Retire! London homeowners

Sapphire

I think it would be very difficult for someone with siblings, parents and other relatives in London, who have all lived in London throughout their lives, to up sticks and go and live in an unknown place, no matter how lovely. If you are used to the very busy life of London, it is difficult to adapt to another place. It's probably different, of course, if you were born outside London (especially in a rural place) and moved from there to the city – then I think it is far easier to make the transition.

chucknorris

Sapphire wrote: »

I think it would be very difficult for someone with siblings, parents and other relatives in London, who have all lived in London throughout their lives, to up sticks and go and live in an unknown place, no matter how lovely. If you are used to the very busy life of London, it is difficult to adapt to another place. It's probably different, of course, if you were born outside London (especially in a rural place) and moved from there to the city – then I think it is far easier to make the transition.

I don't think the OP was being entirely serious, I think it was said with humour. When I first moved to London (in my early 30's) I loved it there, but after 10 years I was getting fed up with it, and I moved out after 15 years (to Surrey), and I have never regretted doing so, nor moving there in the first place, it was good on many levels (career, socially etc.).

antrobus

chucknorris wrote: »

I don't think the OP was being entirely serious, I think it was said with humour. ...

Oh, I don't know about that.:)

System

Lol in every joke/humour there is a half truth

It is as you see difficult for a lot of people but could suit some, and the economic impact of encouraging people to leave could benefit people who need the jobs and housing more

GunJack

ViolaLass wrote: »

Maybe they don't want to live in North Wales.

It's lovely but if you've been used to the entertainment of London, there isn't much to do.

It's bl00dy lovely up here, and close enough to coast/entertainment for most tastes. It probably takes me as long to get into Manchester to a theatre as it would take (at least) outer Londoners to get to the west end...

Sell yer £800k London flat, move up here and spend £200k on a nice house, and chill......It ain't all grim up North

Generali

MatthewAinsworth wrote: »

Lol in every joke/humour there is a half truth

It is as you see difficult for a lot of people but could suit some, and the economic impact of encouraging people to leave could benefit people who need the jobs and housing more

It's about the allocation of scarce resouces innit.

At some point the price of your house in London is so high that it's worth you selling up and moving to Wigan or Blackburn or some other hell hole and starting a business with the capital realised.

You could buy yourself a home plus a load of BTLs. Kit them out with Whippet kennels and pigeon lofts and you'd have a huge advantage in the market and a decent, cash generative business. And you're only a few hours on the train from somewhere nice like London!

System

Definitely, money must flow and economic forces will encourage it too, London is almost like another country and there comes a point where people consider migration - a bit like you could work in Brussels but live in france

Generali

MatthewAinsworth wrote: »

Definitely, money must flow and economic forces will encourage it too, London is almost like another country and there comes a point where people consider migration - a bit like you could work in Brussels but live in france

It's very normal to work in Geneva and live in France. Similarly I've worked with a few that live in East Anglia or even France and work in The City, commuting weekly.

I agree, London is like another country. I would argue that it has more in common with NY or Paris than with Londonderry or Leith.

Lest we forget, it's grim up North.

fred246

I live in a large detached house with beautiful lake and woodland views. Lovely restaurants I can walk to from the house. Probably similar price to 1 bedroom flat in London. I have everything you could want really. Every few months I go to London for a course or conference. I always end up on a horrible overcrowded tube train. I always think 'you wouldn't allow animals to travel like this, why humans?" You look around and everyone has glum faces. Nobody ever speaks to anyone else. It is then I always tell myself. "it's grim up north".

chucknorris

fred246 wrote: »

I live in a large detached house with beautiful lake and woodland views. Lovely restaurants I can walk to from the house. Probably similar price to 1 bedroom flat in London. I have everything you could want really. Every few months I go to London for a course or conference. I always end up on a horrible overcrowded tube train. I always think 'you wouldn't allow animals to travel like this, why humans?" You look around and everyone has glum faces. Nobody ever speaks to anyone else. It is then I always tell myself. "it's grim up north".

I'm not saying that it is grim up North (I'm originally from Newcastle) but there are lots of lovely places in Surrey (and the other Southern places) too. But I am saying that it is colder up North, especially the Northumberland coast in winter, where you get really freezing winds blowing in from the North Sea, that is important to me as I like walking, running and cycling.