Peaceful country villages, pretty seaside towns; or some of the most intense and vibrant cities in the world. If you are coming to the UK to live, you will need to decide which part of the country it’s going to be.

There are many different regions and places, with different personalities, accents and values found in each one, so before you arrive, take the time to find out a bit more about this diverse and fascinating island.

 
Home Nations

The UK is divided into four separate ‘home nations’ consisting of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each one has its own regional seat of government, except England, which is ruled directly by Parliament in London. This means that each area has slightly different rules and laws, concerning housing, health and education. We are also allowed to field separate football and rugby teams, the UK’s 2 national sports, creating a lot of competition between the nations.
 

Most of the UK’s population live and work in England, with over a quarter of the entire population living in the South East of the country, in and around London. Around 8 million people live in London, making it one of the busiest and most exciting cities in the world, but also a very expensive and crowded place to live. It is not for the faint hearted.

The second largest city in the UK is Birmingham (over 1 million inhabitants) and is then followed by Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Edinburgh and Newcastle, all of which are in the north of the country. All of these cities are vibrant cultural places with many mixed nationalities all living and working together, but none really compete with London for its sheer size and diversity.

Choosing a Location

Deciding where to live really comes down to what kind of person you are. The UK has thousands of square kilometres of countryside, and over 6,000 miles of beautiful coastline with thousands of pretty towns and villages. The pace of life is slower, and the people much more friendly, but opportunities to find work are much harder to come by, unless you have a very specific skill or qualification. Most people in these areas work in tourism, agriculture, care, construction, and the NHS (National Health Service). Also, do not consider moving to the countryside unless you have a car, because public transport services are often infrequent and not always that reliable!

If you think that London sounds a bit crazy, and the countryside too quiet, then why not head up north to one of the many smaller towns and cities. The people are very friendly and the cost of living is lower. In fact, most studies show that the north of England offers the best quality of life, although it helps if you don’t mind the rain!

Leeds has recently been voted as the best city in the UK, because it has great shops, bars, restaurants, lots of young families and an easier pace of life than London, Birmingham or Manchester. It is also surrounded by beautiful countryside, and the cost of renting a place to live is much cheaper than the South.

But wherever you choose, keep using your spare time to explore and keep visiting different places, because you will never find anywhere as small and diverse as the UK, with as many different accents and traditions as you can imagine. It is quite simply unique.

Have a look at the "Find a.."  tab for a selection of estate agencies.

By John Hillman

USEFUL WORDS

flat (share)
house (share)

hostel = building that provides cheap accommodation and meals to students, workers or travellers

hotel

bed & breakfast (B&B)

student hall(s) of residence = accommodation where students have a room and share a bathroom or kitchen (sometimes meals are provided and there is no kitchen)

letting agent = a person whose business is renting properties to others

estate agent = a person whose business is selling properties to others

landlord = a person or company from whom you rent a room or a flat/house

tenant = a person who pays rent for the use of a room/flat or house to the owner of the property

house / flatmate(s) = people who you share your accommodation with

Idioms & Metaphors relating to Homes & Lifestyles

a household word/name = something everyone knows (Nike has become a household name)
a drink on the house = a free drink (The restaurant owner offered us a bottle of wine on the house)

home truths = information that is true but not pleasant or welcome (It’s time he was told some home truths about the way he’s been behaving!)

nothing to write home about = nothing special (The town is ok but nothing to write home about)

hit home = become fully understood or fully felt (The difficulty of managing without a regular salary has hit home now)

that’s the story of my life = that’s what always happens to me (used humorously) (Everyone got a pay rise the week after I resigned.  That’s the story of my life!)

have the time of your life = have a wonderful time (Tom’s having the time of his life in America)

get a new lease of life = become more energetic and active than before (When Tina moved jobs she seemed to get a new lease of life)

a dog’s life = a very unhappy and difficult time (Peter said he led a dog’s life in the army)