Help needed to escape our poverty trap!

YoungBusinessman

Sorry to chip in with something pointless but £1225 rent is eyewatering!! And i earn more than £50k a year!

nat21luv

South Devon is lovely but very high unemployment, high water rates and housing. Rent is reasonable, im in a large 3 bed with front/back gardens in a quiet and wealthy area of town and my rent is £800. Council tax is £192 though

Cissi

I love living in London and am very lucky to be able to have a good lifestyle in a lovely area - but if I had to look elsewhere for financial reasons I'd start with Newcastle (Upon Tyne) and surrounding areas. DH worked there for a few years, as a weekly commuter - my work was was based down South and he travelled a lot anyway - and he LOVED the atmosphere. Lots of friendly people with a twinkle in their eye and a great sense of fun. Not to mention that for the money we paid for a pokey 3-bed mid-terrace at the time we could have bought an absolute mansion up there!

I'm a city girl who has lived in a number of countries, and there are few places in the UK where I'd ever consider living, but I do feel that Newcastle is more welcoming and has more to offer in terms of culture, cinema and a general sense of fun than most.

Failing that I'd look at Manchester, where my brother lives (also someone who has travelled around a lot in his life). He absolutely loves all that it has to offer. He used to think that he'd want to return to London some day, when he could afford it, but now I don't think he ever wants to leave Manchester again.

somethingcorporate

YoungBusinessman wrote: »

Sorry to chip in with something pointless but £1225 rent is eyewatering!! And i earn more than £50k a year!

Agreed, the only person I know paying that lives in the centre of london.

Can get a lovely 4-bed house walking distance to York city centre for <£1k a month.

debrag

nice areas of Nottingham for £600+

YoungBusinessman

I thought Nottingham was quite bad for crime?

somethingcorporate

Gun crime at that

oldskoo1

I live in Staffordshire - some nice places here. A good mix of countryside, towns and very central.

Birmingham or Manchester by car in 30-40min, London on train in 1hr 20min which I do regularly. In fact a close relative does it everyday. Plenty of outdoor greenery and being central you have plent of work options.

Where I live most of my neighbours work in Birmingham or Manchester, 1 moved here from London themselves. What you pay in London would have got you a 5 bed detached with garden in a more up market area for £200 less!

Apart from work and immediate surroundings, you can get to the lakes, Wales, Oxford, Stratford, Worcester, Bristol, Liverpool, Leicester, Nottingham, derby all ranging within 1-2 hours drive.

I love being central