To want to move up North in my situation?

[Barefootsummers]

We have 2 children and would love a bigger family. We currently live in the south east in our own home which is a small 2/3 bed flat with no garden. Up North we could afford a detached house with small amount of land (550k). Thinking West Yorkshire. I love the countryside and this lifestyle rather than fancy restaurants / boutiques etc. We could work in similar jobs up North. It's a no brainer for me but my DH is not convinced. His reasons against are that the housing market is always secure in the south east, schooling is better and it affords more opportunity. I guess I'm not looking for anyone to tell me what I should or shouldn't do but just need some perspective on this. Anyone? Thanks in advance!

North Leeds is also a nightmare if you need access to the motorway during rush hour.

Not all of Bradford is a dump. There's some lovely villages on the outskirts, such as Tong:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-48467718.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-48763557.html

Schooling is not better in the South, unless perhaps you're going the grammar school route. As for the housing market, generally it doesn't have the same booms as London so you're not going to buy something that will double in value in ten years or anything ridiculous like that, but desirable areas in the north will hold their value as desirable areas in the south do.

I'm biased, I love the north, but if you're somewhere like York you can be in central London in 2 hours anyway if you do end up missing that.

We moved from South to North many years ago and, while there are pros and cons to both, I think it was an excellent move.
Reasons are as others have said: bigger house and garden; less financial struggle; easier access to countryside, beaches, etc; more community "feel" to the place; less traffic and a slower pace of life. My children are adults now and are all doing well, went to good unis, now in successful careers and an unexpected benefit was that they gained confidence from the fact that the competition was less in sports clubs and other groups than in the big inner city teams and groups. It seemed like there was more chance for everyone to shine up here rather than competing as hard if that makes sense

I've sometimes considered it but you have to consider why it's cheaper. If it was so great, wouldn't everyone move?

Jobs is the main thing. There are certain industries where you pretty much have to be down south, but that doesn't apply to everyone. Infrastructure/transport links are far better in the south so that's a consideration. And others just don't like living in smaller cities which is fair enough. There are also those who have a very skewed view of "the North" as a desolate post industrial wasteland. Bits are like that, and it keeps those away who are too superficial to see past it to our beautiful areas.

We are a Bradford postcode.. and it's in no way a dump! Try Ilkley or Skipton for good schools/v nice areas to live. Gorgeous scenery on your doorstep

We have just sold our house in London to move to Sheffield. We had our house valued in January and put it on the market a few weeks ago. We had to drop the price considerably as the market is not as strong as it was 6 months ago - my advice would be to make the move quick if you can!

We are managing to move from a 3-bed in an OK area of London to a property twice the size in a lovely area with great schools, lots of independent shops, cafés and restaurants and beautiful parks. We can walk into the city centre in 30 minutes or be in the Peak District in 5 minutes. We are going to have a much better quality of life and I can't wait!

We also looked at Hebden Bridge but personally it was too big a leap for us. It's a beautiful place but it is very small and I felt a little claustrophobic.

Many parts of the north are rough.

Blow me, the north south prejudice continues.

Do it, OP. I'm currently on holiday in a county town where I could buy a huge property with land (according to the 16 estate agents along one road!). I'd move now, the DH won't. I just don't get it. Move before you get to bloody retirement age!

Where are your family based? My grandparents live in Yorkshire and we live on the south coast (because my Dad moved down South for work in the 80s). I find it really sad that we don't see my elderly grandparents much.
If you have a big friends/family network where you live now, do you want to lose that just for a bigger house?
If you're worried about making the move and then regretting it, you could consider renting for a year in Yorkshire - and renting out your current house - then sell when you are sure. The housing market in the south east is a bit sticky at the moment, so I disagree with pp that you need to sell quickly. I really don't think it will be any worse in another year - things might even improve.

I'm still trying to work out why more people in the south east don't come up north! It must be job opportunities and the weather I think. We moved from the south east to the north east. We rented a small two bed terrace paying £1k a month in the south east, now we own our own 3 bed semi outright. It's great to own our own house and not have a mortgage or rent. To be fair, we're not in the most desirable area, but I think apart from some really rough pockets, it's mostly just 'normal' people around here. I've had more conversations with our neighbours in 5 months than I had in 5 years at our old house! The countryside is great and there's loads of activities for kids and it's a lot quieter and less stressful.

@Babywearinggeek

i wonder if you're close to me #wave

We moved from London to the North. It was a massive leap of faith, and there is no going back. Once I had DCs I never really got to use all that London has to offer. I go to the theatre a lot more here, it's far more accessible. Restaurants are as good, if not better, and probably cheaper.

The big house, off street parking, friendly community, excellent schools, culture, transport links all make it worth while. I'm delighted we did it, as are the DCs.

Life would be very different if we stayed where we were, and not for the better. It's only two hours away anyway.

We moved up north (Cumbria) 3 years ago and absolutely love it. Neither dh nor I had ever lived further north than Oxford before and had mostly lived in London and Oxfordshire. The schools are better where we are now. Don't pay any attention to the south-north prejudice bollocks. There are lovely and awful parts of most areas of the country.

I'm still trying to work out why more people in the south east don't come up north! It must be job opportunities and the weather I think.

Or snobbery. Though I admit the weather is bloody dreadful a bit crappy sometimes in Cumbria.

Your husband is quite the xenophobe isn't he

I am another southerner who moved North. Wild horses wouldn't drag me back.

I live in a village in South Yorkshire near stunning scenery, outstanding schools, half an hour from 3 major cities and within an hour's drive of 3 international airports. This is the view from near my house.

The 4 bed detached house with stunning views opposite us sold for £300k last year.

those of us from West of the pennines usually claim that the only thing worse than a tyke is a southerner - so make sure you can actually put up with them

Hebden bridge is in the pennines - as such it and towns on the eastern slopes tend to be moist and also get snow - if you like weather fantastic - otherwise head a little further east.
I lived in London after uni, moved west then back north as I missed the hills and disliked the Southern belief that the north was full of scroungers. (massive generalisation - but too prevalent to be ignored)
quality of life jumped dramatically.
fell in with partner who gets the screaming heebies outside the m25 so ended up moving back south with associated horrid mortgage and obligations into pension age.

London has lots going for it but is still dirty, {dust threshold in London equivalent to coal fired houses outside London) the water is hard with consequential day on day scale

so you can go back but it will cost - and depending where you settle you will need outdoor gear - but if quality of life, by any measure, matters - go north young woman.

It's shit up North.

And full.

Trust me.

If you sell up and move, chances are, you won't be able to afford to move back. How does he feel about that? London is amazing and by moving, he's saying goodbye forever to a lifestyle he won't get anywhere else.

I'm not saying it's not what's right for your situation, but it is likely to have a forever impact and he therefore needs to be 100% on board.

My DH was brought up in the SE. Now he say wouldn't live anywhere south of Preston.

We are considering a move up North, better house prices, we will need to rent for a couple of years and the independent schools are better value for money ( if we go that route ).

It's a no brainer for me, i hate hot summers anyway and love a bit of snow so we are looking at the North East ( fingers crossed for some snow ) in about 6 months or less.

Sheffield's good for snow. There are some great sledging spots too, with it all being on hills.

If you move up north be very selective. Almost all cities/towns and a lot of villages are extremely depressing. You may also want to think about schools. Generally speaking state schools in less affluent areas are going to ruin your child's life. You would have to do a very careful review of schools before moving if you don't want to pay for it.

YANBU at all. Neither is your DH for wanting to stay in London for the greater opportunity, though he's obviously full of shit in his claims about schooling being better. Nor is property ever an entirely secure bet.

I think it would be wise to look at houses in the sort of area you might want, and to think about jobs. He may well be right about not being able to return to London once you've gone, so perhaps you could consider renting for a while and letting your London property out?

In all honesty, I think the North provides more opportunities than the South East, but people often don't recognise this because they perceive "opportunities" in a rather specific cultural and economic way: usually career-related in terms of earnings and jobs, or culturally-related in terms of art galleries and theatres.

That's a very interesting point. I tend to think of my life in the north offering these opportunities too. I'd certainly earn more in London and expect more plum jobs would be open to me, but that's about it. The opportunities many of us enjoy in the north, those you mention, are increasingly not open to people in London who don't have a good amount of money behind them. Sure, if you're low/middle income and you bought years ago or you've a SH tenancy, you can be fine. If you're a bit young for either of those things to be a possibility, northern life offers a lot that London won't.

Almost all cities/towns and a lot of villages are extremely depressing. You may also want to think about schools. Generally speaking state schools in less affluent areas are going to ruin your child's life

Ha ha ha ha ha. Er no. What utter bollocks. LS Lowry's paintings may still exist, but they're not a reflection of modern life in northern England, far from it.

I agree with Senator. Life in northern cities like Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield doesn't seem to be lacking anything significant from being Not London.

And unless you have a lot of money, the affordability of living in the north has to be a very significant advantage.

Sounds like you might be moving close to me @Spacepoodle

If you move up north be very selective. Almost all cities/towns and a lot of villages are extremely depressing. You may also want to think about schools. Generally speaking state schools in less affluent areas are going to ruin your child's life. You would have to do a very careful review of schools before moving if you don't want to pay for it.

TTBB, do you think The North is all like an episode of League of Gentlemen? Have you actually been up north? Everywhere? Again, north-south divide ignorance....