Did you move to the Coast/countryside?

robwend

i live on the coast in the countryside! so ive the best of bost worlds, im 5 mins from the beach, and live in a semi rural village, plus only 40mins from london, ive got me cakes and ate it:D

Norma_Desmond

We relocated here from the Cotswolds nearly 4 years ago and it's the best thing we ever did.
We're only in our 30s but dreamed for years about moving to this wild and beautiful place after holidaying here.
We sold our last property at the height of the 'boom' and bought this big, ancient old house.
Life is simple, quiet, crime-free and the locals are the warmest and most helpful folk you could wish to know.
My elderly parents 'followed' us down and live just a mile or so away, but we still manage to see DH's family quite often - the move enabled us to buy a property big enough to have visitors.
I must admit that it's the height of excitement here if someone changes their hairstyle, but I love this gentle life - see some other of my posts stretching back a while!

EdInvestor

tanith wrote: »

The story goes that my OH has this idea that when he retires we will move to the Coast/Countryside and we will have a wonderful fulfilled retirement in a quiet village/town... but I have serious reservations about this as I don't think it will be all its 'cracked up' to be... although I love the idea of living by the coast .

My fear is that either we won't like the peace and quiet, will miss family although they will visit often I am sure , will miss having so many choice of shops/entertainments , one of us will be left alone at some point in the future and will be unable to afford to rehome near our family...

You're very realistic.

Try having a look at some of the bigger towns on the coast which have good train services into London, decent local transport, a good level of restaurants/shops entertainment and affordable property (you may find this is actually the determining factor in the end).Places where people will want to visit you.

Brighton/Hove,Eastbourne, Hastings/St Leonards, Rye would be worth a look.It is easy to explore the countryside around if you drive.Towns like Lewes and Chichester are a nice mix of country, sea and character.

I'd suggest a transition from big city to smaller city first: country/coastal village may suit you and if so you could move on later. But you are right to worry that such a dramatic change at first might not work.

david29dpo

I moved from Birmingham to a rural village in south staffs 13 years ago. 5 miles to the nearest fag shop and no buses. I wouldn't change it for the world but i do worry a little what happens when i get older and can no longer drive. The peace and quiet, lack of traffic and no crime are amazing and this time of year the views are at there best.

Running_Horse

I know a couple who retired to Hernia Bay which is a nice enough place, but harder for family to visit, so can feel cut off.

We just moved from a major urban area to a little village, and have never been happier. I make a point of using the shop, bus, and pubs in order not to lose them. Still getting used to strangers saying good morning in the street.

Perhaps it is an age thing; you have to do London in order to appreciate how good the alternative is.

seven-day-weekend

We moved to a village of 400 on a mountainside in rural Spain just over three years ago.

The people are wonderfully friendly.

Unlike a British village of similar size, it does have a general store, a post office, a school and medical facilities, a bank (the bank and po have VERY limited opening hours). Other villages are within easy driving distance.

However, major faciliies are at least 1.5 hours away. It takes us that long to get out of the mountains and onto a road that is more than a single carriageway and not full of blind bends.

It is beuatiful and we are glad we came.

BUT we will be spending more time in the UK in the future. Luckily we kept our house in a UK MIdlands city. We miss the ease of the city, having everything within walking distance. I miss having somewhere to walk to. Although I can walk in the area, there is (imho anyway) nowhere to walk TO. The mountains are beautiful, but you can't live forever on a view.

Ideally we would like to spend around half-half to get the best of both places.

IveSeenTheLight

Just a thought,

Why not rent out your place in west london and rent a place in the countryside / seaside.
You should find the rent for you retreat less than you will receive from your house in London and you can try out the quieter life.

If after 6 months you decide its not for you, then you can give notice to your tenants and move back.

If it is for you you could continue the arrangement or look to sell up and buy a place in you new location

tanith

Some excellent advice and suggestions here thanks everyone, I guess at the end of the day its a decision not taken lightly and over the next few years we can take holidays and breaks in the areas we like and see how it goes , the idea of renting out our home is a good one too another I shall be putting to the OH ..

I think my nagging doubts may actually be coming from a little voice in my head that reminds of the few days I spent with my sister in West Wales in the tiny hamlet she lived in , it reminds me how many times I thought how strange it was not seeing people walking down the road at all times of the day and night, no cars , and when we went to the nearest village how little choice of cakes and bread in the tiny bakers... I'd like to think I'd get used to it but I have my doubts :rotfl: thanks for your input its been enlightening..

tr3mor

tanith wrote: »

Some excellent advice and suggestions here thanks everyone, I guess at the end of the day its a decision not taken lightly and over the next few years we can take holidays and breaks in the areas we like and see how it goes , the idea of renting out our home is a good one too another I shall be putting to the OH ..

I think my nagging doubts may actually be coming from a little voice in my head that reminds of the few days I spent with my sister in West Wales in the tiny hamlet she lived in , it reminds me how many times I thought how strange it was not seeing people walking down the road at all times of the day and night, no cars , and when we went to the nearest village how little choice of cakes and bread in the tiny bakers... I'd like to think I'd get used to it but I have my doubts :rotfl: thanks for your input its been enlightening..

If you're worried about not seeing people or not being busy enough why not set up your own small business? You could open a B&B or a tearoom or something, nothing too hectic. More of a hobby and way to meet people than a proper income.

You don't sound like you're ready to move to a tiny isolated hamlet. Why not move to the edge of a rural market town? There will still be things to do and people to see, but life will be a lot more peaceful and you'll get a lot more house for your money than in london.

Becks045

We live in Brighton which has excellent transport links to London (55mins on the train), great shops, places to eat out and always plenty to do. Its the best of both worlds as you have the beach and the South Downs is literally a 10 minute drive away.

If Brighton is too busy there are lots of other quieter places along the coast near Brighton such as Shoreham which is a lovely little town.