To move up north for a big but cheap house!

[dancingmonkey]

Just that really. I l live in Hertfordshire- south east and very expensive part of Uk. Budget is around £270,000 and around here that will get me a small 2 bed/ poss 3 bed. But have looked at properties in York which I know is lovely and the will get me a 4/5 bed with massive garden, playroom, utility etc!

Has anyone on here moved far from friends and family to get more value for money on a house? did you regret? I have a 2 year old so obviously it would be hard to not see grandparents and friends but other that that not sure what I would miss! I also work from home so wouldn't need to worry about that.

@NiceLegsShameAboutTheFace

We think southerners with attitudes like yours are an acquired taste.

The North is fab OP - there’s so much heart and soul here. The weather is horrific, full disclosure on that front.

However, £270k wouldn’t be enough to get you a 1930s semi detached in the Liverpool suburb I live in - some areas are more expensive than others.

Haven't checked this with a timetable, but it's about the right duration.

I'd like to know where you get a nice 4 bed in a decent area anywhere in Yorkshire for 270k. We have good/bad areas too.

My area isn't particularly the best (and by no means the worst) but a 3 bed detached would set you back 210k. So move that across into a nice area of York, you're looking at a huge jump - more than 270k for 4 bed.

The OP’s budget wouldn’t stretch far where you are, @Blondiney! I don’t miss the traffic up there!

I think the frequency of these threads of vague “I want to move up north” with absolutely no idea of where in that half of the country they mean, and the fact I’ve never ever seen an “I want to move down south” thread with no idea of areas, just proves that either southerners are a lot more stupid than northerners or there are a lot of troll threads about this.

@allmycats

Skerne is NOT near York, it is a tiny village, with non existent bus service in to nearby Driffield. Skerne has no shop, no school and I'm not sure if the 1 room village pub is still open. Driffield is a bit grim. I used to live quite close to this village and visited people there.Do be very careful with areas and look closely on maps etc

Im sad to say that the magnificent hostelry that was The Eagle at Skerne is long gone.

Also, is ‘that’s cheap for York‘ the new ‘cancel the cheque‘?

The linked homes in a previous post may be in Yorkshire - but Yorkshire is not York!

York is very, very expensive - and inside the walled area of the town is eye-wateringly dear!

@Neednewwellies

The OP’s budget wouldn’t stretch far where you are, *@Blondiney*! I don’t miss the traffic up there!

Ha, I read your post and wondered if you were from these parts, it definitely doesn't fit with the 'grim oop North' narrative. Maybe I should consider going South too...

£270k in York, good luck with that.
To get the house you describe up north in a desirable area you’ll need double that at least. If the house you describe is costing £270k there’s a reason for it!

I'd like to know where you get a nice 4 bed in a decent area anywhere in Yorkshire for 270k.

4 bed detached Beverley. Lovely thriving market town often in national lists of great places to live.
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-89261570.html
New build 4 bed semi
www.rightmove.co.uk/new-homes-for-sale/property-81809707.html

My husband and I are both southerners by birth - Devon and Essex - although have never lived there since leaving home many years ago, and we've recently made the move to the country in North Ayrshire after falling in love with Glasgow (and Scotland in general) several years ago.

If you don't have a final destination in your mind and are open to different possibilities (which it looks like from this thread), I'd go visiting on day trips to various places and see how you like the area, and browse EA windows while you're out. You'll then get a better feel for a place than just checking Rightmove.

Once you've narrowed something down to a general area, be practical: what are your 'must haves' for a place? For me I wanted somewhere rural (I've been WFH for several years so no commute), while my husband wanted somewhere with decent links to a city or large town. You might prefer something within easy reach of the beach (for example), or not want to have to get in a car to go shopping, or schools might be important (etc etc).

Stick a pin in the centre of your favourite place (or favourite places if you have a shortlist) and narrow your search down by distance, checking against your set criteria. I'm sure you'll find somewhere wonderful that meets your needs - and you can always ask on MN for advice once you get that far! I posted on the ScotsNet board for advice and everyone was so helpful, and we actually offered on (but didn't get) one the properties that people had linked! We're now (hopefully) in our forever home and very very happy.

Good luck!

I'd move north and pay off the mortgage by having a house a similar size to the one I had in the south.

@Bettybunny23 hmmm I'd say Bedfordshire is cheaper than Herts but Cambridgeshire is bloody expensive too! Cambridge itself is extremely expensive and a lot of surrounding villages are similar. I lived in a town in east Cambridgeshire and for my 3 bed semi (no downstairs loo, small garden, tiny kitchen, 3rd bedroom was teeeeeeny, no garage etc.) and it cost me £335K and this was back in 2015.

I'm actually really shocked that OP could potentially find a 2 bed or small 3 bed for £270K in Herts as that wouldn't get you much at all where I am now (in a West Cambridgeshire town... where prices are even higher than East Cambs!). The travel links are suberb here though - train to london direct in 45mins.

I’ve not read the full thread but my 4 bed detached house with garden and double driveway was only £140k. That’s in a nice area of Hull.

Oh another Southerner who wants to move North because they expect to buy a mansion for £200k

@BikeRunSki I did wonder why it had been for sale so long, I forgot about the sink holes !

We've done it. No regrets.

Sorry to keep banging on about natural hazards, but this is the reason that the Beverley house @EwwSprouts has linked to is cheap- it’s right in the middle of a flood zone.

@Wheresthesanitygone

Whilst they’re not the best areas in the world, and not somewhere I would choose to live unless it was all I could afford, I can’t think of anybody ever being randomly stabbed in either Harehills or Chapeltown, and it’s now veryrare for targeted stabbing there too.

That's because unless they die, it is so common it isn't reported now...usually drugs related but innocents get caught up

@WhipMaWhopMa I probably live near you! We’re ten minutes away from the city and the estate agent described us as being near the bottom of the market at 280k. It’s crazy

For 300,000 you could get a 4 bedroom house in a lovely area of Birmingham. Nice and central for traveling to see relatives down south. Good schools

No you can't. You could get a 4 bed in a ropey part of Birmingham, without access to decent schools, and a dire commute for £300k.

Unless you mean 'Birmingham' like Driffield is York?

@frumpety

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-65298042.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-79977307.html

^^ this one could be great if your builder DH could do an extension ?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-84585083.html

Love the decor of this one !

I love that ripon house. Walking distance from Booths, too!

OP move up north lass, we're a lovely bunch

York/ Yorkshire, easy mistake to make I guess.

Bed/Bedford

@NiceLegsShameAboutTheFace

YANBU but .... the north is an acquired taste. It's a big decision, in my opinion.

Good luck with whatever you decide

Yeah OP if you move up here you'd best get used to eating bread and dropping and buy a pet Whippet. If you don't we will run you out of town

What a bloody stupid thing to say