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Help me find an affordable place to buy a house

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  • Murphybear
    Murphybear Posts: 7,279 Forumite
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    Now we have a much clearer idea of what you want it will be easier to suggest something.

    My next suggestion is Exeter. It's got a younger population than a lot of Devon and has most of the things you want. Access is good as it is the bottom end of the M5. I have lived and worked there and loved it, where I live now is much more suited to retired people.

    Finally, if this floats your boat, there is a brand new Ikea :D
  • getmore4less
    getmore4less Posts: 46,882 Forumite
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    If my town is anything to go by not being near a gym is quite difficult, they seem to be everywhere along with barbers and hairdressers.
  • BlackBird75
    BlackBird75 Posts: 190 Forumite
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    gettingtheresometime wrote: »
    There's some areas of Newport I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy...not to mention having to deal with the Bryn Glas Tunnels car park every day.


    That said prices in Chepstow are already rocketing as a result of the tolls being removed so I can see Newport prices going up as well

    I have family in Newport.
    Yes, the tunnels are a bottleneck at times, but work has now started on the new M4 to bypass the tunnels.

    I've always found Newport ok.
    Which areas would you avoid?
  • BlackBird75
    BlackBird75 Posts: 190 Forumite
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    moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »
    Newport, South Wales, has some reasonable houses up at the £220k mark.

    Commutable to Cardiff and Bristol and the toll on the bridge will be removed just before Christmas this year.

    I visited Newport last year.
    It's improved a lot, with the new Friars Walk shopping centre.

    It will be interesting to see what happens once the new M4 bypass road is finished.
  • Mrs_Soup
    Mrs_Soup Posts: 1,154 Forumite
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    How about a northern university town- they tend to be quite lively and have lots of young people around. eg Lancaster, Preston, Lincoln or Norwich all have train stations and most of the other stuff. there are good and bad bits of all of them though. You are truely fortunate if you can live anywhere. In your position I'd pick a coastal town.
  • homeless9
    homeless9 Posts: 340 Forumite
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    Smodlet wrote: »
    Peterborough, specifically Werrington Village. Very good commuter links, 55 minutes to Kings Cross in London on the train, has pretty much everything you could want, not in the middle of nowhere.

    Please see here

    or for whole of Peterborough, here

    Thank You. I have been looking at Peterborough and it seems it may be a good option....

    That train to London must go pretty fast. Peterborough is 3x the distance from London compared to Guildford, but only takes 15 minutes more to get from A to B.
  • trailingspouse
    trailingspouse Posts: 4,035 Forumite
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    Giggling here at the idea of Norwich being a Northern Town. All depends where you're starting from I guess!!


    I'm NOT going to suggest moving oop north. Absolutely not.

    Wonderful characterful Edwardian townhouse over 4 storeys for £225,000, 2 mins walk from train station (central Leeds 19 minutes), walking distance to doctor, dentist, hairdresser, vet, pubs, restaurants, Post Office, chemist, supermarket, coffee shops, etc etc etc, yards from the Leeds Liverpool canal (world heritage site), and easy access to wide open countryside. Nope - not going to say where it is. We don't want everyone moving here...
    No longer a spouse, or trailing, but MSE won't allow me to change my username...
  • moneyistooshorttomention
    moneyistooshorttomention Posts: 17,940 Forumite
    edited 7 October 2018 at 12:55PM
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    gettingtheresometime wrote: »
    There's some areas of Newport I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy...not to mention having to deal with the Bryn Glas Tunnels car park every day.


    That said prices in Chepstow are already rocketing as a result of the tolls being removed so I can see Newport prices going up as well

    There's nice areas in most places. Indeed - as Blackbird implies = the pressure on it to modernise/improve will be there.

    ...and...yep...houseprices rising in Newport, S. Wales shortly is something I'm anticipating happening. I think prices there are currently about half Bristol ones?? So once everyone has clicked to that fact then it will start having an effect...

    I wonder personally whether it will go out of affordability range by a year or two's time. I've already seen one suggested place on here that is out of OP's price range - OP has only £220,000 (that won't even buy most terrace houses somewhere like Exeter).

    Lincoln is probably still cheap - I know I considered it years back, when I didnt think I'd ever find a way to buy a house without moving. Not a bad place I would think - if you don't mind a colder temperature than I'd be happy with personally.
  • Madmel
    Madmel Posts: 798 Forumite
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    Sorry Money but you are wrong. There are a number of properties under £220k in Exeter. Yes, a lot are terraced (no idea if the OP would be interested) but some in reasonable areas with gardens, a garage and off-road parking.
  • Crashy_Time
    Crashy_Time Posts: 13,386 Forumite
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    Aberdeen should be quite cheap by now...?
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