Moving to the suburbs

elsien

SouthLondonUser said:

In this country, no one, not even under torture, will ever tell you they don't like where they bought - every one will tell you that wherever they bought is perfect. People living in tiny flats in the city centre with no outdoor space "have never looked back", but neither have those who moved to Nowhereseville and endure a 90-minute commute each way.

What I am trying to say is that you have to make up your mind without expecting any kind of honest feedback from people who have bought in an area you are considering.

I will. Mine certainly isn't perfect. It's the best I could afford in a slightly run down area which again was pretty much all I could afford. I'm unlikely to be able to move to anything much better.  It' s not my dream home but short of a lottery that's never going to be happening anyway. But it's ok, a roof over my head, enough space and half decent neighbours for now. If you can't get what you want, you make the best of what you have. 

Lespaul1960

Well I can certainly tell you I don't like where I bought !!  In fact I think it was the worst decision of my life so far..  Just have to make the best of it for now though.

Davesnave

I like where I bought. I might like other places even more, but I won't get what I have here in the most obviously desirable ones.

There may be some fantastic place few have discovered, so with wonderfully affordable prices, but what are the chances of you or me finding it?

lookstraightahead

I can't ever remember thinking hard about it - in the city, on the edges, semi rural (my favourite now). Just go with the flow and make decisions as life changes. In April you will have other lovely things to think about. Enjoy your journey 

AdrianC

Davesnave said:

I like where I bought. I might like other places even more, but I won't get what I have here in the most obviously desirable ones.

There may be some fantastic place few have discovered, so with wonderfully affordable prices, but what are the chances of you or me finding it?

Even if we did, there would be a downside that's kept prices down - whether that be location/access/distance, weather, or whatever. It's all about balancing the various downsides to you, personally.

We're lucky enough to have a house that's pretty much exactly what we want, in a location we love, in a community we love. And all for a fraction of what it would be worth in many parts of the country...

Is it PERFECT? No. Everything in life is a trade-off, unless you're loopily mega-rich enough to have exactly what you want, where you want it, and several more like it around the world...

We're in a fold, so don't have a view - but that would mean being more exposed to the weather - but we only need walk down the lane for a couple of minutes...
We're an hour and a bit from the nearest motorway, 20 miles from the nearest station, 5 from the nearest bus stop, and we have no mobile signal - all of which completely rule this location out for a lot of people - and that's a large part of the affordability.

Scotbot

SouthLondonUser said:

In this country, no one, not even under torture, will ever tell you they don't like where they bought - every one will tell you that wherever they bought is perfect. People living in tiny flats in the city centre with no outdoor space "have never looked back", but neither have those who moved to Nowhereseville and endure a 90-minute commute each way.

What I am trying to say is that you have to make up your mind without expecting any kind of honest feedback from people who have bought in an area you are considering.

I will, bought 4 houses disliked 3 of them. Practicalities such as proximity to work budget etc influenced the purchases. 

Eilidh1970

I've spent most of my life in a big city, having gone to uni there, liked it and stayed. Ten years ago we tried renting in a different, much quieter place, and I hated it and we moved back after six months. Now we're buying in a village, and I have similar worries - I am older, but still like having easy access to gigs etc. 
I think/hope that it very much depends on the nature of the place, how well connected it is and so on. The move ten years ago was to a place with poor transport links and as a non-driver, I really struggled. My partner picked up work easily and I just couldn't get any kind of foothold. This time around it's different as we both have jobs that can be done from home. The new place is five mins' walk away from a train station with a direct connection to the city. 
If you're going to be commuting, then hopefully that means that you still have things within reach, just a bit less convenient. Good luck with your move. 

badger09

movinghelp said:

I grew up in the suburbs/country and had a lovely childhood. Moved to a city for University and then to London and bought a 2 bed flat. Sold it after 5 years and moved to the other side of the world and after renting for 4 years (1/2 bed flats in the inner city), I’m finally moving into a 3 bed semi in the suburbs on Monday. I’m grateful for the extra space and the proximity to the in laws particularly as we’re expecting our first child in April. But I’ve got a nagging sense of dread about being further from work/friends/city life. I know you can’t have everything and a longer commute is a small price to pay. But still I’m only 30 and am worried OH and I will struggle with the change of scene.

OP you've made a huge life changing move in the past, which many would not be brave enough to do. I can't believe you didn't have 'nagging doubts' about your decision then.

We're in the middle of a pandemic, you're moving to a different area, you're expecting your first child. Any one of those is enough to keep you awake, let alone 3 of them together. You'll be in your new home next week, close to a new support network, with plenty of time to prepare for the new baby. 

Enjoy it! 

RelievedSheff

Scotbot said:

SouthLondonUser said:

In this country, no one, not even under torture, will ever tell you they don't like where they bought - every one will tell you that wherever they bought is perfect. People living in tiny flats in the city centre with no outdoor space "have never looked back", but neither have those who moved to Nowhereseville and endure a 90-minute commute each way.

What I am trying to say is that you have to make up your mind without expecting any kind of honest feedback from people who have bought in an area you are considering.

I will, bought 4 houses disliked 3 of them. Practicalities such as proximity to work budget etc influenced the purchases. 

Same here. Bought two houses. Hated the first one. Love this one.

HoopyNJ

I feel similar to you OP. We're about to move to the 'burbs and there is a part of me that's worried about it.
However. The house is gorgeous and we simply couldn't have afforded a "for like" property closer to the city. We'll have so much more space and in that respect it will have a positive impact on our lives, despite having to travel a bit more to get into town and/or see friends.
It's a huge, scary, step, but I'm counting on the positives outweighing the negatives. And if it doesn't work out how you want - remember nothing is forever! Sometimes you need to take a leap and see if it works out