How to get out of London in 30 days
2014
Editio
n
(for the immigrants who regret)
This book is dedicated to the millions of immigrants residing in London. It aims to re-examine the collective experience of staying in the cosmopolis, giving them not only the method, but also the courage to choose an alternative route, offering a way to reject being a partner in crime in the system we loathe. In this book, we concluded 13 essential steps for the immigrants to leave their current life in London in 30 days.
Day 1.
Book a non-refundable, one-way ticket to where you’re originally from (no matter what that means),
dated 30 days later.
This is an important step, and the first step is always hard. It needs to be the FIRST, because once you spent over £500 for a one-way ticket, you would have much more courage to continue rest of the steps, and less chance to be hesitate since you don’t want to waste the money you spent. (So remember, one-way and non-refundable are important.) Useful links to find your flight tickets: • http://www.momondo.co.uk • http://www.skyscanner.net • http://www.expedia.co.uk/Flights • http://www.cheapflights.co.uk Or just google "cheap flight to YOUR DESTINATION" (Be aware. Don’t be enticed into buying those ‘holiday package’. That’s not what you want.)
Day 2.
Quit your job. Give your boss one-month notice.
There are not much details of this step. Basically just tell to your manager or boss on the day 2 as early as you arrive the office (or restaurant, shop, warehouse, wherever you work) that you need to leave this job. It might be difficult to start, so here we made a statement for you - “For some personal reasons, I need to leave this job. Here is the one-month notice. Please let me know if there is anything I should do, such as an official written notice or interviewing / training new people. Sorry about the inconvenience.”, polite but clear. Again, sounds straight foward but it takes a lot of courage. Just follow the lines above. Don’t worry about finding a new job in your hometown. Before you find your new job, you can stay at your parents’ or friend’s. The salary might be lower than what you’re paid now, but the rent and the cost of every other thing would be lower too.
Day 3.
Give the one-month notice to your landlord/ agent/flatmates for your overcrowded flat or room (even though the contract hasn’t ended that you might loose the deposit).
Housing is the one of the biggest headaches in London. According to the statistics1, one out of five tenants cannot get their deposits back. So don’t feel bad when it happens to you, you’re not the only one. However, one-month notice is a common courtesy anyway. It gives the landlord/agency/flatmates enough time to find someone to replace you. But still, don't give up on your deposit yet, dig out your contract and read it through again, see if there is anything written down might help you in the battle. (You will need a thorough cleaning in the last couple days.) Usually you would receive the deposit within one to two weeks after moving out (if you manage get it back). So don’t close your UK account yet. (And it’s useful to keep the debit card anyway.)
1
. personal experiences and experiences of friends'
Day 4.
Cancel all your bureaucratic appointments - visa appointments, ceremony for marriage or civil partnership...etc, despite losing the high fees you’ve already paid.
This step only applies to those who were trying to stay in the UK. The cost for British visa application varies from £600 to £2000. On top of that, there are tons of paper works that you need to prepare – contracts, pay slips, bank statements (the one printed from the Internet doesn’t count), proofs of address...etc. Some of them you might have kept but some of them might be thrown away already. And no matter how complete your documents are, there is still a chance you would get denied. (And they won't tell you the reason why.) Why go through all the ridiculous process when you don’t need to? Cancel the appointments, you might still get part of the payment back. XXXX it. You don’t need them.
Day 5.
Throw away all the documents you ever prepared or saved through out these years of staying in the UK, since you’ve already canceled the visa appointment and you won't need one anymore.
This step is more of a ritual. It’s like burning all the cards and photos of your ex, something you did when you were a teenager. It might sound unnecessary and childish, but trust me, it helps for strengthening your determination, offering a “no way back”. Every step in these 30 days is not easy, there are plenty of chances to look back and think “actually it’s not bad to stay here”. Throwing all the documents away in a bin (those wheely bins outside of your house, not the bin in your room) is showing your will power, saying that “I am getting out of here.” You don’t need those bank statements, language certificates, pay slips, proofs of address. You don’t need to prove anything to anyone anymore. You are defined by yourself, not those papers.
Day 6.
Organize all your stuffs into two categories – things you would like to keep and things not needed in your hometown (or things can be easily replaced).
Okay, the fun part had finished (I know it's early). In the following steps, there is no movement like turning-around-and-never-look-back-like-a-movie-star any more. First, Go through all your properties, keep those you just HAVE to have (such as expensive clothes or shoes you bought at Christmas Sale, books which are not too heavy and difficult to find in your home country), and get rid off things you don’t need in the near future (how to get rid off will be explained in the following steps). For the stuffs you're keeping, you will be shipping them back to your hometown. Remember, shipping is not gonna be cheap. Shipping companies usually calculate the price by the number of boxes with limitation of weight for each box. So things like lamp, bedside cupboard or magazines, are not considered to be shipped over. It’s not gonna worth it, same for the clothes that you don’t like that much. Only keep the things which are not replaceable or when the cost to replace it is higher than the shipping cost.
Day 7 - 11.
Sell, give or throw away things in the latter category. Gumtree, local charity shops and friends who haven’t thought it through, are the good places to go.
Here we leave 5 days for the step, but it might take longer. First, the items that you bought for more than £50, expensive but too heavy to ship over, can go to Gumtree, ebay or your Facebook page, asking if anyone wants to buy it from you. Prices are suggested to be around 50% of the price you paid (depends on the condition of the goods). And for rest of the things, if it’s still functioning, give it to your friends who still plan to stay in London (no matter what was the reason). People are usually grateful to receive gifts, however, living spaces are extremely precious and limited in the city, so if the items are too big, ask your friends before bring them over, otherwise you might find it on the street in front of their flat the next day morning (and you can’t blame them on this). The other option is charity shops. In London, it’s easy
to spot charity shops on any high street. Here are just some examples – Oxfam, PSDA, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK...etc. We would suggest you to visit the nearest one from your place, after all, the junks might be heavy. However, you can also look into whom they are helping if there is any particular group that you would like to contribute your donation to. But be aware, don’t bring things that you know that no one is gonna buy, such as dirty underwear with holes, broken plastic bucket that leaks, or lip balm you have used. You would be wasting your time and theirs. After the attempts to sell and give, it’s time to throw away the rest. I know it might sound hard, but it’s not. You can always buy a new one in your destination. Don’t put them back to the first category (for the shipment), you’re wasting your money and you will find it ridiculous once you receive it. Put all the small
items in large plastic bags and put them into the wheely bins outside. And put the large items on the street if you think someone might pick it up (and trust me, it always disappear over one night). Voilà! Now you have 50% more space to live for rest of the weeks! Useful links for this step: • Gumtree - http://www.gumtree.com • ebay- http://www.ebay.co.uk Charity shops • http://www.oxfam.org.uk • http://www.pdsa.org.uk/ • https://www.bhf.org.uk • http://www.cancerresearchuk.org • http://www.barnardos.org.uk • http://www.ageuk.org.uk/about-us/our-shops/ • http://www.octaviafoundation.org.uk
Day 12.
Google for shipping companies that deal with UK-Your Hometown shipment. Call them up, get quotations, and then choose the cheapest / semi-trust-worthy one to arrange a pick up on the 11th day from today.
This is relatively straightforward. On the search bar of Google, type in “UK THE-NAME-OF-THE-PLACE YOU’RE-GOING-TO shipment”, and the shipping companies will come up. Click on “contact” on their web pages, give them a call or e-mail, briefly explain where you’re sending your stuffs to, and how many boxes (doesn’t need to be accurate, an estimation would be enough). Then get quotations, compare the quotations, and choose the one has the best deal. Considering friends’ opinions or the reviews from people who used the services is strongly recommended. Don’t choose the service based on the prices only (even though it’s important). For some ocean freight, missing boxes are common. You might also be expected to receive broken or wet cupboard boxes with items missing. Make sure the company you choose has a good reputation and reasonable insurance policy, unless you're sending things you don't really care. (The most common compensation is £4 to £20 per kg.)
Day 13 - 21.
Pack everything remains in your room/flat (things in the first category) into cardboard boxes (or other appropriate packages), except for one suitcase of items, which will offer what you need for your last week in London. (Yes, last week, time goes fast!)
We recommend you to start with the suitcase of things you would need in the following weeks. Depending on the flight ticket you booked, it usually allows you to take 20kg for your check-in luggage (again, depends on the different policies and the mood of the check-in agent you encounter, sometimes you’re allowed to bring up to 5kg extra, but there is a risk of paying high excess baggage charge by doing so). The suitcase should mainly include the clothes you will be wearing for the remaining days, make-up kit if required, laptop, phones...etc. Pretending you’re going on a holiday for two weeks, what you put in your luggage is what you need. After packing the suitcase, now we’re sending the rest to your home country. In some cases, the shipping company would offer you cardboard boxes in their standard size (45x45x45cm is quite common).
Order a number of boxes that you will need (always order more than your estimation, because people think they have less things than they really have, and you should be able to return the unused boxes to the company without extra charge), and then pack the stuffs outside the suitcase into the boxes. Notice: never categorize boxes as “clothes” and “books”, because you will end up having a light box and a super heavy one. Mixed things to make sure all of the boxes are lift-able (there might be a weight limitation for each box, check the regulation with the shipping company). Also, don’t forget the boxes might get wet during the shipment. Always put a layer of plastic bags or bubble wraps inside the box. Make sure even if the boxes are wet, your items are not. AND, food, which might go off, and explosive items are not allowed in the shipment (liquid is also not recommended, please confirm with the shipping company for more details).
This week would the toughest. You might feel lost with all your personal belongings around you. While packing, some memories might flash back, telling you that London is not that bad, you will miss here. Don’t forget, this is just an illusion that happens to everyone. Lots of people failed at this stage. Think about all the sufferings you’ve encountered. Think about the signal failures, think about the cost of £6 on public transportation just to meet a friend who lives 2 hours away (but still in London), think about the time you stand in front of the gates of tube stations waiting for the off-peak hours to start, think about the racist teenagers shouting or laughing at you on the streets, think about the visa application process, think about the constant need to prove that you’re not staying here illegally, think about the times your wallet got stolen, think about the time you were waiting for the visa, think about your experience of being detained at the airport, think about the
frustration of not being able to talk to any customer service over the phone (only computers are answering), think about the tiny rooms you ever stayed (and the expensive rent), think about the arguments with flatmates, think about the time when you were kicked out by your landlord, think about the greyness of winters. You don’t need to face them anymore. To do so, you will regain your faith for your future. Don’t let the boredom of this week change your mind. Packing could be really annoying. Focus on working (for the last two weeks) and packing. (Packing with nice music might help to lift the mood.)
Day 22.
Answer the door, because the shipping company is here to collect your boxes.
Yes! Finally. After the annoying, crowded, messy 9 days, now you have more space to move around in your tiny flat. Don’t forget, depends on the way of shipping you chose, the shipment might arrive the destination one to two months from now. So prepare to live without them for a long period of time. (And for some items might be forever.)
Day 23-28.
Live on the suitcase you left for your last week, thinking "This is finally happening." (It is.)
It’s your last week. Enjoy your time here. Take the opportunity to visit places you like, the café you always want to go and your favorite restaurant, hanging out with friends you might not see in the near future. There might be some unexpected expense, but don’t worry about it, you will be saving a lot of rent after going back. But be careful of shopping, you only have 20kg allowance for check-in luggage. And getting closer to the date of your departure, you would start to like London more. It’s completely normal, even your flatmates might seem nicer these days. It’s like every time when you sit at the hair salon, you suddenly think your current hairstyle is not bad (despite the fact that you hate it for months). People are scared of change and they start to appreciate what they have only before losing it. Again, it’s an illusion. If you give up at this stage and decide to stay in London, you will start to hate it again. Guaranteed. Enjoy your last week, and looking forward to your bright future.
Day 29.
It’s time for a proper cleaning!
Now you’ve sent most of your things away, there are spaces in the flat to move around, and your flight is tomorrow. It’s the best timing to do a proper clean-up in order to maximize the chance of getting your deposit back. Professional cleaning is always recommended, however, if you want to save up some bucks, roll up your sleeves and clean it your self is also an option. 99p Stores or Poundland would have most of the cleaning products you need (with cheap prices). Make sure everything is cleaned and fixed, otherwise don’t expect to receive the full amount of your deposit! Useful links: • http://site.mopp.com • https://housekeep.com • http://www.london-domestic-cleaners.co.uk • http://www.poundland.co.uk • http://www.99pstoresltd.com
Day 30.
Bring your suitcase to Heathrow. Check in without any problem (after all, you hold the passport of your destination, who's gonna stop you), getting on the plane and never look back.
Take a deep breath. You must think, “ I can’t believe this is happening.” But yes, this is happening. There is no way back and this is what you WANT. Think about the free or cheap rent, think about the food, the weather, your old friends and family (optional). What’s the point of staying here, this expensive, cold city where you need to fight for everything all the time? It’s time to leave. Enjoy your free drinks and food on the plane. Watch a movie, fall a sleep, and when you wake up, there will be a warm hug waiting for you (figuratively or metaphorically).
Editor's Note: All the steps might seem easy but they are actually hard to be realised. Be aware, don’t hesitate in any of the step, follow the instruction strictly without thinking of any financial loss it might occur. Remember, strictly follow the dates provided, never hesitate, never delay any step and never look back.
Ting-Ting Cheng Š