Would we fit in near you?

[Firecrest19]

Hi,

my partner and I are trying to figure out where to move to and we are so confused! We just keep going in circles and then feeling really defeated. So I was wondering if MNetters of the uk could recommend your area or an area you know that might work for us…

I hope we don’t come off too badly here… I get really nervous posting questions like this!

I’ll try to keep it brief, but this is our situation:

we’re late 30s, have two under 5s, we’re academic, work in education/ arts and I think we’re in that “middle earners” bracket, we’re first time buyers and our budget is about 700,000. Both dp and I are neurodivergent, we currently live in a nice part of north London and have found the city more accessible than the countryside, where we both grew up. We love the culture in London: galleries, independent cinemas, etc and the huge choice of ways to spend time. We like the idea of raising our children here.

that said, we love the countryside and go there a lot at weekends and for holidays. I grew up on a farm and loved that aspect of childhood. I always thought I’d move back when I had children. Part of me would like my children to grow up there. Our budget also goes further and the places we can afford often seem a lot nicer.

we can’t stay living where we are for much longer as our rental is tiny and once we go we are totally priced out of our current area.

Our criteria is typically impossible to fulfill: we want to be walkable to wild feeling green space, have good state schools nearby, have an interesting high street or town centre within 15 minutes drive or walk (bookshops, cinemas, cosy pubs, swimming pool). We would like to be able to commute into central London once a week for work and at weekends a couple of times a month as a family (although this isn’t essential). We’d like to be within a three hour drive of Bristol for family. We’d like to live somewhere fairly pretty. Good transport links for the children as they get older.. we’re after a 3 bed with a garden. A drive way would be a huge pro. And we’d like to fit in. Where we live at the moment is very pretty, but we’re surrounded by the mega wealthy and have found it hard to make friends.

I fully realise we’re asking for a lot and we will have to compromise.

Id just love to hear some positive stories of people like us who have managed to find “home”

we’re open to all parts of London and the surrounding countryside. We’ve also looked further afield including Cornwall and Cumbria.

thanks in advance 🙂

Horsham would be good for you.

Yes, Dorking is lovely.
Also Guildford.

I'd say SW Sheffield ticks all your boxes, except its probably nearer 4 hours drive to Bristol.

There’s no wild feeling countryside around Cambridge, especially to the north….it’s just huge flat fields surrounded by ditches. You won’t get much for your money and it’s very busy. And you’re just far enough from the coast to make it a bit of a palaver having a day out. That said, as an ND person you’ll fit in well.

Personally I’d move to Somerset/Devon area because you’ve got easy access to different coastlines and Exmoor, Dartmoor, cheddar gorge/Wookey Hole, Cornwall, New Forest.

Ha, your description could me me and my husband. Hampshire (near the Surrey border).

Obviously Cumbria fits your countryside / rural criteria but wanting to go to London weekly is a real pain. You have 2 railway stations Penrith or Carlisle they are about 25 miles from each other and depending on where you decided to live could easily be an hour or so to get to.
Not a vast amount of bookshops , galleries , nor cinemas or culture etc.
You would however get a decent property for £700k . Basically is is pretty bare of your wants list.

Guildford

York, North Yorkshire, is a perfect fit. You would get what ehat you wanted here with that budget easily.

York is the hub for the North and the south transport wise. York to King's Cross is 2 hours if that helps.

We are not as cut off as being in the country, yet not as big as a city. It works. You have the countryside close by and you can live in a village not too far from York centre if you wish

This
or malmesbury, cirencester, salisbury

Cambridge.

We live in Sanderstead, which is z6. Lots of green space locally (and woods), about 15 mins from Oxted (decent high st), three outstanding primaries and an outstanding secondary nearby, half an hour by train to central London. You'd get a 3 bed plus drive for your budget. It's a relatively cheap area of London so not full of the mega wealthy!

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/143781188

@Sageyboots I also put up some examples of what you can get- all lovely I think!

Sound like Cambridge ppl to me, esp. that budget, wow.

West end of Glasgow! You'll get a gorgeous property for your budget, it culture central, brilliant schools, parks, boutiques, independent retailers, book shops, coffee shops, great bars and restaurants. Look on rightmove at Dowanhill and Hyndland.

Unfortunately what they want is Stroud 10 years ago, very little left now! Although we do still have some independent bookshops and nice pubs I suppose. I’d recommend the villages around Stroud rather than Stroud itself, then you can come in for the markets or when there’s interesting events on and avoid it the rest of the time.

Cheltenham or Cirencester. Lots and lots of Londoners around here!

Birmingham-Moseley sort of area.

Look at Pewsey, Hungerford, Marlborough triangle in Wiltshire.

Have a look at Canterbury, Whitstable possibly even better, both would tick your boxes I think except slightly over 3 hours to Bristol.
You sound a lot like us!
Good luck with the search

Caterham/Warlingham/Kenley

Where I live ticked all the boxes until I read the bit about commuting to London and Bristol.We're within walking distance of the sea with a lovely promenade,a lovely thriving high street with independent shops and cafes,2 bookshops within walking distance,restaurants,and a cinema.National Trust property nearby(walkable with lovely woodland walks.A riverside walk very close.A large park with a pond and a variety of dicks and a resident otter.7 minutes by train into the city centre.

Aaaargh that should be a variety of ducks. Lololol

What about actual Bristol? I'm thinking St Werburghs or Easton. Good pubs and cafes etc, great music scene, lots of arty academic types around your age, right by Eastville Park which is huge and lovely. Not sure when you were last there but it's a lot nicer (some might say gentrified...) than it used to be but still very diverse.

My DNs go to school there (one primary one secondary) and they're good schools. Easy access to the centre or to Bath.

My thought too! £700k is a lot!

In terms of areas OP my first thought was Frome as that’s very arty. To get to london you’d be able to get a Paddington train from either Bath or Westbury. And you’d also be quite close to Bristol.

You say you have family in Bristol so have you considered Bristol? Or outside villages/towns?

Sevenoaks.