Live in Devon or South Wales

[Hocuspocusandfairies]

Where would you Live between these two locations? I have 3 primary aged children and currently live in a city but have wanted to leave for so long and time seems right for us now.

Sorry I can't be more specific with particular areas but we'd choose exact location depending on work which I think is pretty transferable.

I see that South Wales we would get more house for our money but my heart is set on Devon.

Has anybody else moved from a city to these areas? Are you glad or do you regret it?

If your heart is set on Devon move to Devon. I’m biased as I live in Devon. Devon is lovely. The downsides are that some areas are expensive and the lack of work/poor salaries

I used to live in a city elsewhere. Do I regret moving? No.

We chose between the two as one set of parents live in Devon and the other in South Wales. Chose Devon as having grown up in South Wales the one thing I didn’t want to force my children to do was learn Welsh. I know that sounds ridiculous but I hated it, despite being good at French and German, and I couldn’t face the homework all over again 😂 but both places are lovely and I regularly go ‘home’ ... well I did obviously not so much nowadays!

Thank you Both. I have some friends that moved to South Wales last year and it does look lovely and I have been myself and did like it but I am more familiar with Devon and even Cornwall really.

I've wanted to go for years and my eldest foes to secondary next year so it feels the right time now.

I just want to be closer to the coast as we're in Birmingham so feel so land locked.

I moved from an urban environment to a rural/ coastal Devon location and I've never been happier, I love my outdoor lifestyle here, taking pleasure in simple things and the friendliness of the small town I live in. I was happy to compromise on not having all amenities right on my doorstep and I didn't have to consider the needs of children.
Buying and selling houses here does lack the speed and efficiency of bigger housing markets (sorry Devon, I'm not alone in thinking this) so be prepared for that.

Dartmoordoughnut, not silly at all. I know I could still holiday in Sputh Wales if we didn't choose that location to live. My friends who moved love it and say it's the best decision they've ever made for themselves and their children.

I live by the coast in South Wales and it’s gorgeous, really love it here. Devon is also lovely. Sorry, I’m not much help!

I know how you feel, though, as we lived in Birmingham for 6 years and I missed the sea so much!

I grew up in Devon and loved it. The journey down the motorway going back there is still one of my favourite journeys!

We moved from Birmingham to South Wales! For my father’s job but still, funny old world

Fojn, I'm the same. I love being outdoors in all weathers. Just wish I could take my house with me as I love my house but not my area

Moved from Essex/London borders to Pembrokeshire 28 years ago. Best move we ever made.

We used to have a caravan growing up by the coast and we were there every week and I feel my mental health go downhill if I'm away from it for too long.

Your heart seems to be saying Devon

Pembrokeshire is the part I'm most familiar with and agree that it is a stunning place.

Flying, I think it is really. Getting on that M5 going South West is such a great feeling. Don't get the same feeling heading towards the Midlands

Both of these are huge areas, which offer a wide range of options!
You could live in a city in both locations, or as rural as you like. You could go coastal or inland in both. You could go touristy or 'off the beaten track'.

Devon has coast/moors/rolling farmland, whereas s Wales has coast, hills & valleys. There's also pockets of big industry along the Wales coast, which mean it's not quite as scenic all the way along.

A big factor for me would be how much you want to be accessible to other parts of the UK. In S Wales, once you get to the end of the M4, the roads are slow, and getting anywhere takes ages. In Devon you do at least have some major A roads once you fall off the bottom of the M5. The traffic in Devon in the summer is terrible, because it's the only way to get to Cornwall.

There's a lot to be said in both locations for living close-ish to where tourists want to go. There's likely to be more going on in terms of pubs/restaurants and 'culture' in general, and also potential holiday jobs for teenage kids.

They are 2 of my favourite places in the country - I grew up in Devon, and would love to live in S Wales now (DH having none of it, we also live in the midlands).

If you have family in Birmingham, have you considered Bristol? Very easy to access the coast, but also very easy to connect with home?

You can buy a decent 4 bed house in most places in Devon for under 400k. Villages and some coastal towns are more expensive but there are many lovely places that get overlooked and are cheaper.
I hope you find what you're looking for.

I'm from Brum and have lived in Devon for over 20 years. I'd move back tomorrow, no make that today. I miss a city, miss people who don't give a damn about your colour or where you come from. Hate that every time there is a plan for new houses all you hear is , "They'll all be full of housing benefit people from Birmingham or Liverpool." I hate the fact that most bright kids have to move away to get a decent job in their chosen field, mine all still in their uni cities. Of their friends from school I know one who is still local.

My DH is disabled and can't/won't face the move.

Kids loved it growing up so probably nice for your kids and if you "fit in" you will probably be OK.

We moved to Devon instead of Pembrokeshire because with family in the SE, NW & Scotland, Pembs just felt that bit too far out.

If you have family in Birmingham, have you considered Bristol? Very easy to access the coast, but also very easy to connect with home? We almost moved to Bristol, I think it is a good compromise and regret we didn't do it.

I do agree with you ancientgran we are happy here in Devon but I notice very insular views, & very limited jobs.

I don't have any living family and my husbands family are not from Birmingham so that's not really an issue although I do like Bristol. It is all a lot to think about and some very informative information to think about so thank you.

We live in Devon (have grown up here) and love it. We are on the coast but also have the countryside within a 30min drive. We are always out doing something. Even after school/work we can take the kids out (weather depending) for an hour and mess around on kayaks/paddle boards etc. Weekends we usually drive down to Cornwall as my eldest loves bodyboarding . My dh does travel an hour for work for better money, but he doesn’t mind an hour commute either way.
The only thing I don’t like about living where we do is my accent . No matter where we go for a holiday/short break, I am always happy to come home.

Yup, @ancientgran is right on the downsides of the SW. It's a cultural desert (nope, the occasional visit from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and English Touring Opera doesn't really make up for the absence of stuff on tap), it is very, very white (had a friend move back to the SE because he got so fed up with having the P-word shouted at him on the street on a Saturday night), average pay is the lowest in England.

On the plus side, the coastline is nice.