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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Relocating - London

25 replies

Lightswitch123 · 23/01/2022 15:16

We were thinking about moving out of London after impact of covid juat for a more rural life- London home big enough and in a mice area- friendly / good schools / green.

Been house hunting but not really great value anywhere at the moment - everyone seems to have pushed their prices up in the past 12m - so haven't offered

Have accepted verbally an offer on our London home but not got as far as contracts.

now having massive cold feet as DH asked yo be back on office 5 days a week, me 2 or3.

We've also had people putting offers though letterbox trying to buy our London home! Seems people are desperate to move back!

Should we still move?

YABU - you've accepted an offer see it through. A commute is worth it for a rural life

YANBU - you love you current house and area. Commuting is massive drain. Go away for weekend trips instead!

OP posts:
Original poster
Lightswitch123 · 23/01/2022 15:42

For those voting YABU can you share your reasons? Thabk you!

OP posts:
Calendulaaaaa · 23/01/2022 15:45

Green is overrated, commuting sucks, London is amazing, everyone is starting to move back now!

If you like where you are then why risk everything for something you might hate?

DoTheMerengue · 23/01/2022 15:53

I think this is a completely personal decision based on your own preferences and aspirations.

Personally I’d stay in London unless you’re going to change your jobs. Commuting for hours every day gets very old, very quickly.

seekinglondonlife · 23/01/2022 15:56

You'd be mad to move. I'd give internal organs to afford a place in London. Leafy, green fields are very overrated.

shivermetimbers77 · 23/01/2022 15:59

If you love your house and area you are already in a great position OP

ZoeTheThornyDevil · 23/01/2022 16:04

I think the pendulum is going to swing significantly back to a baseline of office presence. I'm researching this area right now and completely remote work has a negative effect on a lot of soft metrics unless a company has the resources and commitment to upskill everybody to make it work.

Think practically. What are you going to get from the move other than an exhausting commute that you couldn't get from visiting the countryside on weekends?

underneaththeash · 23/01/2022 16:06

Where are you moving to OP?

If you haven't found somewhere to rent/buy then you can't move anyway.

We never regretted moving out of London, but our house was too small for us.

dingledanglewoowoo · 23/01/2022 16:09

What are your reasons for wanting to move? Do they outweigh the reasons to stay?

Tohaveandtohold · 23/01/2022 16:13

You already have a decent set up in London, what’s the point of moving now, uprooting your kids and having to commute for most of your week? You don’t even have any place in mind yet, I’ll stay put

londonmummy1966 · 23/01/2022 16:41

If youre feeling uncertain anyway then do not take yourself out of the London property market in case you hate it and want to come back. You could think about renting out your London home for a year and renting in the sticks to see if you do like it or not. Then decide.

Henlie · 23/01/2022 16:50

Where in London are you currently living Op? And what’s your current commute time? And where are you thinking of moving to (roughly)?

When I used to work in the City, my commute from a West Kent town was quicker than many colleagues who were coming by tube from Zone 4/5.

We moved out of London many years ago and have never regretted it. But we like the semi rural living.

Toanewstart22 · 23/01/2022 16:55

November 21 you posted

* We did that. Then moved back to London. Best decision ever.*

Are ou really sure you want to move out again?!

Icecreamsprinkles · 23/01/2022 17:03

I think you need to sort out your job situation first and see what that will look like in relation to WFH/office. Then start building a plan on where you want to live and what you want from the move. I think your idea of moving rural might be a good one but it seems half baked at the moment. Agree with previous poster that renting first may be a good idea then it would not be too much of a trauma if you want to change area or move back

Original poster
Lightswitch123 · 23/01/2022 17:10

Reasons to go
Bigger house (not required though- current plenty big enough forever). Also is an attractive period property and nice inside (we renovated from top to bottom)
Bigger garden / more space (current is v v small, but can walk to park)
Secondary school options - better facilities outside london qs more grounds. Less "hot house" than some of the London choices
Felt massive need for change last year- has worn off now though. Think lockdown related .
Been offered job outside London but could easily get same job in London
To move away from urban living- our immediate area nice, but 5 mins drive away is less so etc. Find the traffic on the main streets intense at times. As per usual for city living.

Reasons to stay
Husband starts work early in city and prefers to be in office as wfh mentally tough (even though have seperate office space on different floor to tobrest of family living areas)
We are 17mins into town option of train or tube if one not working. Could cycle or taxi also.
Have good social network
Kids can walk to primary school
No costs of moving
Childcare easy to sort in london

OP posts:
Original poster
Lightswitch123 · 23/01/2022 17:13

Also reason not to go-
the letters through the door asking about our house are making me nervous is a big mistake

We were thinking Hampshire but seems that don't actually get a big lifestyle change for the money at the moment

OP posts:
Winter2020 · 23/01/2022 17:16

I would hate to make my kids move schools. To do it when I wasn't even sure I wanted to move - no way!

Glugglejug · 23/01/2022 17:18

I’m from the countryside and now I live in zone 2. I’m never leaving (apart from for a weekend jaunt). The countryside is shit, op! Don’t do it!

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 23/01/2022 17:19

If DH is going to be commuting 5 days a week I wouldnt move.

Original poster
Lightswitch123 · 23/01/2022 17:25

@Glugglejug

I’m from the countryside and now I live in zone 2. I’m never leaving (apart from for a weekend jaunt). The countryside is shit, op! Don’t do it!
Haha thank you for your honesty! We briefly lived out but came back however that was before wfh and kids. Since covid I've had country life magazine aspirations but tbh I grew up in London so don't really know what it's like to live outside London with a family-

The lifestyle change I'd need to make it worth it doesn't really seem good possible at the moment once you factor in all the logistics so just wondering if I've got it all wrong / am missing something

Eg we saw q House for 1.55m which was surround by the working back of a pub on one side (kitchen and bottle back etc), the pub garden on another qnd the pub car park on a 3rd. The 4th was a lane and a railway!! It went under offer the week it launched! And it wasn't even very big or a big garden! Absolutely bonkers. Estate agent couldn't believe it

OP posts:
MarshaBradyo · 23/01/2022 17:27

How long is the commute?

I think it’d be a massive drain so would stay

Twizbe · 23/01/2022 21:04

Tbh it sounds like you should stay. There is lots that is great about country living but there's lots great about London too.

user1493494961 · 23/01/2022 21:19

I think you should stay.

Original poster
Lightswitch123 · 24/01/2022 14:28

Big chat last night- we are staying!

V relieved

OP posts:
ZoeTheThornyDevil · 24/01/2022 18:41

Glad you have come to a resolution that you're happy with.

Enjoy our wonderful city Grin

OfstedOffred · 24/01/2022 19:13

Where are you in London that you've got offers through the letter box?! We've got friends in north, south & west London all struggling to sell.

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