Cost to move?

My husband and I are reconsidering moving to England (West Yorkshire).  He's English, and I'm American.  We have a 12-month-old and another due in February.  If/when we move, we'd be selling our car (about $12,000) and selling all of our stuff as well because we're not attached.  All we'd be bringing over is our computers, clothes, and the kids' stuff.  How much do y'all think it would cost to complete the move?  We'd need plane tickets, a visa for me, a hotel while we found a house/flat to let, furniture, etc.  I know this is a broad question to ask, but if anyone can give me a range of what we'd be looking at, it'd be wonderful!

We moved here in October 2005 (moving home soon, though) --- here's a brief list of what we spent money on the first couple months:

hotel for 2 weeks- about 700 pounds
meals for 2 weeks- about 30 pounds per day for the ist 2 weeks- so 500 pounds
deposit for flat- 1300 pounds
rent for 1st month- 900 pounds
car- 4000 pounds
furniture- 1000 pounds
plane tickets- 800 pounds for 2--

so I believe that we had budgeted 20,000 US dollars and it wasn't too much (i.e we used it all) and my husband and I both had jobs waiting, so that helped

Our deposit and rent would be a about half what yours was, so hopefully that'll give us some wiggle room.  My husband probably won't have a job waiting for him, but his experience is in a field that's pretty much always hiring, so we're not too worried about that.  If we need to, we can save on the hotel by staying with his brother until we found a flat.  We're going to hold off on a car if we can (we're hoping to find a flat that would allow us to use a bus or bike for primary transportation until we can save up for a car).

How did you go about finding a flat?  Did you just wait until you got there and took the 2 weeks you stayed in a hotel to hunt for one?  How were you able to have jobs waiting?  I'm guessing you transferred from your jobs in the US, since that seems to really be the only way, haha.  Thanks for the info!

My husband was able to get transferred with his company, but since it was a voluntary transfer they really didn't help much with the costs.  He is in IT, (web middle-ware engineer --whatever that is.  I'm  a nurse and was able to interview over the phone with BUPA and secure a job. 

If you can stay with someone, that will help a lot with expenses, by not having to pay for a hotel room and by saving on meals.  We just went to several estate agents.

Also, since your husband has ties in the UK already, he might want to see if he can set up some sort of bank account before you move.

Also, I'm not sure what/how your visa works, when you will be able to work, etc.  My husband has an Irish passport, so I was able to work right away without visa issues, due to EU rules.

Although we have liked living here, we are looking forward to going home. 

One word of advice, it is expensive here- we live in Kent and it is still expensive (we're about 35 miles southeast of London)-- if it costs a dollar in the states, it will cost a pound here is the rule I sorta go by.

Salaries do not double here (even though the pound is strong).  Say if you make 40,000 USD you probably will  make about 20-25,000 pounds, at least that's been our experience. And everything does cost more here.  Like the 10 dollar bucket of chicken at KFC, costs 10 pounds here.  So you do have to adjust your living standards, I think.  A meal at McDonalds would be 5 pounds here, vs. 5 dollars in the states.

Anyway, good luck! Having family here will help loads (we didn't know anyone)