AIBU to consider move to Newcastle?

[Jods1982]

I am a health care professional, in a fairly specific field. We live in my hometown in the south east (not most expensive, not cheapest either). Moved jobs 2 years ago but have been qualified for 16 years. Like with other health professionals job has become relentless after covid and no signs of returning to 'normal'- overbooked clinics, increasingly complex patients, staffing issues. I am a union rep and from what I have gathered by other reps, this is the case across the country. I am burnt out and I am exhausted. There is no routine work any more and I dread going to work most day. I've just started an intensive course which is done partly at work, partly at home (independent prescribing) which is being made difficult to do because of all of the above. This is the only thing I'm trained to do to change careers I would need to start over and I'm not sure what else i would want to do. I turn 40 later this year and the thought of spending another 25 years doing this job fills me with horror.

DH was promoted 6 months ago which gave him a significant pay rise and enable me to reduce my hours to 4 days and now has a WFH contract but has occasional meetings in other areas of the country (3-4 times a year). The main office is in Newcastle. We have 2 DD aged 5 and 9 (year 1 and year 4). As DH WFH he does school pick ups/drop offs, my parents pick the girls up from school once a week to help out, though this not essential. All of my family live in my hometown, in-laws live 30 minute drive away. My parents are retired, FIL retired and MIL likely to retire in next 3-5 years. All in their mid 60's and relatively good health.

Anyways last 2 weeks have been horrendous, broke down in tears a couple of days ago to DH, that i feel trapped by my job. DH covers the mortgage and I cover bills and my car (only have 1 car). We could possibly manage on DH salary alone but down here would make it very tight and wouldn't allow for any emergency costs. My DH has suggested moving to Newcastle area, or further north. I was initially hesitant (schools, moving way from family etc).. we had a look at rightmove and we could sell our 3 bedroom house and by a 4 bedroom house in Newcastle area for 100k less than our house is worth. We could comfortably manage on DH salary alone and I could retrain or get something part-time. i could maintain my registration for a couple of years so if i did decide to return to my profession then I would be able to do this fairly easily. I have said to DH that I will see how things go over the next 6-12 months but if nothing really improves I am done with my job, I can't continue in a job that is making me so miserable.

I think we have largely felt obligated to remain in the southeast (my parents would come round i think, pretty sure my MIL will throw a fit) but I can't help feeling this could be a really good move for us. Has anyone move up north and regretted it or is it the best thing you could have done? We don't know anyone in Newcastle, though DH has a few colleagues who live up there and we don't know area at all. Bonus points for recommendations for good areas to live in Newcastle or on the outskirts. TIA.

Those houses seem great value to me. In my part of London 500k wouldn't get you a dirty, mouldy flat, let alone a lovely house that's updated & well looked after.

Sorry, I missed the bit where the OP said the house budget was 250-300k.

@giggbig same. My tiny 3 bed house in London would go on the market for £700k.
Am counting down the years until I can go north again!!

I don't know anyone up there & have yet to visit that particular area (slowly making my way around the UK coastline though). Downsides of immigrant parents & all family abroad.

What strikes me though is that when you look at what's for sale they tend to be done up too & with good taste which is so appealing. Everything in my budget in London needs a 150k plus renovation 😱

Moved up from London about 10 years ago and now live in the northern suburbs of Newcastle. Both children were born up here and although we have no
family support network up here, neither myself nor my wife have ever regretted the move. It's a friendly place with good airport and rail connections and a pretty decent local transport network. Definitely lose a couple of degrees in temperature but it's not exactly the Arctic. It's a very friendly, diverse city and the night life is certainly very good.

@Isitsixoclockalready did you relocate your jobs?

I lived in Durham for five years, it was lovely, ex DP was from Northumberland and there were some beautiful villages up there all really easy access to Newcastle especially considering your husband doesn't need to go to the office very often

It's lovely up here. I can recommend Hexham, great schools.

I’ve been up in that area a few times recently and I’m struck by how chatty and friendly people are compared to down in the south east.

If it works financially and logistically for your family to move, I’m sure it would eventually work socially as well.

You will struggle to get a four bed in a "nice" area for £250000. You would need to double that budget. It would be do able in less desirable areas, many of which are fine but you would be looking at the less fashionable Newcastle suburbs, coastal areas such as Blythe or towns like Washington in County Durham. Those suggesting Jesmond , Tynemouth and Hexham have clearly missed your budget. Newcastle is a wonderful little city and Northumberland stunning the beaches are amazing and the countryside is glorious without the over dependence on tourism that is such a double edged sword for some other counties. I would suggest you try to have a couple of weeks up there over the summer to get the feel for the area and decide if you would want to be close to city (which would limit your options budget wise) or if you would in happy in one of the smaller towns/ OK to travel from County Durham etc. There are some beautiful properties in you budget in the Northumbrian countryside but they are often extremely remote (my DH fell in love with one a few years ago and I had to point out that the nearest secondary school was 20 miles away, the WiFi was shocking and it would probably be totally cut off for weeks at a time in a bad winter.) I'm in the opposite situation my parents are in the NE while I'm near the south coast. Until my parents health deteriorated I would send the DC to stay with their GPs for a couple of weeks in the summer and Mum would come to me for the half term holidays so I still had 5 weeks school holiday child care.

Agree with everything already said, and just to add that the local NHS trust is one of the best in the country, particularly for research.

I totally agree. For all my DC’s lives (they are 10 and 13), DM lived 250 miles/5+ hours away. We visited several times a year, but there was always elements of being on your best behaviour in someone else’s house; a compromise on everyone’s routines, meal times, beds/bedrooms etc; not being able to see local friends in school holidays; not having your own things with you; feeling that you have to “do something” everyday - it’s difficult just to hang out when you’re not in your own home; slightly feeling that you’ve outstayed your welcome after 4 or 5 days; missed opportunities to do anything else in school holidays. That’s before the time and financial costs of visits; arranging pet sitters/cattery etc and aligning annual leave and 2 sets of school holidays !

In the year or so since DM moved near us (< 1 Mile), her relationships with my dc has blossomed, she’s been to sports matches and school concerts, pops in after school, or the dc go to her. It’s a much more “normal” informal relationship.

In turn, we can care for her through her cancer treatment.

Moving away (or closer) is a decision that impacts 3 generations, but is made only by 1 - see eg: Wanted Down Under!

@giggbig very true. I’m always on Rightmove, looking at houses both in London and Newcastle, and the difference in decor and general maintenance is marked. Everything in London seems very dated and tired, unless over at least £1.5M for comparably sized homes.

why is that

I think it’s very dependent on how close you are to your family. I want to move to the north east around Newcastle. We holiday up there and I love but my kids are secondary age so we’re stuck midway through education. Only one set of parents locally. They help out a bit (we have two kids with Sen) but other set of parents live an hour and a half away and we barely see them. I’d like my kids to be near a city (currently in a well thought of market town in the SE) and I’d like to be somewhere more diverse with friendlier people. I hope my parents would follow as I have a sibling abroad so we’re their only local family.

@goingonahairbunt
regards where you live in Gateshead , without being too personal, could you recommend streets areas that would suit someone like me - 60 yr single female - £300k budget - safe, garden and near good public transport
thank you for any help

@tigerbear indeed get are but as OPs budget is£250k not £500k I'm not sure the options will be those kind of places.

I love that area OP but I would really think whether it will bother you not having family on hand- I'm not particularly that way minded but many people are - we are all different

OP posted in April 2022 - I wonder if they moved. !

@Jbfamtmoyl - this is an old thread, you might get more response if you start your own.

Newcastle is a fantastic city. Northumberland is absolutely stunning and frequently tops polls for the best place to live in the country. The beaches are superb.

House prices are very reasonable. You can get a 4 bed detached for £250k. There's space and room to breathe. The people are so friendly and many of the schools are outstanding. Honestly it's a no brainer.

It's the opposite of grim up north lol.

Just saw this is a couple of years old so the OP may have moved by now lol.

I'm from a small town near Newcastle , if you want a smaller town. Plenty of people commute to the city centre. There are excellent hospitals in Newcastle, perhaps you could find employment with your skills.

House prices, you'd certainly find a 3 bed and a have money left over. . A 4 bed detached for that money would depend on area. I'd consider a 2nd car too. But everything like country side, coast, retail parks , leisure is about half an hour in the car away .

Despite not relying on them , you may find it hard being away from family.

Ghost thread

Whickham or Low Fell :)

Sunniside.