One of the most important things to do before you move to the UK is to find out where you are going to live. The UK is a big place, and the cost of living can vary from one location to the next. Housing has been known to be quite expensive in certain areas of the UK, such as central London. You should always rent before you buy housing so you can get accustomed to the neighborhood to determine whether it is the right fit for you. Since you will not have any credit history, it may be difficult for you to rent on credit at first, so you may need to pull out extra money or keep your old credit cards momentarily until you are able to establish a good credit history in the UK. Other things to consider about your future home area are the weather, job market and availability of reasonably priced housing. If you are planning to move with a dog or cat, you need to make sure that your pet meets the specific UK pet requirements. It takes six months from the time that the vet has taken a satisfactory blood sample test to the allowance of the pet into the UK, so plan accordingly. Before you get your plane ticket to the UK, research entry requirements into the country to see if you need a visa. It is also a good idea to open a bank account in your home country that has a UK branch before moving to the UK because it can be difficult to get a bank account immediately upon arrival.
Moving can get quite expensive, especially if you hire a moving company or ship boxes. You should research how much everything is going to cost and get estimates from the different moving companies, then save up as much money as you can for the big move. You will also need money to get to the UK to pay for housing, transportation and living expenses until you start working. If you have not secured a job in the UK, it is wise to do so before you make the move so that you do not spend all of your savings and get into debt before you have even settled into your new home.
