Please help me find somewhere affordable to retire.

Pensioned_Off

I have just had to take ill health retirement and my income has been cut to a quarter of what it was. My income is over the benefit threshold so my pension is all I'll get.

Realistically, I won't be able to work again so need to find somewhere cheap to live for the rest of my natural. I don't have any family ties to any particular area and have only myself to worry about. I'm currently renting in the South East but can't afford to stay here.

I've Googled and searched Rightmove for days trying to identify the cheapest areas to buy and I'm hoping someone here can use their local knowledge to point me to areas that I could look at.

What am I after?

• Lowest price possible - maximum of £90k
• Not a main road location as I will always have cats.
• Off road parking
• Quiet location (health issues mean I often need to rest during the day and loud noise just makes my life a misery).
• Detached or semi if possible - certainly not a flat as I am a bit of a recluse and need quiet.
• Driving distance to the coast
• Not a dedicated 'retirement' property as I won't qualify on age - I'm 49

I know this is a big ask because property has risen so much in price.

Any pointers would be great. Thanks

AdrianC

You're going to be moving a long way out from the SE, that's for sure.

By "driving distance" to the coast, how far do you mean? Nowhere in the UK is more than 70 miles (straight line) from the coast. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/3090539.stm

Do you want to be in a town, or in the countryside? (Bear in mind that much of "the countryside" can be very, VERY isolated and far from anybody else in a way that the average SE-dweller cannot comprehend...)

Your best bet is probably to look at places like the west of Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland or the very north of England.

Nobbie1967

I think you're best off looking around some old mining towns up north where there's not much demand due to a lack of jobs. Maybe the northeast towards Newcastle and Sunderland which is on the coast. Hopefully somebody from the area will be able to give some more detailed advice.

booksurr

as I'm sure you realise there are loads of detached and semi houses/bungalows available across the UK in that price bracket, so us pointing to rightmove listings may not be much use to you since you need to decide on some priorities you have not mentioned:
a) how does your ill health affect your mobility, no point being miles from doctors/hospitals if they will become an increasing feature of your lifestyle

b) what are your social interests and especially can you afford to continue them or will you need to develop new ones? No point moving somewhere "cheap" if you end up isolated either geographically or because you do not fit in with the locals and so end up a recluse in your own home

c) presumably this is a once in a lifetime move so you need to give consideration to how you will maintain the property if health deteriorates further, eg: garden? bungalow?

example: Rightmove 40 miles radius of Ipswich
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-51581644.html

Pensioned_Off

Thanks for your replies - here's some more info based on your feedback so far.

I'm looking for hints on areas to search for on Rightmove - I've got a lot of time on my hands so I can spend hours (and I do) looking at listings. The problem I have is that you need to generally know an area to search properly - I just don't know which towns etc are affordable in order to plug into the search engine. I need to be able to drill down further than just general areas like South Wales etc as Rightmove doesn't seem to work that way.

Whenever I search I just end up with loads of town based terraced houses which don't really fit the bill. I know my budget is really low so I'm hoping people on here can give me the benefit of their local knowledge.

I'm happy to go to quite a remote area - preferably one that is on a supermarket delivery route though. Plus, I suppose I need to consider getting to the doctor every two months to review my ongoing condition.

When I said close to the coast - I guess I mean driving time not driving distance... maybe up to an hour would be good. Some roads take longer than others to negotiate.

I just want a quiet area more than anything where my cats are safe from traffic and I can live out my days in a bit of peace but can also go out and about on trips for fish and trips at the seaside - gawd I sound sad.

Comstock

I was thinking maybe Seaham just south of Sunderland.

Cheap houses, and should be relatively quiet (although, as with anywhere, it all depends who your immediate neighbours are)

Elsewhere

My daughter is currently looking for a house in Mossley, which is a nice village just outside Manchester and on the edge of the moors. I know most of the cheap houses are terraced, but it's a quiet place with lovely views - and compared to the south houses are very cheap.

Norfolk has some reasonably priced places - if you don't need a mortgage there's this sort of thing

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-52842377.html

or maybe a park/mobile home would suit you?

bouicca21

So you are going to run a car? Realistically how long for - will you be able to afford to replace it as and when necessary, how long will you be fit enough to drive?

I take it that stairs aren't a problem? Are they likely to become a problem?

Personally in your situation I'd be looking for somewhere with public transport and low maintenance.

Supermarket deliveries are expensive for a person on their own. Do you want to have the option of being within striking distance of a supermarket?

Somewere quiet does not have to be isolated. And flats don't have to be noisy.

I'd be wondering about the north - but I'd echo Booksurr's warning about finding somewhere with like minded people.

warwicktiger

France!
My 2 bed semi cost £50.000.
Local taxes including tv license £300 per year
Supermarket in nearest town 12km away, diesel £0.78 per litre.
Loads of Brits here, some speak no French!

http://www.immobiliersovimo.com/

Tigsteroonie

And I bet you don't want a suburb of a city either ... but on the off-chance that you do ... the semi next door to where we used to live, in east Manchester, is up for £89k.

Pensioned_Off wrote: »

What am I after?

• Lowest price possible - maximum of £90k check, £89k
  
• Not a main road location as I will always have cats. check, it's at the top of a cul-de-sac and backs to open ground
• Off road parking - check, one car driveway
• Quiet location (health issues mean I often need to rest during the day and loud noise just makes my life a misery). check - it was always pretty quiet in that street
• Detached or semi if possible - certainly not a flat as I am a bit of a recluse and need quiet. check, it's a 2bed semi
• Driving distance to the coast check, it's not far to Southport or St Annes or Blackpool
• Not a dedicated 'retirement' property as I won't qualify on age - I'm 49 check

Why do I suspect your shopping list also includes "nice area", "not a city" and so on?

Running_Horse

Jaywick.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E13647&insId=1&minPrice=60000&sortType=1&numberOfPropertiesPerPage=10

The only downside is living in Jaywick.