Deciding where to live in the UK (causing family drama)

[JobsNDrama]

Hi everyone,I am new to this so please be gentle!I have recently been offered two different job opportunities and I am really struggling to decide which one to take.
Adding to this, my decision is causing heightened tensions at home - I am currently living with family in order to save for a deposit for a mortgage.
The two roles are practically identical in terms of salary (about 25K per annum) and responsibilities.However, they are based in two very different cities in the UK.Job A is based in Wakefield (public sector job in a small team)
Job B is based in Sale near Manchester (again public sector, but slightly larger team)
Both jobs are great, so the decision is purely down to location.I would be immensely grateful if anyone can share their wisdom on this matter!Which city is better in terms of quality of life, affordability and getting on the housing ladder?
My family, however, would like me to take a private sector job near Canary Wharf.The position comes with a small increase in salary, but I doubt this would get me very far in London.We are currently living near Buckinghamshire and they would like me to commute on a daily basis.I am reluctant to take this position (which is upsetting to my family) as the commute would be in excess of 1.5 hours.Finding a place in London would swallow up most of my salary and I find living in London beyond stressful.
However, my family believes London is better for career progression as it is the capital. They view it as a better place for networking opportunities for me.To make matters worse, I have just had to spend an entire weekend with a strange family friend who bragged about her success in London. She is an avid networker and has been able to secure a well-paid position in London.
AIBU to move to the north?

Nice to see so many other Sale people here!

I only moved here a few years ago so I don't know where's cheaper to buy?

Asking for myself haha, but also OP as if she's on 25k she's only going to be able to borrow 100-112k ish... in Sale that'd leave you needing a hefty deposit for a house (although there are flats in Stanley Square for 130ish which would be a good shout as it's getting done up!).

Most of the posts on MN from people fed up with the UK come from Londoners.

Equally I’ve read many posts on here from people who’ve moved out of London and bitterly regretted it. Obviously not applicable to the OP though since she doesn’t live in London currently!

I don't know Sale or Wakefield well enough to comment but I do know that commuting from Bucks to Canary Wharf will take forever and coat a fortune - there is no way I'd so it.
I'd home ownership is important then move north, on that salary in the SE you will struggle to buy.
If independence is important then move north - your family sound suffocating and over involved in your life.

I grew up in Sale & my dad still lives in Altrincham. My cousin also grew up in Sale & now lives in Wakefield.

The S side of Manchester has traditionally been more attractive than the north. I think this stems back to Victorian times when the prevailing (SW) winds took all the smoke from the factories to the NE, leaving the S & SW with slightly better air quality. Sale is a decent place to live and I would happily move back there but as others have said, it is part of Trafford which uses the grammar school system, so you pay a premium to live there. However, the tram system is brilliant and Sale is on the Altrincham line so you could live anywhere close to the tram and commute to Sale for an awful lot less time and money than Bucks to Canary Wharf.

I agree with other people's suggestions to go & visit. Book into Premier Inn type hotels and go & visit. If you do choose Premier Inn, the Sale one is on the outskirts of Sale and not very useful without a car. You'd be better off in Altrincham as that one is only 5 minutes from the tram, or in the middle of Manchester.

If you need any help on practical matters about Sale, PM me.

Dont choose London if you have an option. Housing alone will eat most of your salary, the air pollution is foul. Go North. You'll be far better off.

I would go for Sale everytime. You can live in south Manchester or even in city centre and get to Sale easily- if you don’t want to live in Sale. I lived and worked in Manchester in my 20s and 30s and had the time of my life. Great place!

I live near and have worked in Wakefield and have lots of friends in sale. You ll have a decent quality of life in Wakefield as its cheap and cheerful. Sale probably cooler more vibrant and more future progression. Wakefield slower pace of life lots of access to the country. Depends on the life style you want. Sale more expensive but still affordable my friends are on public sector pay middle management and have nice 3 beds semis

Oh 2 hour reliable train to King's Cross from Wakefield if in the future you took a London job that was mostly working from home. Husband did that for years

I live in central London and it still takes me 45 to get to CW.

Wakefield is very cheap, quite small, but you'd get a 4-5 bed detached house for under £400k!

I love London, but I always feel that if you don't have to be here, then you're better off living elsewhere. If you can get a great job up north and don't need the 'buzz' of London for your sanity, then life will be easier and cheaper not having to battle with the drawbacks of living in the capital. Personally I'd go for the Manchester gig over Wakefield, but that's just my preference and they both have nice areas and career opportunities and there's lots to recommend a public sector position. Don't let your family's desires push you into something that won't make you happy. It sounds pretty clear from your OP that you're not drawn to London so listen to your gut and put down your roots where you choose.

Def go to Sale! I have family living there and it is lovely!

As someone who listened to family and their opinions for far too long, make up your own mind, it’s your life. It would be you doing all that commuting, in an expensive part of the country, not them. Do what you need to do, just for you.

[quote TheLastLotus]@willstarttomorrow out of interest what do people actually consider ‘cheap’?
A lot of people from the South/London often mean cheap ‘in comparison’ to them. You can afford to rent your own flat in the heart of the city in Manc for £800 pcm. In London/Reading this would get you one room in a 3 bed. Bills excluded as well...
But if we agree that London is inflated I guess Manchester would be the closest ‘real city price’ comparison..?[/quote]
You'd get a three bed semi in a nice area around Wakefield for £800. City centre would be cheaper but you wouldn't want to live there. I don't consider that cheap compared to how much we were paying a few years ago to rent, but in comparison to London it's a bloody steal.

if it's any help, I know both Wakefield and Sale and if you are going to move I'd say that Sale is a much better bet for both the short and/or long term. This will give you some background www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/property/what-makes-sale-fourth-best-12689852 (by contrast Wakefield was ranked 86th)
Plenty of opportunities for socialising and business networking. Plans to redevelop the town centre are well underway and, against the odds, the pandemic has seen a rise in new independent businesses opening, from shops & restaurants to the business service sector. Housing stock is varied and usually more affordable than more fashionable areas like Didsbury & Chorlton. As a bonus, it's got more greenspace than any other borough in Trafford with easy access to the Pennine Way, canal routes etc. Manchester's cross-city trams & transport networks mean it's very commutable. People who live there describe it as welcoming and low key, with a good community vibe.