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.

Hmmm OP the North is not as cheap as people seem to want to believe. York certainly isn't. Also think carefully about lack of support and integration and support building time.

I now the North may have a reputation of being a friendly place. That's why we chose it alongside with the supposed affordability. 21 years in as BAME immigrants, we are still outsiders and will not be allowed to feel part of life here. They are very tight knit communities and have well established social networks. Can't wait to relocate tbh.

Know not now

Have you looked at midlands? It’s not as far. I wouldn’t move to Norfolk, it’s beautiful but takes hours to get anywhere.

Have you considered Dronfield? It’s a lovely little town/ village. It has its own train station with excellent links to Manchester and Sheffield. I have friends who commute to both. It also has really, really good schools.

You could get a really nice sized semi for your budget

Croft Lea, Dronfield Woodhouse, Dronfield
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-81140098.html

Well the Times property section thinks Driffield is worth a look. (Guessing 'south' was a typo.) There's money in the area but it's quiet farming money, not flash cars.
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/driffield-south-yorkshire-best-places-to-live-m7tsjfs7v

If you want a bit nearer to York this is a smaller market town. www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E16755&radius=3.0&index=24&propertyTypes=&includeSSTC=false&mustHave=&dontShow=&furnishTypes=&keywords=

[quote AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken]Have you considered Dronfield? It’s a lovely little town/ village. It has its own train station with excellent links to Manchester and Sheffield. I have friends who commute to both. It also has really, really good schools.

You could get a really nice sized semi for your budget

Croft Lea, Dronfield Woodhouse, Dronfield
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-81140098.html[/quote]
There are usually more in the market but it looks a little quiet in Dronfield real estate at the minute.

I moved from the North to the South, and even though I could buy the same house for 1/3 of the price in my home town I wouldn’t move back.

As PP said, it’s an acquired taste, it’s hard to explain but it’s like another country. And if I’m honest I feel like my children will have more opportunities in the South.

There's money in the area but it's quiet farming money, not flash cars.

Forget money! You don't need your neighbours to have money. What you need in an area (particularly if you are working age with kids) is access to decent jobs, schools and facilities.

We were considering a similar move - currently in Sussex and thinking of moving up to Durham where DH's family is based due to house size for money.

We thought long and hard about it, but decided against it due to the South East being where the jobs are (I know you said you could work from home), but personally being from the South East I do find the pace of life slower up there and, dare I say (I will be shot for this), attitudes are more 1950s (in my opinion).

That seems optimistic for York...

£270k gets you a 2 bed terrace in my bit of the north. It’s not some weird backwater

I moved from Buckinghamshire to south Devon for the house prices 2 years ago.

I don't regret it but I would move back if I could afford it. Probably. But we love being by the sea too.

@NiceLegsShameAboutTheFace

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

Good luck with whatever you decide

Excuse me?!?

dino yes, we are entirely 1950's in every bit of The North. Backwards, as you say.

But at least we aren't bigoted snobs.

I moved from Chelmsford to Hull 8 years ago and although I was renting up here at first I now have a large 4 bed for less than your budget. I currently live 15 mins outside Hull.

There are good and bad areas in every town / city you just need to keep an eye on where they are.

One thing I will say about up here compared to down there, the transport links are nowhere near as good up here. Sunday buses / trains can be a rarity in some places. Some buses / trains stop in the early evening. You will definitely need a car in some places as it can be quite rural.

Driffield is nowhere near York! But lots of people have already pointed that out to you

I live up North in a 4 bed detached house with a big garden that cost £210,000.Plenty of picturesque countryside within a short walk, and most high street retailers in a 15 min drive. If I want something more I can get to Glasgow/Edinburgh/Newcastle/Liverpool/Lakes all in under 2 hours.

In comparison good friends of ours live in Surrey. 2 bedroom terrraced house with small garden cost them £400,000. When we visit anywhere we go (be that the supermarket, soft play, shopping centre, park) it takes minimum 1 hour (not including time/stress for car park spaces).

I feel they lose so many hours and so much quality time with their loved one's simply due to geography. Our DH to pretty much the same job with almost identical wages. Mine works 8-4pm and no weekends, hers works 6-6pm with weekend work. He practically only saw DD on weekends as she was aseep when he went to work and asleep when he came home at night!

I can't understand, given a straight option, why anyone would choose to live in these densely populated areas.

I was living down south and as soon as I got pregnant it was back home to the northwest for me. Nothing is more important then being close to family the bond my son and parents have is amazing. That being said the people are nicer bigger house bigger disposable income it’s got all the positives being up north for me

@Immigrantsong

Hmmm OP the North is not as cheap as people seem to want to believe. York certainly isn't. Also think carefully about lack of support and integration and support building time.

I now the North may have a reputation of being a friendly place. That's why we chose it alongside with the supposed affordability. 21 years in as BAME immigrants, we are still outsiders and will not be allowed to feel part of life here. They are very tight knit communities and have well established social networks. Can't wait to relocate tbh.

I agree with this. im not BAME, but I live in Lake District and it is not what id call 'diverse' at community level, when you peer past the tourism.

I live in the North.

Houses round me are the same as Surrey prices.

I don’t think £270 k would buy a massive house with garden and playroom in any decent area in the north

*@rc22 is totally correct *
*
Skerne has a York postcode but the YO postcode covers a massive postcode area and Skerne in Driffield is actually marginally closer to Hull than to York. In the fact the next village up the road from me has a York postcode and is about 15 miles from Hull but 35 miles from York! The area around Driffield and Skerne is lovely and you will get a beautiful house for a very reasonable price compared to in Hampshire but you will be living in a very rural and fairly isolated area. Don't imagine you'll be conveniently placed for the "city" facilities York has. You won't get a house of the size you are looking for in the city for £270 000.

For the poster who said the North is an acquired taste, I do understand. I've tried but I'm yet to acquire a taste for the South!*

The YO postcode stretches right out towards Scarborough and what used to be known as Humberside. If you prepared to live nearer Scarborough or Hull then yes you will get value for money but there is a reason why public sector areas like education struggle to recruit to the area.

£270k for a large house within the immediate area of York is unlikely. It is part of what's known as the Golden Triangle of North Leeds/Harrogate/Wetherby and York. For example I live 20 mins from York. I have a 3 bedroom detached and is worth circa £500k. Top end for a 3 bedroom but not unusual by any means. A friend bought a new 4 bedroom house nearby, semi detached, no garage and no loft. £400k!

I wouldn't move from where your roots are unless the rewards are significant and not just a house in a less than desirable area

and regarding the op, you wouldn't get a flat here for under £300.000

Where i am in the north you would get a 4 bed detached or 5 bed semi for that much, but we are 1 hour from the nearest big city and trains from my town are every hour with a change on the way so opportunities around here aren't great.

I think you'd be best focusing on an area you like rather than house prices

Driffield is not York.

You can get even a better house in Goole.
Or Harehills in Leeds
Or Chapeltown

But that's not York.

York is expensive.

Oh - and the North is massive. And it's not 400 miles from London.

I live on the south coast, and it’s even possible to get a four bedroom house for £270k here if you’re prepared to live in the worst area of the town...

@chomalungma

You can get even a better house in Goole.
Or Harehills in Leeds
Or Chapeltown

If you fancy moving to Harehills or chapeltown, then buy a stab vest. That's how nice it is there!