Growing concern about the impending move and beach scene, Koh Tao..
With the end date drawing closer there's an increasing amount to do. Moving country is quite a big thing. It's amazing how you manage to accumulate crap over the years. I try to keep things minimalist but the wife is one of those who just seems to live for acquiring pointless objects. If there's an empty space in the house then she has to buy some object or item to fill it. Result: we've got a lot of junk to clear out.
On the subject of moving, I had an email from a friend in the UK today reminding me that the house prices are still rocketing out of control at a rate of 10%. He was wondering where we're going to live. Having not worked for nearly three years now getting re-started is going to be very difficult.
I think food, clothes, cars and most electrical items are cheaper in the UK than Thailand but where it is definitely more expensive is the other costs: property purchase, utility bills, council tax, school fees, fuel, tax (the shed load of "stealth" taxes that Labour have sneaked in through the back door), and transport (rail etc).
We still have a house there but there but we rent it out and whilst someone is in there and paying it seems sensible to leave them there for the moment. It will definitely be a struggle to buy another one but if we can then hopefully it will be worth it, certainly in the long term. We Brits do have an obsession with property and property ownership. Europeans seem to be more content with renting and don't seem to attach such importance to property ownership as us Brits. Maybe they have a point, maybe struggling all through your life to achieve land and property ownership is, in the end, pointless.
I guess that despite the enormous uphill struggle we have to face in the coming months, and probably years, and combined with protestations from an angry mother-in-law, it should all be worth it. Time will tell.
Growing concern about the impending move and beach scene, Koh Tao..
Both pics Khao Tao, Songkran 2006
With the end date drawing closer there's an increasing amount to do. Moving country is quite a big thing. It's amazing how you manage to accumulate crap over the years. I try to keep things minimalist but the wife is one of those who just seems to live for acquiring pointless objects. If there's an empty space in the house then she has to buy some object or item to fill it. Result: we've got a lot of junk to clear out.
On the subject of moving, I had an email from a friend in the UK today reminding me that the house prices are still rocketing out of control at a rate of 10%. He was wondering where we're going to live. Having not worked for nearly three years now getting re-started is going to be very difficult.
I think food, clothes, cars and most electrical items are cheaper in the UK than Thailand but where it is definitely more expensive is the other costs: property purchase, utility bills, council tax, school fees, fuel, tax (the shed load of "stealth" taxes that Labour have sneaked in through the back door), and transport (rail etc).
We still have a house there but there but we rent it out and whilst someone is in there and paying it seems sensible to leave them there for the moment. It will definitely be a struggle to buy another one but if we can then hopefully it will be worth it, certainly in the long term. We Brits do have an obsession with property and property ownership. Europeans seem to be more content with renting and don't seem to attach such importance to property ownership as us Brits. Maybe they have a point, maybe struggling all through your life to achieve land and property ownership is, in the end, pointless.
I guess that despite the enormous uphill struggle we have to face in the coming months, and probably years, and combined with protestations from an angry mother-in-law, it should all be worth it. Time will tell.
Growing concern about the impending move and beach scene, Koh Tao..
posted by Life Out East at 08:57
3 Comments:
And when exactly is the end date?
Dont Worry Max !!!!! Things will be alright when they get started.. patience strongly required for move.
Certainly u'll make best out of things on hand, abt M-I-L just avoid as much possible to get into fires ,coz life is much easier...than she seems.
I heard from one collegue here that Taxes & renting is expensive in UK compared to here , hmmm got to deal with it...
Cheer up !!!
Reader in UAE
Bart: No exact date yet but looking like next month. No change that, will be next month. Just haven't fixed the date yet. We'll be back and I guess we'll be spending long holidays here with the daughter in the summer etc so not a complete departure.
Anon: Situation has improved. Today we have communication again and M-I-L saying that she "understands" now and wants to see us, well the daughter anyway. We might leave on a happy note after all.
Taxes in the UK are on the rise. not so much the income tax but all the hiddden taxes that sneak up on you. Every house has to pay council tax, which is increasing all the time - just one of many. Rent or buy, eitherway it is very expensive. Frightening!
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