Moving To Birmingham – relocation overview

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Are you considering moving to Birmingham? If you are looking for information regarding moving to Birmingham, or assistance with your move to the city, whether you are moving nationally or internationally, we are able to help you. Please read on We will provide you with up to 10 free and personalised quotes from top experienced moving companies who will safely transport your possessions from door to door.

Located in the West Midlands area of the UK, Birmingham is traditionally known as the UK’s second city. It has a temperate climate, with mild winters and summers.

Infrastructure / Job Prospects

If you are moving to Birmingham for work then you will be interested in the local economy.

The workforce in Birmingham consists of around 500,000 people. Birmingham has a mixed economy with the industrial sector accounting for around 23% and the service sector accounting for around 77% of the economy. Unlike many other areas, Birmingham has continued to be an important manufacturing area, even after the recent decline of industry, and the manufacturing sector still employs around 12% of the workforce. The region exports around ?15 billion a year. The industrial sector employs over 100,000 people and the area has consistently outperformed other regions in terms of it’s income. The largest growth in wages however has been in the services sector of the economy.

The city is home to a cluster of legal firms, banks and insurance companies. Two of the countries main banks were founded in Birmingham, Lloyds Bank, and Midland Bank, which became Lloyds TSB and HSBC respectively. Indeed the city’s history as an important Banking center has contributed to its long term position as Britain’s second city.

The tourism industry is a focus for the region, and the city in particular is very successful at attracting large numbers of business tourists, and hosting over 40% of the country’s conference tourism. In 2006 nearly 14 million visitors came to the city for the conferences and exhibitions held in the city. Birmingham is home to both the Intenrational Conference Centre and the National Exhibition Centre. The city is home to many events each month, and attracts millions of visitors to the region each year. The business tourism industry alone employs around 40,000 people in the city, with visitors contributing over ?2 billion to the economy.

The city has a large and vibrant arts scene, which has grown significantly over the last few years. In music the city is home to the internationally famous Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the UK’s largest Jazz event, the Birmingham International Jazz Festival, and has had many famous bands from the reggae and ska of UB40 to the heavy metal of Black Sabbath!

The city center has a wide variety of theatrical venues, including the Alexandra, The Rep and the Hippodrome.

In the visual arts, the city is home to the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery which has several significant collections, and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, a well respected gallery. The contemporary art scene has also grown, with the Ikon gallery having become the main venue in the region for contempary arts.

The Public sector employs around 31% of the workforce in Birmingham. The government is currently attempting to drive the regeneration of the Eastside area of the city, having designated it as a media center.

Living cost and Taxes

There are no specific local taxes other than the standard council tax which you will pay if you own or rent a property in the city. If you are resident in the UK for tax purposes you will be subject to UK income tax and various other taxes. UK income tax varies depending on income and ranges from 10% to 40%.

Transport

Birmingham is a major transport hub for the Midlands area, a position it has occupied since the Industrial revolution. The position on the canal network was crucial during the industrial revolution, and it now affords tourist access via narrow-boat to the centre of the city. The city’s Birmingham New Street railways station is still an important hub for the rail network

The city is also important to the road network. It links the main motorways of the M6, M42 and nearby M1, making it a crucial hub for goods distribution and road commuters.

Major airports

Birmingham International Airport (BHX) is the largest in the West Midlands and one of the largest airports in the UK outside of London and it is second only in the UK to London Heathrow for business travellers due in part to Birmingham’s conference industry. The airport handles over 9 million passengers per year and offers a comprehensive list of routes to Europe including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Frankfurt, Geneva, Nice, Prague and Rome and multiple International destinations outside of Europe including Dubai, Toronto and in the US, Newark.

Population Density

Birmingham has one of the largest populations in the UK and is the largest Metropolitan Borough, giving it the unofficial status as the UK’s second city. It has a population of over 1 million people in an area of around 100 square miles. The population density is around 9,600 per square mile.

Birmingham Facts

Birmingham was one the major centers in the Industrial Revolution, and this has left a legacy in terms of both the canal and rail infrastructure, for which the city is an important hub, and also in the extensive trade, which continues today through Birmingham’s conference industry.

Birmingham is one of the UK’s most diverse cities. The population is around 70% White, almost 20% British Asian and 6% Black.

The population is around 60% Christian, but due to the large Asian community the city has significant Muslim, Sikh and Hindu populations.

We recommend you fill out our free estimate form if you are thinking of moving to Birmingham. The form will allow you to specify the details of any items you would like to take with you when you move. After you have completed the form we will provide you with up to ten free, personalised quotes from pre-screened moving companies experienced in moving households and businesses both nationally and internationally.