Wow, it's a really an active forum, appreciate that!
Why Leicester? Hmm, there is no specific reason..., was reading a lot, was watching a lot online and so on... I like Leicester being a fairly big city with a nice population of 500k and especially I like having Birmingham near me. What I wonder is, I like concerts, open-air events, cinema, other film or musical festivals and so on... does Leicester have a lot of own cultural activities or is every big event held in Birmingham?
I'd love to have loads of Asian people or especially Indian people in town, that sounds very interesting to me.
What I wonder about Leicester... I have a dog, I know there a few parks, but are there any nice and short trips or occasions in near distance to walk my dog? And how about Leicester people having dogs, is it often seen there?
Funny you guys talk about the accent, I heard a lot a it... and as far as I can tell it might sound funny but I kind of like it... ;o)
Definitely know what you're talking about... it's a Swiss thing, being complicated and doing loads of loads of loads of paper work and so on. Wish you good look too...
About renting apartments and opening a bank account, I read that it sometimes can be a little difficult, because to start working you need a bank account, to have a bank account to should have the NI number, to have the NI number you should have a bank account and so on. I've heard that smaller banks usually are a little less complicated...
Why Nottingham instead of Leicester? Have you ever lived for a significant period of time in either? Do you have a real grasp of the huge differences between both those geographically close cities?
Actually Leicester has really improved in recent years - the centre is pedestrianised, the John Lewis and Shires shopping centre is great- with Carluccios, the Real Burger co, sushi, tapas and of course all the curry houses-the choice of restaurants is amazing. And the market if great too, with lots of ethnic food stalls. Those who have not been to Leicester for some years would be amazed.
Yep, Nottingham has lovely areas, like the Victorian mansions of The Park, and Mapeprly Park, but there is also gang crime, knife and gun crime and a lot more drugs and obvious prostitution on the streets. I would not live there. Living in the nice areas of Nottigham is now quite difficult due to those areas being the constant target of crime.
I heard Nottingham has more single ladies than any other town in UK. But it's a myth! The 2001 census revealed that in Nottinghamshire there are 134,458 women to 132,530 men – a very even distribution.
People will always defend their own corner and say their own little hideout is the best place in the world. And maybe for them it is, but that doesn't mean it should be for you. If I we're you, I'd travel around a bit rather than picking your abode based on hearsay.
Each area of Britain has a distinct character in terms of dialect, culture and ways. This is often more apparent in smaller towns and the countryside, with larger towns often being more alike. There is still a lot of local character in the big places too, but you often need to scratch deeper to recognize and appreciate it.
Brighton is very cool but getting very expensive to buy in, but it's on the sea side and close to London. It does have a big gay population as well.
Not sure about Leicester.
Just moved from London to Zürich and as a non brit wondering if you're ready for:
- poor quality housing
- a drinking culture that places that marginalises those who don't drink (unless for religious reasons)?
A lot of brits will get offended by the last one but in the circles I worked in (well educated, high earners) only socialisation was done at the pub and getting smashed on the weekend was a matter of pride. Must be even worse in more low paid circles.
Anyway, thought this might help with the reality of living there. I would strongly suggest visiting Leicester for a while before making a move there! Or use Google Street view.
Finding a place to rent with a dog will be tough. Most places have a blanket no pets rule (most flats are owned by small landlords, not huge corporations as in Switzerland), and the estate agents who manage the lettings usually don't even want to entertain the idea of pets.
Try looking at places like openrent.co.uk (individual private landlords advertise here) or zoopla.co.uk (you can add pets considered as one of the search criteria) to see what your rent money will get, and how many places are available for people with pets.
Also, don't forget you'll need to prepare your dog for travel and entry into the UK! It isn't as bad as it used to be, but there's a lot to do beforehand.
This. Multiple times over, THIS. I used rightmove.co.uk and it took MONTHS to find a place that would take us with a 2 kilo housecat (Really, she's a wee beastie). I can't even tell you how many flats we lost immediately upon mentioning a pet, so what many people do is lie and we've even had estate agents telling us to "omit" telling the landlord we had a pet (Hint: Don't do it)
Also, what people may fail to mention is that an overwhelming majority of flats are fully furnished. Coming from the States to hear, we were shocked to see that well over 75% of the flats had virtually everything already there and installed (Beds, couches and in some cases, dishes, flatware and televisions!). This also contributes to the "no pets" part.
Give yourself time; you'll find a spot, but it requires significant perseverance. Good luck!
What sort of dog have you got? Lots and lots of parks all over town- including the large Victoria Park, and also a footpath all along the Canal- as said, countryside outside town if very pretty and hilly, and there is a massive hill park called Bradgate Park, full of ancient oak trees and granit rocks- but also deer, so you have to keep dog on leash.
But your problem will be renting a flat with a dog- as said above. Our daughter there lives in our own flat, and even then, she can't keep her dog there due to the owners contract. What sort of do is it? The problem with renting a flat with a dog will be the same all over the UK- apart from rural areas, and even then
1000s of flats have been built in the centre of town and by the Canal in the past 10 years- most of them are rented unfurnished.
Very true! I stayed stuck in a horrible, horrible tiny extremely damp and dangerous apartment for 4 years because it is so hard to find a place that takes pets.
I managed to get very lucky that when I moved earlier this year, the letting agent did ask the landlady if they'd accept my two indoor-only cats - and she said yes, if I'd sign a two year lease. The house is unfurnished (thankfully!) and gorgeous, so I jumped. I was extremely, extremely lucky.
I forgot about the furnished thing, although I found that is much more common in London than where I am in Manchester. Ugh. I'd not want to sit on other people's manky sofas, sleep in their knackered beds, etc. *shudder*
Once you have the an address you can get a bank a/c easy. Credit cards / overdraft etc maybe more difficult.
Re:- Job you don't need the NI number immediately it can be obtained after you start. You just need permission to work (as you're a Swiss passport holder this should be no issue)
This is the order I would do it. Job contract > House > Bank Account > NI
+1 for extra deposit; that glossed over the "pets" bit on our current and last place. Oh yeah, and no haggling on price; they're already doing you a solid by not just immediately shutting you down (At least, according to them.... :/)
I heard about Brighton having a big gay population, but I'm not frequenting the scene often, so I don't care...
and.... poor quality housing, I know and heard a lot that. It's the opposite to Switzerland... but I think I can live with that.
But what I think is a bit surprising is the drinking fact... I know they like drinking and there is a big pub culture going on in GB or England at least, but I wonder about the marginalise people who don't drink! Because I don't drink... not for religious reasons but for other reasons. So I wonder how that is going to work for me.
Thanks for the links and the information. I wasn't aware at all that English landlords don't like pets! So I'm a little prepared and know that perhaps I need to offer a little more money as a guarantee!