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 ?

[Scabbersley]

Is Wiltshire cheaper than Yeovil area? I'd be surprised

[Sidge]

Scabbersley I don't know Yeovil but some areas of Wiltshire are cheaper than you'd imagine. Some are horrendously expensive but others such as Melksham, outskirts of Devizes, Amesbury etc can be reasonably priced.

[JuneBalloon]

Shaftesbury is lovely and you'd be able to get a nice (albeit small) place for your budget. Salisbury is expensive but, as a PP mentioned, there are cheaper suburbs such as Amesbury and Devizes... But not as nice as Shaftesbury!

[LoisEinhorn]

I like Yeovil. I guess there are good and bad points with every town.
I'm in Wincanton. There's not much here.

[IdaDown]

Bruton is lovely.

Excellent places to eat, swanky art gallery, lots of village activities. Loads of lovely nearby villages, pubs and walks.

Larger villages and towns nearby - Frome, Wells.

Bruton has a train station - you do need to change at Westbury to pick up the London trains, but it does give another option.

[Bohemond]

I'd look at Taunton - much better option for commuting by train if you need to. Tons of houses being built here and it is the SWs first garden town. There is a lot happening.

[LadyFlumpalot]

I'm not far from Yeovil and have been house hunting.

I could have had a four bedrooms Edwardian end terrace with a massive garden and gorgeous features/bay windows for £175k...

I've gone for the 3 bed featureless new build with a postage stamp garden in a village a few miles away for £50k more in preference to living in Yeovil....

[LadyFlumpalot]

Don't go for Langport. Massive abbatoir with lorries rumbling to and fro all day every day.

[PearPeachCrumble]

DH used to live there as a teen and 20's. He says it's known as Yobsville and is full of drugs. He couldn't wait to move after getting mugged 3 times, once at knifepoint.

[mummmy2017]

Don't go town centre the new estates are ok... villages are lovely

[Lowdoorinthewal1]

Yeovil is cheap and practical for the basics of life. It is a good base to enable you to spend time in the many, much more lovely surrounding places.

The key thing is- are you ok with travelling? If you are happy to regularly spend 45-60 minutes in the car to get to Poole, Lyme, Taunton, Bridport, Shaftesbury etc then you will have a lovely time exploring the SW. If you are going to be at home most of the time and would rather be able to walk or drive 5mins to a pretty High street for a coffee, maybe choose somewhere a bit less 'basic'.

Taunton is better for shopping and the town centre in nicer, but I'm sure it must take longer to get to London from there.

What about Frome?

[Lowdoorinthewal1]

This could be amazing with some TLC!

[Lilymossflower]

I liv in Somerset and I wouldn't move to Yeovil. Much nicer few little villages around here that if you have a car makes more sense to live in one of those. My various experiences passing through Yeovil is that it's grim.

[Panicmode1]

It's not called Yeo-vile for nothing.....
My parents are v close to one of the villages mentioned on here, outside of Yeovil and its a necessary evil for shopping but they don't spend more time than is strictly necessary there....

[LadyFlumpalot]

Agree about Shaftesbury which is truly lovely. Gillingham is surprisingly expensive given the rapidly dying high street and lack of amenities (unless you want a supermarket, estate agent, hair dresser or second hand shop). I guess it's the station and proximity to the A303 that drives the price up.

If you are able to drive and don't need to be walking distance from a station you could look at Semley, Donheads (st Mary and st Martin) Hindon, Berwicks (st John and st Leonard).

[Tara336]

You can get a 15 year mortgage easily, we did it last year the smaller building societies seem to be more flexible

[sanityisamyth]

I'm selling my 2 bed in Wellington if you're interested?! Easy M5 access, good countryside and a Waitrose!!

[liverbird10]

I had the misfortune to spend a couple of my teenage years in Clevedon, not far from Yeovil. All I can tell you about Clevedon is that Morrissey's Everyday Is Like Sunday is the perfect theme song for that place. Avoid like the plague.

[Nodancingshoes]

What a load of rubbish on here from people that are not even from Yeovil!!! I am originally from Bristol and my parents moved to Yeovil for a better place to bring up a family close to the countryside and the coast. There are some dodgy areas - same is true of any large town. I would prefer shopping in Yeovil to Taunton - there is nothing better there. Happy to help op about specific areas etc... Also a pp poster talking about the secondary schools - preston is the worst of the three at this time ofsted wise - times change

[Grandmaswagsbag]

Do you mean the clevedon near Weston super mare? If so property is now ridiculously desirable and expensive there. I can’t undestand why. It’s just about 1 step up from W-S-M but no station so you have the horror of the motorway to commute to Bristol. Plus it’s not really near Yeovil.

[Lowdoorinthewal1]

Taunton has Smiggle, Flying Tiger and Lush Nodancingshoes. You are clearly not shopping with a 7yo!

[EnormousDormouse]

It is a hideous shithole. Within a few minutes there are lovely villages (Montacute, the Cokers) but if you have any other options avoid the town itself. It smells of despair. In theory it should be a pretty little market town but the council did a great job of demolishing the historic centre in the 60s to replace it with a soulless and now rundown high street.
Look at the villages along the 303? (North Cadbury just outside Wincanton?)

[WindyWednesday]

My brother got attacked by a gang in Yeovil and got a broken arm when he was a teen. He was coming out of the cinema with school friends. Ghastly place. It’s a dump.

Taunton is far far better, it has good shops, but is further away from London and £150 won’t get you far.

What about Bridgwater. It used to have a bad rep, but it’s improved loads and lots of new housing near the M5.

[Scabbersley]

It is not a dump or a shit hole

[AnotherOriginalUsername]

I lived in a not unpleasant area of Bridgwater for a few years. Car got broken into within 3 days of moving in and the police raided a crack den around the corner (as we later found out on a police reality TV show!) but it was ok besides that!