Moving to London help

nylon

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 5:21 pm

youngmommy, I got my citizenship through marriage after 3 years and I only got it last year (I was eligible in 2007 but didn't do it right away).

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov......lity/ also says it's 3 years. Maybe they've proposed lengthening it but the changes are not law yet.

You do lose your right to the NHS if you leave the country but the criterion is that you must have reestablished residency. You don't lose it permanently for ever.

If you have a British passport, you're a citizen.

sunny90

Wed, Sep 09 2009, 9:03 am

This thread has been really useful to me as well! Thanks Mrs B for the molasses advice! Would the treacle syrup give the same taste, really? (I want to make gingerbread)
And also, I really hate to bother ppl but I was wondering--do they sell mashed pumpkin (like Libby's) anywhere here? I love pumpkin pie but the thought of buying a pumpkin, peeling cutting and baking/boiling really puts me off!

Mrs Bissli

Wed, Sep 09 2009, 9:27 am

sunny90,

You should probably use dark brown sugar for gingerbread, I think Tate & Lyle is on the list. (You do need a hechsher on brown sugar). And for mashed pumpkins, Libby's is the only choice I know of. You can find them in suprmarkets that cater to ex-pat americans, I'm pretty much sure Waitrose in Finchley Rd should have one. Check some kosher shops as well. If you don't mind paying inflated price, check Panzer's in St John's Wood (very close to American school) or Selfridge's food hall.

I love pumpkin pies, but found many brits (esp men) think it strange to convert a vegetable into sweet dish.

drumjj

Wed, Sep 09 2009, 9:29 am

sunny pls can I have the gingerbread recipe my kids have been asking for ages

nylon

Wed, Sep 09 2009, 9:28 pm

Waitrose has Libby's pumpkin. Temple Fortune branch is tiny, but Ballards Lane (Finchley) or Brent Cross should (I know I've seen it in Ballards Lane) and both have better parking than Finchley Road. Finchley Road branch is one of the largest and fanciest, though. Panzers has quite a few American products though it is pricey--but when I really wanted Oreos, graham crackers or American Cheerios I did make the trip!

Tate and Lyle is KLBD, hechsher on the packet.

Black treacle is stronger than regular American molasses--I would use half golden syrup, half black treacle if your recipe calls for light molasses.

gem

Thu, Sep 10 2009, 12:29 am

I just noticed this thread! My dh and I moved from the east coast (Boston area) to London last summer just after getting married. We lived in central London (Maida Vale/St. John's Wood area) for several months before we decided to move to the "suburbs" a little bit north (now we live in Pinner-- it's on the metropolitan line). We're both American citizens here while DH is finishing his PhD (he'd like to stay forever...I'm still homesick). Actually, I'm not even in London right now. While we were back here in the states visiting family this summer, I suddenly got very sick with heart and lung problems. So I'm here until I manage to get my health and strength back. DH went back to London last Sunday.

Here is a long post with (what I hope is) useful information. Some of it was advice that someone passed on to me that I found particularly useful.

We did decide to move our things to the UK. We had signed a lease and knew the size of the apartment where we would be living-- flats (and houses) are small and most don't really have closets (you'll find wardrobes in the bedrooms, but don't count on a real closet. The house we're renting now, actually, doesn't have any closets at all, which is deeply frustrating). The flat to which we first moved came partially furnished (most flats do), so we brought the furniture we knew we'd need-- bookcases, desks, office chairs, beds. The move also included our clothing and personal belongings, books, dishes, kitchenware, etc. It wasn't cheap, but I think we calculated how much it would cost to purchase these things again after relocating, and it came out about the same. The moving company we used was Humboldt (www.humboldt.com)-- they're based in Boston, and we'd definitely recommend them.

If you don't intend to stay in the UK long-term, you might not want to move all of your furniture-- it's pricey to move overseas, and you should be able to find a furnished flat. However, you might want to look for a flat that's furnished without beds. Our one mistake in moving was believing we could fit a full bed as well as a twin bed into our bedroom. Not a chance (not even in the house where we're living now). The twin bed had to go in dh's office. It was a shock when we realized we wouldn't be able to fit everything into the bedroom, but it isn't a big deal to us-- we just use an aerobed (for some reason the twin aerobed fits in the bedroom but a real twin bed doesn't...go figure). It's actually very comfortable, although I'm always worried about what a guest would think if she ever saw our bedroom with just one bed! I try always to keep the door closed.

Before you leave, do not close your bank account(s) in the US. Keep one credit card (preferably one to which you can register a foreign address-- most online companies in the UK will only deliver/ship to the card's registered address) because it could be several months (especially to qualify for a credit card) before you get things sorted out.

Immediately after arriving, call the utilities and get them to send you bills. Not a letter saying your account is established (BT will do this) but an actual bill. You must have two bills to open a bank account. Make sure both bills are in your name (you can get them to issue the bill to you and dh, just tell them that's what you require) and have your address. Furthermore, the bills must have the giro slip (the little thing you tear off to mail in with payment) attached. Keep track of your passport-- you'll also need this to set up a bank account. If you ever intend to apply for a credit card, do not tell them you are a housewife, stay-at-home mom, or otherwise unemployed. My work is based in the US, so I told my bank I'm self-employed, and this satisfied them (initially I was denied credit when I said I was unemployed in the UK, and I had to wait it out for six months before I could apply again).

Read your lease carefully, and be prepared to pay a lot upfront. Flat/house hunting is hard. Hopefully you're moving to a community where someone can let you know how to search for flats in the area. Consider a lease with a 6 month break-clause.

If you can, bring your clothing. It tends to be more expensive over here because of the VAT. I'm from the midwest, and things (not limited to just clothing-- as a general rule, for me, anyway) here are about twice what they cost back home.

Do not bring all of your appliances-- you'll blow yourself up with the 220 current! Basically, you need to pay attention to two things: voltage and hertz. North America uses 120 volts at 60 Hz. In Europe (and most places in the world), the electricity is 220/240 vots at 50 Hz. There should be labels on all of your appliances that specify this information (or look in the manuals). Read the lables-- you'll be able to use certain appliances. Your laptop should be fine. If you have a desktop, there should be a switch on the back to change the voltage. Make sure you're checking for both dual voltage (the 110-240 part) as well as the hertz (the label will tell you if it's 50-60). I had a printer that was dual voltage but only operated at 60 hertz-- so I had to leave it behind. If your appliances are okay to use after moving, you'll need adaptors. This website is useful: http://voltagevalet.com/elec_guide.html

Generally speaking, people don't really tip. If you take a taxi and the fare is 10.18, round up to 11. If you have a lot of heavy things the driver helps you unload, tip a little more. I don't know about restaurants because we don't really eat out. When we lived on the second floor of a walk-up building we tipped more to the guy who delivered our groceries and carried them up the stairs.

Stories/floors of buildings aren't measured like they are in America. In America, one flight of stairs from the ground floor is the second floor. Here, one flight of stairs off the ground floor is the first floor. Keep this in mind when you're finding a flat. Although if you're coming from NY, you're probably used to walkup buildings.

Have your groceries delivered. Make sure you know what you're buying. A copy of The Really Jewish Food Guide is essential. You won't need to have your groceries delivered often, but if you don't have a car (you won't need, or want, one in central London, but outside, it's useful. We bought a used one), it's really useful for times when you need heavy things like bottled water.

Speaking of water, London has hard water! Get a Brita pitcher (or two) pronto after moving (www.argos.co.uk is a useful basic homewares shopping site, but I like www.tesco.com -- look in the "tesco direct" section). It's called limescale, and you'll encounter it everywhere there's water. Everything that uses water-- your sink, dishwasher, washing machine, and bathroom-- will need to be de-scaled regularly-- citric acid is very helpful.

What else? Find your local GP surgery (doctor's office) and register (it involves completing some paperwork and a health check appointment with the nurse). http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirec.....pe=GP Enter your postcode (or the first part of it), and it will list the surgeries in your area.

Don't be surprised if you find yourself with culture shock. If you don't do a lot of walking now, you will after moving (it's good for your heart!). Welcome to London!

sunny90

Thu, Sep 10 2009, 3:42 am

Thanks everyone! I love this thread! I'll be going to Waitrose tomorrow...TF is closest so I'll try there.
drumjj, I don't have a recipe that I've actually made, I've just been obsessed with the grodzinskis gingerbread men lately so I wanted to make something gingery! I've been thinking of making this one if it's any help, although it really looks heavy and if I'm the only one who's going to eat it I don't want it lying around my house! I think I might try to find a different recipe that I can make in a sheet pan.

drumjj

Thu, Sep 10 2009, 4:45 am

it looks very heavy and also so many ingredients who can be bothered with all that

drumjj

Thu, Sep 10 2009, 4:49 am

gem wrote:

this posts makes england sound scary.
gem I hope u recover quickly and wish u a refua shleima

sunny90

Thu, Sep 10 2009, 5:03 am

I know that's what I was saying--I'm trying to find a different one. but that heavy gingeryness looks REALLY good to a preggo, what can I tell you? ;-)

sunny90

Thu, Sep 10 2009, 5:22 am

Btw here are 2 recipes I found that look nice, plus no molasses! ;-)

http://www.channel4.com/food/r......html
http://www.waitrose.com/recipe......aspx

hope it helps...

Justlookup

Thu, Sep 10 2009, 9:57 pm

Can anyone recommend a good 220v washer/dryer (not too expensive but good quality) and what are good companies for a microwave, toaster oven etc.?
I'm trying to figure out what are the normal-good companies for appliances etc.? I dont want shmatte's but not the most expensive things either...just good quality that's gonna last me a good couple of years, good quality/not crazy prices...

Mrs Bissli

Fri, Sep 11 2009, 9:47 am

ChayaG,
I'm a bit confused... Are you moving to either an unfurnished flat or an unfurnished house? Also do you already know spaces? For flats, you install washer/drier under a kitchen counter so you do need exact measurement. Also I doubt whatever you buy in the States will have a warranty that's valid here. Ours (came already furnished) is Zanussi, I'm happy with it.

One cultural adjustment you may have to make is that those under-counter front-loaders have much smaller capacity than in the US. Also dryer doesn't completely dry (or fry) the laundry. In most cases, I need to air the laundry out overnight. (That's what the airing cupboard is for.)

You also may want to bear in mind, and as Gem mentioned, London has hard water so get used to having to clean all appliances (kettles, dishwasher, washer/drier) and showerheads with limescale remover occasionally.

Microwave-- I think ours is one of asian/korean, basic model.

nylon

Fri, Sep 11 2009, 12:12 pm

If you are looking for a washer/dryer that is one unit (a combi), the most recommended brands are Miele and AEG (I can't remember how Bosch rated). AEG is substantially cheaper and we were very happy with ours.

Justlookup

Mon, Sep 14 2009, 10:49 pm

Thanks Mrs. Bissli and Nylon.
We're actually moving into a rented flat first and hope to buy within the year. We are shipping a container so we thought it woudl be worth it for us to buy a washer/dryer here and if our flat has it already, we would store it until we buy a house.
Do flats generaly come with or without a washer and dryer?
I dont want a combi but is GE a good company? That's the only one that the Buzz sells in 220v and I'm not so thrilled to not have much of a choice...
Approximately how much do they cost in England? ( I want something good quality but not crazy expensive either).
Also, does anyone know which stores in Brooklyn sell 220v? I'm sure there are more stores other than the Buzz that sell for Eretz Yisrael, Europe etc...

nylon

Tue, Sep 15 2009, 1:12 am

I've seen flats come with and without washers and dryers. Unfurnished flats usually don't, but with the current trend for built in appliances, we saw several that did. Also, sometimes you see flats that are not quite fully unfurnished--they have appliances but not furniture. (For historical reasons, furnished flats are still very common in the UK.) Very few have room for a separate washing machine and dryer. Usually they only have room for a washing machine. You either need to buy a combi unit (wash and dry in the same drum) or find somewhere to hang dry. Depending on your flat, a combi may be a good idea--in the first flat we lived in there was simply nowhere to hang the clothes and it was like living in a forest of wet washing!

I would not buy in the USA--you'll be left in the cold if something breaks. Buy in the UK. A new machine can be delivered and hooked up very quickly. You won't save much money if any, given the cost of shipping. The reason Americans import to Israel is to save on import duty (not an issue within the EU) and to have American sized machines. You can't fit those in the UK because machines are installed undercounter in the kitchen. Also, European made machines are better at coping with European detergents and hard water.

Look on the John Lewis or Currys websites for prices. John Lewis has excellent service and a good extended warranty and service scheme (we got an extra year free).

Stepmum

Tue, Sep 15 2009, 7:15 am

If you want to buy kitchen / household electrical appliances, check out Clearance Comet. It's basically an auction site for ex-display models and unopened returns from Comet - a reputable appliance shop. We bought an Electrolux Fridge/Freezer (which apparently has some scratches but I have yet to see them), a Prestige Large Stove and oven, and a Hotpoint washer/dryer all at about 40% off. They come with a standard warranty as new, and there are Comet branches all around the country.

If the link doesn't work, try www.clearance-comet.co.uk.

geemum

Sat, Sep 26 2009, 5:38 pm

another link that might help the newcomers to UK is the LBD kashrut site. where you can search for food on their website. they also have a hotline and you can call them in the day to ask them.

Kosher Product Search KLBD

Peanut2

Tue, Oct 06 2009, 11:26 am

Mrs Bissli wrote:

You can use Tate & Lyle's dark treacle syrup. It comes in a reddish tin.
You may also be able to find molasses in health food shops.

That just saved my cooking! It's not easy to cook southern food in England!