Where to move to on south coast. Sussex/Kent?

[charlydon86]

Hi all

My parents are thinking of moving to the South coast but have no idea of which area to move to. Any help would be really appreciated, especially as it's hard for my dad to drive all the way down (8 hour drive) and look around places (he's in a wheelchair).This is their criteria:

1. Not too remote - they don't want to live in the middle of nowhere so living in a nice town with local shops (maybe a high street) but then a larger town close by with good shopping etc at the weekend.
   
2. My father is in a wheelchair so there has to be largish bungalows available.
   
3. Their budget is around £600,000 for a 3 bed to £900,000 for a larger property.
   
4. Close-ish to the beach, maybe within a few miles.
   

We're from the north east of England so have absolutely no idea about areas. Nowhere too rough but also not too remote with nothing going on. They've looked at Brighton already and weren't keen on that.

Thanks in advance

Charlotte

[ilovemybabies123]

Herne bay and whitstable in Kent are lovely and fall into this criteria x

[Blu]

Eastbourne?
Bexhill?

[charlydon86]

Thanks both for your suggestions. They really would like to live on the South Coast.

[StickyProblem]

NOT Hastings/St Leonards. The whole place is on a 45 degree angle. You need good strong knees. Really not suitable for a wheelchair user.
Bexhill or Eastbourne could be good. They are on the South Coast :)

[TheMagicToyshop]

I thought Eastbourne straight away. It also has a lovely active community for older people with regular concerts and films and the like.

[Plumpippin]

We live in a village just outside Deal. Deal has a lovely little high street lots of great independent shops and then you are only 30 min drive from Canterbury. It's a great place to live, always lots to do and a really good sense of community.

[charlydon86]

Thanks for all your suggestions everyone. The more the merrier as we may be going to look around a few places in a few weeks.

[Blu]

Would they be interested in places as far west as Dorset? Bournemouth? or Wareham? for example?

[mrsnec]

My grandparents used to live in Highcliffe. (Dorset/Hampshire) border. It's close to Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch and the new forest and has good transport links. There are loads of properties that would suit their requirements around there although the beaches at Bournemouth and Weymouth are probably more wheelchair friendly.

[Nanniejo]

I love Deal, Kent where I live and have written about it here if you want to take a look: My Home Town Deal, Kent In The Garden Of England. Quieter than Dover, but not far away to visit.

[charlydon86]

Hi thanks for suggestions but I don't think they'd want to go that far west. Me and my sister are in London so they want to be close-ish to us, so maybe a 2 hour max drive from south London. Any suggestions of places around Sussex way?

Thanks all

Charlotte

[NigellasDealer]

Peacehaven? Lots of bungalows and near Brighton and easy access to London?

[Bonsoir]

A lot of the nicer coastal towns are either very hilly or have poor pavements - not great for a wheel chair user.

Tenterden in Kent is lovely and very popular with people on mobility scooters (is that an option for your father?).

[DownstairsMixUp]

Whitstable! Nice beaches, big bungalows, plenty of lovely shops, lots going on. Herne Bay is cheaper but more pound shops than anything, whitstable is more "naice" :)

[JuniperTisane]

Hythe is nice. High street, seaside, lots of nice properties, quite genteel, close to m20 so easy links to London. Also Saltwood just above it.

Steer clear of Folkestone, Dymchurch, Lydd, most of Romney Marsh although New Romney is ok, close to Littlestone and Greatstone.

I agree Tenterden is a good option, not very close to the seaside though.

[Blu]

Things I would take into consideration:
Look into the relative strengths of Kent / W Sussex PCT or whatever the secondary and support aspects of health care are - there may be a huge postcode discrepancy in the support available to your dad, for example.

Be within a close distance and an easy journey of a good hospital and a good GP surgery - my own parents' lives can be very difficult now that they are an hour from the nearest hospital and cannot drive.

Be somewhere with good public transport, including a good rail line - it makes it easier for people to visit.

Take note of the road routes from the particular area of London to the destination. There are many interminable A roads and hold ups between London and the S coast - and some faster routes.

Is there a cinema / theatre / gallery / football team / rec centre with a bowls club- whatever floats your parents' boat!

Lots and lots of nice places to live - but do they meet the criteria?

[charlydon86]

Thanks Blu and everyone else!

They aren't really looking for a retirement-time village. My dad has been in a wheelchair all of my life (it's not because of old age) so closeness to a GP isn't really an issue BUT cobbled street, steep inclines is something he would stay clear of in his power chair.

Thanks for the Kent suggestions but they would like to be closer to Southampton really as they go on cruises from there a number of times a year.

Does anyone have any Sussex suggestions? I know people are saying near Eastbound but is this really unacceptable for wheelchair users?

Distance to London (or speed by car as Blu pointed out) is important and also a near by town that has cinema, good shopping etc! Also they need a BIG bungalow so my dad can get around it easily, we've found the nice places only have small ones.

Thanks so much everyone! We really appreciate the advice!

[LillianGish]

Romsey - not actually on the coast, but lovely market town and within easy striking distance of Southampton (not that nice in itself, but handy to be nearby). Lots of older people there, but doesn't feel like God's waiting room.