After posting last year that we would likely be planning a move back, my husband almost immediately lost his job [don't worry, he got another one and then another one--each with huge pay raises] and then I changed jobs and things have been just kind of a MESS. Boundaries set with my bipolar brother went out the window during the job transitions and our debt increased! By a LOT.
It looked like we would never escape.
But then the covid hit. I reset my boundaries, reigned in my budget, and started looking hard at things. I realized a few things:
1) This place is a dumpster fire [like especially GA] and we've got to GO. My husband, who is the most mild mannered, quietest, most British person ever, INSISTED we move. The end. No more discussing it. We are going. Not thinking about it or planning. We are going.
2) We could get debt paid off totally in under 2 years, then sell our house with plenty left to move and settle in there--only WE ARE NOW WORRIED THE HOUSING MARKET WILL CRASH BEFORE THAT. I don't think it's going to crash soon, but with a long term unemployment which is SURELY going to happen, it is a distinct long term possibility. Soooo...
3) Since the market is HOT HOT HOT because no one is selling we can get TOP DOLLAR for our house if we sell right now. I am currently deep in the trenches trying to get it on the market by September 1. I have already nearly chopped off my fingers in a hedge trimmer accident and had to hire someone to rebuild a crumbling retaining wall because even after it heals and the stitches are out, it is unlikely to be okay enough to lift 6x6s in the next several weeks. Yay. Take my $$$! This selling RIGHT NOW thing has been super scary, but last night I packed away all of my beautiful, hand built open shelving that I decided to take down for staging [not leaving any of it, and didn't want to have to deal with patching etc. in the throws of moving; can operate a drill with left hand and also get a head start on patching and painting walls]. I realized as I was shrink wrapping it for storage that we will not likely hang it in a short term rental SO THE NEXT TIME IT GOES ON A WALL WILL BE IN THE UK. WHAT?!!! This is suddenly so so real.
4) We have an 11 year old starting 6th grade. My niece has INSISTED we should be there for at least part of the year she would be in 8th grade [year 9 there] to get used to the system before things get serious. So now our plan is to pay off sh*t, pile up cash, and not go any later than the January of 8th Grade [year 9] or maybe even for September of that year. I will be applying for my Visa in the August of that year at the latest. Worse case she and husband can go and I can stay here with the two younger ones.
What a friggin ride! I'm sure I'm going to be on here a lot!
I have done loads of research, and we have ideas about where we might wanna live, and we know how we will ship our things, and we are prepared for the visa process [I started preparing when the rules changed in 2012 and I've got DOCUMENTATION out the wazoo]. We know how much money we need to have piled up to move, and both of us should be able to keep our jobs [work from home] but my husband might need to transfer to a UK office. Right now it's just [for the very first time] selling a house! What?! And trying very hard not to chop off any body parts.
