Relocating with 2 small children, which area is best?

[Sammy923]

Hi all!

This is my first post on mumsnet.

My husband and I are thinking of relocating as the area we live in now (south east) is very expensive and it would take us a very long time to save and buy a house. I know house prices have gone up quite a lot most places and cost of living is at an all time high so somewhere where there's a good balance.

We have 2 children (3 & 2) so somewhere with good schools and lots to do for kids. Not too far from the south east as all my family live here, maybe an hour or so away?

We would have to rent a 2 bed for a good few years before we can buy.

Thanks in advance!

Whereabouts in the south east are you? An hour from one SE town might be 3 hours from another SE town! If you're in mid Essex for example I'd suggest going north into Suffolk, but that's no use to you if you're in Kent....

We live in Reading at the moment.

I'd go west or south, then - I don't know what prices are like in Winchester or Salisbury for example? Is Bristol too far away?

Aylesbury? Possibly not the most buzzing location but has the basics. It's not super cheap but definitely cheaper than Reading.