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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Moving to cornwall

34 replies

lisaevans · 09/07/2020 22:01

Been with Dp for 10 years, 2 dc. Recently he has had to sell house as ex took him to court, fine as we are all in my rented house. Anyway he has been looking at buying land in cornwall, we holiday there every year with family and love it. He wants to buy land and build log cabins to holiday let and build a log cabin/house for us. i work in care so jobs are available anyway, he has his own business which he wants to give up so we can do this. Timeline of 4-5 years so youngest dc would start senior school there, oldest dc would hopefully be at uni/collage by then. I want to get carried away with the idea but feel like .aybe we would get backlash from locals? i don't know, asking for what other people would do. We would be a good 4 hour drive from family and friends but means if it works we could both work on our land and that would be that.

Yabu- not a good idea
yanbu- go for it- get carried away!!

OP posts:
silverbubbles · 09/07/2020 22:03

Sounds perfect. Do it.

Original poster
lisaevans · 09/07/2020 22:24

Almost feels too easy, wondering why alot of people aren't doing it! Planning permission of course is huge so would have to see on that but i feel like if i get carried away, could be left really dissapointed

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Marcipex · 09/07/2020 22:27

Has he any building experience?
It could be a great adventure. You could start with a campsite to bring in some money while you build your own house first.
No idea of practicalities though.

Boohoohoohooho · 09/07/2020 22:27

What do your kids think?

Lesat · 09/07/2020 22:34

Just remember going on holiday somewhere is really different to living there full time.

Wish you and your Family the best of luck.

jackdaw141 · 09/07/2020 22:36

You sound naive, but also smart in the same post. However, you need to do a business and personal plan. You will not come across green belt, in Cornwall, but you will come across stiff opposition from locals (who are on the planning councils).

These are no longer Darling Buds Of May times.

Preparation is everything. Or you lose everything.

Original poster
lisaevans · 09/07/2020 22:36

He has building experience yes, my dad also had his own building company and has offered any help needed ( free working holiday and a few free after 😂) We did think of camping/caravan pitches also.

Kids love the idea, fully on board.

For some reason i think it really can't be as easy as it sounds!!!

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Original poster
lisaevans · 09/07/2020 22:40

@jackdaw141
Iv had a look and looked at how it could go pp wise, depends where the land is, how built up, need for tourism/ business ect. Came across 4 acres, not completely in the tourist branch where fully built up, 1 other camp site around 8 miles away. Tbh i have no idea when it comes to any of it but im happy to get involved research ect. It just sounds to good to be true

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isthiswalter · 09/07/2020 22:41

It probably isn't as easy as it sounds. You have planning to get around, and local opposition, and it will be expensive. It's not just a case of plonking a few cabins on a field, you have to have road access, power supply, drainage etc (which you may well realise but the way you've written it sounds like you think it's a simple thing to do)

DuineArBith · 09/07/2020 22:43

Planning permission could be a major issue. There are quite serious problems in Cornwall with so much land being taken up by holiday homes and campsites, and a lot of resistance to new ones. You need to check that out really carefully.

Original poster
lisaevans · 09/07/2020 22:43

@Lesat where we are, we have abit of land where we are constantly doing things, any spare time we are in feild planting new hedgerows, putting up fencing that kind of thing. Both fully aware and not afraid of hard work, and i have i thought that yes i love cornwall but will be completely different living there, thankyou for the luck wishes 😊

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Original poster
lisaevans · 09/07/2020 22:47

@isthiswalter had a look at cost's, and yes very very expensive. Cest pit, water mains, everything really does add up. Fortunate enough to be in a position to go ahead.

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CornishTiger · 09/07/2020 22:50

I’d really recommend building house you want and then looking for permission after you have got feel for community and become known.

transformandriseup · 09/07/2020 22:50

Cornwall council tries to avoid granting planning permission to build on greenbelt land and encourages building on brownfield sites.

Sorry if this seems very negative but a lot of Cornwall has been built on in the last 10 years and traffic and local services and getting worse each year. Depending on where you are planning to build, near Truro for example (too many houses), the opposition could be very fierce. Other areas, not so much.

Felifox · 09/07/2020 22:54

If your dh has building experience then you could consider moving to Cornwall and both work while you look round to set up your business. That way you would be able to set up your business plan with a knowledge of the area. Land and property in tourist areas are expensive.

I live a few minutes walk from the mainline station, have sea glimpses from my bedroom, am in a village but not in a tourist area. There's so much for dcs to do here, from swimming and surfing, riding, sports, cycle trails. Most children leave school and go to college at 16 for A levels. A friend's dcs use the train to meet up but she drives them a lot to football etc.The older one at 17 is learning to drive and has a car.

Sunset tonight

Moving to cornwall
Crazynakedgorlwithnonipples · 09/07/2020 23:02

Cornwall is beautiful and if you make the effort to be part of the community, the cornish are friendly and welcoming.

Be aware of the mining heritage, there are mine shafts in unexpected places so make sure you get your searches done before you buy!
Choose your area wisely and think about who you want coming to your site. Different areas will attract different people. Do you homework, keep grounded and don't let the dream cloud your judgement

manybirdsnests · 09/07/2020 23:07

op, I have no experience of anything like that, but I would say go for it, get carried away.

There's a chance it'll all go tits up, or on the other hand you could end up living your best life. Either way it's your life, your dream and you only get one chance at it.

You will always regret it if you don't even try, wondering about the what-ifs.

Go and have an adventure!

Original poster
lisaevans · 09/07/2020 23:14

Thanks for reply's all!! The land is roughly 10miles up from newquay and mainly hikers ect from all reviews, it is close to a beach but not very holiday like with tourist flocking such as st ives. The land we have looked at isn't greenbelt, think it used to be a farm feild so there will be plenty of work. The idea is, have a look at the land hopefully buy, but still continue to work where we are for time being whilst drawing up plans, bespoke to site, taking extended working holidays to travel down, get to know area and people there. It will be a few years of hard graft, paperwork ect. The quieter the better in my opinion, PIL are older and struggle to find places that aren't over crowed so id be happy to try cater to older communities who just want to relax and enjoy the calm of cornwall. Has anybody on here ever tried or know of anybody who has done the same that could share some insight?

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Original poster
lisaevans · 09/07/2020 23:18

I know i probably do sound extremely naive, Dp seems fully set and has also said if it doesn't work then we can just holiday there with our caravan a few times of the year, i would absolutely LOVE this as a life for us and our children but don't want to get carried away with an idea at the same time

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Original poster
lisaevans · 09/07/2020 23:19

@Felifox 😍 beautiful!!!

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Atalune · 09/07/2020 23:29

Have you fully costed it?

Have you got a business plan together?

Would you be willing to graft like mad for the first 2/3 years- 7 days a week to make it all work?

Friends built glamping cabins in Dorset, lived in a static while they were building it. A static in the winter isn’t fun. 4 years later they are very happy and making great money. But it was HARD. and they are up to their eyeballs in debt, but are making £5k a week on rentals. And are booked through till November 2021.

Atalune · 09/07/2020 23:30

There was a thread on here about someone wanting to move to coast/rural SW and lots of posters who had grown up there couldn’t wait to leave....

Original poster
lisaevans · 09/07/2020 23:42

@Atalune Have fully costed it, and completely aware of how hard it will be, i work 4 nights a week ( waking nights) and tend to horses and sheep everyday, rain or shine. We are very outdoorsey so days off are spent doing things which is hard graft, but we are always on the go, dp has own business and works 5-6 days a week and we still do whatever is needed in between. Neither of us are sit down people, there is always something to do, so fully aware of what is needed. Input for output really, to make something work i would give my absolute all.

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GinWithASplashOfTonic · 09/07/2020 23:43

I think part of it is whereabouts in Cornwall your thinking of moving to?!?

Like different areas have different attitudes to this sort of development

Original poster
lisaevans · 09/07/2020 23:46

What we want are log cabins, 2 bedroom, sleep 4. The idea would be to build 1 or 2 pp granted and live in whilst carrying on with other work. But also having our caravan on site, then building a 3/4 log cabin for ourselves eventually, so 1 house for ourselves, and then 3 or 4 log cabins on site, not over crowded, plenty of space to relax

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