To relocate from the south east up north??

[BadgerLovesMash]

Just to start I have never moved away from where I grew up so this would be huge!! But now after having our landlord decide to sell our home again (5th time in 12 years this has happened to us!) We are seriously considering moving somewhere cheaper. But some things making me wonder whether we should.

We currently live just outside of Brighton so are very used to easy and cheap public transport which is vital as we don't drive.

Our daughters are 14 and 10, so 1 heading into GCSE years and the other just about to start secondary school.

We have a good support network of friends and family here. All the girls friends are here.

However we are both on minimum wage. DH works for a company that would let him change locations. I work in childcare so could find another job in that field (I was looking to change anyway as no longer need term time once dd2 starts secondary and theres no chance of increased hours where i am) so financially we would be significantly better off.

For reference our current rent for a 3 bed is £1500 per month and this is cheap, others in this area are closer to £1800. I was looking at Grimsby and for a similar sized 3 bed it is £515. But that is 5hrs on the train from here!

So has anyone done this and what are the pros and cons?

Oh and this is all quite outing if you know me! 🤣

Have you ever been to Grimsby? 😬 I live in the north(born in London but moved in my late teens). I wouldn’t move a 14 year old unless absolutely necessary.

So the overall consensus is not to move!

I havent seriously looked at anywhere in particular, grimsby was just somewhere that popped up. Looked like a decent sized town and the houses i saw on right move are much nicer than mine or any we have rented.

I'm aware brighton is very unique and I love living here, but unfortunately we are struggling to make ends meet. We just about cover our bills each month, ive got our food as low as I can (under £300 per month), we don't do much as cant afford to. My daughters have never been on holiday abroad or further than London. We have 0 savings. I want to give them a better life, I don't think we ever will give them that here.

Any savings you make on accommodation costs will be eaten up in heating costs. Many is the time I have read on mumsnet about a nice warm day where you live when it is hurling it down outside and chilly (South Yorkshire)

I think the reasons you have for wanting to stay where you are outweigh any (probably small) advantage in rent savings you might make.

People in the Frozen North do not spend an extra £500/month on heating

Why are people talking like the north is some frozen wasteland ? What absolute bollocks

I wouldn’t make the move away from all my friends and family. Why don’t you look at cheaper parts of the south east, Brighton area is very expensive (I also live around here!), and you could probably find something more affordable not so far away. And I do find the weather a big factor for me too, sorry!

The comments about the weather are hilarious. You acclimatise anyway, but it really isn’t that cold!!

Also you say you are both on minimum wage, is there any way you or your partner could improve your earnings? That could help, coupled with looking at cheaper areas in the SE than Brighton, which is notoriously expensive due to its popularity with people leaving London.

Somewhere like St Leonards, Bognor or Seaford might be more affordable?

I'd look at somewhere like Plymouth or Swansea, if you want to be near the coast
North West England tends to be wet, North East tends to be cold.
Midlands is far from the coast.

Somewhere like Stoke-on-Trent or Derby might be possibilities.

I havent been anywhere really, I visted family in Huddersfield but not since I was a child.

We can't afford to travel and see the different parts of the country. We occasionally go to London as I can get a return for me and the girls for £11. Going further north is closer to £160.

This is why it's difficult I have no experience of anywhere other than where I've grown up.

I would think carefully if I were you.Cheap rents are often cheap for a reason! Not wanting to offend anyone from the Grimsby area ,it is really a different world.Cold and wet ,and from years of under investment from the Tories rather run down .Maybe Margate or somewhere like that ? We live on the South Coast and it is warmer and sunnier in general

The "bitter cold"?! Sorry but as a Scot this makes me laugh.

I'd say it's the wrong time, too soon to GCSEs

Also renting is just as unstable where ever you live unfortunately.

There are lots of lovely places up North and if it means buying or shared ownership is possible then I would recommend it.

You need to move to a nice area with good schools.

Here is an example. I don't live in this area but know it's nice

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/131663093#/?channel=RES_LET

On right move there are only 3 three bed under £900 per month.

Rentals are in short supply in nicer areas so you'd have to secure one.

We moved to Yorkshire because we couldn’t afford to live where we were. We uprooted our kids and left our support network. I won’t say it hasn’t been tricky but we’re getting there in terms of social life (adults more than kids - they were fine pretty quickly although our oldest was only 11).

I don’t recognise these stories of freezing conditions although the summer is generally less warm. The coldest place I’ve ever lived was flat East Anglia where the wind was brutal.

If you don’t drive you need to pick your location carefully as public transport is poor in a lot of places - this is not an issue confined to The North of course. Even further away than Grimsby (just no, by the way) would be Newcastle, but the cost of living is really reasonable there and public transport excellent. Some good schools too. You are near some lovely coast. It is colder there than Yorkshire for sure, but still not the arctic chill that some posters are talking about!

Come to sunny Hampshire, in fact come to my school 🤣🤣

Personally, I wouldn't move my teenage children but I can see why you want to improve your quality of life. Is moving onto the social housing list an option?

Brace yourself for the weather? 😂Brighton isn't Dubai. I've spent half my life in NW and half in London. No real noticeable difference in the weather

You need to do more research OP. You can't just look at cheapest rents up north and move there hoping for the best. I'm sure there are cheaper areas in the South as well, have you looked at them? Anywhere desirable to live in the North has comparable rents to the ones you have quoted so you will save nothing. Where I am now (NW coast, close to Liverpool) the rents are the same as where you are now and there is a real shortage of rental properties

The SE of England isn't the Med, but it generally gets about half the average amount of rainfall compared with other parts if the UK. It is noticeable if you are used to living in the SE.

I’d start by looking somewhere local to you now but that might be cheaper. Brighton is very expensive. If you’re leaving friends and family that’s a consideration.

As a Grimbarian who moved (up North) don't. Do. It.
Stay close to family.

I’ve lived in Brighton and other places nearby
We relocated many years ago from Henfield to Lancashire
www.luxuriousmagazine.com/south-ribble-lancashire-best-place/amp/

I'm all for moving for a better quality of life having done it ourselves (you don't have to go all the way to Grimsby! The Midlands has some really affordable areas but less distance)

But I'm really not sure I'd move a 14 year old, that could be a really disruptive and upsetting move, double whammy of school/friends and then loss of family support as well.

Another one who suggests you do very careful research (especially around Grimsby). I have extended family that live near there. If you want to try Grimsby I suggest you watch the skint documentary series from 2013 (especially the Scunthorpe episodes as Scunthorpe is not far from Grimsby). Large parts of Grimsby and Cleethorpes are like this. There was also a documentary about Grimsby and the demise of the fishing industry and how it has affected the area.

In regards to cheap rent up north. There are some very cheap rents in some northern places, they are cheap for a reason. As a previous poster said, the quality of rental is poorer than down south. I've rented both up north and down south. Depending on where you are councils up north are not as hot on poor housing condition/ anti social neighbors as down south as a lot of their housing stock is of similar quality. A lot of rents (especially since covid) in nicer areas of northern towns are not a lot cheaper than the south. Public transport is also pretty poor and expensive up north unless you are in a major town or city.

Not saying don't do it. Just saying really do your research, especially in terms of cheap rents. Schools are another one to watch. There are a lot of academies around north lincs/ lincs area with "good" and "outstanding" ofsted reports but are known locally to have poor behavior and school culture. Unlike down south where parents tend to chose schools on reputation, in the area you mentioned, kids just go to the nearest so you may find yourself driving kids to school as there is no school bus to your chosen school.

I live in Yorkshire (originally London) and I wouldn't live in Grimsby. Sorry but lots of nicer places. You need more than a pin and a map to decide on where to move.

Public transport in and around Brighton is one of the very few places outside London where it is adequate. The difference in winter darkness and temperatures you would notice.

I join the concensus.