Deciding which area to live in

Moonraker71

I've just come back from my friend's house, helping her pack for her move on Tuesday. She's never lived more than 15 miles from Brighton but she's upping sticks and moving to Somerset, completely on her own, without knowing a soul there, based entirely on gut instinct and a deep knowledge of what she wants and what kind of person she is. She's an artist so can basically live where she likes. I work from home too, but could I do this? Not sure. Very appealing but I would worry about missing friends and family too much. I have roots in both Sussex and Wiltshire and I veer between the two when it comes to where I'll finally settle one day. But ultimately, right now, friends, family, work clients and proximity to London are keeping me tied to the south.

moneyistooshorttomention

Moonraker

Good on your friend for that and I hope it works well for her. Sounds like your friend is in more of a position to choose than a lot of people.

I would like to take current friends with me too if I could. On the other hand, I tend to think that there doesn't feel like much of a point in endlessly repeating same again and same again as I would do for the rest of my life if I just stayed where I am and maybe your friend has some of the same idea. It's going to be more of a learning experience for her to start again in a new set-up and maybe that's part of what she wants.

There are some parts of Britain that seem to be more oriented towards artistically-minded people and I am actually moving to one of them myself (though I'm not in the slightest bit artistic) and maybe your friend has worked out that her new area is one of them.

lessonlearned

My father was ex army and was demobbed in the city where I was born. Mum and dad had a series of rentals in the city, then finally a brand new council house in a new shiny suburb. Stayed there till I was 19.

From then I must have had about 12 moves in the next 17 years, before finally coming back to Derbyshire and bringing up my family in our "forever home" for 25 years.

I've lived in suburbs, cities, twice in seaside towns, (Scotland and Spain) market towns, I've lived in the country in the middle of nowhere and this next move is back to the city.

I've done bedsits, swanky apartments, cute cottages, terraced town houses, 70's semis, family houses. I've had huge gardens, small gardens, courtyard gardens and balconies.

Every location and every property has been different and I've loved them all. I can be happy more or less anywhere.

My family say that I can put down roots anywhere. They joke that I take "home" with me wherever I go and that I could probably turn a prison cell into a cosy nest. I've no intention of trying that one:rotfl: - I'll take their word for it.

This move will not be a "forever" home - the house would be totally unsuitable for me when I become older and more frail. I love it's location - a quiet little backwater close to the city. Lots of shops, cafes, theatres, museums parks and gardens, riverside walks etc and just 10 minutes in the car to the glories of the Derbyshire countryside.

I do miss the sea though, especially when the weather is hot. Derby is a long way inland and it can get very humid at times.

I will have to move again, at least once more to something more "age and infirmity friendly". A fancy penthouse, with a roof terrace garden for my golden years.......:rotfl:

Wellieboot

Just realised no-one's asked where you are moving to OP!
Be great to know if you care to share

phoebe1989seb

Moonraker71 wrote: »

I have to agree the area surrounding Marlborough is sort of a dream destination for me, despite the lack of a station. Here's an interesting project for you Phoebe1989Seb: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-26879025.html Just dropped £250,00 in one fell swoop. That's if I don't beat you too it when I win the lottery

Ooh yes Moonraker71, me like

Reminds me a little of this one quite near to us that sold fairly recently -
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=24422640&sale=48830501&country=england That seemed like a total bargain to me........

You can see how much cheaper houses in Southern Wilts are by comparison to Northern Wilts (Marlborough etc)

If only we'd hung onto our old house in Hants we might have been in a position to go for one of these - instead we'll have to hope we make a packet on this place when it's finished, lol!

moneyistooshorttomention

Wellieboot wrote: »

Just realised no-one's asked where you are moving to OP!
Be great to know if you care to share

I'll leave it a bit vague.....but I'm moving to a small town surrounded by countryside/on a river and not far from the sea quite some distance away from my present area and means moving from an urban lifestyle to a country lifestyle (if not of the "huntin' and fishin'" variety, as that wouldn't be my choice). A lot of our nearby countryside here has either been developed or is under threat of development and it feels very "boxed-in" being here now (both in the small city I live in myself and I've lost a lot of my sense of feeling I can go and "roam around" in surrounding area). I've realised my house has recently become a bit more "boxed-in" than it was even in just recent weeks by all the development.

Davesnave

Most people probably don't have sufficient knowledge to make a properly-informed decision, as visiting a location for holidays isn't the same as living there. For this reason, many probably stick with what they know.

Also, few of us have explored every region of the country, because certain areas have less appeal, or at least appear that way when holiday decisions are made. Someone I know has just returned from the North East, for example, quite impressed by what they saw there, and by the house prices, but their specialist interest took them to those parts. It's too late for them to consider moving there.

As you are aware, money, I planned to live where you're going, or within 40 miles, but this place came up, and visually, the two locations are very similar. I'm familiar with Devon, so it was an easy choice, but had I gone to the other place, I'd have rented first.

I had very clear reasons for re-locating, as there was no way I'd have swapped a 4bed semi for a 4 bed property with 5+ acres close to the city where I lived before. I felt I'd had the best from the city, with it's cultural and educational facilities, but it had increasing problems too, and not just traffic-related. More often than not, Police UK shows a nice, fat zero for the 1/2 mile around my new place.

There are times in life when it's feasible to go for a complete change. You either seize the day or you don't, and of course it's a risk, but the potential rewards are worth it. Good luck to you for having the bottle to see this through!

lessonlearned

Money - your new location sounds great - a bit of everything thrown in for good measure - countryside, a market town and close to the sea - what's not to like.

I agree with Dave - you've chosen a good time in your life to relocate. As a new retiree you finally have the time to indulge yourself a little - new friends, new hobbies, new places.

It should be fun.

I'm in a very similar position, except that I do need to stay within sensible distance of my husband's nursing home, my elderly parents and my "babies". Hopefully they will have their own babies one day but I'm not holding my breath.

At the tender age of just 62 years young I have decided not to go the whole retirement route but to go self employed instead.......

Madness?? - who knows and who cares.

It's fun and a challenge, a new beginning and a new life.

Money - we are of an age - my advice??

Go for it, have fun - you will be just fine.

Life is for living.

Onwards and upwards.

I_have_spoken

I did when I moved last year, weighing up

+ Commute time to new job (very, very short - a 'reward' after commuting into London for 10 years)
+ Proximity to elderly relatives
+ Quite happy with estate house, no looking for rustic idel with chickens etc. or grade II cottage
+ Affordability - wanted to move to detached after 20+ years in a mid terrace but wanted to stay mortgage free
+ Access time to nearest city vs. access to country
+ Current and future ethnic/age mix in area - didn't want to be on estate where every house had kiddies under 5 or 'sheds with beds'
+ Reasonable transport links in case need to commute to another job before selling
+ Resale potential of house, so take note of schools etc.
+ Noise, so not under flight-path of airport

moneyistooshorttomention

Davesnave wrote: »

There are times in life when it's feasible to go for a complete change. You either seize the day or you don't, and of course it's a risk, but the potential rewards are worth it. Good luck to you for having the bottle to see this through!

Yes...I guess I'm Carpeing that Diem:). Best to recognise when signs of getting into a rut are looming and the risks attendant on staying in my current location. Those risks don't just go one way in my case.

I'm sure there must come a time for the vast majority of us when we go into a "stay where we are even if it doesn't suit us" mindset and it all becomes too much effort to move..so best to think "now or never".

Thanks Dave and Lessonlearned for the good wishes.