Moving from London to the North (between Manchester and Leeds)

[DandelionBlue]

Hello,
My fiance and I want to move up North in the next year. We want to settle down, buy a house and start a family.
We were originally attracted to Harrogate, as it feels a little bit like Greenwich in London.
However, upon further research, we realised that are more job opportunities for me in Manchester than Leeds. I am an Architect.
So we started looking into Buxton, which feels a little bit remote, Today we discovered Hebden Bridge and are quite excited about the place.
We are searching for a historic town, that doesn't feel too small. Ideally, it would have good connections to both Manchester and Leeds. We are looking for a strong community, outdoor living, good schools and a friendly hospital to give birth in.
My family lives in London, his in Scotland. So we want to be able to easily travel in both directions by car.
Finally, we would like to buy a small house with three bedrooms and a garden. We have a maximum budget of 200,000£.
Hoping to get some advice on good locations to look at.

[PippaPenny]

I've only stayed in Hebden Bridge, but love it. Fab sense of community, free spirited, loads happening, tolerant and creative was my impression.

Does flood or has flooded.

My professional colleague does talk of a community that is quite varied, some ex mill workers, some quite alternative in lifestyle.

[namechangedtoday15]

Hebden Bridge is lovely and obviously easily commutable (in terms of distance) to Leeds / Manchester. But it's not an easy commute (certainly if you're driving - or would you be in the city centres?) - the M62 is horrid. The only people I know who have tried to live in between (admittedly not Hebden Bridge) have eventually moved to one or the other.

[crunchtime]

hebden bridge is fab but hell of a commute to manchester also quite trendy so maybe expensive?

Buxton lovely but gets snowed in every single year. if there is ever snow-Buxton gets it.

[PippaPenny]

Ilkley is lovely.
Shipley?
Holmfirth?

[crunchtime]

i really don't think that holmfirth to manchester would be a doable commute-not every day

[PippaPenny]

Ilkley and Shipley more commutable to Leeds though I would expect.

A superb of Manchester, Sale or Altringham?

[PippaPenny]

*suburb

[crunchtime]

disley might work-although you'd be lucky to get a 3 bed place for 200k

Please don't fall into the delusuon that many in the south have, that you can buy a mansion in the north for 3 1/2p
House prices round manchester have rocketed in the past few years

[DandelionBlue]

Interesting. So basically driving to Manchester from Hebden Bridge isn't easy? But my plan was to commute by train (35 minutes I believe?). Admittedly though I don't know yet where my final destination in Manchester would be.

Lifestyle wise, Harrogate is perfect. It's not too small and not too big. However, from my initial research, moving to Harrogate would probably mean closing the door on my career as an architect. Which is why I am hoping to keep my options open by finding a location in between Manchester and Leeds.

My partner does not want to live in a big city. We have had our fill of that in London. We want a slower pace of life in the countryside. So I'm definitely going to commute one way or another.

I did read about the floodings in Hebden Bridge. It did worry me a bit. But there are so many positives - ie the community.

I noticed that we would get more for our money in Todmorden or Sowerby Bridge. But not sure if they are as lively as Hebden Bridge.

[MrsGrindah]

Sorry but you will struggle on that budget. Despite what you read about the north house prices are not necessarily a steal esp for 3 beds with a garden in the nicer parts. Shipley is more Bradford than Leeds

[MrsGrindah]

Todmorden is definitely not lively! I’ll have a think...

[DandelionBlue]

Not looking for a mansion. Ideal, would be three bedrooms as we are hoping to have two kids. But the minimum is two. Garden doesn't have to be huge, but enough to let the dog out.

[MrsGrindah]

Skipton? Better for Leeds than Manchester though I think. Not sure what your budget would stretch to there

[PippaPenny]

Live in Harrogate ( though pushing it for 3 bed and garden -£200,000) and commute by train to York? (Or Leeds)?

[animaniac]

Whilst Hebden Bridge is lovely, it's a major flood risk, so I would avoid.
I would look at Saddleworth - easily accessible to Manchester either via tram from Oldham, or train (though there are current issues with the service, I imagine they will be ironed out). Also commutable to Leeds at c. 1hr on the train.
A 3 bed house for £200k is doable.

[DandelionBlue]

Yes Harrogate was the original plan. Or Skipton. With a commute to Leeds or York. I actually really love the feel of Leeds. Very artsy. And don't know much about Manchester.
However, there just aren't as many jobs for architects in Leeds or York. I am currently working for quite a big architect in London. So I fear that moving to Harrogate or its surroundings means closing the door on that part of my life.
Maybe I am wrong. But after some initial research it seems that I need to pick between the lifestyle I want for my future kids and my career.

[1tisILeClerc]

Hebden Bridge went 'posh' read expensive some 30 years ago, I lived there.
Houses with good gardens are expensive as horizontal land is a premium, there isn't any!
You need to do a lot more research especially if you plan to commute.
Train is the most practical to get into Manchester as drive/parking can be tedious.
Your budget may be a touch small.
Good luck

[myrtleWilson]

Are you selling in London or is your budget based on a FTB mortgage (and if so are you factoring in government programmes to support FTB?) the reason for asking was - could you rent for 6 -12 months in a location and see how it feels. You'd get a better feel for the commute/housing options etc. Plus (and this is the cynic in me) if it all goes tits up with Brexit and there is a house price fall you may well be in a better position as a FTB in 9/12 months rather than having bought at the top of your budget now... But the renting scenario does depend on you having income as soon as you move... I presume your current firm isn't national otherwise you'd have mentioned it?

[DandelionBlue]

No, we don't own property in London. This would be our first house. My fiance can move with his job. I will need to find a new job.
Also since we will start TTC in two months, I might be on maternity leave after we move (depending on how long it takes us). So we are basing the budget on his salary only.
If it was both of our salaries, we could afford a lot more. But I don't think the bank would agree to base it on both of us.
Renting first might be an option and something we might need to consider. However, ideally, we want to own our own place before we have our first child. And neither of us want to wait any longer to start TTC.
In fact, this is what is driving us out of London. Because once I am on maternity leave we would need to start using our savings just for the rent.

[myrtleWilson]

I suppose it depends on what you think you may want to to do after a child - return to work f/t , return p/t, not do work outside the home at all?
If I was in your situation I would probably do get job/move or move/get job and then ttc. I understand you don't want to wait forever but I think it is easier to have a job to go back to after mat leave rather than having moved, no job, had child, now job searching. But that is just me! I hope you get your dream move and job and baby

[PippaPenny]

Price wise a therefore lifestyle, I'd go to the Borders of Scotland - commute to Edinburgh for work? Melrose, Galashiels, Kelsoe.

How exciting, planning with a freedom to choose.

[PippaPenny]

Thinking about it, again maybe too far for a daily commute - ok if you have flexibility to work at home part of the week.

[1tisILeClerc]

While I miss Hebden actually the Scottish borders may be better as you could be close to one side of family and 'nipping down the East coast to London' would be easier than from the middle of the UK.

[geordiepidge]

The nicer parts of Saddleworth (Greenfield, Uppermill, Dobcross, Delph) are really lovely but you'll struggle to find a 3 bed (or even a decent 2 bed) for £200k. We rented there, loved it but couldn't afford to buy there. Mossley, one stop closer to Manchester has a bit of a arty community, fair trade town, organic grocery shop etc, it's no Hebden Bridge but it has direct trains to both Leeds and Manchester (when they run, haha) and roads are easier than the other side of the M62. 3 bed and a garden definitely doable. We looked at Marsden and Slaithwaite too but commuting by road would have been tough.

[DandelionBlue]

Thing is at the moment I really don't know how I will feel once I have kids. Will I even want to return to work? It's likely that I will since I have always been very driven. Hence wanting to leave my pions open in terms of commuting.
However, I blog on the side and that is starting to take off. So an alternative might be freelance journalism. That would give me the flexibility to stay at home at least for part of the week. Which once I have children might be what my heart yearns for.
Unfortunately, I don't have a crystal ball.

myrtleWilson I completely understand what you are saying. And renting/working up North first is probably the reasonable thing to do.

However, we have been putting things on hold now for five years. There are health reasons ( family history of miscarriages and ovarian cysts) that are making my biological clock tick. I am about to be 29 and I really don't want to wait much longer. It took my aunt 6 years. What if that happens to me?

I might not get pregnant. We might struggle. And I might end up working for a while in the North before leaving on maternity. But we cannot foresee what will happen. And the thought of waiting another year makes me very unhappy.

To be honest I wish we had left London a year ago.