To move out of London to Northern Ireland?

[InternetArgument]

I realised the other day that I have been trying not to think about all the reasons I’m anxious about staying in london. I have one 2 year old and another on the way.

I’ve had enough of the stress of living here. I have a large house, very small mortgage and it is lovely in one of the nicest areas in the locality.

Im sick of the crime, stress and pollution. DH and I both have ties to Ireland and we have been to the north before and loved it - city, town and country.

AIBU to want to cash out and run to the hills?

Thinking of near Derry or Belfast.

[evaperonspoodle]

If you own a large house in a good area with a small mortage, you can reportage it and use the proceeds to buy something in NI (it is that much cheaper, and for a reason). If you still want to move after living there a couple of years, then great - go for it!

This would be my suggestion too. I would love a wee place up by North Antrim coast for holidays and to get a real feel if you like NI or not. My DN goes to one of the grammar schools in Belfast and quite a few London boys came over just for the school, in London an equivalent school costs circa £20k per annum apparently. They have a base in London but a smaller house here that they will sell when the dc leave school. The job market in NI is flat in comparison.

[Jody21]

Myself and DH were both born and raised in NI. We currently live just over the border in Donegal. We head to Derry at least once a week either for shopping or to visit family but would not dream of moving back again. Donegal is just a bit more relaxed, we are near to some fantastic beaches, river walks, playpark etc for days out. The schools here are excellent and the people are friendly and welcoming. You would get more for your money too with regards to housing. The downside would be the cost of medical / dental care (unless you are in receipt of Social Welfare in which case go get a free Medical Card. There are some great pubs / restaurants for a night out. Derry is only up the road and has some great places to shop. Belfast is not even that far if I'm looking for greater choice and with the train leaving from Derry every hour I don't need to worry about driving or looking for parking. Not sure how you would find it though if moving from London - you might find the pace too slow for your liking!

[pinkhousesarebest]

We are both from NI, but left twenty years ago. We love coming back in the summer and my dc want to study here later, as they think there is nowhere quite like it. And when the weather is fine, it is amazing. Fabulous scenery, the people are so warm compared to where we live now.

Primary schools are good and there are undoubtedly great Grammar schools but they are exam factories. League tables mean everything and GCSE's are repeated an infinite number of times until the crucial A star is in the bag. So not a full education in the proper sense of the word. But maybe that is everywhere in the UK now...
The weather and the darkness are awful, no getting around it. Even in August it is bucketing down. People like to know your business, although as a blow- in you might be safe. And there is a huge problem with under age drinking - young teens are in parks from no age with carry outs...don't kid yourself that it is in the dodgy areas - my family live in leafy south Belfast. Though it is true that there is a vast array of things to do with younger kids. I have teens now - it is not the same.
We left after we were almost killed in a joyriding accident. My nephew was almost killed last year by two teenagers on the Malone Road. Looking at the news this morning, it would appear little has changed.
My advice would be, rent if you must and see what happens in the next few years but keep our London house.

[InternetArgument]

Definitely not going to sell the house now. What kind of loony would do that ?

Thank you all for the sane advice. The best way to go is rent then remortgage to buy in NI.

I had thought we’d move way out west (still drawn to the lakes of Fermanagh mind you) but the triangle of naice (mentioned upthread) is just beautiful.

I’ll let you all know how it goes. I am very excited and will be going over quite a lot this year to have a good look round. So I’ve calmed down a bit but still excited.

[buckeejit]

Excellent! I think Fermanagh is lovely but such a pita to get about. You'd spend as much time travelling as in London on bad roads & it feels remote. Try out the middle ground first!

[keepforgettingmyusername]

Yes! Move over and I'll be your friend. I live in Derry (county not city)
Don't live in Belfast, it's alright for a day trip but like any city too much crime in some areas and you would need to know where to avoid before buying.
The pace of life is slow but it's fine if that's what you're looking for.
And you get to stay an EU citizen

[redexpat]

I cant imagine wanting to move somewhere where I am not allowed full autonomy over my own body.

[LittleRedSocks]

I’m from Dublin, my husband is from Belfast and we moved home to NI from London four years ago: really love it. Have a two year old, and there is so much to do for families! Cheap cost of living ( even the NHS is still free prescriptions here!), stunning scenery etc. Not familiar around Derry, but if you are looking for somewhere near Belfast and in keeping with where you currently live I would suggest looking first at the likes of Holywood/Cultra/Helens Bay/Groomsport: all on the coast, a 5-15 minute drive into Belfast. Also they right beside/close Belfast City Airport which has super frequent and inexpensive flights to GB to facilitated visits back if you ever get a pang! Another good area (perhaps a little more urban than the above) would be Stormont and even the trendier Ballyhackamore. As everyone has said, salaraies are absolutely lower (and initially sound shockingly and e - I went from £45k in London to £32k here doing basically like for like type position, husband a similar percentage cut) but we actually still find that we have far more disposable here than we ever had in London. And as for sectarianism/‘troubles’: as a previous poster as said, unless you basically go looking for it in a highly polarised area, everyone just gets on with everything and I honestly couldn’t tell you what religion most of my friends are (and the ones that I do know are mostly Protestant - I’m catholic - and we tend to just make wee jokes about it! Not belittling past issues - but they do not have to be YOUR issues unless you want it to be). It’s not perfect (and definitely colder - though last few summers have been scorchers!!) but no where is. But I can honestly say I now am so glad we moved here before DD was born because here is so much better for her, and us as a family. Happy decision making!!! X

[isabellerossignol]

And you get to stay an EU citizen

Sadly I think that only applies if you were born here.

[rosesandveg]

I moved from the north west to Northern Ireland 18 months ago, and I have honestly never felt so welcomed, settled and happy. It is a beautiful country and every day I feel privileged to live here. I live in north down, but the Belfast end and on the coast. A lot of people talk about bad weather - I have not found that so much but I think it is because we are so near the sea. People here are so friendly and welcoming, where I lived before I knew hardly anybody but here sometimes it’s a struggle to keep up with everybody! My DH is from NI and we have a 1 year old. I know it gets a lot of bad rap in the media for sectarian violence and anti-abortion laws, but we can’t do anything about the latter until we have a sitting government, we can’t have one of those until we sort out this Brexit mess, and generally opinions are changing here so I am hopeful for the future. Re the violence I feel safer here than when I lived in Manchester, it’s like any big industrial city, in fact we don’t live in Belfast because we just didn’t want to live in another city.

[ZippyBungleandGeorge]

@powershowerforanhour

Midwife told me I'd scored 2, so I asked her what the max was and she said 4 or under was fine "unless we were in London, where they use a max of 10. Because of the pollution"
This is laughable and untrue, I live on the outskirts of london and work in the city, the limits at the same here as everywhere else, oh and when I had my test last year I blew a 0.4

[Tunnockswafer]

Re the EU citizenship - OP mentions they have ties to Ireland - if these are in the form of an Irish/NIrish parent they are quids in! Not sure if it goes back to Gps too for a passport - perhaps?

[peachgreen]

@redexpat You make a really good point and that gave me pause too. But attitudes have changed and continue to do so - I genuinely believe it's only a matter of time.

[S1naidSucks]

Sadly I think that only applies if you were born here You can get an Irish passport if your parents or grandparents were born in NI. That way you can travel and live elsewhere as an Irish citizen.

[isabellerossignol]

You can get an Irish passport if your parents or grandparents were born in NI. That way you can travel and live elsewhere as an Irish citizen.

Sorry, I didn't realise the OP had an Irish grandparent, I misunderstood.

I had just been chatting to a friend the other day who was born elsewhere (and not in the UK either) and we had been discussing how she wasn't entitled to an Irish passport despite having spent her whole adult life here, and I had thought the same might apply in this case.

[user1480880826]

Wait and see what happens with brexit. The Republic of Ireland might seem like a far more tempting option in a few weeks time.

[S1naidSucks]

Sorry isabellerossignol, I was talking generally, not specifically about the OP. She hasn’t elaborated what ties to NI she has.

[origamiunicorn]

I went to Belfast recently on a long weekend and I don't know if it was just bad luck but people weren't too friendly. No thank yous, no doors held open, didn't feel very welcome. In comparison to Cardiff where everyone was lovely and very chatty and welcoming.

[ILoveMaxiBondi]

GCSE's are repeated an infinite number of times until the crucial A star is in the bag

This is completely untrue.

[S1naidSucks]

League tables mean everything and GCSE's are repeated an infinite number of times until the crucial A star is in the bag. that’s an absolute load of bollocks! Why are you spouting such nonsense?

[Alsohuman]

You went to a different Belfast to the one I know @origami.

[Cocolepew]

You don't even need A* at gcse to go on to do A levels. What does that even mean?

[origamiunicorn]

@AlsoHuman Definitely willing to give it another go. Guess we were unlucky.

[mullyluo]

Just moved over from London to Donegal three months ago and must say we have already decided we won't be staying long term. Its a beautiful place to live but so remote, no public transport, massively fewer children services (I also have two year old and one on the way), and to get small things like building work/internet provider/telephone connection is such a pain. We are thinking of moving to Fermanagh, but even that seems too cut off. I'd love to move back to England bu NI seems like an ok compromise.

[peachgreen]

London to Donegal! Gosh. That would be a culture shock.