Where to move to in the north?

[DamnUserName21]

Posting for info.
Single parent (1 DC Y8), work in healthcare, renting a one bed in SE. Cost of living ridiculous.
I'll never afford a mortgage in SE and renting is just getting more and more expensive.
I'm considering moving north but I don't even know where to start.
I don't drive so this place needs to have good transport links, a bit of culture, good secondaries, safe neighbourhoods, affordable rents, and near a beach!
Any ideas??

I'll be mindful of this, thanks.
Currently work NHS (not London) so wages should be the same.

This doesn't always happen. Admittedly it's a long time since I worked for the NHS but in the south people were generally on a higher grade.

I would start by looking for jobs and seeing what is available. Also as you don't drive you may need to factor in taxis if you do any on call or unsocial hours work.

Also lots of hospitals are part of a large trust and you can be expected to work between sites eg my Dad lives in Burnley, Burnley has a general hospital but no A and E, the nearest is at Blackburn about 12 miles away.

Will you or your DS want to visit where you are now?

I realise this is not a positive message but you could move to a Northern town and find the nearest available work is miles away.

What price housing are you looking at? You might struggle to get a 2 bedroomed house on £75k in some of those areas (3 x salary). Corbridge and Hexham can be VERY expensive. £200k is doable.

There's this:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/114330269?utmcampaign=property-details&utmmcontent=buying&utmmedium=sharing&utmmsource=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

Or this in Ryton:

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/59664067/

Outer suburbs of York are lovely, although York isn't what it used to be but lovely when quiet

No one has suggested east Yorkshire yet!! Beverley is a hidden gem. Regularly features in "best places to live" lists. 30 minutes to the seaside. Have a look

York? It has all that and more. Very quick to get to London and Edinburgh by train. Great cafe culture. Theatre and cinemas and art galleries. An hours drive to the beach though…would not move to Carlisle ( as one poster suggested) Awful place plus public transport links in Cumbria are among the worst in the country. I live near outside Carlisle and we get one bus a week.

Yeah but the cost of housing in York compared to Carlisle is massive! They're not comparable really.

Carlisle is nicer than Preston in my opinion. One thing that would open up more options would be to learn to drive if OP is able to.

@GetDrunkWithMe

Just not a place I'd choose to raise my kids. Lots of gangs, drugs etc. i lived there for a year and moved further out to the countryside.

This really depends on the part of Newcastle you lived in. In my experience Newcastle is a million times nicer and safer than Gateshead.

There are cheaper suburbs in York, Acomb, Heworth , Huntingdon etc.

@DamnUserName21 what is your budget house wise?

What’s your budget? Lots of lovely pockets of Newcastle and Liverpool. Beverley have in East Yorks is lovely.

No beach, but Birmingham seems to have a lot going for it, I think I would consider it with a bit more research as a place to get on the housing ladder.

But not north enough I guess

Free Higher education in Scotland might not be forever.

Liverpool, fab city!
My sister has just bought a house in Penrith. It's a lovely town and very close to the Lake District. House prices are surprisingly reasonable.

We live in Tarporley, Cheshire. It’s really love but not necessarily cheap. Average house prices are double the National average. Quick to get to Chester, Manchester and Liverpool. The high speed train to London isn’t far at Crewe, about an hour and a half. Beaches aren’t far on the Wirral and in North Wales.

Tarporley is fantastic... but pricey...

Lancaster. Vibrant small city with lots going on. Lake District easily reachable. Housing much cheaper than the south with plenty of smaller properties. You don't even need a car as you can walk everywhere.

Lancaster made it into the most affordable places to leave considering local wages to house prices. The university and hospital are the primary employers which must help with that.

@Toddlerteaplease there’s very little creative going on here though, no cafe culture, it’s a cultural void. Not near a beach and public transport is non existent. These are all things the OP has asked for…yes, it’s cheap but cheap for a reason! ☹️

How much do you want to pay a month? Or are you thinking you might buy, if you can afford it?

@Hopeisallineed seriously? There are loads of cafes! No beaches. But some stunning scenery 20 minutes away.

100% l would say Liverpool area

Yes, actually, thinking about it Liverpool ticks all your boxes. Great beaches in Southport and Wirral too.