Moving from the DC suburbs to Glasgow in Aug/Sept

Our family is moving to Glasgow from Virginia (DC suburbs).  My husband and 14 year old daughter will move in mid-August in time for school to start and for him to start a new job.  I hope to move in early September but need to wait for my visa.  Any other US families in Scotland?

Hi Susan! There are a few of us here in the Glasgow area, myself included. Happy to point you towards any advice you need!

Happy to help. Grew up inside the beltway, went to the University of Glasgow and now live in Fife. Whereabouts in Glasgow are you moving?

Hi, my daughter will be going to the High School of Glasgow so we are looking for a garden flat or house within a reasonable distance - Hyndland, Jordanhill, Anniesland, Bearsden.  There not much at the moment that accepts pets, which is complicated by the fact that we have to have relatives view the properties for us.  We are getting a bit nervous since my husband wants to find a place this week.

There not much at the moment that accepts pets, which is complicated by the fact that we have to have relatives view the properties for us.  We are getting a bit nervous since my husband wants to find a place this week.

If a place looks suitable, even if it specifies no pets, it's always worth getting in touch just to see if that is a firm policy. Sometimes the offer of a larger deposit, pet references and the like, will persuade the landlord that you would be worth having as tenants, pets and all.   

Do you have any suggestions on banks in Glasgow for us to open an account, also cell phone providers and internet providers you would suggest?  Any to avoid?  We are going to use Aviva for car insurance as suggested by others.

Are there many others from the US in Glasgow?  I know a girl from the US just moved and will be in my daughter's grade but am not sure if he parents are from the US or UK.  Thanks!

Susan

Do you have any suggestions on banks in Glasgow for us to open an account, also cell phone providers and internet providers you would suggest?  Any to avoid?

I use RBS for my banking but there are plenty of options. We had also looked at opening an account at TSB. My husband has an account with Clydesdale Bank but he doesn't seem to be a fan of them; not sure why.

As far as cell phones, I've been on a pre-paid SIM from EE and haven't had any issues. Anything that requires a contract would be a bit cheaper but might be tricky as you won't have any credit history. However, the pre-paid plans are not all that expensive compared to American ones! Any of the big companies would be fine, although my husband had some bad experiences with Virgin Mobile. You can always visit a Carphone Warehouse store and see what they can suggest.

As for cable, you may be limited in choice based on where you live. We have Virgin here and I haven't had any issues with it. The internet speed we get is very good - about 200 Mbps. Also again, you'll be amazed at how much cheaper it is! There are some satellite companies like Sky which are pretty popular, but personally I hate satellite TV. Some large flat buildings also have TV aerials built in, so you can get over the air broadcasts for free after you pay your TV license.

Well, I'm a bit late to this party.   

Also in Glasgow, love it.  Food, housing, utilities are so much cheaper than "at home" while durable goods are considerably more expensive. I ~really~ regret not bringing a few of my smaller kitchen appliances.... Ikea is good for basic furnishings of a flat, but the one here in Glasgow has a nasty tendency (in our experience) to have display items on the floor that they no longer have in stock. (Three separate times now.)

We also use RBS and EE. Moved into a flat without asking about pets, as we currently have none, and then noticed that there are several tenants who have dogs, and one lovely cat that roams. They have no problem with pets at all - which is somewhat Ironic, as my daughter has developed allergies and so, although we would love to have one of the aforementioned, it's not possible even though the landlord has no problems with it. Our flat was unfurnished, so that might be something that allows the landlord flexibility in allowing pets - no furniture to damage.

Hope your move planning is going well, that you've found housing, and that your daughter is excited and looking forward to the move. If I might offer some unsolicited advice, be sure she brings familiar things with her - decorations from her room, etc. It is going to be a big change for her, so much that is the same and then all the little things of daily life that she might be used to that just are not here (favorite brands, etc.). It's tremendously difficult being 14. "Fitting In" is tough no matter where you are, and she's going to have to do it without knowing all the little local ins-and-outs while being a teenager. Having that favorite plushy animal or teddybear on her bed may be more useful than you'd ever think. 

Hi Nan,

Thanks for all the info!  We just found a house to let in Jordanhill about a 5 minute walk from my daughter's school (HSOG).  We had found another house in Bearsden which was a bit nicer but I feel so much better knowing that she'll be close to school and my husban's commute to Livingston will be 15-20 minutes closer.  I think she will really miss the food here in the US like Chiptotle and Cava (more than she thinks).

 We rented an unfurnished house and we are not shipping all our furniture because of the expense and also if we end up going back to the US after 2 years we would have to ship it again.  We will just ship a pallet or two of personal/household goods and buy what we need over there. So my daughter is excited to pick out her new furniture, duvet, etc. 

Do you have any suggestions on places to buy decent but inexpensive beds and mattresses?  I looked online and Argos has good prices.  Ikea does not sell superkings and we have to have one. Also the house does not have a tumble dryer and as hard as I am trying not to be a spoiled American I can't live without a dryer.  I am just not sure where we would put it.  The kitchen is too small - I am thinking the 3rd bedroom since bathrooms over there do not have electrical outlets.  I guess you need to put the vent in the window - this is what my mil does.

Thanks for your help!

A bit late in replying here but thought I'd say hello as I'm an American based in Glasgow, in the Hyndland area. You've picked a nice part of town to live! 

As for dryers, it's quite common to have a washer without a dryer here. We bought our flat last year and it came with just a washer. We purchased a washer/dryer combo to replace it as we found it easier to manage in our current place. Is that an option for you? I think you'll find it difficult to get a dryer installed in a bedroom but I don't profess to be an expert.

I definitely miss Mexican food. There are some Mexican places in Glasgow but to be honest they don't compare. I will say that Bibi's on Dumbarton Road is pretty good. As for other American food, you can find a lot of American products at Waitrose on Byres Rd or if you want to trek down to WholeFoods on the south side.

I'd suggest that you buy yourself a really deluxe drying rack or two and put that in the third bedroom.  Try it out, you may find its not that big of a deal.  You can always get a dryer later if it's still that important after a few months. 

I will say that Bibi's on Dumbarton Road is pretty good.

Bibi's is good... and it's more like proper Mexican, rather than just endless burritos with weird fillings and what passes for fajitas over here.
I used to live 5 minutes walk from Bibi's... I miss living in that area!