Ditch Britain for somewhere better!

With the recent news that residents of Britain have the worst quality of life in Europe, Emma Roberts explores some exciting emigration options.

As citizens of the UK, we have plenty to celebrate as a nation.

Fish and chips, Barbara Windsor and ASBOs are all brightly gleaming jewels in the British crown and who wouldn’t want to live in a nation where rain is pretty much a standard occurrence in every season?

Well, the answer is a lot of us, actually.

The number of Brits ditching the UK for foreign shores is at a record high, as many of us flee Britain in search of, well, somewhere better.

And with a recent survey by uSwitch revealing that people in the UK and Ireland have the worst quality of life in Europe, I don’t blame them.

So if you’re planning on saying tally-ho to British soil, how can you decide where to go?

Cost of property

With an entire planet to choose from, it can be hard to start thinking about where you want to emigrate to.

Whether you’re planning to retire abroad or just need a change, the first thing you should do is consider how much property costs.

Interesting statistics, published this year by Savills, show the best value properties across the globe.

I've put together the table below to give you an idea of how far your money will get you.

So if you’re planning a Russian retirement, you’ll be paying out a lot more money for property than if you were to settle in the Seychelles. Florida’s house prices are also low at the moment, so now could be the time to act if you want to move to the sunny state.

Salary sums

If you’re planning to work abroad when you emigrate, it’s a good idea to check out how much people typically earn in your chosen new country.

The table below should give you an idea of what to expect from your monthly paypacket in some of the most popular emigration destinations outside Europe. However, do bear in mind that the monthly salaries displayed in the table are the average income of all job sectors and figures should be used as just a rough guideline.

But you don’t have to jet halfway around the world for good pay, as the uSwitch survey revealed that residents of Ireland enjoy the highest household income in Europe, followed closely by the Netherlands and then Denmark.

Quality of life

Of course, it’s not all about the money, as there are many other factors that contribute to blissful life abroad.

The one thing that us Brits worship more than Eastenders is sunshine.

So it makes sense that many people pack up their lives and set up camp in sun-drenched countries.

Of the top ten places to live in Europe, Spain has the most hours of sunshine a year, closely followed by Italy.

What’s more, Spain also has the highest number of holiday days, at 43, whereas in the UK we just get a dismal 28.

To add insult to injury, we also have the highest food prices, with Ireland enjoying the cheapest.

It’s pretty clear that British people have a pretty bad deal. It's no wonder we are so miserable - according to Forbes, we rank 17th in the happiest nations on the plant. According to the study, people are happiest in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands, followed swiftly by Costa Rica and New Zealand.

Where to?

So what have we learnt?

Well, the Seychelles is a great option if you want cheap property and soak up the sunshine and Florida also has the winning combination of low-priced property and sizzling weather.

Recent question on this topic

• Crissa asks:

  Should I sell now, as property values supposedly falling fast? /and forget any modest home improvements?

  • 
    MikeGG1 answered "Decluttering to make the place look bigger and a freshening up of the decoration in a plain light..."
  • 
    SoftwareBear answered "Agreed ... if you're moving on rather than quitting the market then it really doesn't matter ... as..."
  • Read more answers

If you’re planning on working while you live abroad, then the USA and Japan have high pay rates.

Our Irish neighbours enjoy the highest average household income in Europe, followed swiftly by the Netherlands. Add the fact that people from the Netherlands are the 5th happiest in the world and you’re on to a winner.

Of course, in truth this barely skims the surface of the factors which convince Brits which nation to emigrate to. If you have any experience of waving goodbye to the white cliffs of Dover for more exotic climes, be sure to share them via the comment box below.

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