Sinbad
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London and Country - they were the preferred provider for the development we bought in.
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Immigrating to the UK
- Thread starter AchmatK
- Start date
Tman*
Executive Member
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Is short term insurance brokers a thing in the UK like in SA?
Been using comparison websites similar to Hippo, just want to make sure I get a good (actual) deal before I pull the trigger.
Got financing on a vehicle by pulling a few strings, its not a great rate but not terrible but it will help with the cashflow and Ill pay off the car in a year.
Been using comparison websites similar to Hippo, just want to make sure I get a good (actual) deal before I pull the trigger.
Got financing on a vehicle by pulling a few strings, its not a great rate but not terrible but it will help with the cashflow and Ill pay off the car in a year.
Dave
Honorary Master
Yep, I check comparethemarket.com every year, last year my existing provider was cheaper via them than my direct renewal quote, the cheeky bastards.
vigras rojara
Honorary Master
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- Dec 28, 2016
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Yeah, I'm also with marshmallow. Seems to be the best bet if you haven't been in the UK for that long.
The Voice
Honorary Master
Was with Marshmallow until my renewal came up recently, and they decided to increase my premium by almost £200. Not because of me (still have my no-claims), but because they decided to take a bunch of stuff (mainly the app) in-house this year, and decided that I should pay for the privilege.
Back to comparethemeerkat and I’m now with 1st Central for what Marshmallow quoted me last year.
Had my first forex/swift to Monzo problem
Normally transfer from Discovery to Monzo no problem, money in the next (working) day
Did the transfer on Saturday 6th and its still not in, have opened a "case" with discovery for them
to trace it etc.
Monzo have said that their swift setup is not perfect and you could get problems
Will go back to using Shyft or maybe my Barclays account rather
Normally transfer from Discovery to Monzo no problem, money in the next (working) day
Did the transfer on Saturday 6th and its still not in, have opened a "case" with discovery for them
to trace it etc.
Monzo have said that their swift setup is not perfect and you could get problems
Will go back to using Shyft or maybe my Barclays account rather
Dave
Honorary Master
If you want to use a digital bank why don't you open a Starling account? They are far more professional than Monzo.
When I first came here their app rejected me for some reason
Discovery were quite quick, the money has been transfered back to my Discovery GBP account
Dave
Honorary Master
They are stricter, likely because they are more professional.
Monzo started as a prepaid card and then moved to normal banking, I think some of their procedures are still stuck in those prepaid days.
Tman*
Executive Member
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2012
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Quick update - been in the UK for one month.
Below are some consolidated tips and tricks for anyone interested:
Banking: Start off with Monzo once you get a BRP - quick and easy.
For more "traditional" banking Lloyds were the quickest to help me as a South African. Some companies ask for proof of addresses and thus Lloyds will be better positioned for this if you apply for more services etc.
Drivers licence: I swopped my SA drivers for a British licence. It cost about £50. All you do is go to a local post office and ask them for the forms. All instructions are on the form. You have to submit your BRP in the mail as a form of ID and having dealt with SAPO all my life, this felt dodgy AF. Initial turn around time as per the form was 5-6 weeks. I got my BRP back and my British licence in 10 days flat. A drivers can be used for proof of address too when signing up for services etc. Also you seem to pay less on car insurance if you have a local licence.
Interweb: Uswitch.com as per this thread. I didnt have any deals in my area that qualified for vouchers etc, but my inner bargain hunting South African simply asked and I was promptly given a £50 credit on my account and a £100 shopping voucher.
Cellphone: I also signed up with Smarty via Uswitch. It lowers the months cost from £18 to £16. Then I referred my SO and we both got £10 Amazon vouchers. Its truly uncapped. No throttling, no shaping. Most I did was 40gb in a day using my phone as a hotspot to stream Netflix in HD. In all honesty hot-spotting will suffice for most people and you dont really need "extra" broadband
HMRC services: I applied for an NI number, NHS, and to be on the electoral roll via the gov.co.uk website. This is either done instantly or takes a few days at most.
Shopping: I arrived with minimal stuff (my container arrives next month apparently) and simply used Amazon (signed up for a free prime trail and then canceled before getting charged). Word of caution. Amazon might be fast, but its not the cheapest. I track finances down to the penny and found loads of beter deals via Ebay, Ikea, Wayfair, even Saintsburys for household goods. Shop around.
Insurance: I used https://www.moneysupermarket.com/ then simply go directly to the cheapest provider for a further discount, if needed. In my case Marshmallow was the cheapest for car insurance, then I went straight to them and saved a further £15pm for the same coverage.
Commuting: Fok, this was a real pain in the butthole. I initially walked everywhere and took trains & busses. As someone that drove everywhere prior this was a big adjustment (for the better). Then I got fed-up and bought a POS Bicycle off Gumtree for £30. Public transport is amazing - I cant fault it, but for somethings you do need a car. Weekend away, traveling to areas where bus routes dont go, grocery shopping etc. Im in a position now that I want to ditch the £30 bike and get something decent, Ill still cycle to work (weather permitting).
If you dont have a prior credit record in the UK you can forget about getting financing for a car. I tried everywhere. I was fortunate enough that my SO has had a local HSBC bank account and this gave her somewhat of a "credit" record. We had to jump through a lot of loopholes to prove that we are credit worthy (inc submitting docs from SA) in the end we got pre-approval for a loan at 8.9%. Not great, but not too kak considering the circumstance.
I can write a book on what car to buy, basically just get an electric. Taxes, petrol & diesel and congestion charges are on the up for traditional cars. There are charging stations everywhere and the UK is small. Its a no brainer.
Below are some consolidated tips and tricks for anyone interested:
Banking: Start off with Monzo once you get a BRP - quick and easy.
For more "traditional" banking Lloyds were the quickest to help me as a South African. Some companies ask for proof of addresses and thus Lloyds will be better positioned for this if you apply for more services etc.
Drivers licence: I swopped my SA drivers for a British licence. It cost about £50. All you do is go to a local post office and ask them for the forms. All instructions are on the form. You have to submit your BRP in the mail as a form of ID and having dealt with SAPO all my life, this felt dodgy AF. Initial turn around time as per the form was 5-6 weeks. I got my BRP back and my British licence in 10 days flat. A drivers can be used for proof of address too when signing up for services etc. Also you seem to pay less on car insurance if you have a local licence.
Interweb: Uswitch.com as per this thread. I didnt have any deals in my area that qualified for vouchers etc, but my inner bargain hunting South African simply asked and I was promptly given a £50 credit on my account and a £100 shopping voucher.
Cellphone: I also signed up with Smarty via Uswitch. It lowers the months cost from £18 to £16. Then I referred my SO and we both got £10 Amazon vouchers. Its truly uncapped. No throttling, no shaping. Most I did was 40gb in a day using my phone as a hotspot to stream Netflix in HD. In all honesty hot-spotting will suffice for most people and you dont really need "extra" broadband
HMRC services: I applied for an NI number, NHS, and to be on the electoral roll via the gov.co.uk website. This is either done instantly or takes a few days at most.
Shopping: I arrived with minimal stuff (my container arrives next month apparently) and simply used Amazon (signed up for a free prime trail and then canceled before getting charged). Word of caution. Amazon might be fast, but its not the cheapest. I track finances down to the penny and found loads of beter deals via Ebay, Ikea, Wayfair, even Saintsburys for household goods. Shop around.
Insurance: I used https://www.moneysupermarket.com/ then simply go directly to the cheapest provider for a further discount, if needed. In my case Marshmallow was the cheapest for car insurance, then I went straight to them and saved a further £15pm for the same coverage.
Commuting: Fok, this was a real pain in the butthole. I initially walked everywhere and took trains & busses. As someone that drove everywhere prior this was a big adjustment (for the better). Then I got fed-up and bought a POS Bicycle off Gumtree for £30. Public transport is amazing - I cant fault it, but for somethings you do need a car. Weekend away, traveling to areas where bus routes dont go, grocery shopping etc. Im in a position now that I want to ditch the £30 bike and get something decent, Ill still cycle to work (weather permitting).
If you dont have a prior credit record in the UK you can forget about getting financing for a car. I tried everywhere. I was fortunate enough that my SO has had a local HSBC bank account and this gave her somewhat of a "credit" record. We had to jump through a lot of loopholes to prove that we are credit worthy (inc submitting docs from SA) in the end we got pre-approval for a loan at 8.9%. Not great, but not too kak considering the circumstance.
I can write a book on what car to buy, basically just get an electric. Taxes, petrol & diesel and congestion charges are on the up for traditional cars. There are charging stations everywhere and the UK is small. Its a no brainer.
TedLasso
Executive Member
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- Feb 23, 2016
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Check this out to get a bike
www.cyclescheme.co.uk
www.gov.uk
It's what I used to get a bike when I wanted a nice one when I used to live there yonks ago. Your local bike stores like Halfords or Evans Cycles (where I got mines from) guide you through the process.
What is the cycle to work benefit? - Cyclescheme
Your easy steps to getting a bike through Cyclescheme...
Cycle to work scheme implementation guidance for employers
Guidance for employers who want to put in place a cycle to work scheme.
It's what I used to get a bike when I wanted a nice one when I used to live there yonks ago. Your local bike stores like Halfords or Evans Cycles (where I got mines from) guide you through the process.
Dave
Honorary Master
Check this out to get a bike
What is the cycle to work benefit? - Cyclescheme
Your easy steps to getting a bike through Cyclescheme...Cycle to work scheme implementation guidance for employers
Guidance for employers who want to put in place a cycle to work scheme.
It's what I used to get a bike when I wanted a nice one when I used to live there yonks ago. Your local bike stores like Halfords or Evans Cycles (where I got mines from) guide you through the process.
Speak to @Sinbad, he's in the process of getting a bike through one of the current schemes.
Kornhub
Blackburn Fan
Not exactly the right thread but what would you say is the minimum amount you need for a 2 week vacation ? We will have free accommodation in Newcastle
December time (probably leave SA on the 25th)
December time (probably leave SA on the 25th)
Sinbad
Honorary Master
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- Jun 5, 2006
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How long is a piece of string?
What do you intend to do that costs money? Where/what will you eat and drink
What touristy **** will you be doing?
What travel will you be doing?
How much protection money do you have available to keep Dave from harassing your wife?
Kornhub
Blackburn Fan
Like cheaply lol. We don't know yet but funds will be limited to like 30k max a person (probably much less). We are going to see our friends who are moving so nothing fancy.
Mephisto_Helix
Resident Postwhore
Free accom frees up a lot of cost ..... 1000 to 1500 I'd say, especially if you're doing it on the cheap anyway.
I did a week in Scotland, mix of on the cheap and not on the cheap and that was about 600 pounds
I did a week in Scotland, mix of on the cheap and not on the cheap and that was about 600 pounds
Kornhub
Blackburn Fan
This
Kornhub
Blackburn Fan
chuckles_the_cnt
Senior Member
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- Aug 23, 2021
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- 609
Well done, we're popping across in a few, got our sa passports back in about 6 workings days. last time we'd be refreshing it. We've been hitting some of our favorite spots in and around the mother city - feels good to be finally leaving !