Moving to East Anglia

[Moooving]

Hello I hope this is the right place to post.

Me and my family (me, husband, two kids under 4) are looking to relocate.

We currently rent in Surrey but out rent is extortionate for what we get (£1000 for a 3rd floor, 2 bed flat) and this on the cheaper end for our area as our landlord hasn't put our rent up much since we moved in, if they were to relist they would get at least £1200. So we are looking to relocate.

We would like a 3 bed room house with a garden. But would consider a two bedroom. Garden is important to us though.

We are very flexible to were we can move as husband works from home full time and I don't work. We are also planning to home educate the kids so don't need to be near good schools.

Important factors for us are

• must have a garden
• within 2 hours of surrey as our family is all here
• safe, low crime area to raise young children
• young families with walkable playgrounds to visit
• ideally under £1000 per month but could stretch to £1200

We are looking at East Anglia but we are unfamiliar with the area so don't know where to start out search. We are also open to different regions.

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance :)

East anglia ( Suffolk and Norfolk ? )
isn't really within 2 hrs of Surrey as it's the wrong side of the m25? At least under typical driving conditions?

Ipswich - bottom of Suffolk is an hour away from the north side of m25

Essex might count but isn't much cheaper if it's closer to the m25

I think you might need to rethink your relocation area.

Getting around (and out of EA) takes forever as no motorway, roads can be very are busy in the Summer too. For two hours to Surrey you need to look at Cambridge area more than Norfolk and Suffolk.

Yes agree, and I doubt there'll be much to rent for £1000 pcm in the Cambridge area. Unfortunately that budget is right even for Norfolk these days.

As above, you could look at suburbs of Ipswich, eg Kesgrave, which might have the size/price house you’re looking for, but surrey is a good 2.5hrs drive from here, and the A12 can be awful (3 sets of roadworks on it atm). We love living in Suffolk but dread the drive to family in Surrey.

I’m in South Suffolk- 40 minutes to M11, 30 to A12.

Definitely safe, houses would be in your budget. My mum rents out a 3 bed semi with a good garden in a village surrounded by fields for about 900 pcm. Playground, village wood and highly supportive hone education community (I have friends doing this).

But…I wouldn’t think it’s close enough to Surrey for you.

I honestly think your current rent sounds cheap for the area you're in. Once you've factored in your moving costs, probably having to get some new flooring/curtains/blinds/furniture and your travelling/commuting costs, will you really be any better off by moving?

Since covid East Anglia has got a lot more expensive as we were looking to buy there and ended up staying put. The only place I can think of locally that’s still small change is the Fens. I’ve no idea if that’s a commutable distance to Surrey though.

I’ve just googled and the Fens are around 2 hours away so we could be on to something! Let me have a look at RughtMove for you.

There is no way the Fens are only 2 hours from Surrey
Not in real driving time, just no way.

And if you have never been to the Fens, then you need to visit and stay there to see if you can cope with the very flat land and very insular people. I say this married to a man who has very deep Fenland roots

Where in Surrey would you need to get to?

I grew up in Cambridgeshire east Anglia. It's nice, and very family friendly but not as cheap as it was.

Towns like St.Ives might work for you.

There’s really hardly anything to rent in the Fens anyway. I can’t believe how bad the rental market is!!! Norfolk has some reasonable houses but it’s about 2.5 hours from Surrey.

DD at Uni in Norwich and we are in berkshire-what was-at the start of her course a journey of 2 hours is now always 2 1/2-3 due to congestion and or road works.

Nightmare to get in and out of!!!

Attleborough, very easy access to A11
But probs 2 hrs 20 mins
Nice little town

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/132204755#/?channel=RES_LET

Red lodge, further south on A11

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/132371630#/?channel=RES_LET

Soham

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/132444266#/?channel=RES_LET

Newmarket

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/132213875#/?channel=RES_LET

I used to live on the Norfolk/Suffolk boarder and I agree with everyone who said driving out can be a nightmare. I never want to see the bloody A12 again as long as I live.

In terms of home ed though, I found it the easiest place. I home educated there for 6 years, always something going on and loads of groups to join. So many home educating families.

@Murraydeservedit yes agree re home ed. my girls are adults now but there was a lot going on for them when they were home educated here (we’re east of Ipswich).

I wouldn’t recommend Colchester. I hate the place. The population has trebled in my lifetime, and the villages are being ruined by new build estates. The traffic is unbelievable as well (we can’t be far away from booking time slots to use the roads). East Anglia generally is pretty crowded now. Forget the sleepy villages with thatched roofs. They don’t exist. It’s all new build estates and country lanes choked with traffic. And you’re more likely to hear the screeching and exploding of boy racers than the singing of birds.

You need to bear in mind that much of the M11 is only 2 lanes. Great for minimising development of parts of EA, not so much for driving commuters.

I live in south west Suffolk and certainly wouldn't consider moving there if I had a daily commute to Surrey

Apologies, just seen the 2 hours is for visiting family but still unrealistic I'm afraid

I regularly go from West Surrey to East Suffolk. It can take me 2 hours. Or it can take 4 hours. Or anything between. As long as you're OK with that, go for it.

Probably need to know more about what you're looking for. Large town, small town, or village? Coast, or inland? Countryside or townscape?

Thank you all so much for your replies. I think we will have to adjust our expectations regarding how long it will take to travel back to visit family. Realistically it will only be every few months and we would stay a few days so I think we will have to be more flexible with that.

I will have a look at all the towns mentioned when the kids are down tonight.

Very encouraging to hear about the home schooling too.

Thank you all <3

Norwich is a very nice city and great for families with brilliant parks, big home ed community too. I think it will be longer than 2 hours to travel though. It is the only place i would consider raising a family in EA.

It is cheap for the area but we are priced out of moving anywhere bigger. Having a garden is really important for us, it's tough being in a flat with two small kids. I dream of opening the back door to let them play while I get on with cooking or washing up.

I think upfront the cost will be a lot but we won't have any regular commuting costs as my husband works from home.

We also hope to buy in the future and I can't see that happening in Surrey. We'd like to move as soon as so we can get to know a new area first.