Moving to Northern Ireland from U.S

Reasons not to move back: Terrible weather.

You get used to it and besides, it really makes you appreciate the rare sunny days.

Being perfectly blunt i think you would be totally nuts moving from Colorado to NI. (Where in CO are you?).

Cost of living will still be cheaper in CO, even factoring in healthcare. Schools will be as good if not better. The most important thing though is quality of life. The weather sucks in NI compared to the 300 days of sunshine in CO.

What I don’t understand is why there is such a huge push against Obamacare in the US, considering the huge costs of health care

There are three main issues.

1. The republicans hate Obama so will do anything in there power to make it extremely hard for him to implement. (Which is stupid as it was Romney who started the first version of affordable healthcare!)

2. Americans hate big government and having policy forced on them.

3. It was a really good idea, really poorly implemented. Putting aside a lot of the technical issues they had, a lot of the things that were promised were not delivered, like being able to keep your current doctor etc.

LHS – have you lived in Colorado?

The OP has lived in both CO and UK, so they would seem to be in good position to judge I think. Have you been through or put a kid through the school system? Some of the things my wife tells me definitely make me favour the UK system.

The most important thing though is quality of life.

Of course, and there are several reasons why the quality of life in the US could be worse. Quality of life is not the same as quality of weather!

OP may I ask what type of work you and your husband do?

I was offered positions both in NI and then in the USA and ended up in the USA.
For me I was going to have to relocate to a new area anyway so I looked at the posibilites of changing jobs etc if it didn’t work out in either place. From what I could tell with the job market in NI I would have found it reasonably hard to get a new job at the seniority level I was at so would need to relocate again figured I might as well try the US.

Relocating as a family is a massive PITA and you are not going to want to do it multiple times so I would look at the historical job market in your chosen region and see how that would fit in with the stability you want.

My husband is an electrician and I am a hairdresser. We are keeping an eye on jobs to see how the market is.

We are located in Denver. It’s getting very busy and the housing costs are insane. Sort of like the U.k at the height of the housing boom. Schools can be decent if you can afford to live in the neighborhood, however if you can not afford it you are looking at terrible schools.

I’d seriously question whether the cost of living is cheaper in NI as well, I wouldn’t guarantee it that’s for certain when you factor in things like take home pay (lower taxes in the states), the cost of fuel etc.

Where are your relatives in NI?

I’d seriously question whether the cost of living is cheaper in NI as well

It varies MASSIVELY in the US depending on what city you are in never mind state.

Backinireland, they are in Ballygally.

With those proffessions you should be able to get work pretty much anywhere so that is a plus.

I am based in Texas so don’t have the additional state or city taxes to pay and my overall percentage of salary that goes on tax is roughly the same as it would be for the same salary at home.

For gas, electricity and petrol the US seems to be cheaper but everyone I know uses more so it balances out. Food is roughly the same for me anyway but then I don’t live a lavish life.
The biggest draws back to the UK for me are the NHS and the fact that it is overall a pretty safe place to be. You can always jump on a plane to for sun and skiing if need.

Although I didn’t move from the US I have moved from England to Northern Ireland. For similar reasons to be closer to my wife’s family for support etc.

I have been coming to Northern Ireland now for 20 years and lived here for 7 years and can’t ever see me going back.( was living in Kent but from the lakes district) and tried to go back there.
Main positives over here are:
Better education system
Value for money – house prices etc
Feel safer here than a lot of places in England
Also the work life balance is significantly better over here as my current roles allows me to have breakfast and tea with my family ( 2 small kids) most days where my equivalent job in Kent meant that I was doing 12 plus hours every day and therefore wouldn’t see my kids until weekend. Yes the pay is reduced to what I used to earn but you can’t buy time with our family. Plus it doesn’t make me feel guilty taking a morning out at the weekend to go biking.

So you’re effectively thinking of moving to Larne? Hmmm.

Ballygally? Some of the best schools in the UK are 20 miles away ( Ballymena) and you’ll be surrounded by some fantastic scenery. If you’re even remotely outdoorsy then you’ll love it. Sea at your front door, the Glens at the back? I’d pack my bags personally (bring a coat though 😉 )

p.s. You’ll have no bother getting a job as the women over here are really hairy and we’ve electricity now so hubby might be all right too.

shooterman – Member
So you’re effectiely thinking of moving to Larne? Hmmm.

😆

I felt dirty even typing it Euro!

What’s Larne like?

East Antrim property is some of the best value in NI so that’s a positive as well.

globalti – Member

Amazing how many STWers are blinded by the old clichés about Norn iron. True there are pockets of nastiness, prejudice and ignorance but all the people I’ve met from there have been charming, hospitable and very genuine and I’m told the country is absolutely beautiful. From what my brother tells me about his life in Michigan I think I’d rather be in Norn Iron any day.

Yet you feel perfectly qualified to comment, even though you’ve never set foot in the place. STWtastic.

lol!

Mrsgregg, I am in the US, Florida, now after leaving NI 3 years ago, looks like I might be back within 12 months too

Schools
My three kids loved both NI and now the US schools, I tend to go by as long as the schools are okay to good it depends on how hard the kids work to get the most out of it.

NI
We go back to NI every summer, I do see some small improvements but I always hope to see more after 12 months of not being around – it does seem some folk are just set in their ways and I leave dissapointed and broke as it seems very expensive compared to the US

Work
As for moving back, I am dreading it, looks like I will be working in England and leaving family for weeks at a time – dont please fall into the trap of moving back just to be with your family only to have your husband have to work away from home.

MrGregg is an electrcian? I have been construction all my career, 15 years in UK, 3+ now in US – if he has previous work in the UK then great, if all his training and experience is only in the US tell him to be prepared for a shock, it is very different regards standards, engineering, work ethics, quality, safety, etc, it [still is] took me a while to get acclimatised – he may find it hard to get a start as even a young NI apprentice may have more quals and relevant UK experience above what MrGregg has

Weather
Least of your worries I would say

Hope thats not too harsh, PM me if you want any more info

East Antrim property is some of the best value in NI

There’s a reason for that!

BBC Radio4 Taday programme concentrating on NI this morning, will be available for listening for a week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qj9z/episodes/player

Yeah good luck with that. I don’t think I’d want my kid to have to be that competitive their whole school career. I’d rather them go to Oxbridge where they just have to be good.

Hahaha – too funny. If you imagine there is any resemblance between Oxbridge and MIT, well, I don’t know what I can say.