Where is the best value place to live in the country considering...

cepheus

namecheck wrote: »

If you have no ties it can be more difficult to make decisions such as this.

I, too, think you should look at areas that appeal to you and meet your criteria and then look at the local property market.

However, as people have said in other similar threads, I would rent first to make sure it is what you want. And check out local GPs, hospitals etc.

We met a couple on holiday several years ago who had moved to Wales (cheaper property). They wanted to move back to England but the intervening rise in property prices made it impossible.

Yes it is analogous to the supermarket paradox, if one has so much choice it's difficult to know what to buy!

Once the approximate area has been chosen though, my logic is the opposite of normal house buying, look for the worst transport links and worst schools if you are not interested in these, then surely you get more house for your money?

Of course I need to be careful not to choose anywhere cheap because of crime or subsidence etc.

LittleMax

JQ. wrote: »

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-24039603.html
IN NEED OF MODERNISATION AND IMPROVEMENT

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-36188260.html

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-34467862.html

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-23563842.html

http://www.eigroup.co.uk/files/318/17110/438a28e3-c8e4-4372-9967-8fc7cc2cd6ec.pdf. Sold for £200,000
CLOSER TO NEWMARKET THAN CAMBRIDGE

My point being that with a £275,000 budget the OP can pretty much live anywhere in the country. Leave this thread running long enough and no doubt pretty much every location will be recommended. Pretty pointless really.

So as I said in the bit you chose not to quote ...

LittleMax wrote: »

There are not ... have you searched on Rightmove?

It is just about possible to get something detached for £270k, but this seems to be the starting price and so they are smaller or presume not in the best areas.

I don't know Cambridge, but Ognum confirms this

ognum wrote: »

So actually you have found two bungalows in Cambridge one on a travellers site and one on an industrial estate, excellent!

The whole point of the move is to get a better house in a nice location, so these do not fit the criteria that OP is looking for. Yes there are many towns and cities that will fit the bill, but you were not correct when you said all. Cambridge is an exception.

cepheus

Cambridge would be the opposite of what I'm looking for, you surely get least value for money there. Good transport links to London and a high educational reputation.

ukcarper

cepheus wrote: »

Cambridge would be the opposite of what I'm looking for, you surely get least value for money there. Good transport links to London and a high educational reputation.

Can you clear things up for me do you want some spare cash from your existing house or are you prepared to spend £275k

cepheus

In view of the market it would not be sensible to increase equity at all, so 175k would be an obvious figure to work on.

However, I would rather spend much more or much less if it was good value or an area where prices weren't going to collapse.

Zoopla have a property heatmap, but i don't think it adjusted for the type of properties. In other words you can't compare the same type of house between districts.

Contessa

Lancashire is worth looking at and the Fylde coast is very nice. Prices are reasonable compared to further south.

LittleMax

cepheus wrote: »

In view of the market it would not be sensible to increase equity at all, so 175k would be an obvious figure to work on.

Well that rules Cambrdge out ... move along; nothing to see here

cepheus

Contessa wrote: »

Lancashire is worth looking at and the Fylde coast is very nice. Prices are reasonable compared to further south.

Lancs is were I originally came from so that is definitely an option, but only people I have maintained contact with to any great extent are in the Wirral now. There seem to be some cheap areas about 5 miles NW of Chester for some reason, it may be due to the type of properties though possibly a lot of ex council. Low crime rate.

kidmugsy

One trick is to live somewhere small that gives good access to a city with good facilities. So you could use Cambridge and yet live in Ely (train service), or St Ives (guided bus service) or Huntingdon (ditto).

Similarly, if you do like to be beside the seaside you could consider North Berwick (East Lothian is lovely) with a train service into Edinburgh. Or even south Fife: looking south across water gives you a light-filled life. Or, if you're happy to be a long way from a city, anywhere on the coast in Dumfries and Galloway with a view south across the Solway Firth to the Lake District. On similar lines, how about the Swansea area?

CKhalvashi

I'd say for mid-term price rises, South Wales would be one of the best areas to live; it's not uncommon to see 3 bed terraced/semis in need of work for £25k.

Councils are also buying in these areas at the moment, however within 5 miles of CF48 will bring some results. There's a property in perfect condition 2 doors from a friend of mine in the CF48 area for between £60-70k (won't give exact price/location for her privacy).

CK