to ask where in the uk you live, just the town or region and why you like living there?

[flirtygirl]

Hi im looking for info on where is nice to live in the uk where you can buy a house for under 200k.
So good transport links, shopping, parks, leisure activities, schools, public transport and jobs.

Or does your area not have that much going for it but a real community feel and whats more important.

Just your thoughts please. Thanks

Thoughts welcome even if you cant buy a house for under 200k, where you live but you rent and are happy renting, thanks

[flirtygirl]

Sorry for typo in title
Ill ask mumsnet to correct it as i cant see how to do so, thanks

[lanbro]

Newcastle upon Tyne, just a few miles from the city centre. Love the area, grew up in the Tyne Valley. Cosmopolitan city, international airport, huge shopping centre, glorious beaches, lush countryside all within 10-20 mins drive. Family homes from £90,000 - £1000000s depending on exact location. Close to the A1, 3.5hrs from London by train, an hour up to Scotland. Friendly people, low cost of living, museums, castles, Roman history

I did live in the midlands for a few years, wouldn't live anywhere else now maybe hawaii

[PJBanana]

I'm in Warrington. I don't love it, but it is a handy place to live. Slap bang in the middle of Liverpool and Manchester with decent rail links, plus right on the M6, M62 and M56 which can cause mayhem when there's a major accident but oh well.

Lots of different areas, some nice and some not so nice, but pretty much everything you need is on your doorstep or just a short drive/train ride away.

Here, £200k could buy you a nice 4 bed detached in an ok area. In one of the 'nicer' areas like Stockton Heath or Lymm it would buy you a 2-3 bed terrace.

[TinselTwins]

Following, particularly interested in people who love where they live and moved there rather than having existing ties there

[ShotsFired]

I'm in South East,in one of the most expensive counties outside London, so no chance of homes under 200k here.

But further South and West are some great, much more affordable towns - Andover, Swindon (outlying rather the concrete 60s town centre), Newbury + environs etc. All have excellent access to major towns and usually direct lines to London terminals if that's relevant. Also so many lovely small towns and villages too, depending on what you want. And very green too, mostly with countryside minutes away (I can be in farmland within about 15mins on my bike)

It gets cheaper the further you go out, but at some point the cost goes up again as you get towards Bristol and the like, so you need to find the mid-point!

[user1485706893]

I live in Huddersfield, I always end up back in this place so there must be a reason lol. The town centre is easy to get to from everywhere, big rail station in town round the corner from the bus station. It's a student town so it's really cosmopolitan. And if you live in say Holmfirth (last of the summer wine was filmed there) which is 10 mins outside then you can a lovely original 2 bed cottage for under 150 in a really popular traditional village.

[Squ1ggle]

Suburbs of North Manchester. Easy tram/bus/car access to city centre, house prices much more reasonable than south Manchester (our 3 bed semi with garden and garage was £165). Also good motorway access to Leeds/Liverpool etc and within easy reach of nice countryside

[PebbleInTheMoonlight]

Cardiff suburb. 3 bed semi just about do-able under 200k.

Two train lines to access city centre, 5 minutes drive from the M4 and A470 (route up into Wales). Less than 3 hours to London. All the schools in the area are classed as outstanding (Welsh or English medium) and being in catchment gives you high probability of getting in.

Real community feel to the area and we have our own village centre with shops, cafes, banks and bars.

We're right on the doorstep for amazing countryside and excellent beaches (Gower peninsula and Pembrokeshire) are only an hour or so from my front door.

I'd honestly spend the rest of my life here, although we only moved here by chance initially (renting).

[biscuitkumquat]

I live in a village on the East Coast of Scotland. 15 minutes drive away from the nearest city.

I grew up in the city, but moved here when I had DC because it's small enough that people are friendly, but not so small that people know your business.

We are a 2 minute walk from the beach, a skate park, an adventure park, and the local shops & pubs, and a championship Golf Course & v,v posh hotel.

My house is on a dead end street, so quiet & no speeding cars.

£30 in a taxi after a night out in the city, and half an hour commute for work & DC school (he goes to school in the city)

My house is a semi, 4 bedrooms, with a dining room, about 200 years old, so high ceilings & original fixtures (fire, cornicing etc)

Around £140k for a 2/3 bed ex local authority house, and for £200k, you'd be looking at a 4 bed in good condition.

[imthelastsplash]

Leicestershire. Good transport links (my partner commutes to London daily). I like Leicester for shopping. Lots of nice countryside - 200k would easily get you a nice house in one of the market towns

[RhodaBorrocks]

I'm also in one of the home counties just north of London. You would not get anything for under £200k here.

I live here because my family do. When they sell up and leave I will go with them as they plan to move somewhere much cheaper and give me money for a deposit. A mortgage would be less than half my current rent there.

[user892]

3 bed granite terraced cottage in a quiet village in Cornwall just sold for less than £200K.

1 hr flight to Gatwick, 5 hr drive / train. Hundreds of beaches and parks, beautiful countryside and air quality. Shopping - no massive malls but most brands in the larger towns. Schools- excellent. Public transport - buses iffy in rural areas. Jobs - depends what you do. Average wage lower than the rest of the UK and cost of housing in the very prettiest areas inflated by 2nd home owners. Biggest employers are council and universities / colleges. Restaurants - internationally renowned.

[KurriKurri]

i live in Suffolk - the countryside is beautiful and the people very friendly. the town I live in has some poorer areas, but a lot of effort is being put into improving it and there are plenty of social activities. And it has an old fashioned seaside charm about ti.

I moved recently (end of last year) and paid £100K for a good sized 3 bed, 2 bath, hall entrance terrace with a garden, in a quiet residential street about 15 mins walk from town centre and 20 mins from beach.

[mickeyjohn]

Home Counties hell. £200k would get you a one bed flat if you were lucky. Overbuilt, overpriced, good schools but very competitive to get in. New houses being built on any spare inch of land and the countryside left is boring (flat, scrubby, no trees, loads of pylons) upside is Heathrow & Luton & M1/M4 nearby so can escape quickly. We live here by chance (mostly DH's work) but as soon as our youngest leaves school we're selling up & going instantly mortgage free virtually anywhere else in the country (except London!)

[NuclearSwan]

South Essex. There's lots to do here, transport links are excellent. Everything within walking distance but you'd be lucky to get a one-bedroom flat for 200k.

[tinytemper66]

Port Talbot/Aberavon - seaside [if you ignore the steelworks to the east but lovely views of Mumbles to the right!] Good housing stock for under £200,000 - 3/4 bed detached.

[LittleMissUpset]

I live in West Yorkshire nor far from User who's in Huddersfield.

It has most of the things you are looking for, and house prices are very reasonable, but it's not where I would choose to live. That's because I'm a beach/seaside lover though! I have good friends here, which is important especially as DS1 is awaiting autism assessment.

[Mulberry72]

Suburbs of North Manchester. Easy tram/bus/car access to city centre, house prices much more reasonable than south Manchester (our 3 bed semi with garden and garage was £165). Also good motorway access to Leeds/Liverpool etc and within easy reach of nice countryside

Same as Squ1ggle

[NootNoot]

North Surrey- work availability. Lovely area, great places to eat, good schools but OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive & traffic is God awful.

Prior to that- Lincs. Cheap to buy/rent, peaceful, lots of space. Awkward to travel to & from (need a car).

[flirtygirl]

Thanks to you all.
Loads of places to think about and give me food for thought.

Im relocating and no idea where as am moving away from the town i was born in.

I will make up a list then start exploring all the areas at weekends over the next few months.

I then plan to rent for a few months before buying.

Keep your thoughts coming, Tia.

[EmeraldIsland]

Swansea, S Wales. I see mountains every time I leave my house, we have the Gower 20 minutes away, great transport links to M4, close enough to Cardiff.

On the 'nice' side of Swansea (there's a very definite East/West split in terms of housing/schools etc) you can get a decent 3 bed for £180k - a bit more the further West you go but even in the South Gower areas you can get a lovely 3 or 4 bed for £250k.

[SomewhatIdiosyncratic]

East Midlands. Affordable. Good travel connections. (Near M1) Diverse range of city to country locations. Easy to get to the Peak District.

[backaftera2yearbreak]

Village just outside Edinburgh. 3 bed house front and back garden in a cul de sac. 5 mins from train station (25mins to Edinburgh) or plenty buses (up to an hour though). House was 110,000. Good schools. Good links.

[DJBaggySmalls]

I keep looking at Durham, it ticks all your boxes, has some lovely beaches and country walks as well.

[AndNoneForGretchenWieners]

I live in the West Midlands, in a compact city with great transport links to London, Manchester, Devon and Scotland. I don't have anything to compare it to as I've always lived within three miles of where I was born, but it's not bad. £200k would get you a decent sized 4 bed with a garden in a nice area near the good schools. A two bed house in my street sold for £95k recently, I think mine is probably worth about £110k at the moment but we only paid £42k 16 years ago - we have three bedrooms, an extension and large back garden.