Moving to Suffolk / Norfolk

[XmasElfOnTheShelff]

I had no idea where to post this so please direct me if needed!

we are looking to move to either Suffolk or Norfolk in the next few years. We want to use the time in between to visit regularly and get a good feel of some towns / villages but I don’t know where to start!

we do not want to be coastal, which helps bring cost down. Budget is around 550k. Ideally detached, with land (doesn’t have to be massive, but we don’t want to hear the next door neighbour’s screaming kids like they’re in our garden or barking dog for example). That said I don’t want to be the only house for miles, it would creep me out. But maybe a quiet lane with a few houses on.

ideally near a river for walks and canoeing.

we love the idea of a British village, not too quiet but old school - a butchers, greengrocers, post office and a pub. We would like to be able to walk a lot locally, and still have food shops delivered! Not worried about take always or anything like that.

within a 30 minute drive of a golf course would be good too.

any ideas?

Avoid Framlingham... Seriously overbuilding...!!

Framlingham is very overcrowded!!!

Also for those recommending Framlingham.. This was a year ago!!!

Maybe not in N Norfolk, but you will get a detached house with land for £500,000 in mid Suffolk.

Debenham has also flooded in the last year. Eye has water meadows, so tends to fare better.

PP mentioning of dentist is important Norfolk has been dubbed the "Sahara of dentistry" and trying to get access to any dentist private or NHS is virtually impossible as there just aren't any.

If you happen to be a dentist that would be great!

Framlingham
Orford
Rendlesham
Woodbridge
Grundisbrough
Hollesley

I have lived in both counties and there are lovely areas almost everywhere you go. From your post, l get the impression that Suffolk might suit you better. Bury St. Edmunds and the surrounding area is lovely. I wouldn't advise Lavenham - it is very attractive but a tourist trap. Woodbridge is very sought after. Have you thought about Hadleigh? A lovely little town with many independent shops and good schools. Nearby Boxford is an attractive village, too.

I was going to say Oulton Broad, but Beccles is very close, rail links to Ipswich, roads to Norwich (no train service to Norfolk from Beccles - need to go to Lowestoft and then to Norwich)

This is next to the Golf course, which is also next to the Broads.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/151867520How about here

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/151867520

Wow this is so helpful! Thank you

we won’t be moving until the kids finish school to take that headache out of it and work wise, WFH with very occasional London on site so not a big deal.

we have visited a few of these places over the last couple of years, beccles we holidayed at last year actually and it was nice but we came across some uncouth youths playing loud music, smoking and drinking in the river bank which although I accept you get some degree of everywhere, it did make us feel uncomfortable. We’d probably want to be a bit more rural than that if I’m honest, a smaller village with more greenery than houses but that kind of vibe we did enjoy.

i’m going to spend the afternoon looking at these places and narrowing down some places to visit. We are holidaying again in 2025 in Suffolk / Norfolk borders and want to visit some of these places.

we’ve done Wroxham and all of the north Norfolk coast and decided coastal isn’t for us (we live coastal at the moment and just aren’t bothered by the sea) but the hospital situation is a good point (I seem to be there regularly, thankfully nothing major but enough for it to be an important consideration for me) and I didn’t consider flood risk. Definitely don’t want a house with a river at the bottom of the garden then! (Although I bet it’s amazing… even if the insurance is eye watering - forgive the pun)

Where are you moving from, OP? The pace of life is seriously slow in Norfolk and Suffolk. I find some of the attitudes very insular. It is a lovely place for a holiday, but I would never want to live there. Why not rent for a couple of years, before you commit permanently?

This is the problem when you don’t put a budget in! Remove the pool, this is ideal. If only I was rich sigh

georgian homes are my fave.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/149963465#/?channel=RES_BUY

@Cynic17 im definitely up for a slow pace of life. We are currently in the Essex, where 500 new homes are popping up every 3 years, all of our farmers fields are disappearing, the roads are soooooo busy, no dentists, difficult to get doctors appointments, the main town is falling apart and full of fronts for drug and trafficking rings I’m sure (all kebabs, barbers and mobile phone accessory shops). It’s just not what we want.

WFH with very occasional London on site so not a big deal.... if I’m honest, a smaller village

Do you need fast Internet? Because that may not be available at all in many villages. Also how occasional is trip to London? Once a month & sure you can handle hassle of drive to a station in any road conditions & paying to park there. Once a week may get tedious to drive & park all day & train or bus service could only be every 2 hrs, etc (maybe none on Sundays). How will your older children come visit you if there's no public transport to your rural idyll.

Data via mobile also frequently absent in the villages, choose your network wisely.

Er, how much do you like MUD, OP? As in all over your driveway from the sugarbeet harvest. Are you good with insects and spiders? Coz there are A LOT more bugs in the countryside and even lots in the small towns. There are common larger vermin like house mice. I haven't mentioned small-minded ignorance (wind turbines cause constant intolerable audio pain to animals, you know) & discovering that you live in a place that overwhelmingly supports REFORM (Ukip).

ps: Beccles is more posh than Bungay

I made the move from Essex for the same reasons, the county has become a mix of extra London and one massive housing estate. The green space has gone almost completely, and yet more houses are being crammed in. It's so sad to see. We ended up moving to Ipswich so commuting was easy, many say avoid it but we've found our place and it's lovely.

I live right next to a large river, but one that has never flooded in this area and has high embankments around it. So it's not totally impractical to want to live by one, but needs serious flood risk assessment obvs - it's easy to find info on gov sites.

I don't think my insurance is much more than standard (it's Flood Re insurance ie backed by government scheme) but that probably reflects the fact that the house/road has never flooded.

Fast internet would be helpful I just admit. Occasional trip to London is every few months so no big deal

hmmmm. I feel you on the bug situation. That’s very true!

Diss is a nice town and has good trains to London, and there are a number of nice villages round it.

It might be worth a recce. Villages often still have their pubs and village store, but other shops are hit and miss, so you might have to go into a town for a butcher etc

Holt is lovely, but gets overrun with visitors and parking can be difficult.

Alysham might suit you better

Haha I've been pissed and uncouth on that riverbank op 🤣 More than once! Last day of school was on the bank along from the Lido where the swings were ... Last day of sixth form we were pissed and uncouth at Geldeston Locks. It's really nothing to worry about, there's almost no danger or badness in it in Beccles 😁

I love Norfolk, one of my favourite counties. My Dad is originally from North Norfolk. I can recommend Aylsham, North Walsham, Holt - all more inland. Wroxham is nice, but on the Broads, so more expensive. My favourite is Wells-Next-To-Sea, it's just so pretty, and my Grandmother's side of the family come from there! My Dad originally came from a village - Itteringham - near Blickling Hall - but it's very rural and not much in the way of facilities!

Broadband speeds in Norfolk.

Suffolk Broadband.

Check out Aldborough OP. It’s a lovely village with facilities and fast broadband. Norfolk county council has been very proactive on fast internet and a lot of villages now have superfast broadband.

www.edp24.co.uk/news/24426497.aldborough-named-one-uks-best-places-work-home/

If you use words such as "uncouth" to describe youth drinking by the river, North Norfolk is probably right up your street.