WANDALUST Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Hi everybody...advise please. Within the near future we will have sold/let the family home and set off on our version of the 'Grand Tour'. Our home will be our Motorhome and we will have no fixed abode. We will be somewhere in the UK or Europe. We have mobile phones, e-mail addresses and Wi Fi enabled Laptop...Is this all we need? If we sell our existing house we will probably buy another UK property but it will be let. We would not wish to use this as our postal address. We need advise on the necessity of having a Postal Address...do we need one?...Do the Tax and Pensions office, DVLA, Insurance companies etc expect you to have an address or are they OK to communicate electronically/verbally? What are your thoughts? What has been your experience? What do you recommend? Thank you Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Decorator Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Alan Sounds great! But without an identity or residential address I can see big problems ahead. You would be classified as an itinerant, a wanderer. To start with you would not be issued with a passport. TD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WANDALUST Posted April 12, 2010 Author Share Posted April 12, 2010 Thanks Decorator Very good point which I hadn't considered. We keep meeting people on sites who have sold their homes and now are full timers and travelling abroad...does anyone know how they are overcoming this problem? Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Hi Alan, You also have to have a postal address to register your vehicle at for DVLA to send tax reminders and any fines to. Likewise for your driving license. And you will not be able to arrange insurance for your MH without an address. Have you not got a friendly relative who you can use as a mailing address? Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 ............isn't an address required for a TV licence ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Decorator Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Gordon Bennet Alan!! By your comments so far I think you had better stay indoors!! But of course keep asking the questions and do your research and you'll eventually have all the answers you need, most people are very helpful. If you have an idea then go for it, make it happen, others do. TD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 You will need a postal address in Uk. Usually people use family, as the main contact, someone who would know how to get hold of you. What if your bank account got "emptied" by some fraud ? I think banks, DVLA, pensions? need an address in UK. Best to appoint someone you can trust, and allow them to have acsess to you correspondence. Also if you needed to be repatreated (?) where would you go?, PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 If you don,t have a UK postal address then you won't get any UK state pension increases either. National Health treatment might be problematical as well. (Unless that is your natural tongue is Latvian Gypsy then it comes as a right!) Any Children who could act as a postal clearing house for you? C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klyne Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 Do you have children, or a close relative, who would allow you to use their address. Alternatively perhaps you could arrange something with either your Bank or Solicitor. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dikyenfo Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 Don't forget that credit and debit cards are cancelled if you have no permanenant address. My brother had huge problems when he went off for ten years.Car ; accident; health insurances are similarly dead in the water. The other thing that brits never do is obey any rules of living in another country and because they dont register with the Marie or similar if there more than 3 months -this also includes a doctor and a bank- they fall foul of police when questioned on other mattersThe fines that can be applied are life changing and without appropriate help s**t creek looks a more inviting place than where you could end up. But hey ho nobody bothers and you will find dozens along in a minute telling you it is all easy and dont need to do anything. Yeah right tell my brother that- his wifes nerves are still not recovered and its strictly Devon now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WANDALUST Posted April 13, 2010 Author Share Posted April 13, 2010 Hello Everybody My thanks to all who have contributed in particular TD for the words of encouragement. Also to David Klyne, Keith and Clive the masseur. I think the nominated relative is a sound idea and a solution. My particular thanks also go to to dikyenfo for the advise/warning bells re registering with the Marie etc when abroad for more than 3 months. This is an area we will be researching. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 Take it easy Alan - but take it! C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WANDALUST Posted April 13, 2010 Author Share Posted April 13, 2010 Clive...Wife says please send terms. Many thanks Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_C Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 malc d - 2010-04-12 7:44 PM ............isn't an address required for a TV licence ? TV Licensing is one of the few 'authorities' that will accept non residential addresses. They told me: "If the television in use in a motorhome is the only or main television then a licence will be required. These can be registered using the registration number of the vehicle and an address of a designated site (a permanent address or, most likely, the pitch which is used most regularly). For those people living and travelling in their motorhomes who don't have a regular pitch, a postal address where mail is received, such as an accommodation address or PO box can be used. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WANDALUST Posted April 13, 2010 Author Share Posted April 13, 2010 Many thanks Andy Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catinou Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 What a timely thread Alan! My husband and myself are looking at doing the same thing next year and several questions raised are on our list to research. *-) We intend buying a very small base in France whilst we rent our UK house but as we have 2 sons who also live in other countries now and rent their houses I think the UK address could be a problem..... :-( Good luck with your travels and I will be watching any additions to this thread with great interest! B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 If you intend to own a property in the UK but rent it out, it is still your legal address so you can use this for bank cards, insurance etc. (but not the TV licence!) then you can have the post redirected either to a relative or post box. If like Catinou you intend to buy a small property in France then you can receive post there or at a post restante. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usinmyknaus Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 I too am watching this thread with interest. When I reach the same stage in a year or two I was planning to keep a small property as a UK base but engage the services of Mail Boxes Etc or a similar service. Specifically, to rent an address with them for 5 years for c £780 or £13 pcm and then take the optional services such as holding for collection and then forwarding anywhere in the world I plan to stay for two weeks or more. Not having relatives to call on, I expect to either rent the property out or possibly, secure it with shutters and engage the services of a gardener and a security firm. I will more fully explore the options and costs nearer the time but it seems a reasonable plan - unless of course someone else has tried it and knows better...................... Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WANDALUST Posted April 15, 2010 Author Share Posted April 15, 2010 This is brilliant. We are delighted with the responses we have received to date via this thread, very helpful. Many additional thanks to Jenny, Patricia and Bob for the suggestions re mail boxes, redirection and poste restante. We feel we will be developing these ideas further so any further advice,experiences and knowledge would be appreciated. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WANDALUST Posted April 15, 2010 Author Share Posted April 15, 2010 Bit of editing here...due to excitement...double tapped the submit button. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catinou Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Patricia - 2010-04-14 11:31 PM If you intend to own a property in the UK but rent it out, it is still your legal address so you can use this for bank cards, insurance etc. (but not the TV licence!) then you can have the post redirected either to a relative or post box. If like Catinou you intend to buy a small property in France then you can receive post there or at a post restante. Great news Patricia - we didn't know we could keep our UK address as our legal address if we rent out for 12 months at a time. :-) Having looked at a property in France at the weekend ( an absolute no no as the English owner had engaged a property agency service, using photos at least 2 years old - now a rat infested hovel! Needless to say we won't use that agent again and intend spending a week in June "looking") we are more determined than ever to make the move - still feels scarey though.... *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Hi Jenny I have sent you a PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w1ntersun Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 One small point If you are out of the UK for more than 3 months at a time your GP could stike you off his/her list. If you are in Spain for more than 3 months you should register with the local police. I know a lot don,t but when something goes wrong your the one in the wrong by not registering. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 w1ntersun - 2010-04-22 1:39 PM One small point If you are out of the UK for more than 3 months at a time your GP could stike you off his/her list. If you are in Spain for more than 3 months you should register with the local police. I know a lot don,t but when something goes wrong your the one in the wrong by not registering. Richard This applies in France too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted April 25, 2010 Share Posted April 25, 2010 You can get full timing Insurance for your Van at a cost,my Insurance company Comfort have a condition attatched to the policy that says they reserve the right to check that you actually reside at the address you give them at inception of the cover or at any time thereafter and can ask for utility bills in your name at the given address,this is if you have non full timing insurance.So lie to an Insurance company at your peril. *-) *-) *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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