Have you ever thought seriously about emigrating from the UK? What did you consider?

[twids]

I looked into it a while ago (June 24th 2016 at about 07:00 am ) and considered a few countries, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Portugal and Spain.

But it came up again with my wife this weekend, so I've started mulling it over.

The areas we considered before (that haven't really changed) were,

Points / will they have us (most will, based on my wife and my skill sets)
Financials - could we afford to live there, will be there work for us?
Quality of life, we've got 2 young kids, we like outdoor sports, not really culture vultures, but do like having a great group of friends around
Future for the kids - would moving there be a dead-end for them when they grow up?
Family, we'd be leaving our parents and family behind, parents aren't getting any younger so it would put more pressure on other family members as they age
Having an escape route, if it all went tit's up could we keep one foot in the UK to return if needed?
We both quite like the area and community we live in, it's the wider country that sucks!

I'm interested in if you've considered this or actually did it and how did you decide?

[Yorick]

You know what we did

[derek badger]

Very different circumstances though. You're both retired and no kids. Easy decision compared to having to settle children into foreign schools and secure jobs. You seem to be enjoying yourself, as you should in your situation.

[G.P]

I went to NZ for 8 years but I was single and in my late 20's when I went.
I eventually came home as the company I as working for was acquired by a UK company and I was offered a job in UK and all the relocation expenses etc. Also, my Father had just died and my mum was returning from Spain to UK so that's what really clinched it.
If had a family I would have stayed, great place to bring up kids unless you're living in the middle of a city.

I sold a property in UK that I had very little equity in. I was lucky as the housing market crashed here and was only back up to 1988 levels when I returned in 1996. if I had more equity in the property I would have just Let it and have someone else pay off my mortgage.

There's a huge difference in going to the antipodes rather than spain / portugal (or even east Canada). 4 return tickets to pop back home for a holiday is not cheap from AUS / NZ - from portugal its cheap as chips...

[bob_summers]

I didn't really consider it, it was more by accident. Came for a year just to try, still here 10 or 11 years later. Didn't move here with kids though (now have a 7yo), obviously that has a huge bearing on things. I miss certain things about the UK but with every development latey, it looks less and less likely I'll go back.

[G.P]

I didn't really consider it, it was more by accident. Came for a year just to try, still here 10 or 11 years later. Didn't move here with kids though (now have a 7yo), obviously that has a huge bearing on things. I miss certain things about the UK but with every development latey, it looks less and less likely I'll go back.

Where Bob?

[Yorick]

I didn't really consider it, it was more by accident. Came for a year just to try, still here 10 or 11 years later. Didn't move here with kids though (now have a 7yo), obviously that has a huge bearing on things. I miss certain things about the UK but with every development latey, it looks less and less likely I'll go back.

Where Bob?

There on the stair.

[Bigjawa]

I thought about Portugal but was warned off it unless I wanted to either work in a bar or drive a tour coach. Seems that the place is flooded with Brazilians who will work for next to nowt.

[bob_summers]

I didn't really consider it, it was more by accident. Came for a year just to try, still here 10 or 11 years later. Didn't move here with kids though (now have a 7yo), obviously that has a huge bearing on things. I miss certain things about the UK but with every development latey, it looks less and less likely I'll go back.

Where Bob?

Oops sorry, thought I had location in profile! I'm in San Sebastian, Basque Country.
As I didn't really make a conscious decision to come here in particular, I lucked out really. Nice city (I'm not really a city person), mountains, good roads and mixed weather. I like seasons and rain. Weather here is similar to UK but a few degrees warmer most days, more sunny days but about double the rainfall.
They say you can ski in the morning and sunbathe on the beach in the afternoon, but I hate both activities

[A_morti]

I've lived in Gibraltar and now Malta since 11/2011.

Both countries have relatively high housing costs, both have their own assorted issues politically. But these days there's no chance I'd move back to UK. Never seems to be any good news coming out of "the old country".

The first pull was nicer weather. I don't care about hot summers but cold winters make me miserable. I moved to a job, and I think you'd be mad to move countries without a job waiting. That will also not be so easy in future if you're thinking about EU destinations so whether it's EU and possible work permits or ROW and points scoring, what you do will at least partly define where you can go. If you are tech savvy and/or good at customer service and don't mind working in online gambling, there's plenty of jobs in Malta.

[Mr Moofo]

I have done it three times - twice to CH ( nr Zurich) and then to Cologne in Germany.
TBH, I am quite content on the South coast of England.
Being offshore taught me a lot about how whiny the Brits are and how we spend all our time pulling our country to pieces. You don't need to - that is what the French and the Austrians are for...
It certainly highlights some bad points - laziness, the rise of the underclass, the sense of entitlement, the obsession with class. But it also taught me what was good - multicultural, creative, innovative, adaptable, accepting - but it would seem that all that good is being driven by a Stalinist agenda to re-write everything as "woke".

Life is not "woke" - "woke" is just another way to try and dominate people into enforcing your view of them and accepting no criticism.

If you are going leave, write down honestly what drives you to do it ( My sister left 23 years ago for Oz, has a fantastic lifestyle, great place to raise kids etc. But she would come back tomorrow if she could do).
If you are running from something - that sort that "thing" first
If you are going for a better life - be sure that is what it will deliver. The dream and the reality have habit of being a little different.
Learn the language if you want to be accepted - but also accept that you probably never will be - but you can fit in. You want to learn the language because hanging around ex-pats is soul destroying - they are all either money obsessed or on the run from some-one, something, or the law.

Essentially draw up a life plan and make sure your new location can deliver it - not move to a new location and expect it to deliver your life plan.

I have really enjoyed living elsewhere - haven't regretted it. My wife hated the second stint in CH - but again values the experience greatly. These things tell you what you do want, and what you don't. And it is surprisingly how easily you can adapt to the challenge . oddly, I really liked being out go my comfort zone. And I would rather live in Germany than Switzerland ... and I would find it very hard to live in a country where things didn't work. No matter how wonderful the weather.

And from above - San Sebastian would be a great place to be

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I lived in Northern California for 3 months, it was alright but after a while it wasn't that different to living in the UK
As Mr Moofo said, work out why you want to leave before going, the UK really isn't a bad place to live if you don't watch the news or read newspapers, if you want to believe the crap our media pedals - then the UK is full of white, work shy, racists.

[CbfRider]

Been in Sweden 2 years and not regretted moving.

But then I was clear that I couldn't bear to stay in the UK in the direction it was going and I really wanted to be in Sweden when I moved. I took just under 2 years to make the plan, travel and explore and be happy I knew what I was getting into here, and make the decision to go. When I decided, I found a job and it was the job that determined I ended up in Huskvarna not Stockholm or Gothenburg.

You need to be prepared to learn the language and that it can be really hard as well to learn it. You need to understand that the cultures are different - the work culture here is very different to British companies. I am still not 100% comfortable with things and got told by my boss I wasn't being sociable enough with people... apparently while the Swedes are generally great at work/life balance, some bosses are still arseholes and don't get that when you are sick as I have been, then being sociable and chatty is not an option. And he called me on Wednesday when I was in the middle of trying to arrange my mums funeral service to demand I do my time and leave recording immediately so they can close their books for the month. Just be aware that the grass isn't always greener and there are arseholes everywhere.

Make sure you understand what the rules are for moving. Free movement still applies to EU countries but wont for much longer. Try and find a job first and then think about moving in stages. You move to the country and start work in temporary accommodation and then use the time to close everything down in the UK while you get all the bank accounts etc sorted in the new country. If a big bang approach as I did (no family, no ties) doesnt work think about the job first, temp accommodation in that country and phase the move. Assuming its an EU country and close enough that is.