If you could move absolutely anywhere in the UK

[shrubgreen]

...where would you choose?

Due to return to the UK after almost a decade of living overseas and wondering where we could consider moving to.

Used to live in East London and have a property there which we let out, but with the hike in mortgage rates I don't think we could afford to cover it if we lived in it ourselves. I'm also a bit over London now at this point (late 30s, 2 kids, tired...) and feel that it's madness to spend so much money on hardly any space.

I'm a northern country girl at heart but DH is a city southerner so think a good sized city/smaller town close enough to a city would suit us well. What are people's thoughts about Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield etc? Any hidden gems to know about?

A lot of our friends are headed to Scotland but honestly the weather puts off DH. I could be persuaded though...

We'd like a lively, diverse place with proximity to countryside and be able to afford a garden/3 bedrooms - but some of the prices I've seen in nice parts of Manchester rival those in our current area in London, so I'm a bit worried.

Please share your wisdom, MNetters! 😁

whispers back where in Yorkshire? 😏

Excellent recommendation, seconded.

I'd forgotten all about this thread! 😂 Thanks @LeapAndGo for breathing new life into it.

And thanks everyone for all the suggestions so far!

@sosickofbeingskint our budget would be £450k absolute tops (ie, turnkey, no work required, 4 bedrooms, garden etc). Fixer upper/needing extension etc could be swung for around £350k. DC are 1 and 4 so garden needed ideally.

Yorkshire for me, too! If money no object Harrogate, closely followed by York.