An American planning to move to the UK...any advice that someone might be willing to give me?

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john m

Have a good look round where you are, Do the walls have rubber on them, sure come here and live under the bureaucracy from Brussels. You have to be mad to live here. Holiday, yes Resident, No.

kezza

Pcm stands for 'per calendar month' and double glazing has 2 sheets of glass with an air gap in between (keeps the heat in and the noise out).
Why not come to Scotland instead? It's colder but extremely pretty and with very friendly people, good education and healthcare and excellent for the arts. Lots of good jobs for graduates in finance, education, insurance, charity, social care and healthcare, as well as more casual work in shops, hotels and the ski industry.
Take a look at some websites about Edinburgh. I guarantee you won't have seen a more beautiful city in Britain. We'd love to see you.

peter d

don't buy a house any were near where it has previously flooded

kez

pcm is : per calender month, double glazing is exactly as described ;windows which are double glazed (keep house warmer )
I will give you some advice come to scotland because its a nicer lifestyle and a cheaper option sometimes.
goodluck and just check out areas carefuly before commiting to any contracts.

laplandfan

Â£500 pcm..basically means per calendar month. In other words 500 English pounds per month.

Check out the areas in which you are considering thoroughly. Check out flood risk areas (if any) and crime rates etc.
I wish you a happy move to the UK!!!!!!

t d

What is 'double glazing' with regards to an apartment?

=2 panes pf glass for greater insulation

Stupid question, but when an apartment is Â£500'pcm' what does the 'pcm' stand for?

=Per calendar month.

I know London is expensive, but I would rather live up north as it is. Is Liverpool a good choice?

=No. It`s full of crooks and looks like a bomb site. Better go for Bristol, Leeds, York, Southampton, Edinburgh...just about anywhere really!

1. Different electical supply voltage and 3 pin plugs
2. Lower service standards than USA
3. Difficulty of understanding `local` accents
4. Much greater class differences than USA
5. More expensive for almost everything, expect a drop in standard of living.
6. Overcrowded.
7. Rotten weather. Often grey or damp.
8. Sense of humour.
9. Undercurrent of Anti-Americanism in some circles- take it on the cuff.
10. Good luck, you`re a brave chappie.

UKdancer

double glazing is two layers of glass in a window

Advice: don't try to speak with an English accent.. its annoying

~Selly~

Since it seems most have answered your pcm and double glazing queiries, I'll move right on to the choice of location.

I've not actually been to liverpool, so it's not my place to say whether it's ideal to go there or not.
I think a lot of it depends on what you're looking for in a place to live. You want to live more up North. Why? What is it about up North thats appears more appealing to you?
I think you've based a lot of the UK on England when in fact there are 3 other countries attached.

For the most part, don't be expecting any decent weather any time soon :P
I live in Wales, but I'm not about to brag about the qualities, and be biased about how wanderful it is to live in, and in all honesty, the accent here would probably confuse you until you settle to it, and don't think you won't attract any attention with an american accent.

Before moving officially, I would tour the UK, different locations have different routines, find one that suits you best.

Chiyo

Regardless of what all the Scots have been saying I would definatly recommend the North of England, as long as you pick the right area. Of course it depends what you want, but basically you can get a cheaper home and a really good quality of life in the north as well as beautiful scenery for a reasonable price.
It's not as bad as people might say - just inflated by the media and personal bias so don't let anyone put you off.
Basic advice, look around on the internet at the towns/cities you might be interested in, get an idea of the property prices in that area so you don't end up paying too much and try and find out what facilities are available in that area. You could try looking on Google maps if you want to see what kind of setting the place is in (ie, countryside, woodland, city, small town etc.) All councils in the UK will have a website, so you could have a look on there, that will tell you about the education standards and crime rates locally.
Wherever you end up I wish you luck.

dingwaggle

Move to Cambridge. It's the most beautiful city in th e UK

ffiondove

Double glazing is when there are two layers of glass in your windows, usually set in a PVC frame - really help with the saving of heat and cuts down on outside noise, PCM means per calendar month - means you will pay our rent on the same day each month e.g. 12th or 25th whatever as opposed to every 4 weeks.
Liverpool is a great city but you should base your decision on employment opportunites. Manchester is also a great city.
Good Luck

Lock R

We have rather a lot of Americans over here, most come to London Mind you Â£500 Per Calendar Month quite cheep for most areas in London.

Liverpool has some nice areas but quite a few rough ones, perhaps somewhere in the Lake district?

scratchpole

If you're the outdoor type go to Scotland (by-passing Glasgow) or Cornwall/Devon area of the South-West.
Surrey is good for easy access to London and the countryside but very costly. Do a tour first for a few weeks then decide. If you like history, England is the place to go round the castles, stately homes and county fairs.

english guy 1985

hi

everyone here has given you pretty good information and a range of views, but you might also want to look at this forum -
http://talk.uk-yankee.com/ where you can talk with people in the same situation (either Americans who have already moved to the UK,or who also want to move)

firebobby

Hi Aaron
You have had all the answers about pcm and double glazing. Avoid Manchester and Liverpool like the plague, indeed all cities have problems with drugs and anti social behaviour, even our beloved Newcastle upon Tyne.
Aim for a commuting distance of maybe 30 to 45 minutes from the job market, where you will find life more pleasant, lower, if not non existent crime, friendlier people and in general a more pleasant place to live.
Northumberland meets all these criteria and is visited by many of your countrymen every year.
Good luck.

Ladyfromdrum

pcm means per calendar month so multiply by 12 to find the annual rent. Double glazing is two panes of glass with gas inbetween which provides insulation from both outside weather and also noise.
Take my tip and avoid Liverpool like the plague, in fact avoid England altogether. Come to Scotland for a much higher quality of living, nice people, fantastic scenery, cheaper house prices and rents. In general, a much more laid back life. In England it is a constant rat race which nobody has won yet but they never give up trying.
Good luck!

jopaterson07

you really should think about living in scotland, it is more affordable, we have a fantastic culture in scotland, the cities are great, the scenery is fantastic, the climate is not as bad as everyone thinks, we dont wear kilts and chase haggis (or haggi) up hills. i live in fife which is 25miles from dundee and edinburgh, an hour from stirling and glasgow, has sandy beaches within miles, i wouldnt want to live anywhere else.

oh pcm is per calendar month (i pay Â£350 for 3 bed house) double glazed windows are windows which have 2 panes of glass. try remax scotland, your move, espc, slater hogg and howatson for an idea of the properties available in scotland.

good luck, hope you find somewhere fantastic to live!

Bren

double glazing means the windows are modern with 2 layers of glass this helps with insulation and noise. if a place didnt have double glazing it would be an indication of it being old as most places have it now as even old houses have replaced the original windows with new double glazed sealed units and that is pretty much standard and something that you would expect to get on any property. pcm means per calendar month. if ur renting then you will usually have to pay one months rent as deposit and they will require references, usually bank and employer, not sure if you are moving from abroad you would have to check, if not then u may have to pay 6 months rent upfront to secure a place thats what we did when returning from abroad. london is expensive and liverpool is a very big city depends what you want really big city or quiet life. what about employment that may determine where you live and properties in cities are more expensive than rural areas. up north is definitely cheaper and the people supposedly more friendly. i live in brighton on the south coast we have london prices but not london wages so its very expensive. i think your best bet would be to rent somewher e for a short term to see how you like it , also you will find once you are here it s possible to get flat/house shares with people which would make rent a bit cheaper, dont know what your situation is tho so that would be up to you. rightmove is a team of estate agents . once you decide on a place to start then try searching estate agents in that area on the net. good luck

flopsy

I would advise you to buy the local newspaper (or look on its website) for whichever area you look at - you can usually get a good idea of the good and bad areas that way, and they also have real estate and lettings sections so you can compare prices etc.
I live in the north and there are lots of nice areas, but it depends what sort of lifestyle you're looking for. The UK's like anywhere else - if you want to live somewhere nice, safe and friendly it usually comes at a price. Leeds is a good city, I think there's generally a little less crime than the north west.
Good luck with the move!

emma

I live up north half an hour from manchester my advice is try to move somewhere where there aren't so many hills as it rains more. liverpool can be a nice place to live if you move to the right area as it is with anywhere there are good places and bad

What a guy!!

Save up, mate. Practise is spelt with an s when it is a verb over here.

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