would be nice. South of France or Catalonia. Start a lemon farm. Take on just enough remote work to keep things oiled.

Unfortunately my family is rather more fond of the Uk than me

 

Edited December 13, 2022 by mynamehere

[winkie]

8 minutes ago, Save me from the madness! said:

To where though? Europe is a bonfire, and not so easy to get into North America and Australia and those countries have their own issues. Japan is at 200% debt to GDP and has massively excessive working hours. Not sure how welcoming or easy we'd find it in China. Gulf states I have a problem with the religious laws.

Know someone who works in China, teaching English...... thousands retire to sunnier climates, might be more difficult now unless wealthy enough, then there are those that marry if someone who comes from or lives in another country........got the skills required and can speak the language the world is your oyster....... languages have been our biggest hurdle, when most of the world try to speak English...if you don't do anything else see your children learn a global second language starting from a young age.

 

Edited December 13, 2022 by winkie

[HomeAlone2]

If I could then somewhere like Finland or Denmark.  Can't think of an English speaking country that doesn't have significant issues of their own.

[winkie]

8 minutes ago, mynamehere said:

Would love to! Somewhere Mediterranean would be nice. South of France or Catalonia. Start a lemon farm. Take on just enough remote work to keep things oiled.

Unfortunately my family is rather more fond of the Uk than me

 

Millions have never travelled very far from home, they like what they know because they know no different.

 

[Orb]

Having an Irish passport, I'd toyed with the idea of Ireland, but from what I read and hear, it's just as bad there, if not worse than here. Especially regarding the cost of everything, and the uncontrolled immigration problem. 

Instead I might move to another part of England which I like more than my current location, where houses are half the price. 

There's really nowhere to go. We're stuck, unfortunately. 

[athom]

28 minutes ago, winkie said:

Millions have never travelled very far from home, they like what they know because they know no different.

 

I've spent a few years abroad in various places. Initially each place seems one thing and after a while everywhere appears just as full of problems. I think psychologically its easier to deal with the crap you know than having to be frustrated AND perplexed by the crap in other places. Thats if planning to lead a full life somewhere, job, mortgage, house, kids etc. However if nearing the end of life and just looking for a warm place to discretely pass the last few years and are happy with your own company, there are many many places that would be far cheaper to get a small house with a nice view. 

[petetong]

2 minutes ago, athom said:

However if nearing the end of life and just looking for a warm place to discretely pass the last few years and are happy with your own company, there are many many places that would be far cheaper to get a small house with a nice view. 

Such as ? Spain, Malta & Cyprus presumably ?

[sell2rent]

Isle of Man, renting here since October. Digital businesses so no geographical ties. The pros are well documented, the cons are as expected. It is a micro-climate in more ways than one, I saw a nearly new build "reduced for quick sale" advertised at 42% higher than its 2019 price, and there is a view of exceptionalism amongst some in this market that is only partially justifiable by the economic fundamentals.

[Bob8]

10 minutes ago, Orb said:

Having an Irish passport, I'd toyed with the idea of Ireland, but from what I read and hear, it's just as bad there, if not worse than here. Especially regarding the cost of everything, and the uncontrolled immigration problem. 

Instead I might move to another part of England which I like more than my current location, where houses are half the price. 

There's really nowhere to go. We're stuck, unfortunately. 

The Irish passport is an EU passport.

I am very settled in Denmark, which has rather glided past the UK's choppy waters. Pubs are better in the UK though.

[Orb]

2 minutes ago, Bob8 said:

Pubs are better in the UK though.

I'm as concerned for this are parents are for finding a good school..... it's essential and non-negotiable 😄

[MarkD]

Been there, done that (more than once) always ended up back in the U.K. though, F##k ! Leave if you can, given half a chance we’d be off like a shot. Always looking by the way.

[TheCountOfNowhere]

1 hour ago, winkie said:

How did we get here?

This one I know...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monetary_Policy_Committee_(United_Kingdom)
 

Announced on 6 May 1997, only five days after that year's General Election, and officially given operational responsibility for setting interest rates in the Bank of England Act 1998, the committee was designed to be independent of political interference and thus to add credibility to interest rate decisions. Each member has one vote, for which they are held to account: full minutes of each meeting are published alongside the committee's monetary policy decisions, and members are regularly called before the Treasury Select Committee, as well as speaking to wider audiences at events during the year.
 

[athom]

30 minutes ago, petetong said:

Such as ? Spain, Malta & Cyprus presumably ?

Anywhere closer to the equator that will give a suitable long term visa or residency. If I had no kids I'd keep moving like a long term backpacker spending 3 months in each place. I was living in India for £100 a month some years ago which included staying in hotels each night and every meal in a restaurant. Was quite a long time ago now but I bet its still crazy cheap. We can't comprehend how cheap the exchange rates makes places. Get up in the Himalayan foothills somewhere and its not like the dusty packed India at all. Get bored of one spot, move on. 

[spyguy]

1 hour ago, mynamehere said:

Would love to! Somewhere Mediterranean would be nice. South of France or Catalonia. Start a lemon farm. Take on just enough remote work to keep things oiled.

Unfortunately my family is rather more fond of the Uk than me

 

In my younger, free n easy days, I did ponder living in the EU.

Options were -

Italy or Spain. Rejected. Economies so shit. Business bent n not in my area.

Germany. Came close. Learnt the language. However, after a trial posting I found the lack of services horrendous. Germany only worked if you had a non working spouse to shop in the narrow window shops were open and deal with various admin rules shit.

Nland / Nordics. Possible, but I'd have just spoken Engkish all the time. And they are cold n wet as here.

France - just never considered, as my UK place was full of French grads whod escaped France.

I did think Japan but was economy was in the shitter warned I'm too tall. A mate was posted there and spent 12 months sleeping with his feet over the futon and perma bruised head.

I do have close family- siblings n inlaws in Germany, Italy n Spain. Chatting, nine are tgphat appealing, at least working.

I do like Itaky the best and can see us spending a lot of time there - when Mrs decides she wants to spend time back home. But not working or paying tax.

 

[spyguy]

6 minutes ago, athom said:

Anywhere closer to the equator that will give a suitable long term visa or residency. If I had no kids I'd keep moving like a long term backpacker spending 3 months in each place. I was living in India for £100 a month some years ago which included staying in hotels each night and every meal in a restaurant. Was quite a long time ago now but I bet its still crazy cheap. We can't comprehend how cheap the exchange rates makes places. Get up in the Himalayan foothills somewhere and its not like the dusty packed India at all. Get bored of one spot, move on. 

I like the idea of Kerala.

The rest of India? Nope.

[MattW]

2 hours ago, winkie said:

 

 

My favourite album of all time.  And my favourite track from it is 'The Cinema Show'. 

Back on topic. Emigrating. I wouldn't want to move anywhere that's too hot in the summer but mild in the winter. I'm thinking no such place exists. 

[Homeless Millionaire]

I've been considering emigrating since 1998....

[athom]

23 minutes ago, MattW said:

My favourite album of all time.  And my favourite track from it is 'The Cinema Show'. 

Back on topic. Emigrating. I wouldn't want to move anywhere that's too hot in the summer but mild in the winter. I'm thinking no such place exists. 

Himalayan foothills again. Great temp and no humidity in the summer anywhere above 1500m and can decamp to Goa for the 3 months of the winter though I'd be tempted to get lots of firewood and a pile of books in and enjoy the seasons. 

edit: it was my choice to have kids instead. Wasn't it?? 

Edited December 13, 2022 by athom

[reddog]

I would say North America (Canada, US).

 

Maybe remote parts of Sweden, Norway

 

Switzerland (though it is surrounded by the neighbors from hell)

[TerryBoi]

3 hours ago, winkie said:

How did we get here?

What happened today to casue this?

[Casual-observer]

If something comes up in the middle east with work, I will seriously consider it. They don't tolerate any of the white middle class bourgeoisie bullsh1t we have here. 

The middle east has high immigration but they ensure the air of respect for the country is maintained as people fear the law there and respect the authority.  

The UK and Europe went in the wrong direction, high immigration but absurdly followed some daft doctrine it's the host nation that had to accommodate different beliefs to be 'diverse'. We are now a basket case of people who think those in authority are absolute cowards. 

Just look at the football recently, when Morocco did well in the world cup the fans went ballistic in Paris. They wouldn't do that in Rabat but in Paris or London or Amsterdam it kicks off like a war.

I've repeatedly said on this here that in Britain for the last two decades this high immigration we've had was hoovering up other countries dregs..the dregs from East Europe, Africa, Middle East. It's the people from the bottom rungs of their societies who came here thinking it would be a land of milk and honey. Many of the men who come here consider western women whores. 

It's just increasingly apparent now that we have a high number of people in this country who see it as a brothel and treat it as one. 

[LittleK0i]

Yes, I'll most likely emigrate in the next 6 to 18 months. I work remotely since Covid anyway, not attached to specific location.

Southern EU or Asia, strictly on digital nomad visa or similar conditions.

Many countries offer very generous income tax discounts for digital nomads. For example, it is going to be 15% income tax in Spain flat (!) on amounts up to 600.000 EUR per year, for 5 years. Rent, food, transport, bills are significantly cheaper. Healthcare is operational.

There is no point in staying in London from financial perspective. I'll just pay crazy high taxes, very high rent and get less and less for it in return.

And it's not even Labour government yet! Most likely, they'll see me as "rich" and tax me even more.

---

On the other hand, you'll probably get cheaper houses in the UK when people like me leave. If you still fancy.

But it is so sad. I would really love to stay, have a family, ... but we live in a different world now.

[sta100]

Aye

Have already set wheels in motion to move, my partner has dual British/European nationality and property, so will just close down the business, bugger off and retire.