Leaving London

[properg]

Don't get me wrong I know as secondary schooling approaches many people leave London but has anyone noticed it's more prevalent than usual? Lots of neighbours & friends left over the last yr but this week another 4 of my dcs classmates are planning to go over the summer & 2 are good friends of her/us. I think that makes 9 from the one class & only 1 has an sibling approaching secondary school.

It's making me feel a bit insecure for some reason & questioning whether we should be looking to go to?

I just find it astonishing that people assume they’ll be WFH for the rest of their lives, to the point where they’re sure enough to up sticks and move hundreds of miles from their current jobs. Good luck to you - you’re going to need it!

Yes but theres a middle ground between London and the middle of nowhere, isnt there? Its not either/or

Sure - if you’re moving from London to the Home Counties then you could still work in London and commute in five days a week if needed.

But as I said wfh is not a new thing, lots of people I know could wfh before covid & city office space has been shrinking as companies embraced a hybrid model.

I just find it astonishing that people assume they’ll be WFH for the rest of their lives, to the point where they’re sure enough to up sticks and move hundreds of miles from their current jobs

The people in my OP are going to Hampshire, Berkshire, south coast etc not the sticks.

Good luck to you - you’re going to need it!

Thanks but I haven't even said I'm going anywhere 😆

Especially if the WFH movement doesn’t last forever - which it almost certainly won’t. Surely that’s just common sense?

Do I think everyone will work remotely 100% for the future? No. Do I think people who worked remotely pre covid will continue to do that & likely see an increase in hybrid working? Yes. That's common sense to me 🤷🏻‍♀️

This has gone through my mind a lot the past year. We lived in zone 2 then zone 5 and the main reason I'd move is for secondary schools. The catchment for good ones are ridiculous in London and priced into housing.

But I looked everywhere and cant see where to go. We have no other family and i dont want to be commuting lengthy times even if only part of the week, plus I couldnt hack country living. We will move out of London on retirement though.

I concluded we will go for independent schools like many in London. If we don't get anything... then we'll move out, I'll have to give up my job (niche in London)

We are three minutes from a corner shop. And ten from a beach. I wonder sometimes what motivates people.
South West.

And DD grade A student. State school.

Not everything depends on money.

. I wonder sometimes what motivates people.

What do you mean @beigebrownblue?

Define 'the sticks ?

But I looked everywhere and cant see where to go.

We’re similar - we’ve looked at loads of places and to our surprise, didn’t like any of them half as much as London. We’ve decided to stay put!

Hampshire, Berkshire, south coast etc not the sticks

People I know who live in these places have awful and expensive commutes. Just about ok for 1 parent part of week (I can't do it personally) or 100% remote or good local job (rare)

These places aren't cheap either for slightly more house than London suburbs.

@properg

. I wonder sometimes what motivates people.

What do you mean @beigebrownblue?

Well yes,

Security for young people.

Sterotypes aside, I'm trying

but surely London is a hell hole for young people right now.
Covid?
Knife crime?

Lack of opportunities despite the professed prosperity.

Why are Londoners describing other places as the 'sticks' .

Surely we have more natural capital and cultural capital than you do?

Rent prices? House prices?

time for reset?

That's what i mean. Covid has pushed it forward, but it was coming anyway.

These places aren't cheap either for slightly more house than London suburbs.

Quite. Slightly more house for a shit commute, similar mortgage, worse quality of life and limited job prospects (unless you’re prepared to do the aforementioned shit commute - or have one of these fully remote jobs for life like the OP’s brother, in which case you could just buy a castle in Scotland and be done with it). Where do I sign up?

If you are going to do please do more than cursory research of local schools. We live in a popular commuter location just outside and have had a huge influx of Londoners who are genuinely shocked that none of the outstanding schools have places, and are massively over-subscribed.

but surely London is a hell hole for young people right now.

Yup - all young people who live in London HATE it and would much rather be living in Berkshire.

@Manycupsoftea how do you find Z5? I always thought outer zones were the worst option as many don't areas don't really have proper high streets or amenities on your doorstep.

Why are Londoners describing other places as the 'sticks'

I haven't done that as I don't think it's true.

@QueefofSheena only a problem if you’re moving your children midway through school though presumably? Or am I wrong?

I always found people in London incredibly transient. I'd make good friends but then within a year or two they'd announce they were moving somewhere else. It was incredibly frustrating.

Of course we've now gone and done that too and moved to a small town. We intentionally chose somewhere with a strong sense of community where we could put down roots.

@Dongdingdong no one is asking you to personally move so I'm not sure what your so annoyed at? My brother has no interest in leaving London so is not relevant to my OP.

Why are Londoners describing other places as the 'sticks'

I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but the Home Counties are not the sticks.

@Dongdingdong

but surely London is a hell hole for young people right now.

Yup - all young people who live in London HATE it and would much rather be living in Berkshire.

Don't know about Berkshire. It sounds boring.

Guess we would rathe have 'the sticks'.

These places aren't cheap either for slightly more house than London suburbs.

The people I know who moved all have had healthy budgets just wanted a bigger garden off street parking etc.

but surely London is a hell hole for young people right now.

For kids? Where I live is much safer than it was when I was a dc tbf.