To just move somewhere and start over?

[shallimove]

Growing up I hated the town I lived in. It’s a small industrial town in the north. I always felt like an odd one out, and found it difficult to make friends. There isn’t much available socially, no meet up groups or anything like that, social life here for everyone mostly revolves around pubs or working men’s clubs and everyone’s friend groups seem to be people they’ve been friends with since primary school.

It kind of hit me recently that I don’t have to stay here, I could live wherever I want. It’s just me, no kids to worry about. Recently lost my job and I have family here but we’re not particularly close, and could always visit each other.

I'm open to ideas about where to go. I could spend about £450k absolute maximum on somewhere to live but would want a two bedroom house at least for that. I want there to be a lot of social/meet up type of things that I could join in on. Apart from that, I’m pretty flexible. I like the idea of Brighton but I’ve never actually been, and I’ve thought about maybe Edinburgh too?

So, what do you think? WIBU to just draw a line under my old life and move somewhere completely new?

Forgot to add that I moved from the South coast to york

If you like the coast and lots going on why not try the South coast from Brighton along to Rye..some lovely towns and only 1.5 hours into central London with lots of train links, Chichester is buzzy and cheaper than Brighton or Bournemouth...oh and the most hours of sunshine in the Uk along that stretch of coast!
Pay will be better than in the north and plenty of work in your field.
You could do several 3 month lets until you decide where you want to stay

Defiantly move! You could live in London for that budget.

@crackofdoom that's actually a really good idea

@Dizzy1234 funny you've said that, it's put me off York a little bit actually, I spent every summer as a child going to those seaside towns and areas and as much as I love them (they're lovey places and I recommend them to people!) I think it might feel a bit too close to home for me maybe?

Do it! I moved a couple of years ago. I enjoy living in my new town - lots of nice things about it, but it's not going to be my forever home. But that's fine!! I now know I can do it: I can move, get to know people, make new friends, settle into a new community - it's actually made me far more confident about moving again!

Holiday destinations like Brighton and Bournemouth tend to have more people living in them who have moved there from away and can be easier to make friends with than people who have made their friends who they socialize with at school

Move somewhere with a reasonably high turnover of people - a university town is good - so that there is a network of Just Arriveds. What about Exeter? Bristol?

Is the North East Coast outside Newcastle too close to where you are?
I was going to suggest it meets your criteria, but as you are already north of England then maybe a bigger more dramatic change is what you're after?
So I also think Cardiff could be a great shout, or Bristol? Or Scotland.
Good luck, I definitely think you should go for it! Life is too short x

Definitely do it! Could you travel a bit between jobs to experience some of the world (obviously hard right now with covid) but a working holiday for 6 months is always a fantastic experience beside settling somewhere new. I left my small home town and then home country mid 20s and have definitely found my "tribe" with people overseas. Friends with people from my original country as well but the ones that also escaped are more like me

Do it OP! YOLO!!
I escaped my grotty old town 26 years ago, no regrets at all. Have you thought about the far South West? Like Exeter?

Try south of England so much more cheerful with sunshine. Hastings is arty people friendly flat one bedroom maybe £400 - 500.
I would definitely move, I did years ago.

Make a couple of trips for a weekend first. Brighton, Cardiff, wherever. See if you really like it there. Then see what work is available.

I moved counties from a city to a village and I love it but it's not how I expected it to be

I love Brighton!

Can you arrange some long weekends in some of the places you like the thought of and then see which one feels right for you?

Good luck

I am biased but I would recommend Norfolk and Norwich in particular. Close to the coast, affordable housing, culturally it is great and kids have a lovely lifestyle. Made such a change and not regretted any of them.

You've got a very healthy budget, OP. But Brighton is expensive. Hastings is lovely but also quite expensive. Chichester's nice. Winchester is even nicer. I'm sure you're looking round on Rightmove to check out what's available?

Move to Scotland - with that amount of cash for a property, you could have a beautiful home + land!

That would be rural/Northern Scotland, which I don't think is the vibe the OP is looking for. You can get a decent flat in Marchmont or Stockbridge type areas for £450k

I think Winchester came out as the most expensive city to buy in (relative to income) in the UK in a property survey recently!

Southsea/Portsmouth a good shout - I live here - seaside, plenty happening, property prices far far cheaper than Brighton/Chichester/Winchester etc

Do it! Just make sure you check out where ever you decide to move really well first. I guess you also need to think about work and where you could find a job, maybe find a few places that you like and start applying for jobs in those places and see what you get offered.

Depends what age you are and what you are looking for. I've lived in city, town and village. Oddly I found a village offered more social goings on than any city - I guess they have to make their own entertainment in villages, and put more effort into socialising.

However, if you are young and looking at clubbing, wine bars and such, choose a vibrant city - Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bristol, Brighton etc

I'd steer clear of small towns - in my experience they offer the worst experience.

Absolutely, but like you said rent first to get a feel for the new area. I’d suggest renting for at least 1 year! We bought in haste then 5 years later moved again, new place so much better for us but I couldn’t have known then (but couldn’t sell for 5 years).
I bet you will have a different appreciation of where you are from when you live elsewhere (which doesn’t mean you have to move back!).

A friend of mine retired and wanted to move out of London a few years ago; - identified a fairly wide area, then had about six months of long weekends away exploring and narrowing it down to a particular town, then started looking at houses.

Exeter! Nice and buzzy town with with gigs and sport, easy access to the sea! Water sports, lovely pubs and restaurants!
We have an accounts job going live soon too!

My advice would be to rent first! Even if you like an area - different parts of a city or villages next door to each other all have a different vibe. We’re living just 10 miles from where we first rented here but I love where I am now and didn’t like the first place much. Good luck with it all!!