Coming for 1 year: What to bring?

When I came in the first instance for a one year academic exchange, I brought a trench type raincoat with me. The first things I bought here were a sheepskin coat (warm!) and a pair of walking shoes as walking surfaces always seemed slippy.  Next I bought a couple of wool cardigans, vests (undershirts) and even snuggies from Marks and Spencers. And asked my mother to send over flannel pajamas!   Hopefully you won't be living in a bed-sit with only a gas fire for heat 

Thanks BostonDiner! I'm not sure about how to work the "electric storage heating," (though I'm sure I'll figure it out...), but it's included in my rent! An absolute win, if you ask me, haha.

Thanks BostonDiner! I'm not sure about how to work the "electric storage heating," (though I'm sure I'll figure it out...), but it's included in my rent! An absolute win, if you ask me, haha.

Oh, your hot water tank is what's used to heat your house. They all use radiators here. And it's all electric. Gotta love it.

Ah, stellar. Thanks Lyonaria!

I figured so, but I thought it was so funny for some reason!

Stocking up on wool socks, brb

Oh, your hot water tank is what's used to heat your house. They all use radiators here. And it's all electric. Gotta love it.

Radiators aren't electric, though... they are used in homes with gas central heating.  Homes with electric/electric storage heaters don't use radiators... they use these wall-mounted electric units that have these sort of bricks inside that (very poorly, IME) store heat inside and release it gradually later.   With this sort of set-up, you would then have an immersion heater in your water tank, but that water is just used for bathroom & kitchen use... not to heat the house!

I'm sure someone else can explain it much better than I can!

Radiators aren't electric, though... they are used in homes with gas central heating.  Homes with electric/electric storage heaters don't use radiators... they use these wall-mounted electric units that have these sort of bricks inside that (very poorly, IME) store heat inside and release it gradually later.   With this sort of set-up, you would then have an immersion heater in your water tank, but that water is just used for bathroom & kitchen use... not to heat the house!

I'm sure someone else can explain it much better than I can!

I think you've got the right idea.  I've had a flat set up like this.  You were supposed to run the electric radiators at night on a cheap rate.  The big heavy bricks would heat up and supposedly release heat through out the day. 

Didn't work for me.


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I have not heard anything good about electric storage heaters.     I've heard they are expensive and don't work well.

Snap.
I had them in one of my places, and they were crap.
I went from a house that had those, to a house that had no heat at all, apart from a gas fire in the lounge. I vowed to never again live in a place that didn't have GCH, so that's what I've (happily!) got now.

HAHA Sonofasailor, don't worry. I can't afford UGGS and I've never been a fan anyway

Thanks Albatross, KFdancer, and Jimbocz! Yeah, it's storage bricks that release the heat. The two knobs apparently control the intake and output of heat. I've also heard they don't work well and are expensive, which is why I'm excited that heat is included in my rent, haha!

Ok, another question: other than my measuring cups/spoons, are there any other kitchen utensils I might as well pack rather than buy? I'm already planning a trip to Tesco and Ikea. My flat is also above a secondhand shop, so we'll be going there as well!

Ok, another question: other than my measuring cups/spoons, are there any other kitchen utensils I might as well pack rather than buy? I'm already planning a trip to Tesco and Ikea. My flat is also above a secondhand shop, so we'll be going there as well!

This is just preference, but I ask family to bring over those round Ziploc brand tubs. They come in two sizes and nest in each other (tubs in tubs and lids in lids). All the kids are the same size, so interchangeable between the two sizes. I like my kitchen stuff uniform and nesting when I can and I haven't found something like that here. I use them for flour, sugar, rice, couscous, cereal, and loads of other stuff.

All my kitchen stuff I got here (I bake a lot - sweets and bread). Invest in a kitchen scale once you're here and be prepared to convert your recipes to metric.

This is the scale I've got and it's been good for me (almost daily use for 4 years with regular dousing of flour, spills and general baking mess).

Thanks TravelingFrog! Those are awesome suggestions. I haven't actually seen the kitchen in the flat, so I assumed I'd get my pans in the UK to make sure they fit. I bake all our bread as well!

Personally, if you're going to do a lot of American recipes I would bring nesting measuring cups and measuring spoons. They'really cheap and don't take up much space.

Thanks Lyonaria! yeah, those are definitely coming with me. If my husband has to cook, I don't need him to have to think through conversions, haha

In my previous house our electric water heater provided our hot water in the kitchen and bathroom, it ALSO heated our house with the radiators in each room . Husband said it's a combi-heater.

Current house has gas heated hot water heat with radiators in all the rooms, separate from our hot water. It's got to be from the 80's at the latest. *sigh* And a gas 'fireplace' in the living room.

Before I moved to the UK I'd only been around forced air central heating. So my apologies. Anything with a radiator is the same thing to me...