Nice places with cheaper houses

[castemary]

We have been looking at moving area. Run our own business now from home so can be anywhere in Britain. But we don't have a huge amount to spend on a new house.
So where is nice to live, but houses are cheapish? By nice, I just mean lowish crime, nice countryside nearby, and a nice town or city with things to do. At the price we are looking it won't be trendy, but as long as it is a pretty okay place to live then that is fine.

How much cash have you got, what things do you like in an area?

Pembrokeshire

We like nice places to walk, independent cafes and restaurants but not poncey ones, parks, nice pubs. Most towns or cities have these though. Like quirkiness as well and markets. But want somewhere that is fairly safe, that is important.
Probably looking at buying somewhere for about £150,000. But I want as much as I can get for my money. Hence want a cheaper place to live.

@Saltyslug

Pembrokeshire

Thanks, never been there but house prices are cheap and the countryside looks gorgeous.

Belper Derbyshire

Another vote for Derbyshire - Matlock Bath or Cromford.

Malton between York and Scarborough.

@TheHoneyBadger

Another vote for Derbyshire - Matlock Bath or Cromford.

Only if you not being overrun by tourists in Cromford and tourists and motorcycles in Matlock Bath.

Vast majority of the time it is quiet btch and that is the price you pay for having nice cafes despite living in rural beauty.

@TheHoneyBadger

Vast majority of the time it is quiet btch and that is the price you pay for having nice cafes despite living in rural beauty.

There are plenty of other places with nice cafes without that though, I've never known Matlock bath to be quiet on a sunny weekend.

Barnard Castle/Darlington you are 5 minutes to the country in any direction, on major road networks and we have lots of unique places on our doorstep!

Lincoln
Beautiful city

Well you don't have to live on the front - there are beautiful places back in the hills. My point is you don't get nice cafes, several pubs open, restaurants etc in November in a very rural little place without a tourist trade that makes those business' sustainable.

If they run their own business from home they're not just driving in for the weekend.

Beautiful walks on your doorstep, big cities nearby if you should want them, easy stroll to a train station an a nice place to have visitors if you're moving far away and want friends and family to visit you. The front is not the entirety of the place.

What size property do you need? You'll probably get something like a 2 bed terrace in the Saddleworth, Uppermill or Greenfield areas. Nice little villages on outskirts of Manchester, in countryside. Or Marsden.

Or many places on the outskirts of Leeds or many other cities outside the south east.
There's plenty of places that most of Mumsnet will write off as a dump but are actually perfectly pleasant places to live.

I love greenfield. Dovestone reservoir is stunning. You have to like hills though 😁

County Durham, or Northumberland, avoiding the coastal hotspots.

Swansea. Has all you mentioned above. Unsure what crime statistics are but being a city it has the same problems as everywhere else drugs, the rare murder etc.

Chesterfield and surrounding villages, some pretty houses for that price.

Second Derbyshire (or even Derby!) I love living here. Moved here from the SE over a decade ago and wouldn’t go back. Also central for visiting everywhere else.

Forest of Dean is noticably cheaper than other parts of Gloucestershire and neighbouring Monmouthshire. Really pretty place, close to Wye Valley too - and depending on where you live in the Forest it's not too long a drive from Bristol or Gloucester either or the towns of Monmouth and Chepstow

Mid Devon - Tiverton or Crediton, or West Devon around Okehampton. You get a surprising mg amount of services for such out of the way locations and amazing views and scenery all around.

Yes to Swansea. Or anywhere South west/ west/ mid Wales. Carmarthenshire. Pembs already mentioned. Ceredigion. Powys.

Thanks. Exploring these.