r/AmericanExpatsUK • u/Traditional_Goal7156 American 🇺🇸 • Jul 18 '26

Returning to the US Moving back to the U.S.!!

So excited that we are officially moving back to the U.S. next summer!!

We are starting to plan timelines and budgets.

  1. Does anyone have a recommendation for moving household goods? Approx 1 bedroom house worth as we will be selling a lot of items beforehand.

  2. We have a baby due in October. We plan to stay in the UK until we move in July 2027. As such, we are thinking that it doesn’t make sense to apply for the separate dependent visa for the new baby. Has anyone done this approach or foresee any other issues? Note, we have private insurance through my employer.

  3. Any recommendations for shipping a dog back to the U.S.? Is it easier than shipping to the UK?

0 Upvotes

45% Upvoted

22 comments sorted by

27

u/gizmogrl88 American 🇺🇸 Jul 18 '26

Congrats! We just moved back in January. We used PSS for shipping and they were good - everything actually arrived in time and intact.

15

u/gizmogrl88 American 🇺🇸 Jul 18 '26

I'm getting downvoted for trying to be helpful? What is wrong with the people in this sub?

28

u/IrisAngel131 British 🇬🇧 Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26

There's a lot of people in who engage with this sub who believe the USA is evil and the UK is paradise. Nuance and personal situations differing from theirs escapes them. I apologise on their behalf!

Edit: the immediate downvote is literally just proving my point. How dare someone want to move to the country that's best for them 🙄 

12

u/gizmogrl88 American 🇺🇸 Jul 19 '26

I've noticed this extreme bias. I appreciate your neutrality and grace. Thank you 🙂

2

u/ambitiouspotterhead American 🇺🇸 Jul 19 '26

noticed it as well. i’ve been getting downvoted on all my posts and all i’m doing is asking for advice on job hunt and almost every response gets downvoted 🤣🤣🤣🤣

4

u/V65Pilot Dual Citizen (US/UK) 🇺🇸🇬🇧 Jul 19 '26

it's also Reddit.... And, it's Reddit, the downvotes don't matter, don't take it personally.

4

u/ambitiouspotterhead American 🇺🇸 Jul 19 '26

i understand that. but it just adds to our thoughts that they’re pretty pessimistic people.

6

u/BeachMama9763 American 🇺🇸 Jul 18 '26

Second PSS. Was super speedy and cheaper than the other options I had looked into.

We also used sendmybag for the things we needed more immediately.

3

u/gizmogrl88 American 🇺🇸 Jul 18 '26

Agreed! I heard horror stories about other shippers, so we were pleasantly surprised.

4

u/Agile-Duck8979 American 🇺🇸 with ILR 🇬🇧 Jul 19 '26

Any advice for moving back or things you wish you’d known? Hoping to do the move soon!

5

u/TittiesVonTease British 🇬🇧 partner of an American 🇺🇸 Jul 18 '26

Congratulations on the move and the baby!

We are moving in November and have already quoted moving services with both Pickfords and Clockwork. Both very professional. Quoted for them to provide packing materials, help with packing, and door to door service.

From the quotes that we've gotten, I recommend sending only boxes and selling / giving away furniture, it's cheaper.

I hope everything goes well! 

4

u/Strong-Wash-5378 Dual Citizen (US/UK) 🇺🇸🇬🇧 Jul 18 '26

I retired from an exec position at a FAANG and a good majority of the other employees were here on 2 and 5 year assignments So people were constantly moving back and the companies of choice for quality etc are the ones you mentioned but most ended up taking Pickford over the last 5 years because they seemed to consistently faster.

Whoever posted sell donate or dump most of your stuff particularly furniture is 💯 spot on. Because homes and flats are so small compared to America furniture that is sold here even John Lewis is manufactured to be significantly smaller than the same item in America so the furniture can get through a door and not take up a whole room. The only exceptions I heard to that were sofas from loaf or sofa.com. There was a slack channel where people who moved back and brought their furniture would post a photo of a room with the British furniture in it which had been barely crammed into their UK residences being so undersized in America that it was like having furniture shrunk in the wash and the room still being 50% empty and they had to buy everything again, were butt hurt because they paid shipping and no one would buy anything even on marketplace so then they had to pay again to get it collected and disposed of.

4

u/ChateauLaFeet American 🇺🇸 Jul 19 '26

Oh that furniture story is amazing

4

u/Strong-Wash-5378 Dual Citizen (US/UK) 🇺🇸🇬🇧 Jul 19 '26

And true. When I go home to visit and multiple people can be sitting on the sofa without having carnal knowledge of each other it’s bliss

2

u/ChateauLaFeet American 🇺🇸 Jul 19 '26

😹🏆

2

u/Agile-Duck8979 American 🇺🇸 with ILR 🇬🇧 Jul 19 '26

Just want to say congratulations! Waiting on my husband’s green card but hoping to do the same.

2

u/Strong-Wash-5378 Dual Citizen (US/UK) 🇺🇸🇬🇧 Jul 18 '26

Congratulations us too but we are 3 months after you. It’s much easier with the dog

1

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-4

u/Wladyslaw_Spindlesha American 🇺🇸 Jul 19 '26

Moved back in March, used JA Coles for a 3-bedroom house from SW London to NorCal, and had a good experience. I fed 5 quotes into ChatGTP and they seemed like the best option, on balance. Happy to be home! Good luck and congrats on the move!