to ask you where in the UK we should move to on?

[GirlInTheDirtyShirt]

I've been an expat for 10 years (all my adult life). I'm self employed as a writer so can literally live and work anywhere, but DH works in construction and where we live now (Southern Europe) there's no work for him. We're looking to move back to the UK so he can work there, plus I feel the UK education system is better than what we have here, but the question is, where?

We have a toddler, so I'd like somewhere that's nice to bring up children. I like cities rather than rural remoteness, but I want a house rather than a flat as I work from home and want some space. I like the idea of having lots to do and see and perhaps places where I could make friends through things like toddler groups or whatever. I'm not looking for naice leafy suburbs, but nor am I looking for gritty inner city living (I used to live in central Nottingham, so that's coloured my view a bit). I suppose I'm looking for vaguely middle class-ish safe-ish places with low crime.

Our household income would probably be about GBP3k a month until DH gets properly established (and having seen rental prices I'm a bit concerned this might not be enough, tbh ).

Is there anywhere you think we might be able to move to that would work?

I have no family and no ties to the UK at all, it'll be like moving to a whole new country, so I'm open to any suggestion at all to help me narrow down my search!

scotland if you want a decent size house for your money .

Yorkshire is nice!

sorry i take it you want back near nottingham . but some nice places in scottish cities .edinburgh lovely and while dear compared to other scottish places still alot cheaper than england .only thing id you would have to put up with our nightmare mp,s but great apart from that lol

My husband also works in construction. I would suggest the Midlands or Bucks/Beds as that gives him the best accessibility to work. He'll be able to reach things in the north, London and Midlands and even if he works away sometimes the journey home at weekends wouldn't be too bad.

We live in Yorkshire and my husband worked consistently throughout the recession, partly because he has a very good rep. So there are jobs out there, more the further South you go. So the Midlands is a good balance, close to work but better quality of life.

Really not sure the work is there for construction in Scotland.

I've heard nice things about Solihull, and Milton Keynes is nice.

Bristol! It's a great place to raise little ones and has lots of free things in the city and events most of the year round.

aprilanne No, no preference at all as to location, just nowhere that is anything like inner city Nottingham! Someone was actually shot in my back garden when I lived there, which put me off a bit.

Tamworth - not so middle class but lots of property choice, loads of activities locally - less than an hr from Notts, Solihull, Brum - 2 hrs from Liverpool or York

lots of countryside but lots of sporting activities (Snow dome!) , a great park and good shops (big John Lewis, Next, M+S, Matalan etc)

OldBeanbagz I'm quite taken by the idea of Leeds - it looks quite nice, although also very rainy.

I've lived in Nottingham all my life. The city centre has changed dramatically over the last 10 years or so, & although it gets a bad press occasionally for crime levels, it really is no worse than any other British city.

There are lots of great areas within Nottingham, with good/outstanding schools, all within a short distance of the city centre, but far enough away to be out of the "grit"! Also, plenty of things for young children to do, nice parks, toddler groups, farms, soft play & kiddy theme parks.

You could buy a decent 3 bed house in a decent areas for £250,000. Rental for similar would be £800-£1200 I imagine, depending on the area.

Don't know how this compares to any other cities, cos I've only lived here!!

Good luck finding somewhere nice :)

Solihull is nice but pricey

New forest Area which has Bournemouth and Southampton in close proximity?

WhataMistake Bristol looks gorgeous! Is there much construction work there?

oh and I will ALWAYS suggest Liverpool and The Wirral - it's where I'm moving back too as soon as these kids grow up

montyandmabel Although moving somewhere like West Bridgford in Nottingham would be lovely, it would feel too much like moving "back" - like a step back, because I lived there once, IYSWIM? Although a West Bridgford equivalent in another city would be exactly what I was looking for...

I live in the Midlands (unsurprisingly) and there are definitely construction jobs here.

Carillion are based in Wolverhampton and Morgan Sindall in Rugby.

Excellent train links to London Euston both on Virgin (1 hr 20 from New Street) and on Chiltern into Marylebone which call at Solihull, Warwick etc.

Birmingham Airport plus of course all the motorways

Could do a lot worse than live in the Midlands. Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire are great places to live and gorgeous greenery but then you have the amenities of Birmingham close by with theatres, restaurants and fantastic shops.

There is also a new resort called Resorts World opening at the NEC which has hotel, cinema, casino, bars , restaurants and shopping centre.

Definitely lots to do here !!

No idea! Sorry!

I'm in the North East.Property prices are still low ,quality of life is good ,lots of children's activities and a mixture of countryside and coastal scenery.It always seems to rate highly on "Best Place to Live " surveys.
Big cities would be Newcastle and Durham and if moving here for the first time with children I would research and base the exact location around the best school areas.

On £3k a month getting a proper house 'with space' in a middle class, low-crime area will be tricky but possible depending on your definition. I'd look at the south west (Devon/Cornwall) if you have no reason to need to be within striking distance of civilisation...but prices could be high there, too. The Peak District is beautiful and more affordable - try Chesterfield, Sheffield, Buxton etc?

Definitely as close to South East/ london for building work or Midlands if you can't afford it

Lovely middle class area with good schools, gorgeous town, fab countryside ://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-47896093.html

The above is in a lovely town in Hertfordshire 30 minutes on train to London

Glasgow. Tenement flats are HUGE. Love where we are - SS, 10 mins into town, surrounded by parks and walking distance to two small towns/ villages

Never moving ever.

LaurieFairyCake that is a lovely little house, but I'm a city girl so I think I'd prefer to live in a nice city neighbourhood (I like the look of Totterdown in Bristol, so perhaps that kind of thing? Somewhere a bit arty and cool?)

Oh yes totter down and st werburghs are very 'hipster'

Brummiegirl15 Birmingham looks quite good actually!