Thinking of Moving and Living Abroad?
41% Britons return after moving abroad
Nearly half of people who relocate abroad return to the UK within a year, research showed today.
Around 41% of Britons who moved abroad to start a new life were back in the UK within 12 months.
Just under a third of people who relocated said they were happy and planned to stay where they were for the foreseeable future, while 13% said they were still trying to settle in and 14% said they divided their time between the UK and their new home.
The research found that many people who moved abroad looking for a better quality of life often found their new situation more difficult than life at home, with 78% of those who returned to the UK saying they found living abroad more stressful.
The main reason people gave for returning was that they missed family and friends, cited by 41% of people, while 20% said financial worries or problems getting a job drove them home, Orion Publishing said.
A further 19% came back to Britain after being unable to overcome language and cultural difficulties and 13% said they returned to the UK due to personal reasons.
Colin Butts, author of A Bus Could Run Over You, a novel about someone who moves abroad but decides to return to the UK, blamed a lack of preparation for most people's failure to enjoy life abroad.
He said: "Many of those who visit the Med in particular, are seduced when they realise they can get a fabulous modern sea-view apartment for less than their inner city terrace.
"What is astonishing though, is how ill-prepared many of these people are, given what a huge decision they are actually taking."
Mr Butts, who recently decided to return to London after four years in Ibiza, added: "Those that tend to stay are the ones who have planned things properly. They will have visited the place a number of times, be financially secure or have a job organised prior to arriving.
"The least successful are those who simply think the climate will solve everything, whereas they soon discover that without their support network, even the simplest of problems quickly magnify."
• Orion Publishing questioned 2,000 people who have moved abroad, over the internet between January and March.
Interested in a Broadband Connection? Or maybe a new ISP?
Plusnet tends to regularly win awards for its Customer Service.
Why not take a look at their Home Phone Packages too? You might be pleasantly surprised!
