The Golf Guy Moves to London - Why I Moved + Top Tips for To The UK
After studying abroad in London while I attended the University of Connecticut (Go Huskies) I made it a bucket list item to one day live abroad again! I absolutely loved my time in London, and the ability to be immersed in a community with such a diverse set of people and be able to travel around Europe in an instant had me hooked!
Fast forward five years and here we are! If I am being honest, this move was a bit of a happy accident. After graduating from college, I relocated to California for work and spent the first two and a half years of my career based there. As we all know covid hit and instead of paying crazy Bay Area rent prices decided to move home. Fortunately, throughout this time I had the opportunity to start working more closely with our London team and really started to build a strong working relationship with the team. As the pandemic started to subside and offices started to open up, I had a conversation with my manager on the potential of a transfer to the London office. There was a clear business need and I had a proven track record of being a strong performer and fortunately he went for it!
That brings us to today! I am now about three months into my London adventure and loving every single bit of it! I have officially settled into my North London flat, gotten a country club membership for the first time, and have started to make London feel like home!
As I reflect back I wanted to quickly write down some of the helpful tips and tricks people shared with me as I prepared and executed upon this move. My hope is this list provides some insight and resources for a move to London.
Moving To London Helpful Tips and Tricks
Passport
You probably already have one, and 100% need one if you are considering a move to the UK, but I do recommend making sure it has a few years left before renewal. I had to get mine updated after I made the move and while it was a relatively simple process, it took a month and if you're eager to travel off the bat, could leave you land locked for a bit.
Housing
My favorite resource for looking for apartments was RightMove.com. It was actually the site I leveraged for the flat I am in today and makes it really easy to set up appointments for viewings
In London realtors should not be charging any miscellaneous fees (e.g. application fees, viewing fees etc.) so beware of anyone asking for fees you think don’t sound right.
The housing market is very hot so make sure you have all your documents and bank info set up before your viewing. From my experience you may have to commit to the place the day you see it, so you will need to move fast if you want to lock down the location.
Budget Allocation: Utilities (Gas, Electric, Internet, Water) + Rent + Council Tax
Utilities: Can be pretty pricey, in my one bedroom I pay about 60 pounds per month for gas and electric.
Rent: Varies depending on location but a decent 1 bedroom relatively central will likely run you 1400-2000 pounds per month
Council Tax: This was a new one for me. Essentially renters have to pay a council tax in London for living in the city (bizzare coming from the US) but this will likely run you an additional ~100+ pounds per month. Note there are discounts from this (e.g. student, live alone etc.) so keep an eye out. I got ~25% off for living alone.
Furnished vs. Unfurnished - Many apartments have the option of being furnished, but some will charge you an additional fee for it.
Housing Location - Depends person to person, but I made a list of things I needed and asked co workers for recommendations. Access to golf and the office was key for me which made the North London area perfect for me.
Getting Around
Public Transport is amazing in London! The Tube and Bus system is amazing. If I am being honest you really don’t need a car. I have been able to get all over the country using public transport and honestly it often takes a pretty similar time compared to driving.
Additionally, if you meet certain requirements (age disability, veteran status etc.) you might be eligible for a railcard. This gets you 1/3 off certain rail fairs in the UK for a 30 GBP fee. Additionally, you can link this to an oyster card for discounts on Tube+Bus fees. Within a few months I have already more than made my money back.
Cell Phone
One of the items I overlooked till the very end was what I would do about my cell phone number. Using my US phone number internationally would have ended up costing me a minor fortune, but the idea of losing my long term phone number also seemed like a pain. Ultimately, I decided to transfer my US phone number to a GoogleFi plan. This costs me about $20 a month to keep the number active and still allows me to get texts via wifi (use referral code W7E1VT for 20 dollars off your first month). I then got a proper UK phone number which in my opinion is needed for things like a bank account, work etc.
Getting a Bank Account Setup
There are a ton of options for this, but my recommendation is to join one of the many digital banks. I personally went with Monzo and the setup process was 1000% easier than what HSBC was asking me to do. P.S. If you are considering signing up, use my referral link for a 5 GBP sign up bonus.
Staying In Touch With People Back Home
WhatsApp is bar none my lifeline with all my family around the world. Now, I might be a bit biased considering I work for the company, but I truly believe it is the best messaging app out there. Additionally, pretty much everyone you run into in the UK will be on it. WhatsApp is totally free, all messages are end-to-end encrypted, has audio calling, and video calling. Definitely check it out if you aren't already on it.
Favorite Food Spots… So Far
Dishoom - A relatively basic option, but nonetheless a classic! Great spot for India food, although beware the wait can be quite long if you don’t have a reservation.
Kricket - A fun modern take on Indian dishes. Set up as more of a tapas style you will get to try a wide variety of dishes across their menu.
50 Kalo - Definitely the best Pizza I have had in London thus far! Simply delicious.
Bread by Bike - An awesome little bakery with great bread, baked goods, and sandwiches!
Yamas Greek Cuisine - My favorite spot for a quick chicken gyro!
Chicken ‘n’ Sours - Awesome spot for a great fried chicken sandwich!
