Help - moving to Reading

Depending on hours etc you could live near Reading but traffic could be difficult to get to work - it depends if you are walk to work types or not

Reading has a large student population but is near many very desireable small villages

Weather: its not Arizona (if that's where you live) - tomorrow will be about 50 deg - much of summer might be 70 much of winter is 30-40 - as everyone knows it always rains in the UK (but not recently....) - best idea is to look at some historic sites and then keep an eye on the dailies

It could be worth asking in Pistonheads regional section Thames Valley

The Queen takes lodgers at Windsor Castle which would be nice for you (could today be April 1st !)

 

You should consider how expensive property is in the UK, both to rent and to buy. My brother lives in rural Pennsylvania in a house, that in England, would be considered a mansion (indoor pool, out door pool, several acres of land) but if he sold up to move to back to England he would be buying a very small property with no land (he would not need a pool obviously!). They have thought about moving back to the UK but property is one of the key reasons they will probably stay in the US. The closer you are to London, the worse the problem is and Reading is considered close enough. When I worked in London people commuted from further out then that! If the NHS are going to pay for your accommodation then that would change things but homes here are not what you are used to in the US.

 

Don’t know squat about reading; other than its mainline train station to London. but try club Scuderia form. Bit more UK focused than chat. A few members that way so should be able to help out.

Lots of events this year so no excuse to be bored!!!

Prices closer to London go up; obviously but it’s horses for corses at the end of the day.

 

Jimmie has answered most of your questions and I would concur with his answers.

A few things spring to mind, in re renting a house / flat, assuming you don't take up the suggestion of staying as a Guest of Her Majesty (if you do, you could usefully refer to the works of Oscar Wilde for advice ):

1. Go to a reputable estate agent, or, if renting from e.g. Air Bnb, make sure the property actually exists and that the person renting it to you is the owner / has his authority to do so - there have been a number of scams on this front reported recently.
2. Ask for full information about any fees you will be charged before you make any commitment. Some agents pile these on. Likewise rent in advance / deposit.
3. ARLA is the professional body to which most reputable letting agents belong, some belong to the RICS (even better) and their websites should tell you what are the rules about charging fees etc.
4. Whether buying or renting, https://www.rightmove.co.uk/ is a useful site on which to start your property search. https://www.primelocation.com/ is another.

Good luck and don't hesitate to ask for advice at any stage of the process.

 

Was trying to edit my post but computer said no!!!!

Good idea? Why not if you have the opportunity to live somewhere new for a bit.

Where to look? As John says start with rightmove and prime location. Comparison of prices and pictures will probably give you a good idea of the good/bad areas. The "bosses" point of contact in the NHS will also probably be able to help point you in the right direction. Depending on whether you want to walk/drive/train etc and how far you want to commute will potentially give a big variation in price.

What's the weather like...as said above.

Anything important to known? Don't know, depends on your experience/knowledge. As mentioned above, UK property is not as big as US; but there is loads of work and lots going on. Reading is less than an hour from Heathrow, so no excuse not to take advantage of cheap flights within UK and Europe. (BA and easyjet give a good idea of prices) Also lots of car events this year so no excuse not to get involved! We also have better cars

If nothing else, enjoy your trip to London!

 

I live in a village called Twyford 6 miles to the east of Reading and echo all that has been written above. Reading itself is not particularly attractive but it is a good shopping centre and the transport links are excellent though the roads can be pretty busy. There are a lot of attractive villages near to Reading and some lovely countryside plus a lot of quite large modern housing estates. Do be careful if you are working south of the River Thames (as your wife would be) and are looking at houses north of the river as there are not many bridges and those that there are become bottlenecks particularly in rush hour and summer weekends.
Very happy to answer any questions you may have as you do your research.

 

To echo what has already been said. Houses price for price are smaller. weather is generally wetter, well certainly more so than Arizona.
And we drive on the left (which you know about I'm sure) and will take a little getting used to.

 

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/to-rent/property/reading/

Another good site for property rent/sales.

 

and biggest car does not necessarily have right of way at roundabouts; as one of my friends thought when he came over in the 90s, and some fool gave him a Supra for his trip

 

I’m not local enough to reading to offer much by way of advice on areas, but if you need to buy a house/apartment at any point, let me know and I’ll sort it out for you, that’s my thing. I have a lot of experience in letting too (that’s my families business) so if you hit snags, or just want something checked out, reach out and I’ll get on it. I’m sure you will enjoy it for a while at least, but if it were me, I’d be expecting to have some fun for a while here, and then return to the US where you really do live in the best country in the world.... ever!