To think Yeovil can't be that bad?

[MissCherryCakeyBun]

We are looking at buying a house in Yeovil and when we try and research on the internet it seems people would rather pull their own nails out than live there....it can't be that bad can it? Looking at crime rate maps only tells part of the story and obviously we wouldn't buy in high crime areas.
OH having lived in Enfield ( not the wealthy part) for a good few years and I lived for 20 years in a high crime area in social housing ( 5 murders/ suspicious deaths) in 20 years within a mile of my house we are used to the more challenging side of life.

It's very hard to move nearly 4hrs drive away without knowing the area, we can't afford to rent in the area first either. Are we being unreasonable to just go with the flow and move ignoring the people who says it's awful and it's the worst place to live in the West Country ?

There are many many nicer villages around Yeovil rather than yeovil itself.

I live in Somerset and I am near to Yeovil. But would decline to live there.

Secondary schools are particularly crap. Town centre isn’t very nice. It’s becoming more and more ropey.

Where will you work or need to be near?

It was pretty bad when we stayed there for the night on the way to Cornwall. Everything closed at 6pm except the Wetherspoons.

It's basically a issue of cost, we have been down and viewed properties from as far north as Westbury as far over as West Coker and down onto Portland. We don't have small children as ours are grown and live away from home. We don't want to be further than Yeovil from London due to OHs weekend commute.

Everywhere in our price range (which I will admit is a pittance to most) needs enormous amounts of work or would fit in a matchbox with room for the matches to be put back in.

Current living conditions are a huge struggle for us both as we live in 2 rooms and are paying over £400 a month storage fees for all our belongings

What’s your budget? Do you drive?

You need to be on a train line to London?

It's perfectly fine. It's not storybook Somerset, but if you've lived in relatively high-crime areas of London, you'll definitely feel safer there.

Why Yeovil specifically?

What about further south? There’s plenty of nice places on the Weymouth - Waterloo line.

I’d rather live In Yeovil than Portland.

Rail and road links aren’t bad and London is perfectly accessible.

You’ll be fine .

Yep both drive and nope don't need train to London as OH would drive down due to the work he does (and caring responsibilities for an elderly relative)

He would be in London Monday to Thursday and drive down Thursday night.

The budget is £150k cash and given our ages nearly 50 and 54 we are not looking at being able to get a mortgage, Bank was cagey due to ages and that due to my redundancy and then surgery for a major shoulder issue I haven't worked for a year

Further south than Weymouth Portland is our due to the excessive weekly drive to and from London

Yeovil is fine. It's not particularly beautiful but it's off the A303 with good access to the more picturesque parts of Somerset. Town centre has improved a bit over the years.

You need a small mortgage. Whack it up to 200k and you'll have more options. You're not that old!!!

Yeovil is rough. There are nice villages in somerset with friendly communities. Wiveliscombe is fab. South petherton nice. Ilminster is better than Yeovil imo.

Are you both in work?

I don’t see why you can’t get a small mortgage?

Yeovil is fine.

Don’t buy anything near/off st Michaels Avenue.

Yeovil isn't somewhere I'd rush to recommend but it's not the pits either.
It can be a bit dull but if you want a train line and that budget it's not a bad choice.

It's fine. Plenty of lovely people here. A mix of areas like anywhere. I think it's a great base from which to explore many great areas e.g Dorset coastline, Bath/Bristol area etc.

Ilminster
Langport
Oddcombe
Montacute
South Petherton
Crewkerne
Merriot
Over Stratton
Either of the cokers
Long Sutton
Long load

Not far from Westbury are the small market towns of Melksham and Corsham. Have you considered these? Corsham in particular has good links to the M4 for travel to London. Your budget would work for a good 3 bedroom house (not sure what you are looking for specifically though). Both towns are safe and pleasant, good range of shops and amenities.

S Petherton is nice but v expensive.

Yeovil really isn’t that bad and (depending on whereabouts you need), London is about 2 1/2 hrs by car - easily doable.

Could you take a few days and drive around the area to get a feel for the area?

Aller
Somerton
Sparkford- good for a303
Wincanton- good for a303 and pretty little market town
Give Bridgwater a pass

S. Petherton has gotten pricey and so has Ilminster. Good primary schools that’s probably why.

Ataluni, my partner works for a property management company in the City and mostly works from home (1 day a week up in the office) I'm unemployed currently following redundancy but very flexible with very wide ranging skills

The mortgage thing is all very well on paper but when talking to Banks and mortgage providers they are not impressed with a 15 year mortgage

And yep we are currently with over 20 estate agents and have searches set up for Dorset Wiltshire and Somerset on Rightmove and Zoopla and have a large map with a boundary drawn with driving distances on it.....Can you tell I used to be a library manager and like to research and keep things ordered

Reminds me of my favourite Katie Price story. She turned up and Yeovil Waterstones to do a signing that nobody was expecting or knew about but was adamant she was right. A few phone calls revealed she was actually supposed to be doing a signing in ‘The Oval’, London. On being told that she said, ‘Yeah, that’s what I said. Yeovil’.

There are so many nicer places to live around Yeovil that aren't actually Yeovil!
I'd look along the London Road between Yeovil and Shaftesbury; plenty of lovely places with quick access to the A303-Sheborne is beautiful, smaller places like Milborne Port are a good shout, or if you want to go more rural try east/west Stour, Buckhorn Weston etc
Quick drive to Gillingham and then you've got decent train access to London Waterloo too