Newly single and priced out of the south help me find a new home town

[Shitonthebloodything]

My absolute peach of a husband is buggering off leaving me with 3 kids and no hope of securing a mortgage anywhere close to my home county of Essex. I can’t rent forever and I don’t qualify for any single parent help from UC so it’s time to put down roots somewhere new.

Budget £150-170 (yeah, I know!)
I need at least 3 bedrooms, close to a town that’s good for shopping and teenage socialising.
A college where ds16 can finish his plumbing training or equivalent opportunities
A decent secondary to start ds10 in yr 7
A decent primary for ds3 to start reception
Plenty of things to do
Somewhere reasonably safe
Somewhere friendly that will welcome us
Somewhere with nice outdoor places to visit seeing as I’ll be bloody skint forever.
Poss near a motorway to allow for regular travelling back to see family etc.

And the moon on a stick.

Any ideas would be very much appreciated, at this point I’m basically just sticking pins in the map and searching on Rightmove.

Nottingham and south of Notts. Great links to the M1 and has direct trains to London.

Nottingham.

As in, Sherwood, Mapperley, Carrington, Beeston (at a push!). All have excellent transport links, schools, general good vibe.

Does anyone know what Burnley is like?
Or Durham?

You can just about get a 3 bed for £170k in parts of Leicestershire. Great transport links, gorgeous countryside and very friendly.
I live in a posh bit on the Rutland border which is expensive but there are other areas which are perfectly nice and much cheaper.

How about Cwmbran in South Wales? Very friendly and good transport links, beautiful countryside on your doorstep.
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/114596891#/media?id=media0&ref=photoCollage&channel=RES_BUY

Trowbridge or Melksham, Wilts. You can get a 3 bed for that money.

There's a college in Trowbridge, a couple of decent senior schools, low crime, and plenty of lovely countryside, canal etc. There's also a fast train back to London from Westbury if you get homesick, and plenty of employment.

+1 for Leicester. I really liked living there. Couldn't tell you much about the schools but there was always loads going on, especially things to celebrate the cultural diversity of the area. I'd very happily live there again.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/113745098#/?channel=RES_BUY

Swadlincote is lovely, your close to two large towns but also central to derby, Birmingham and Leicestershire whilst also being 10 minute drive to the country parks and villages.

You might find Burnley a little ...um unreconstructed ,not very in line with modern thinking .To a newcomer ,probably those established there enjoy and make it work for them .

Durham would be fab ,but isn't it pricey ?

Durham is great, here's one within walking distance of centre. I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/116457788

Come to Swansea. It’s a great city, and has all you require. Schools won’t be an issue.

OP how important is getting back to Essex easily for you? I live in Lancashire and travelling on the M6 through Cheshire and then around Birmingham to get south is an absolute arse so I would rule Burnley out purely for that reason. I love Lancashire and love living here but the traffic really can be awful. I used to travel between Yorkshire and Kent a lot and the A1 is usually nowhere near as bad hence why I would look more Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire/Yorkshire way (or Durham, it's just a lot further up).

Shrewsbury/ Shropshire area?

It is beautiful here, very safe. Lots to do in and around town. Telford (which has even more shops, ice rink etc) is only 10 mins away by train, and it's less than an hour from Birmingham.

I am told the schools in Shrewsbury are very good, there's a 6th form and Tech college too.

£150-170 will get you something, but it's very competitive and anything around that price tends to be snapped up quickly, there's nothing decent currently that isn't already sold but as a guide here's one that sold last month in your price bracket. Needs a bit of TLC but a lovely house nonetheless.

Bedford might do it if you're willing to overlook the state of the house in the photos this is a bargain. https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/115039967?utmcampaign=property-details&utmmcontent=buying&utmmedium=sharing&utmmsource=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

Wakefield is seeing a lot of investment. Very easy rail and road links to the south.

You could easily get a 3 bed for that in and around Newcastle upon Tyne, absolutely loads for teenagers to do, easy access to the A1 and mainline trains...and nice and far from your lousy xh

I'm moving from Kent to Sunderland in the next 6 months. At last I will be able to by a house and have a life. Chosen this area as loads of schools/ colleges, plenty of places to find a job, cheap good housing and beaches, countryside and a social life hopefully. Don't know a soul up there so am hoping it's true that we will be made welcome.
Kent is an absolute joke and miles of traffic everywhere. I'd never recommend it and I used to love the place.

Also I know people who live in Runcorn and are very happy there, close to Liverpool and transport links, schools are good too.

Looks like there is a bit in your price bracket too:

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/112476248#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/116013569#/?
channel=RES_BUY

This one is a steal at £130k:
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/116283320#/?channel=RES_BUY

I went to uni in Durham in the early 2000s. It's very pretty and peaceful. Only about 15 mins by train to Newcastle so your kids would have access to big city life there. I'm from your neck of the woods (east London/Essex) and found everything up there VERY affordable.

It was racist as fuck though (I'm Black) so assuming you and your kids are White it is definitely worth exploring (not trying to be sarcastic - I genuinely mean this OP, check it out).

I'm sorry to hear about your predicament. Feel free to ask if you have any questions about the north east from the perspective of a fellow south east person.

Good luck!

These are great, thank you looking them all up now.
My friends and family are all in Essex so being able to have a relatively easy run to see them is going to be vital to my mental health I think. I don’t mind driving, a longer journey is less of an issue than masses of traffic that’ll make me dread it. Knowing I can get there will make me feel calmer I think.

Runcorn looks lovely

Just fyi shared ownership can be accessed after a break up / not as a first time buyer but not when your own another property. But you could sell it then access shared ownership.

Peterborough. This is not far from us
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/115987979#/?channel=RES_BUY
so I can tell you that the primary and secondary schools are decent.

There’s a college the other side of town.

We have a big country park which you can cycle to along the river (which is also nice). There’s plenty of pretty countryside nearby.

@minsmum

Runcorn looks lovely

Oh god no. And the traffic system means you can’t get out 🤣

Don’t do Runcorn, OP. Durham yes; Thetford and Runcorn definitely not.