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.

Penrith would never work...you would have to not talk posh to fit in.

@randomer ???? What’s that based on? Ridiculous people keep saying you can’t have a posh accent to live up north. I live in Penrith and plenty of folk have southern accents round here and it’s fine. What do you think they’ll do? Chase you with pitchforks? 😂

sorry, was ,meant as a joke.

Moved to Penrith a while back. It’s reasonable round here, just outside of national park boundary and very beautiful. Folk extremely friendly and welcoming. You can still pick up a bargain house from time to time. Would say it’s extremely rural and Carlisle, as your only ‘big’ city is not that exciting but if you don’t mind that then maybe worth looking round here. The Eden valley is pretty much ignored, sandwiched between Dales and lakes, but it’s a little undiscovered gem.

The Eden valley is lovely. I grew up in Carlisle. These days I need subtitles when I return.

The Ribble Valley, in particular Clitheroe, also worth checking out. Cumbria and the Eden Valley also lovely. My mates with 2 young children made the move from Hertfordshire to Ulverston, Cumbria. They love it but very much wanted a lifestyle change as well as a bigger house

The Eden valley is lovely. I grew up in Carlisle. These days I need subtitles when I return.

Have you gone tragically deaf?

As someone with a neutral accent who grew up mainly in the south, now up north, I have never found it hard to understand people in those areas. Seriously - what's with all the stereotypes?

We used to travel up to Sunderland to visit relatives and I once got slapped by a girl on a playground because I had a posh voice! (Cambridgeshire). So bullying would be a concern for me. And dependong on the area I'd worry what kind of an accent my child would have. It's a tiny thing, but I am personally not fond of the Leeds accent for example. But then my kids all have American accents and that wouldn't have been my choice either, but didn't stop us moving here.

Honestly, if i could go back, I would choose a nicer home and more space than a nicer area.

@randomer is this another ‘joke’?

Oh for Gods' sake, of course I can follow what people in Carlisle are saying. It is a particular accent and there are lots of wonderful dialect words.

@flyingspaghettimonster

We used to travel up to Sunderland to visit relatives and I once got slapped by a girl on a playground because I had a posh voice! (Cambridgeshire). So bullying would be a concern for me. And dependong on the area I'd worry what kind of an accent my child would have. It's a tiny thing, but I am personally not fond of the Leeds accent for example. But then my kids all have American accents and that wouldn't have been my choice either, but didn't stop us moving here.

Honestly, if i could go back, I would choose a nicer home and more space than a nicer area.

We were going to move to New York but when I was one ( I’m now 96) someone once pushed into me in the queue at Disney in Florida and didn’t say sorry, so now we’re not going to because I’m worried about being pushed over.

96, is quite elderly for long haul isn't it?

We were going to move to New York but when I was one ( I’m now 96) someone once pushed into me in the queue at Disney in Florida and didn’t say sorry, so now we’re not going to because I’m worried about being pushed over.

Hi OP started reading thread but sooo many posts so just throwing in my twopence worth if you haven’t already made a decision. Moved from very des res area of the south to Yorkshire for my husband’s job a few years back. I’m a SAHM with 4. For us it’s been brilliant, beautiful part of the country & I love it. We are in an area that is popular & quite pricey house wise, roughly equidistant York-Leeds. Even so, we were definitely able to get a much nicer, bigger house for the same mortgage amount that we previously had. Excellent commuting/travel links to London & we feel very fortunate to be in this beautiful part of the world. York is gorgeous, as are many other towns/cities in not too far radius. Why not take a visit ‘oop north’ if you can & see how it feels for you?

I did this 10 years ago, before kids but moved away from my family and friends to an area I knew no one because we didn't want to live in london to raise a family. it was really hard making friends and it was only when we had kids that I did find really good friends of my own. It's hard work not being near family but I don't regret it at all. my husband does on a career side but not at all on the family/life balance side of things

I should also say that we moved to North Yorkshire and it's beautiful here. much nicer pace of life and everyone is so friendly (takes getting used to after london!) we went from a 2 bed mid terrace to a 4 bed detached with a garden in a village location for the same mortgage. I would definitely recommend a weekend visit and see what is here before committing, it's a huge decision

The North is beautiful and not an 'acquired taste' as someone put it. I moved from the south east to the north west and it's great, yes you do get huge value for money. York is a fabulous town and with a little one you'll soon make friends. Hey if you hate it after a few years then move back but it's best to regret having done something than not having even tried. Give it a go, you'll be surprised how much you'll love it.

I’m 34 and I work in real estate. I’ve lived in Moseley, Dickens Heath (Solihull), four oaks (Sutton Coldfield) but now harborne and for me at this point in my life this is the best area for me to live.Harborne is probably where prices will rise really quickly because of HS2 and the like.Harborne has parks, golf courses, the plough (great pub) a slug and lettuce if you want too boogie and many other great shops and it’s not far from the university and QE (basically in harborne).I like the nightlife in the city but equally the nightlife in harborne is good too, Moseley is almost as good and Sutton is still ok but not as good. I think if you can afford it then I would go for harborne/edgbaston. great schools great walks great parks great nightlife, the white swan, plough, pizza express, slug and lettuce, edgbaston hotel, the physician, the high field. You can basically have good night out here and don’t need the craziness of the city.Solihull is still nice in terms of out of town and are commutable but I actually think Lichfield four oaks and Around barnt green (Marlbrook lickey end etc) are more affordable and will be better in time. if I was to choose living anywhere at any age I think I would choose to live in harborne because it’s like a village in the city and has basically everything. Pubs and transport are important to me aswell as investment values increasing. If I wanted to live somewhere with a lot more green spaces I think I would choose to live in and around barnt green but somewhere more affordable like Marlbrook or lickey end, it has great pubs like the barnt green inn and the queens head nearby which are unbelievable in the summer.Failing this I’d live in and around four oaks, you’ve got the belfry nearby open spaces, a slug and lettuce in the centre and mere green which has the old school house and some great pubs and restaurants. It also has fantastic schools and both are commutable to the city centre, there’s also Sutton Coldfield park which is one of the largest parks in Europe.To sum up, based on any age here is how I would sum it up and this is where I would live. I’ve done this in terms of expected increase in investment and also amentities and everything else.1. Harborne and Edgbaston 2. Four oaks3. Moseley4. Marlbrook/lickey End/ Barnt Green5. Lichfield 6. Dickens Heath ( a village in Solihull which has its own pubs etc and a lot of green space, it looks amazing, new houses but still a traditional feel)7. Sutton Coldfield town centre ( in and around)8. Selly Park.9. Bearwood ( but as close to the Hayley road as possible)10. Dudley ( this more of a long shot but they are making their own university soon it has a village gym with some restaurants around and good transport links and price may go up drastically and you get a lot for your money)

If you’re really near family now I wouldn’t.

York is great, but a family support network is bigger. Your DS will benefit far more from being close to family (provided they’re safe and nice) than he would from being in a bigger house.

Being near family is so much easier for you too. We live far from family with a 2 year old and it is so hard. We’re moving elsewhere soon to be nearer my parents, even though it means a small house in an expensive area.

@NiceLegsShameAboutTheFace

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

Good luck with whatever you decide

Yes, it's all pie, chips and gravy What a ridiculous statement.

I did the opposite and moved south.
I found it very, very hard for the first few years. It didn’t feel like home to me at all and I found people in the area I live incredibly unfriendly and snobby
Years on I weeded through the snobby people and have some good friends. I actually really love it. When I go back north I don’t like it these days. I’d go for it, but don’t expect it to be plain sailing in the early years

Oh and bring away from family support is hard but it depends on your family tbh. Mine are incredibly unsupportive- when I was considering moving they all moaned thry would miss dd, wouldn’t see her grown snd essentially non of them have bothered since!

As zombie thread resurrections go @Susanssa posting this one to sell Harborne is one of the most random 😂

Nowt wrong with North. Its lovely where we live. Where we live this was a house recently sold in your price range. They fly though www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/77593101#/

I’ve been all over and I love to go out and in my opening the evening and nightlife you get in and around Birmingham is unrivalled.