To move out of London to Northern Ireland?

[InternetArgument]

I realised the other day that I have been trying not to think about all the reasons I’m anxious about staying in london. I have one 2 year old and another on the way.

I’ve had enough of the stress of living here. I have a large house, very small mortgage and it is lovely in one of the nicest areas in the locality.

Im sick of the crime, stress and pollution. DH and I both have ties to Ireland and we have been to the north before and loved it - city, town and country.

AIBU to want to cash out and run to the hills?

Thinking of near Derry or Belfast.

[Smileymoon]

I would. It depends on the lifestyle you want for you and your family. I prefer a relaxed one.

[SkinnywannabeKBH]

I would too. Ok, so I've actually never been to London, it it doesn't appeal to me at all. I live approx 20mins away from Belfast and love living in Northern Ireland. House prices are so much more cheaper than those of friends who live in/near London. Schools are great etc...

[InterchangeableEmma]

I'd wait and see what happens with Brexit first. There is still a pretty high chance of no deal (yes, really)

[powershowerforanhour]

If you sell the large house in the nice area of London, you'll probably be able to buy Derry or Belfast. Possibly both

[Bigglyboggly]

I have done this 18 months ago! It was a LOT more stressful than I bargained for, DH is still commuting which is part of that, NI is truly awesome and the schools are just fantastic, also great are the toddler and baby groups.

However I do really miss London! Friends and old career.

If you have a lovely house with small mortgage, what is it that’s driving you to move?

[ILoveMaxiBondi]

I’m in NI and I agree with waiting to see what Brexit brings for NI specifically. It’s far too unknown now and even as a lifelong NI resident I’m quite worried. I certainly would choose to move here until I had an idea of just how far up the shit creek we are going to be.

[ILoveMaxiBondi]

wouldnt choose to move here

[Bigglyboggly]

House prices are def going up though.

[NeverTalksToStrangers]

I love living here.

With the profits from a large London house you could get yourself a beautiful place to live somewhere lovely. Do you both work? Have you looked at jobs? Where are your connections?

[Mmmmbrekkie]

Where do you in London that you have a llarge house”??!

If it’s even half decent...You will honestly be able to buy an incomprehensibly big mansion in NI outright and have shed loads spare

[Bigglyboggly]

We need a bell for the Protestant traybakers and their Catholic baking equivs tbh

[powershowerforanhour]

I also have a two year old and due #2 soon. Live outside, but work in, Belfast. When I was at one of the antenatal midwife appointments they did that test where you blow into the tube, for carbon monoxide. Midwife told me I'd scored 2, so I asked her what the max was and she said 4 or under was fine "unless we were in London, where they use a max of 10. Because of the pollution". I thought, bloody hell. Obviously the vast majority of people in London have functional lungs but still, I don't think I'd like to live there forever.

[InternetArgument]

We are moving because I’m horrified at the kind of life my children will have if we stay here. It’s the culture of urban violence we want to escape which permeates the schools. Friends have left for the same reason.

There’s no point having a nice leafy house if your child gets severely beaten at primary school or assaulted on the bus. With a second child we would have to remortgage to get them both into a cheap fee paying school, but one of us would have to ferry them there and back until they went to university.

There are many horror stories and I have heard them from the parents of the children who have suffered. It’s a shame as it is a nice place but we are living on an island surrounded by hostile people with whom I have nothing in common.

We have almost finished modernising the house. I’m not saying where as I don’t want to put myself

We both do the kind of work you could find in or near a large town, and have family in Ireland - we’ve spent a lot of time all over Ireland and at all times of year.

I want to be near enough a city for when the kids grow older.

[InternetArgument]

Thank you NI mums for your encouragement! I think I can handle a few traybakers 😊

[powershowerforanhour]

Disadvantages- it's dark in the winter. As in, gloomy at 4pm and pitch black at 5pm. All that lost daylight comes at about 4am in the middle of summer. Great.

Salaries- I suppose depending on what you do- are commensurate with the price of everything else compared to England in general and London in particular. Low.

[Tunnockswafer]

If you ever decide to move back, you’d fine it very hard.

[Tunnockswafer]

But you’d get to eat Tayto every day, so there’s a bright side..

[Howzaboutye]

Go! Leave London for NI
We are considering the same

Folk in London have no idea how shit it is, NI is so much nicer

[Bigglyboggly]

You see now I am gone for a year and a half I am a bit ‘was it REALLY that bad?!?’ We have been considering moving back. But we lived in an area which was really REALLY naice to one side and quite rough on the other so stabbings and shootings. Private schools round us were exorbitant hothouses obsessed with interviewing 3 year olds and putting kids through 7+ etc (NI 11+ is a breeze in comparison to London competitive day schools tbh) and while state primary was lovely, quite rough secondaries.

Eh, but I miss the dirt and the buzz and the madness.

[Bigglyboggly]

The traybake thread was AMAZING and reminded me why we’d returned.

[ILoveMaxiBondi]

I don’t know what your part of London is like but in NI you’re never far from lots of green space and amazing views. (I remember watching an episode of homes under the hammer from my living room with the window framing the mournes and the presenter was very excited about the “fantastic view” if you squint between the two tower blocks in front of the flat you can see part of the shard- she really needs to visit NI ) Roads aren’t as good as England IMO and transport links in general aren’t great. But I think (hope?) that will improve. Brexit dependant.

[internetpersonme]

Good idea. No drugs or violence in Northern Ireland.

[ILoveMaxiBondi]

There are drugs and violence throughout the U.K. just easier to cushion yourself from the impact of it in some places than others.

[Bigglyboggly]

Yeah I was skipping about strangford with the kids on bikes today which was pretty clean and scenic.

[S1naidSucks]

If you have no links to the security forces and can live in a nice area, you’ll be fine, even if the troubles restart. NI has some wonderful areas and beautiful parks, NT parks, etc.

But admit it, OP, you’re only moving to NI for the traybakes, fresh soda bread and the frys.