South to north move - aka escape to the country

trakky14

Echo Internet and phone signal...you'd be amazed how many places are black spots in the sticks 😂 Airband is terrible if you are considering it! 

Also consider GP services, distance from a major acute hospital (community ones do not usually have a a&e service).

youth_leader

I agree with the signal.  I've got a castle at the end of my road, apparently it 'blocks it'.  When I first moved in here with 02 I couldn't work out why I had so many voicemail messages - phone doesn't even ring.  I've had to go to '3' PAYG who offer Wifi calling but irritatingly the call does drop regularly.  

Ruru10

pinkteapot said:

knightstyle said:

We went from a 2 bed flat in Worthing, West Sussex, to a 4 bed house in Gainsborough, lincs. and had change!
BUT in 10 years the flat in Worthing went up and up in value but the house in Gainsborough stayed the same.
So be aware that you will be unable to relocate back and you will be a long way away from family and friends.

That is an excellent point. The house we sold down south had really run up in value in the few years before we moved, while prices here hadn’t changed much in 20 years. Worked moving in this direction, but if we ever want to move back we’re well aware we’ll likely have a much smaller house than we did before. 

I would hope we don't come back as I have a thing about going backwards, but we do plan to rent the place we're in (that's a whole other thread!!!!).  My parents are up north - though not really where I'd want to move to.  This is part of the reason I want to move - I feel quite distanced and we're all getting older!  

Ruru10

I can't believe how many responses I've had - so appreciate it!  We want countryside but not so isolated;  Internet is essential for work so that is definitely a factor.  
Renting is defo a good idea, but we have so much stuff, it makes me think how we'll ever get out of this place! 
It's interesting, as normally work would force my location, but with working from home, we can be more flexible which opens it up to choice.
I'm partial to a shopping trip, but can limit myself there . 
Thanks again for taking the time to read / reply. 

trakky14

Ruru10 said:

I can't believe how many responses I've had - so appreciate it!  We want countryside but not so isolated;  Internet is essential for work so that is definitely a factor.  
Renting is defo a good idea, but we have so much stuff, it makes me think how we'll ever get out of this place! 
It's interesting, as normally work would force my location, but with working from home, we can be more flexible which opens it up to choice.
I'm partial to a shopping trip, but can limit myself there . 
Thanks again for taking the time to read / reply. 

Lovely position to be in!! Another option would be a short term rental like airbnb for a month or so then you can spend a bit of time in different areas and see how you like them? Gives you more time than a week here or there x

MidnightWolf

Internet connections are often better in new build houses (if you’re considering them). We bought a new build in the village we moved to and have full fibre. The mobile signal is also reasonable, even 5G is available. What we don’t have is mains gas, but the small development we live on has LPG tanks (supplied by Calor) that serve all the houses. The rest of the village appears to be a mix of LPG, oil and heat pumps.

Skiddaw1

Ironically, my mobile phone signal is better here than it was in Reading.

youth_leader

If you do move to the countryside do think of getting a car that is good in bad weather conditions - snow, ice, and surface water.  

I've just come back from Alnwick in Northumberland and we've had flash flood rains this afternoon, happens every year, the road drains just can't cope and the manhole covers are pushed up and off by the pressure.  The surface water is deep in town, and the country roads are flooded by the rain overflow from the fields.  I've got a Nissan X-trail 4x4 and have got through OK but the low cars are all turning round,  can't risk getting water in their exhausts and hydraulicking the engine. Not sure if that's the right word.

Woolsery

youth_leader said:

... can't risk getting water in their exhausts and hydraulicking the engine. Not sure if that's the right word.

If it isn't a word, it ought to be! Doesn't happen often, but just before last Christmas we had 4 cockerels on board who had a date with Mr Pluckaduck. If we hadn't been in a 4x4 we'd have missed the rendezvous.

Our main reason for the 4 wheel drive was simply the state of country lanes these days. The nippy little car we had previously was OK on good roads, but we felt every pot hole out here.

RAS

One of the other issues if you live somewhere very rural is that the diversions you need to take when there are problems with you normal route can be lengthy and difficult.

It only needs a lorry driver or coach to follow their satnav, or an accident, and your 4 mile simple run turns into a 14 mile hike across the hills on even narrower back roads.