Just about to exchange cold feet

Gavin83

We went for a less extreme version of what you did, a move from London to a small town. It's one of these towns where everyone comments on how lovely it is when you mention you live there and often comes up in these 'best places to live' lists. None the less we hated it. We found it incredibly boring with nothing to do and if you wanted any decent retail or amenities it was a half hour drive to the nearest big town/city.

Luckily we were only renting. We've now moved to a very small city (it's a town really, but has a cathedral) and we're really happy here. We were definitely done with London but there's far more going on here.

My advice would be if you're going for a change in lifestyle or even moving to an unknown area I'd rent first to get a feel for whether it's the right idea. Yes I get that renting is 'dead money' but it's less so than buying a house and realising you hate it after 6 months.

Owleyes00

Have you considered doing something less extreme? A semi rural town with some transport links?

My in laws live in a small town within walking distance to shops, pubs and restaurants but their garden backs onto rolling fields and farm land and very much feels like you are in the country when you sit in their garden. I always feel like it’s the ideal compromise.

verytired11

jusferbrowsing said:

I lived in Hoxne (Norfolk Suffolk border and close to Diss) for many years.

Most of my life I've been based in deep countryside different places in the UK and I love it. Clean air, crisp and fresh, dark nights and SO many stars, wildlife everywhere (I've had deer grazing my lawn quite a few times with foxes and hedgehogs regular visitors), many beautiful market towns and with the broads so close we bought our first boat (moored at Beccles, cheap too).

Downside... shopping, a round trip of x miles, the long dark nights of winter, snow (a 4x4 was a must have for us) but every spring I'd be in awe of the natural beauty of my surroundings. 

Give yourself a chance to adapt and you'll love it.

Thank you!  I have to say that anyone who I speak to who lives in the area around DIss and to the east stretching up to Beccles seems to absolutely love it.  Tbh I take my son everywhere in the car at the moment anyway, since he struggles with public transport, so perhaps it won't be so different and perhaps I can help him get a place in Norwich when he is ready to be more independent.  The owner of the house we are buying is giving us his boat for free to look after since he can't sail it where he's moving to. and I do feel excited at being able to access the broads and the coast.  My son also only goes to the cinema once a month so perhaps a monthly trip to Norwich and a monthly trip to London might be all he needs at the moment.  My older son will be staying in London so we could stay with him if necessary.

Doozergirl

verytired11 said:

jusferbrowsing said:

I lived in Hoxne (Norfolk Suffolk border and close to Diss) for many years.

Most of my life I've been based in deep countryside different places in the UK and I love it. Clean air, crisp and fresh, dark nights and SO many stars, wildlife everywhere (I've had deer grazing my lawn quite a few times with foxes and hedgehogs regular visitors), many beautiful market towns and with the broads so close we bought our first boat (moored at Beccles, cheap too).

Downside... shopping, a round trip of x miles, the long dark nights of winter, snow (a 4x4 was a must have for us) but every spring I'd be in awe of the natural beauty of my surroundings. 

Give yourself a chance to adapt and you'll love it.

Thank you!  I have to say that anyone who I speak to who lives in the area around DIss and to the east stretching up to Beccles seems to absolutely love it.  Tbh I take my son everywhere in the car at the moment anyway, since he struggles with public transport, so perhaps it won't be so different and perhaps I can help him get a place in Norwich when he is ready to be more independent.  The owner of the house we are buying is giving us his boat for free to look after since he can't sail it where he's moving to. and I do feel excited at being able to access the broads and the coast.  My son also only goes to the cinema once a month so perhaps a monthly trip to Norwich and a monthly trip to London might be all he needs at the moment.  My older son will be staying in London so we could stay with him if necessary.

That sounds fine!  He might like quieter places more! 

Lots of us aren't built for London.  

kezzygirl

verytired11 said:

kezzygirl said:

Can I ask where in Norfolk it is? I have lived here my whole life apart from short stints in Lincolnshire and cambridgeshire- are there train routes nearby?do you plan to travel to London for work?we do have lots of commuters who save money by moving here and commuting in.

It's the Waveney valley, so technically Suffolk but I have already learnt to describe it as Norfolk when trying to get local services.  It's just south of Beccles - do you know it? 

Yes I know Beccles,we live a bit further up,near wroxham. The broads are lovely,and quality of life is better as there is lots to do!! Plus,it's much cheaper than London. Norwich is close by too,with all you need. The nearest town will have all that you need. Good luck with your decision 

Crashy_Time

clearancer said:

If you are having doubts then it’s time to revisit the property. How do you feel when you drive up? Happy or worried? It’s better to give yourself time to re-think than be stuck with a property that won’t sell when you can’t cope with the remoteness anymore. 

Good point, the remoteness will make itself known properly as you live there not when viewing, the change from London will be very extreme I think and you will either adapt to this or not depending on how much you enjoyed London. That the seller came down 125k from original asking indicates to me that less people are making these sorts of moves than predicted so be aware that you might not be able to sell at the drop of a hat if you change your mind, could you get even more of a price discount for extra peace of mind do you think?

RedFraggle

Beccles is a nice town and relatively easy by train to London with a change at Ipswich. It's got a decent mix of shops too. Norwich is a great city and a taxi for a night out is an option. 
@justferbrowsing Hoxne is a beautiful village. 

Murphybear

We lived in rural Devon for a while.  On a farm close to Dartmoor.  The nearest town with supermarkets, pharmacy and a GP surgery was 12 miles return.  It was very pretty driving there as you could see across the moors.  However as I have long term health issues it soon became a pain (pun intended  )

Nothing to do socially anywhere near.  We asked the previous occupants why they were moving and was basically the above, they had 3 children and were constantly having to ferry them to the town and back.  Internet was a bit hit and miss and no phone signals behind 3ft cob walls.

It snowed quite heavily while we were there and the farm was at the end of a mile long dirt track.  Fortunately we had a suitable vehicle, an ordinary car may have been stranded.  Apparently a couple of years earlier the snow was so heavy that the farm was completely cut off.  It doesn’t snow that much in Devon, we were just unlucky.

There are a lot of pros and cons to rural living, you must take the cons seriously

There were a lot of moooos and baaaas.  Pro or con?.  

london21

Have a deep think if you really want to continue with the purchase.
if you are really having  cold feet and no peace might have to reconsider.
your son might struggle in a small village, might feel isolated especially if he doesn’t drive, you will be his driver to get him around because unlike London with buses and good transport links. 

I don’t drive due to my sight and one of the main reasons I will only be able to live in areas with hood transport links etc 

lookstraightahead

Sometimes it's not the area, it's the point in time you're at.

I love being in the countryside, but if anything happened to my OH I think I would want to go back to the city I moved from.

although semi rural and on a hill, I can slide down to the railway station, this was important to me