[AnnieK]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

Annie to pop round with a cup o'sugar?

[Smithy]

Stacey acting like London isn’t drug capital of the UK

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

Annie to pop round with a cup o'sugar?

Yeah “sugar”

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by AnnieK

Is it on the Quays?

Ill DM you

[Morgan.]

Originally Posted by Smithy

Why does he want to move here? Is it for work or just because he likes it?

A bit of both. He’s been every year since he was a baby and got married there 3 years ago, it’s the only place he can properly switch off and he’s so much calmer there.

He’s like an all round tradesman at the moment but he hates it and his dream is owning some kind of b&b/guesthouse/cafe on the island although he’s said he’d do anything if it meant living there

[UserSince2005]

We pay £1,600 for our 2 bedroom flat, and we have a really good deal haha

[Morgan.]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

Surely that's just rental? Mortgages would be cheaper? Like I had a quick look and most houses are "only" ~£100k more than their equivalents here...

Come to Northants!! Much nicer+cheaper+safer than Mancs!

Yeah, however you can only buy the cheaper properties if you already an island license or whatever the name for it is (so you work there, born there etc). Otherwise you have to buy in the open market which is hugely expensive and after selling our current 3-bed house we would only be able to afford to buy a flat on the island.

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by Morgan.

A bit of both. He’s been every year since he was a baby and got married there 3 years ago, it’s the only place he can properly switch off and he’s so much calmer there.

He’s like an all round tradesman at the moment but he hates it and his dream is owning some kind of b&b/guesthouse/cafe on the island although he’s said he’d do anything if it meant living there

Is he local? If not he might struggle to get a license to live here, they introduced new laws a few years ago that basically said if you’re not born here you can only work here 5 years before you have to leave for a year and then come back (unless he’s offered a job and his employer would get him a licence)

I guess good for him if he likes it, but the lack of anything wears thing very quickly, half the high street is empty because of the extortionate rent, there’s nowhere over here to buy men’s clothing anymore, no takeaways (like McDonald’s, KFC etc) no decent night life, a lot of online retailers don’t deliver here and during bad weather the boat that delivers food gets stuck so the shelves are empty quite often during winter I know some of those issues he wouldn’t be bothered about but yeah, that’s just a small part of why I really don’t like it here anymore

[Cherie]

Don’t want to burst your bubble but if If it’s a nice flat be prepared to be messed around by the agent who will probably have quite a bit of interest, also I think you will struggle without proof of income from a job unless you are moving with someone who has one lined up

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by Morgan.

Yeah, however you can only buy the cheaper properties if you already an island license or whatever the name for it is (so you work there, born there etc). Otherwise you have to buy in the open market which is hugely expensive and after selling our current 3-bed house we would only be able to afford to buy a flat on the island.

Yeah

There’s two types of market here local and open, if you’re born in Guernsey you can live in either but if not you can only live in open and houses in open market are about twice the price of local market

[Morgan.]

Originally Posted by Smithy

The average price for a house here is £430k and that’s an increase of almost £20k in one year alone. And when the average house over here is two bedrooms it’s ridiculous

The house prices really do shock me. We’ve been to look at a house in Cornwall that is 4 bed with 2/3 guest houses on the grounds that costs £430k which I’ve told him is just a much better deal in an area that is just as nice, but I think he’s secretly holding out hope for Guernsey

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Don’t want to burst your bubble but if If it’s a nice flat be prepared to be messed around by the agent who will probably have quite a bit of interest, also I think you will struggle without proof of income from a job unless you are moving with someone who has one lined up

Oh yeah, I’d expect there to be interest but it only went up on the site yesterday, so hopefully getting in early helps

[Captain.Remy]

Originally Posted by caprimint

Oh wow, are there a lot of drug dealers in Manchester???

At least as much as in London Wild nights.

[Morgan.]

Originally Posted by Smithy

Is he local? If not he might struggle to get a license to live here, they introduced new laws a few years ago that basically said if you’re not born here you can only work here 5 years before you have to leave for a year and then come back (unless he’s offered a job and his employer would get him a licence)

I guess good for him if he likes it, but the lack of anything wears thing very quickly, half the high street is empty because of the extortionate rent, there’s nowhere over here to buy men’s clothing anymore, no takeaways (like McDonald’s, KFC etc) no decent night life, a lot of online retailers don’t deliver here and during bad weather the boat that delivers food gets stuck so the shelves are empty quite often during winter I know some of those issues he wouldn’t be bothered about but yeah, that’s just a small part of why I really don’t like it here anymore

He’s not local, no. He had to get a license to marry there when he was planning the wedding, but I think it’s a different kind of license? He had to be there for 2/3 weeks whilst it was all getting processed.

Whilst he was there a few of the locals he became close with said they would definitely be up for helping him organise and establish his plan to gain citizenship but he hasn’t really spoken to them since so we aren’t too sure what they can and can’t do.

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by Morgan.

He’s not local, no. He had to get a license to marry there when he was planning the wedding, but I think it’s a different kind of license? He had to be there for 2/3 weeks whilst it was all getting processed.

Whilst he was there a few of the locals he became close with said they would definitely be up for helping him organise and establish his plan to gain citizenship but he hasn’t really spoken to them since so we aren’t too sure what they can and can’t do.

Yeah, unless they work for the states they can’t really do much apart from point him in the right direction. You have to reapply for your license every 3 years too and you have to be here 15 years straight to then be considered for an application for a “local” license.

There’s also no NHS here so you either need health insurance or it’s £50 a time for a Dr’s appointment

[Glenn.]

Originally Posted by Smithy

Exactly, and tbh the “beauty” aspect of it wears thing very quickly, going to the beach every weekend gets boring


That’s just means the prices in London are extortionate too

Ok well I’m not going to take the opinion to too many alcoholic hostel dwellers seriously but thanks for your input all the same

When I tell you I screamed

[Glenn.]

And London is a complete and utter ****hole lmao

[Withano]

Originally Posted by Smithy

Right so I’m currently looking for flats and I think I’ve just found the perfect one, it says on the site to email the estate agent obviously to proceed, but I’ve never done this before, what do I need to put in the email so that I don’t like an absolute ****

Any help appreciated


Edit: ok i clicked email agent and it’s literally a box with a 200 character limit, you can’t even send a proper email, so I just said I’m interested please could I be provided with more details


Stay tuned for more exciting updates!!

Literally anything. They’d jump on anybody that gives them attention

[caprimint]

Originally Posted by Glenn.

And London is a complete and utter ****hole lmao

you are from essex

[Glenn.]

Originally Posted by caprimint

you are from essex

No I’m not

[caprimint]

Originally Posted by Glenn.

No I’m not

damn, your friends lied

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by Morgan.

The house prices really do shock me. We’ve been to look at a house in Cornwall that is 4 bed with 2/3 guest houses on the grounds that costs £430k which I’ve told him is just a much better deal in an area that is just as nice, but I think he’s secretly holding out hope for Guernsey

Maaate I love the entire West Country, Im gonna go there for my "forever home by the end of the decade <3 Probably somewhere around Boscastle/Tintagel...


Smiffero, rental agents can be right little hitlers about renting to people with proven incomes, is your profession one you could easily get a new position in once you move?

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

Maaate I love the entire West Country, Im gonna go there for my "forever home by the end of the decade <3 Probably somewhere around Boscastle/Tintagel...


Smiffero, rental agents can be right little hitlers about renting to people with proven incomes, is your profession one you could easily get a new position in once you move?

No because I was in offshore finance skskksk there’s lots of transferable skills though.

HOWEVER I am a fully trained pharmaceutical dispenser so that’s a useful qualification for me in the middle of a pandemic. ALSO oomf has a business and says there’s a job there if I need it

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Smithy

Yeah, unless they work for the states they can’t really do much apart from point him in the right direction. You have to reapply for your license every 3 years too and you have to be here 15 years straight to then be considered for an application for a “local” license.

There’s also no NHS here so you either need health insurance or it’s £50 a time for a Dr’s appointment :skull:

Smithy immigrating from his Island Paradise to take advantage of the NHS

on a serious note what is happening on there re Covid testing, do you pay then

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Smithy immigrating from his Island Paradise to take advantage of the NHS

on a serious note what is happening on there re Covid testing, do you pay then

Excuse me I’m British born thank you!

There’s no Covid here and hasn’t been for about 3 months now, people who come into the island have to isolate for two weeks and then they’re tested. But because there’s only one flight a day now there’s a max of 80 people coming into the island at any one time, so the states pay for testing. Obviously if people had to pay for it themselves I imagine they’d be much more reluctant to do so.