Why are you living in your current location?

[No17CherryTreeLane]

How did you end up living where you are?

Work?
Schools?
Family connections/support?
Other?

We've lived in our current location for over 20 years.
The primary reason was for schooling, and this particular town was chosen as it had direct trains into London (where we moved from) for both our work.
In the intervening years, the majority of people we've met and become friends with have mostly said the same was true for them.

What are your reasons?

Moved here (further North) in 2001 for six months, knew no-one, and with no family nearby. Made friends and also met now exh. After divorce stayed in the area - although a nicer place than exh home town, but smaller home. Love it here. Near the coast, easy commute to work and am Queen of my own castle. Will never move back to home town.

Close to family and work.

I ran away here when my fiancé cheated on me with a woman from work. I had been seriously ill and had just lost my father to cancer. I had gone to stay with my mum and he had locked me out of the house and wouldn’t let me get my things or see my pets. He moved the woman and her children into our home about a month later. I basically lost the plot and it was either get on a flight or end up very mentally unwell. That was over 15 years ago and I have never been able to go back the trauma of the place is too much. I did tell my family where I was and I still see them I just don’t ever return to that town. Best thing I ever did !

No, no public transport here either! And I only have a normal estate car - no need, or desire, for a 4 X 4!

It’s where I can afford

We moved to our specific street as dd1 got a place at a school 5 mins walk away, and we wanted a very easy school run (for 2 dcs, so 11 years' worth). Loads of families drive or take tube/Overground journeys and I'm always thankful I'm not rushing around having to deal with that in the morning.

In more general terms, we chose this borough (in London) because it's very central, has great public transport connections, and an easy cycle commute to our offices. It gives us much more family time together as our commutes are under 10 minutes.

I was a bit neutral about the neighbourhood itself but I've come to love it, it has a great vibe and history and there are some amazing amenities and attractions I feel privileged to live within walking distance to.

Came to uni here 25 years ago, met my now DH and never left. Love it here.

I moved from London after my DH passed away suddenly and I needed a change. Ten years later I wanted to return but my DD was still in school, but when she said she wanted to go to an all girls sixth form I rather ran with that and moved us back. I’m not sure if it was the best move for us really - I’ve left all my friends behind and only see them once a month or even less, and haven’t made any new friends, though I do have a couple old ones up here. My DD didn’t make any real friends at her new school. But I do love London. I had to sell three properties to afford a house half the size of our old one. I’d like to move more centrally. I wonder if I made the move because I was bored, yet I haven’t done all the things I thought I’d do once I got here.

DP’s job, mainly. I WFH so could work from anywhere.

We live in a lovely village in the Leicestershire countryside. It’s the sort of place estate agents call ‘highly sought after’. We are right in the middle of England so getting to many places is quick & easy. An hour on the train to St Pancras, 45 mins drive to Birmingham, 90 mins drive to Heathrow, 2 hours drive to Manchester.

The main downsides are that our local city is Leicester, unfortunately, which I’m sorry to say has declined shockingly over the last 20 years. Like many others, I now avoid the city as much as possible because I simply no longer feel safe there. The other main downside is that we are as far from the coast as it is possible to be in the UK. We know we live on a small island but when you’re more than 2 hours from the coast is doesn’t feel like that at all.

Purely for convenience.
We bought this city flat firstly to be University digs for both DC (+3 friends to help with bills), and then to be our retirement home. We wanted somewhere with good local facilities, no stairs and easy maintenance.

Things fell into place earlier than we expected. DH got a job nearby 6y ago so we moved in, DC1 went to live alone and DC2 now lives and studies at home with us.

We’ve rented out our previous home and DC1’s flat instead of selling because we can’t think where else we’d rather live. A quiet detached place with a bit of garden for DDog is a nice idea, but we have no ties to a location (we moved 7 times in 25 years, no close family) and the idea of starting over yet again doesn’t appeal, especially if it involves gardening!

Ran away from my job , toxicity and needed to be near the sea. Built a new life. Love it

DH’s ex wife met a man on the internet and upped and moved DSS’s here. For three years we drove a 2.5 hour school run 3 x a week, plus pick ups and drop offs as we still have them 45% of the time, but she wasn’t made to bare any responsibility for the increased travel incurred by her choices. Thanks family court. When my youngest DD finished her a levels we moved to be nearer the DSS’s. Now it’s only me doing the commute as my work is still at ‘home’. And yes tbh I do resent it, and I’m very homesick and miss my friends and all the things I was used to and DD2 has a rubbish time when home from uni as all her school friends are at ‘home’ . But we are where we are.

Moved to current home just over a year ago, main reason was schools (secondary catchment but also good primaries) and it is also within reasonable distance for commuting to work. It's only 3.5 miles away from previous house (where we lived for 10 years). We liked it there but wouldn't have got into a good secondary which is why we had to move.

Been living in the general area for about 20 years give or take, came here for university, met DH who got a job here while I was finishing my degree, and we just never left... might sound silly but it's a great place and the longer we stay the harder it is to move away! We know it so well and have long-standing friendships here now.

I don't think we'd have stayed so long if there weren't decent job opportunities; it's not London but close enough to commute there if needed (which DH has done in the past but thankfully doesn't have to do any more).

Came here on holiday in 1988 and moved permanently in 2003

Affordability and schools

we did rent in Edinburgh but there we could only afford a flat probably 2 beds. Bought a detached 3/4 bed house for the same money about 50 minutes away - affluent area and good schools and plenty for families.
however I regret it in some ways because it’s very much small town mentality, a bit stepford wives (many mums here live in big houses and don’t work) and I took a local job with poor pay and zero progression and there are no other jobs other than hospitality here. So I kinda regret it. I made all the sacrifices for the family.

Moved to Scotland in 1993.
Lived near Stirling and worked in Glasgow and then Edinburgh.
Moved to Edinburgh more than 20 years ago when I split with my boys Dad as I needed to live and work in same place as single Mum.

Love living here and no plans to move.

Moved here 8 months ago after living in our previous town, an hour away, for my whole life.

My sister moved here around 10 years ago and our son bought a house here 2 years ago. We started spending more time in this area after he moved here and soon started to see many advantages of living here compared to where we were.
The only regret I have is that we didn’t move here years ago.

Moved to be close to my wife's family in preparation for starting a family. We had a set area where my new job would fund our relocation which didn't quite cover the village she was from. So we moved two miles away instead. I preferred the area anyway as it has more character but it's also more rural and I'm very much still adjusting to the change of pace and lack of diversity. Next move will hopefully be by the sea

I needed to live closer to the Thames Valley and the profusion of IT-related jobs. I was a single mum returning to work, and needed a location within 5 miles of a child minder, a decent primary school and work, so I could all drop offs and pickups, and work normal office hours.

At the same time it needed to be fairly rural as I dislike towns/traffic.

We've been here 15 years and It's worked well. I'll retire soon and still love the house & location.

The accommodation came with the job. We moved here 8 years ago.
I had lived in the neighbouring country and DD’s dad is from there and lives there now, so she has learned the language and culture.

I leave here for a new job tomorrow.
That is going to be hard.

A million reasons.
It’s just bloody lovely firstly!
Semi rural, space, great amenities within walking distance, it’s well maintained and has a village feel.
The house is lovely, gardens gorgeous and it was very well priced which is now worth 5 times what we paid for it.
Doing it up again now and couldn’t love where we live any more! So so lucky.

For my partner's work. We met in a city where he was living and working but then the opportunity came up to start a firm with his dad back in his home town so we moved there. This was 13 years ago and I'm quite happy here, lovely place to raise children.

We've always felt happier in the countryside, we really hated being in the suburbs and prefer the more down to earth feel. We can commute to several cities within an hour, so it is the best of both worlds.

Though the reason I came to be living in the country I'm in is more interesting. Came for my Erasmus year and didn't go back, started a new life with a suitcase of clothes and the last of my student loan.

Because barely anyone else does 😂 and because we love it.
It’s isolated and not near anything but we get peace and it’s cheap (because no one else wants to live here).