If you left London, do you regret it?

[Hareyy]

Both DP and I are Cornish. We’ve spent almost a decade of our lives living in London. Live in a small flat in Z1 and walk everywhere. Do a lot of cultural things. But feels like we’re starting to yearn for space. We can’t afford anything more than a one bed here, and the thought of living in suburbia gives me the creeps.

So we’re thinking of leaving London for somewhere more affordable. Back to Falmouth? To Edinburgh? To Bristol?

If you left London, do you regret it?

I moved to South Wales and have loved it, but while I'm building my business back up I need to be in London to earn so I'm moving back in the summer.

Tbf the vast majority don’t access what’s on offer.

No, not at all. I lived there for 10 years, had some wonderful times, but I was sick of the crowds, expense and knew I could never afford to buy a house there. I moved to a ‘London-y’ city up north and my quality of life is better in terms of those things. I do miss elements - the tube, the atmosphere, the world class cultural stuff - but I get that when I visit.

Also Cornish, although only lived in London for a year for work. Lives in Bristol for 5 years, which was fun. Ultimately we wanted to start a family near our own family, and I think Cornwall is one of the best places a kid can grow up!

We were on the outskirts of London in a leafy suburb till we had dd. Then bought a house in the Home Counties. Honestly? Yes, I regret it! I didn't appreciate how much if a hurdle "just one hour" on the train to central London would feel tbh, compared to being a lot closer. I have made a few friends here but my close friends are still in London and I rarely see them now and it isn't the same.

Can't realistically move back now so I normally just try to see the positives with being here (and there really are many. Especially for my kids - getting a really great school place was a piece of piss here and it's very safe etc).

But I would rather be nearer London - being purely selfish.

I sometimes miss the specific years I was living next to the Horniman museum and went often to see the alpacas and climb the hill to get the view over London. But I guess that’s because I wasn’t right in the center, plus it was a special time in my life (newlywed, new homeowner, newly pregnant). Loved my 7 years living in London! But certainly happier and freer now. Go into London maybe once a month (40 min train away). Sprawling countryside on our doorstep. Good balance.

Yes and No. After 10 years we moved for space and easy access to the sea and countryside. Its been great, but now the kids are almost grown I find myself looking at flats in London again. I miss the city and culture and random events, even if my city from the early 2000s has been largely knocked down now!

Yes. I moved to Manchester and hated it there. People were much friendlier in London. I left Manchester a few years ago and moved overseas which is so much better. I do miss London though, whereas I never want to see Manchester again in my life.

I did. Pretty much everyone I knew did.

Also I grew up in Somerset and you could not pay me enough to raise my kids in the middle of nowhere. No thanks!!

I have far more choice where I live in terms of my environment. I can be in the hustle and bustle of the city, I can be on the beach, I can be in a park, I can be in fields- all where I live. Less choice in London.

We moved to Kent when my daughter was 7. She’s now 17 and complains „Why oh why would ever consider leaving such a cool place?! Maidstone is so lame, not multicultural at all, boring!”. She doesn’t understand any justification we give- more space, nice Edwardian house, cleaner air, nature, schools. She rubbishes it all 🤣 I’m sure she’ll understand one day 🕰️

I was born in London and lived there until we moved out at 38. We did it because of house prices, but I love my life in a small market town and can't imagine moving back. Mind you, we are only an hour out of London by train, and we live about 10 mins walk from the station, so whilst it's not as convenient as the tube it doesn't actually take much longer to get in than it did when I lived towards the end of the Northern Line. I still have access to all the bits of London I love plus clean air, a much bigger/detached house than we could have afforded anywhere in London, and access to the countryside.

Have you experienced rural slow & quiet??? 😬

And for me the point is having the option to do exciting things. You don't have to do them every day, but I can't stand the feeling that there is just nothing available if you wanted to.

No, I lived in a 2 bed terrace in north London for 14 years, I always resisted moving for ages as enjoyed it for a long time but eventually got sick of lack of space, especially after covid as the spare room became the office. Also got sick of being in a terrace and weed smoking neighbours! To size one bedroom up (but still terraced) in our area cost more than the 4 bed detached we bought in Bedfordshire so it was a no brainer to move but I love it. Only 30 mins to Euston so still can get in quickly but I much prefer this little town and I have found it has more community feel that my local area in north London did, which I as quite surprised by. I don’t miss it at all! And I love waking up to the sound of birds and not the overground 😂

Yes, I frequently house-sit for rural friends. I know it's not the same – in London I can get a tube or bus within minutes, practically any time of day or night, or walk round the corner for groceries or a nice coffee or a haircut, whereas there I need to plan any outings carefully around the buses (I don't drive) and apart from a pub there's absolutely nothing in the village or within walking distance.
I just meant was that my everyday life in London isn't 'fast-paced' or 'hectic' or any of the other clichés that always get trotted out on these threads.

Yes! My partner has also just sold his house, def think he will regret it also.

I have nostalgia more than anything. I was born in London, but it's no longer the place I remember growing up. We moved out when I was in my early 20s and our life in the South West suits us now. When I go back to London I don't feel like I belong because it's changed so much.

If you can tolerate the weather in Edinburgh it’s much better than London IMHO. Property is a fraction of London but still expensive. Safer, friendlier. I’ve recently moved from the SE.

Left London for a small town in Essex, absolutely no regrets (well, I have to commute into London twice per week for work which is not ideal). But as for living somewhere much more rural, it's brilliant. Lovely local pub, the people are really nice, decent number of cultural activities going on, good schools for when DC are older, and we could afford something many times bigger than where we lived in London.

I did. Pretty much everyone I knew

Which is great but presumably you don’t know all of the 9 million?

I agree with this & like the element that I can but realistically I won’t experience everything on offer in my lifetime.

For me it's the other way round! 'realistically I won’t experience everything on offer in my lifetime, but I can't stand the feeling that there is just nothing available if you wanted to.'
I do get a sense sometimes that I've missed out on things (well, not a sense – obviously in London I am always missing out on things), but I'd rather that than have diminished options.

OP, I get it. I grew up in central London, eventually our DD turned up and forced our hand on central London living. Could you stomach zone 4? We can get into central in 30 mins, we’ve got a 4 bed house overlooking historic woodland. We’ve looked into Bristol and Bath, but for mediocre budgets, you’d still be living on the outskirts of those places - would this justify your move in the first place?