To sell up and move to the seaside

[Lifeissuch]

We’ve fully renovated our home and did all the work ourselves so managed to make profit and finally afford to move to the seaside. We have 3 very young children - 6, 2, 6mo (eldest has spent 2 years establishing friends and community in their school).

Me and DH just haven’t clicked with the area we live in now though (been here 2yrs) and want to move to the seaside (over 2hr away) and possibly go self employed with a catering business (we have no prior experience in this but very enthusiastic and hard working).

Dilemma is; I’m worried sick that because we’d be moving to a marginally smaller house (another fixer upper so full renovation needed again), smaller garden, long commute for DH until we go self employed or he finds something closer in his field (1.5hrs - 3hr round trip), no family or friends nearby and new school for eldest, I worry if we’re making the right decision. I feel somewhat selfish because we’re forcing us but mainly our children to ‘start all over again’ (new career, new home to fully renovate, new school, new friends to make etc..). But we would have a whole transformation of lifestyle, we don’t rely on family and friends for childcare or anything else and hardly see them now anyway, we would be living where we’ve been going on holidays for years gone so it’s a bit of a dream move.

Has anyone else been in a similar position and regretted/happy that they did it?

Actually OP I think what might go against you is having a bit of an attitude problem — if working in tourism at all- be it catering or whatever , being able to be pleasant to all goes a very long way— people on here are trying to just give you their personal experience — there are some ups and some downs— if you wanted people to say fantastic go for it— then don’t ask for what people think. I personally think go for it if you want to— it’s all life experience — but maybe think again about catering businesses

You also have to be realistic about how welcome you will be made by the locals especially if you plan to move to Cornwall where the locals are struggling to find homes and jobs already and are priced out of their local area.

Also if you are entering a struggling hospitality industry these locals will be your competition.

I live by the seaside, prices for houses much higher. The businesses are mobbed in the summer and dead in the winter. Honestly in the summer, especially if it's a hot day you can hardly move. Come winter it's like a ghost town. We will probably wander down to the pub today and have tea out. It will be pretty dead, except maybe with a few locals. You need to be aware that if you are buying in the UK everything is very weather dependent and if you have a bad summer you have a bad stream of income. I would stay put.

My seaside town has no nightclub and no real massive problems with drugs. Teenagers do hang about in parks but they seem to be the polite ones who take their rubbish with them. Very small seaside town though and they are outed on Facebook the minute they do something wrong.

Ive in the seaside where it was alright and I’ve also lived in a tourist town where it was absolutely not alright at all.

I also think it makes a massive difference where the seaside is if it’s Formby or West Kirby you going to have an entirely different experience versus St Anns or Blackpool

In the one hand I agree that this is still a good age to move, and I assume there are good schools nearby which have availability.

However, I really don't understand how you plan to do all this whilst parenting three really young children. Ours are similar ages to yours and we have renovated houses before, but there is no way I would consider that, plus DH with long commute. I wouldn't spend any quality time with the kids, unless you can afford childcare for the youngest two and you lead the renovations when they're in childcare during term time.

You sound motivated and hard working, but you really need to look very carefully into the viability of such a business, especially with kids. The hours are exactly those when you want to depend time with your kids and I've never known anyone whose turned a consistent profit without having a side angle - usually farmers who are selling on their own land they've converted for catering or who are selling their own produce.

Crikeyalmighty - really? People who work in hospitality are always polite?! Op, I think it sounds like a great adventure, go for it.

Go and stay there in November and January and see what it's like when the visitors are not there. A lot of places are dead. In high season it can be manically busy and it's annoying not to be able to get a table at your favourite café or not to be able to park.

Many seaside towns have considerable social problems so investigate that too.

@Elphame

Go and stay there in November and January and see what it's like when the visitors are not there. A lot of places are dead. In high season it can be manically busy and it's annoying not to be able to get a table at your favourite café or not to be able to park.

Many seaside towns have considerable social problems so investigate that too.

Good advice.

The op has already said she’s been going to this place for 30 plus years. Also she last stayed in February so I think she may just know how it looks in the winter. So many people not reading the thread.
I say to the op take no notice of the negative Nancy’s on here. It’s your life, your dream and the kids are a great age to be moving.
Some of the replies on here have been outright nasty and seems to be a sore point to some who live at the seaside already.
If it’s that bad then why don’t they move to a place that’s not cold drug infested no jobs no parking crowded in the summer deserted in the winter etc etc.
My parents live in a seaside town and it’s a beautiful place I’d gladly move there in a heartbeat if we didn’t have to stay where we are for my husbands job.

We moved to a SE coastal town when the children were 4 and 10.We all fitted in well,the eldest went to a lovely primary school the youngest at nursery.The senior school was awful and we ended up with private schools for both so not ideal.The drug problem and poverty was obvious as was homelessness.We were burgled 3 times.You say the place you are thinking about is not like this so fine,the children will settle easily I am sure.We moved to Cornwall 25 years ago and have a great life.The most important thing is to fine the right place.Good luck

Mnetting- the 'locals' don't own their local area

Depends on the town I think. I live by the sea, was brought up here, moved to a busy city for university, lived in London for a bit. Then moved back to start my family. Absolutely love bringing children up by the beach. Our town by no means closes between October and April, there's things all year round. Lots of lovely walks, seaside pubs and cockle sheds that cater throughout winter. Plenty to do when I was growing up as a teen. I'd do it 100%.

Did you ever move to the seaside @Lifeissuch ?

we moved from London to seaside when oldest child was 2 years. Stayed for 12 years then moved back to London 5 years ago.
Deeply regret moving back as miss the seaside and friends. But work opportunities were non existent and my family all back in London so nice grandparents see children growing up.

what are the schools like? not just primaries but senior as well......that would be my concern and also health services...many coastal areas have high level of deprivation and resources...i would be looking at under the holiday... the council/ ons will publish data.... maybe called something like seaside name.data and police data...or jsna -which is health and population

we didn't in the end as when we looked the senior schools had very low performance %gcse etc a narrow range of subjects etc

So it would depend which seaside place ...otherwise good age for the kids to move anywhere i would think !

I love living near the sea. Wintery walks along the beach, water sports in summer. That bit of your plan I think is fine, particularly as you say you have visited out of season.

The catering bit is far more risky. I see so many catering businesses go bust. I'd plan that bit very carefully, ideally one of you remains in a salaried job so you haven't put all your eggs in one basket.

I grew up as a teen by the seaside in Devon and I loved it. I think if your kids/family are nature loving, outdoorsy people then it's a great place to live. It's far better in the winter when there's no tourists and the sea is wild and beautiful. We were very scathing about 'townies' and none of my teenage friends would have admitted to preferring shopping and cities. But we all live in cities now though and I still can't get over how a band or theatre performance or museum exhibit will come to my city, and I think of all the opportunities I missed out on. My career choices were very limited at the local college and there was one bus a day so very hard to go further out to find jobs and placements. I wish I could live there though, I miss it and if you've got the opportunity go for it, you can always move again later on as they grow up.