Thursday, May 24, 2012

The Return List

One of the first posts I ever made in this blog was called The List, and it was quite literally the list of some of the big-ticket items (sell car, rent condo..) that I had to take care of prior to my move to the UK.  Well, it goes without saying that as we prepare to return to the US, Version 2 of "The List" is in full swing.
I've come a long way from scratching out things on a piece of paper to keeping a full blown spreadsheet with color coded columns:

The Return List

This is but a small fraction of everything that needs to be done, and I haven't quite gone in to full-blown detail ('final utility bills' instead of separate line items for electricity, gas, and water...), but I am nonetheless surprised at how shockingly different The Lists are from one country move to the other.  Yes, there are some similarities, but not as many as I would have expected for the same general experience.

My only hope is we're able to stay on top of everything.  I'm trying hard not to get too stressed over all of it (my mantra: 'it will get done'), and in particular, trying not to let Simon get too stressed, as he's also got his Dad's estate to deal with-he's the executor.  It will happen-goodness knows how bad it was when I came here-but I'm hoping that it won't be as bad, or last for as long.

The glass is always half full, right?






9 comments:

  1. Hi! We're just 1 month ahead of you, and of course we weren't gone nearly as long as you. But I had an exact list like this! http://www.jumpedthepond.com/archives/865 - Almost identical!

    One quick question, I know about the P45 and HMRC refunds, but what is the NI refund you speak of?

    Oh, and good luck convincing TV license that you really have moved. They want proof. How about the fact that I'm calling you from America!

    Best of luck to you, see you on this side of the pond!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Anne,
      NI Refund=National Insurance Refund. I'm stil researching this myself, but my understanding is that as a non-UK citizen, when you leave the country, you can apply an NI Refund of the taxes you paid in over the years...
      I've no idea if it's a full refund, or partial, but 'refund'...when about to be un-employed is good enough for me!
      Re: TV License..You've put the fear in me. :) I'm calling them today so I can figure out what I can do before I fly out to convince them that I've left! :)

      Delete
  2. Good luck. I'm just about to start my own list. Seattle's weather got the better of us.

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  3. Love the logic of needing proof that you've moved. Erm, well go to my old house and you'll see I'm not there. Sometimes you have to laugh at bureaucracy, otherwise you'd cry.

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  4. Well said Expat Mum! Kristina, hope to hear updates on the NI item. I poked around online and just got confused. I think I may have needed to set this up before I left. I'll come back to it another day I'm sure!

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    Replies
    1. Hm.. I hope that's not the case! I'm going to give the HMRC a call tomorrow and find out what the deal is. Fingers Crossed!

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  5. There are some helpful tips in your list for my potential customers moving to London. The NI refund is something many Expats forget. You have just giving me the idea to run a similar post on my website. Thank you Kristina

    ReplyDelete
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