Relocation: A question of the raindrop/snowflake the broke the camel's back

[ajb101]

All,

After watching the luxurious videos on http://www.petrolicious.com, it really does make me wonder what the heck I'm still doing here, living in this perpetually overcast, damp, cold, over-taxed country.

When will this hideous weather end?

When will this hideous taxation end?

I'm giving it some serious thought now, thinking San Francisco maybe nice. Has anyone else been tempted to up-sticks and get the <dante's realm> out of Dodge?

 

[Parisien]

Not sure the land of the "notsofree" truly appeals to me...............but other countries have.......

Global warming........I'd like to move to somewheres thats actually happening.....


P

 

[CatmanV2]

'The coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco'
If you're going to move because of the weather, better move somewhere where the weather is reliable
Middle East: It gets a bit samey, TBH. Sometimes I wanted to wake up to a good, hard frost.
Singapore / Hong Kong: Very sensible climate for one such as I, but not at all enamoured of the actualy *culture*. Which is a little bit odd, as I was born there.
Australia: Like England, only without the bad weather. Cost of living isn't exactly nothing, though. I'd be tempted if it wasn't so far away from...
France: I like it, but taxation seems to be something of a problem. Not one that would affect me, however.

In short, yes I've been tempted, but all my family and nearly all my friends are here, so meh.

I'll just rant against our ****** climate!

C

 

[Mr.Cambio]

Hello!

Do not comlpain about your taxes...To keep the Maser on the road i shall pay 6000 euros per year...

Hm..to get serious now...i have made this thought quite a lot lately. In Greece i do not like the pople (I went to a german school, and i am mid-Europe oriented than Greek, Parisien may confirm this ), don't like the behaviour, the rotten political system, the not that wealthy way of living etc etc..

Every single one of us has his own reasons to go to something different.

Life is a balance: You count the pros and dis, then take a decision. The world is not pink, is grey most time..

 

[ajb101]

I've often thought about it in the past and then thought, you know what it's nice here. But these last 3-5 years of pitiful summers is really taking the biscuit.

I don't mind cold weather, in fact I actually love the winter, when it's a proper winter, with snow and sunshine! It's the juxtapose in the summer that I'm missing. It's not just the weather, the money I earn here is frittered away on taxation left, right and centre. If I earned the same in the states, it would be like earning at least twice as much here, for the quality of life I would gain.

I'd be able to afford a house that can be called a 'house' and not a set of box rooms slung together with cheap materials and a garage that can barely fit a Nissan Micra.

Of course, I'm saying all this and I've never actually visited the states as an adult, so I do need to do that, but I've just had enough with things over here. Not to mention HMRC, the cabinet office and IR35.

 

[bigbob]

We all feel that the grass is always greener and it is for six months or so. Thereafter normal life resumes. If the really can't hack the winters in the UK then do it but go into it with your eyes open as some things will be better and some will be worse.

 

[ajb101]

I was kind of thinking about getting a contract over there for about 6 months, to test the water.

 

[Parisien]

Lots of pluses and minuses guys....................only if you've got no money worries or other pressing responsibilites is it really worthwhile.

For most of us, it might be question of trying it and seeing for a period, or do something like living somewhere for 3/4/6 months of a given year to make life more interesting and more stable.

Taxation is an issue for 90% of us as more money going into bailing other groups out, taxation schemes allowing the wealthiest companies and individuals to opt out completely from their...."in it together" responsibilities.......fairness and decency are now 4 letter words in the UK...shame

Is any other country much better........some are....some aren't


P

 

[ajb101]

I don't mind paying taxes, when it is actually benefiting the country.

Here, higher earners shovel more in to support dossers who just don't want to do anything and paying into an NHS service which has to fix all those people who act irresponsibly and don't take care of themselves.

Half of me wants to run for PM to sort all of this nonsense out, but I know it would be futile as I don't have a Cambridge, Oxford or Eaton Academic background and therefore wouldn't be taken seriously, not to mention some slightly too totalitarian views on certain matters!

 

[bigbob]

Most systems are very similar in the round, they just have different areas which cause issues. UK personal taxation is still pretty low in the round compared with many other European Countries and you can afford to own a Maserati whereas in Australia, the government is so concerned about it's domestic auto industry that it puts massive import duties on such cars.

 

[ajb101]

Most systems are very similar in the round, they just have different areas which cause issues. UK personal taxation is still pretty low in the round compared with many other European Countries and you can afford to own a Maserati whereas in Australia, the government is so concerned about it's domestic auto industry that it puts massive import duties on such cars.

The shocker I found was when working in Denmark for a short time, those poor poor people have to put up with a 50% taxation on all vehicles purchases, irrespective of age (so we were told.) No matter what you buy, you have to pay half of its value to the government on top!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So what does this do? It causes people, who earn ok money, to roll around in ageing cars that are becoming more and more like death traps due to age and mileage. Now that's what I call retarded.

 

[Parisien]

Same applies in the RoI......VRT rate 50% of pre-tax cost......sometimes worthwhile to import a car from UK and pay the duty


P

 

[BJL]

The grass always looks greener then when you get there you find out it is only grass........................unless you are talking of Tuscany that is,

 

[Parisien]

One thing living there....another having to make a living there............not got the lingo in a foreign land..?.....miss out on 80% of it all


P

 

[ajb101]

One thing living there....another having to make a living there............not got the lingo in a foreign land..?.....miss out on 80% of it all


P

This is very true, which is why I was thinking of a tester 6 months over there. I'm a contractor, so it would be a case of seeing how that kind of thing works over there, before I even go for a 6 month trial.

 

[Felonious Crud]

I know how you feel... these interminable grey, damp days drive me nuts. Mrs N more so. Southern California is pretty good. San Diego and the surrounding area takes some beating. Seasons tend to be pretty flat - weather is pretty good year round. June can be a bit foggy but that's about it. Head north towards and beyond LA and you get some great places likes Santa Monica and (especially) Santa Barbara but property prices are pretty impressive. San Francisco is great, but can be cold and windy as Catman says. Still, it's a city with a great character and unusally in America you can actually walk around it without looking weird. Cars are cheap in America, too, which is nice. I concur with Catman on Asia: Singapore is fun but I'm not sure I'd want to live there. And forget owning a car - the costs are stratospheric. Middle East is nice if you pick the right place but wouldn't be a long-term proposition for me. Dubai is westerner friendly but you have to wonder how long before the Dubai bubble bursts for the final time. Six months would be enough, especially if you could pay no tax (but the government makes up for it by applying taxes and high prices on plenty of other day-to-day costs). Never been to Aus or NZ (would love to) but it does feel like everyone who goes doesn't much fancy coming back. Claims of great climate, great people etc etc abound. Cars carry a hefty premium though from what I gather.

For me, if I could afford a nice house I reckon I could settle happily in some parts of California. Maybe up in wine country. But the regulation and the fact that it's not as free as they all like to make out may well drive me stark-staring mad after 6 months.

Perhaps I need a few nice spring days and I'll be pretty happy in the UK. Once the potholes are fixed.

 

[fcz360]

This is very true, which is why I was thinking of a tester 6 months over there. I'm a contractor, so it would be a case of seeing how that kind of thing works over there, before I even go for a 6 month trial.

I contracted in the US Michigan, California and Kansas. It was great fun but i just felt it was all a bit fake. Loved California tho and Michigan upstate is great. Lot of rules to work and green cards are a pain to get. I got in due to duel nationality.

As im originally Canadian I lived and worked back there for a few years and they have great weather - 35 degrees and sun in Summer and -35 degrees and snow in winter, no spring and short Autumn. Great fun

Did Russia (st Petersberg) corupt and cold and wet

Germany - Cold and wet and boring.

BUT the cars are ****, non US cars and a fortune and the speeds are so silly i got stopped every month!

Got kids and cars now to look after but when they bugger off and i can retire - Amalfi Coast it is for me

 

[ajb101]

I contracted in the US Michigan, California and Kansas. It was great fun but i just felt it was all a bit fake. Loved California tho and Michigan upstate is great. Lot of rules to work and green cards are a pain to get. I got in due to duel nationality.

As im originally Canadian I lived and worked back there for a few years and they have great weather - 35 degrees and sun in Summer and -35 degrees and snow in winter, no spring and short Autumn. Great fun

Did Russia (st Petersberg) corupt and cold and wet

Germany - Cold and wet and boring.

BUT the cars are ****, non US cars and a fortune and the speeds are so silly i got stopped every month!

Got kids and cars now to look after but when they bugger off and i can retire - Amalfi Coast it is for me

I'd love the South of France but the culture barrier, language barrier puts me off a little, on top of this is that fact that in my vocation, I would struggle to have an income there.

 

[bigbob]

Amalfi Coast - only place I got really scared driving.

 

[MAF260]

The shocker I found was when working in Denmark for a short time, those poor poor people have to put up with a 50% taxation on all vehicles purchases, irrespective of age (so we were told.) No matter what you buy, you have to pay half of its value to the government on top!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So what does this do? It causes people, who earn ok money, to roll around in ageing cars that are becoming more and more like death traps due to age and mileage. Now that's what I call retarded.

Denmark taxation makes the UK look positively generous! Luxury tax on all sorts of things from cars to chocolate makes it an incredibly expensive place to live. I've spent quite a lot of time there in the past 2 years and saw just one Porsche. Everything else is old/boring (a new BMW 316i is considered a major luxury!) and the taxis are all Mercedes because of different taxation. Income tax is also 70% I believe!