moving to UK....pls. help!!

mushi

mushi

Registered User
hi ladies,
we would be moving to London soon ... early next month and i need all possible help and advice on this shift...some initial queries:
1. i know helpers are not the norm out there so should we take one from here? how easy/difficult/advisable would that be? would i get part-time help out there?

2. i believe london is very expensive compared with HK so do u advise that i buy clothes/shoes from here to start with? since winters are cold there should also buy jackets/boots/etc form here? i have 2 sons should i also buy kids's stuff from here?

3. i need to get admission in a school for my 5-yr old son ....how should i start this process?

PLS ASVISE ASAP!! thanks
 
Hi Mushi

I'm originally from the UK, I hope this helps a little:

1. Can't help you there I'm afraid, I never had any domestic help in the UK (or here actually!) but I know its going to be more expensive for you. I'm sure someone else will know more about your options.

2. London isn't actually more expensive than Hong Kong in many ways - things that are cheaper include supermarket shopping, housing, clothes - things that are more expensive include utilities, transport, eating out. I will actually be stocking up on children's clothes during my summer holiday in the UK because its better value than here and you get a greater choice.

3. What type of schooling are you planning on finding for your son? If you plan on sending him to a government (they call them 'state') school (which is the norm) then you need to choose your home carefully as the choice of schools will be dictated by your proximity and some schools are better than others. The other option is a fee paying or private school and I'm afraid I don't know much about that. Whichever type of school you go for you can get reports on standards from this website Inspection Reports - Ofsted. I'm sure others will be able to help you with the enrollment process but your son will definitely get a place at a state school no matter what.

Enjoy your stay in London.
 
HI mushi,

I agree with Dink.

Supermarket shopping and clothes are much cheaper and better quality in the UK. I wont bother to stock clothes from HK.

If would ever return to UK again, I will stock ''chinese Wok'' which i couldnt find a good one in the UK. I remember breaking 2 woks in a week :P I hate non- stick wok since then. :dance:
 
Hey Mushi!

We'll have done a swap as we've just moved here from the UK!

1. Helpers: Definately not the norm in the UK, You may be able to take a helper with you from here, however, you will have to prove that she has worked for you exclusively for over a year - you will need to make a visa application for her and provide supporting contracts / documents / photos etc. This is about all I know but you will be able to find out more info on the british embassy website. I tried to get my helper back when I went back from Beijing but couldn't provide proper contracts and therefore they wouldn't touch her with a bargepole.
You can certainly employ a nanny in London but that will be megabucks and she wont touch the housework, or just employ a cleaner (app. $120+per hour in London) but she won't be able to look after the kids!!

2. The cost of living in the UK is certainly NOT more expensive than HK - London can be fairly comparable when eating out etc but it depends on what sort of lifestyle you intend to lead. Shop in Tesco / Asda / Sainsburys for your day-to-day groceries and they're loads cheaper than the parknshop etc here. The one thing I miss is the local farmers markets with the fresh organic assured meat / eggs / cheese - sausages with proper meat in them, venison, ostrich burgers - oooh lovely!!
Save loads of money and buy your clothes in the UK - if you dont want designer gear then go to Primark / Next / H&M for all your families clothes - LOADS cheaper. I really wouldn't buy winter stuff here as the high street stores will have much more choice at much cheaper prices!
Rental - you'll clearly get a much bigger place than in HK for your money - I have some friends that have just rented a 4bed house in Wimbledon for ?4500pm (Approx$just over $50000) and it's a buyers market out there at the mo.

3. Schooling - we have a state run system and a private system (ironically called public school just to confuse!!) so it depends what you want for your kids. The state system runs on catchment and is free - local village and town schools are not usually full and I can only comment on both systems outside of London so not really any good to you - google again!! My advice would be to find out where you are staying and then google schools in that area. Private & boarding schools are usually more than willing to hand out prospectus's (not like here) and will welcome you to tour the school - all schools are governed by Ofsted and each school also gets a report - you are able to view any schools ofsted report to see how well it is doing. The cheaper private schools are around ESF prices. Boarding schools much more.
It's also worth mentioning that there are many lovely places to live outside of London which offer a main train line into the centre - these places are MUCH cheaper places to live and sometimes with better schools so may be worth checking out. My house (Leicestershire) is 10 mins from a direct train line into St Pancras - My hubby used to commute 1.5 hours door to door but we had a much more relaxed lifestyle, village life and a MASSIVE garden!!!!.....sniff.

4. Enjoy - England is a beautiful place to live with some awesome places and wonderful history to visit - namely the Southwest - Cornwall (The Minnack Theatre - outdoor theatre set into a cliff - just lovely among many others, Lost gardens of Heligan, Eden project - oh how the list goes on!), The Peak district, the Lake District, Bath, The Cotswolds - you get the pciture!! Get yourself a car as London is most certainly not the be all and end all!

GOOD LUCK!!
 
I agree with all of the above. If you need a helper, then take yours from here if she's been with you longer than a year. It's incredibly expensive to hire one in the UK and is certainly not the norm. Friends of ours who have moved back have all taken their helpers with them. Clothes wise, not only is it alot cheaper, but you get the most fantastic variety of really good quality clothing which I find lacking in HK. Absolutely no point in buying clothes here. Can't help with no. 3 as can't remember!!
 
There are some DH in UK which have usually been brought over by returning expats from Asia. Beware issues with local law re. minimum pay & conditions/hours (the tax free$3600 monthly no longer holds and it's more likely to be over $10k pm - I think this can be off-set by accomm/food provided). There could also be the issue of local taxes... My DH has contacts in UK and said many choose to live out as it improves hours worked and controls pay.

Another issue is once granted a visa to work as a DH (or Domestic Worker as they are called) - the visa is not linked to an employer (like HK) but job specific and therefore helpers can look for other employers easily for the same job without reapplication once they have a visa.

Altho higher cost (similar to that of a western Nanny?) generally includes more duties (e.g. kids + housework) than a nanny and therefore are in high demand.
 
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Hi there,
Totally agree with all that's been said on your replies here. Clothing - I am going to be stocking up when I return in a couple of weeks as you do get, what I call, 'value packs' of kids clothes in supermarkets etc. I actually find it a bit difficult to get things for eldest boy here, now and again get bits at Stanley. Also online shopping, more choice!
The only thing I would say about taking helper back to the UK, a friend of ours from here considered it, but thought about the 'social life' aspect of the helper back in the UK, whereas in HK , there is a massive community here on their day off, would they be lonely? Only a thought.
Schools, yes state schools are dependable on where you live, once you know where you are going to live, check the OFSTED reports online for schools in the area.
Good luck with everything, I'm sure I'll see you in the playground before you go!
Karen
 
dear slamdunk, can your helper provide me with contacts of her friends in UK? maybe i could find one out there directly.....is it possible to take a helper who has not worked for u out here as my present helper is not interested in moving there.....anyone done this before?

any expat website like this for UK expats?

thanks everyone for all your suggestions and advice.....i am not sure about the london map but what would be a good place to live in considering we have small children and the office is in Canary Wharf.....

also if my husband's office is paying for the children;s education would u suggest putting them in a State run school or a private school? is the state run one equally good? what is the diff in their education?

thank you everyone once again......pls. keep it going....
 
You can try the postings at the local library notice boards (maybe the ones in Central London) to find domestic help. I found a "mummy helper" via the library notice boards.
 
hi ladies, after all yoru advice and meeting up with consultants we have narrowed down the area list to WIMBLEDON, HAMPSTEAD, GREENICH....any ideas about these places? which one would be ideal form a family point of view? good schools, etc....i am looking at private schools only....thanks
 
hi mushi, can only comment on one area in your list - Greenwich (was born there and lived in the area for 23 years!) it's a great, vibrant town, a lovely big park, near the river thames, the london marathon once a year, museums, great restaurants, VERY close to Canary Wharf, central London, fab market on a sunday, river boat trips, close to the london eye - i could go on!!!
schools, don't know enough about private schools here, but check this website out
Greenwich independent private schools list top best find reviews

hope this helps
karen
 
I lived in Greenwich for 8 years while we were in London and loved the area. My husband also worked in Canary Wharf so its a quick commute. Canary wharf also has a great shopping centre so you don't really need to go into Central London as everything is there. There are cinemas, lots of bars and restuarants and gyms. The park at Greenwich is fantastic and they have a great farmers market every weekend. There are some great walks along the river and even a city farm at Mudchute. In winter there is usually an ice rink in the maritime museum. Blackheath is close by which is a lovely little village with parks, shops and restaurants. At North Greenwich there is a huge Sainsbury's, cinemas and B&Q. You can easily take a bus into central london, or the underground, and they have the Docklands Light Rail to Canary Wharf or its an easy bike ride.

Wimbledon and Hampstead will mean a long commute to Canary Wharf, at least an hour and I wouldn't want to rely on the London Underground for that every day.

Sorry I can't comment on schools, but check out the link that Karen bt posted
 
Sorry, I can't give you any contacts. I understand the Filipino community hangs out at Victoria Station at weekends (much like they hang out in Central on Sundays here) so could look for newsagents there to post ads.
 
thanks karena and karma1, your information certainly helps.
we have been receiving great reviews about both greenwich and wimbledon....we have relatives staying at teddington so in favour of wimbledon which is closer but like u said greenwich is also prefrred due to proximity of my hubby's office........so let;s see.....would u know which area gives better value for money in terms of apartment/house rents?

anyone can give comments about hampstead, or west hampstead?
 
Agree with everyone.

Live-in domestic help is not the norm in the UK. People tend to hire cleaners to clean the house but if you want full time help then you should opt for a nanny.

As with schools, research is a must. Entries to state schools really depends on your location. Private schools are slightly easier, but mums do tend to register their babies well in advance to gain entry to a top school.

I live in the UK but visits HK on a regularly basis, and have found that the range of baby clothes is a lot better in the UK than it is in HK.

Look me up if you need any info when you are here.
 
dear karmah1 and karen,
could you pls. tell me how much travel time would it take on the tube form greenwich to central london? also what kind of kids activities one can do in greenwich? someone mentioned that greenwich is great but the area surrounding it is quite desolated and not too safe....is that true? woukd i need to keep a fixed watch over my kids when i take them to the park there? also what winter activities do kids have in general since i guess the parks would be out of bounds.......we r narrowing down to wimbledon as we hear that it is more 'central' in the sesnse easier to commute to any part of london and that greenwich is located in one corner........

also i am looking fwd to living ina house asi know i may not get an opportunity elsewhere? whats your experience abotu the same.........sorry too many questions but if u could PM me your email ids or contact nos. maybe i could just talk iot out with u.......thanks so much.

anyone else with greenwich, wimbledon, st. john's wood experience pls. do write.
 
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