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! 🤣

I grew up in Lincolnshire. Don’t move to Grimsby. The clue is in the name.

not Grimsby. there are nice bits in grimsby but as a whole its very depressed and if you cant drive its not realistic. look at Leeds or Sheffield. Much better and less of a culture shock for someone from Brighton. and Grimsby is not in Yorkshire, its in North East Lincolnshire.

Wow do not move to Grimsby!

North east - it is indeed cold, your heating costs will definitely be higher. The council tax is much higher. The wages are much lower. The state secondary schools are shit, primary generally good though. If you want to live in a nice area you will pay a lot, rent will be similar for somewhere vaguely decent.

Yorkshire v nice though, but very expensive to live in the lovely bits

No, I really wouldn't for many, many reasons. I think you'll regret it.

What do the rest of your family think? I am baffled as to how you are affording 1500 rent on minimum wage and understand why you would look at moving somewhere cheaper. However, can you wait until your children finish their GCSEs? Some areas especially the cheapest ex industrial towns and villages can be very insular, and a southern accent will often be labelled as "posh", which might lead to bullying/isolation for your children.

Do you need seaside?

What about Norfolk, I'd move to Norwich in a heartbeat.

For me, I'd not move with children at those ages.

I live roughly in between Liverpool and Manchester, near Warrington. Great transport links and lovely countryside. Rental market has gone mad though, and you'd be looking at maybe £900 for a 3 bed semi, maybe £750-800 if you'd "settle for" a 3 bed terraced. That house in Grimsby will be cheap because its in Grimsby, and probably the arse end of Grimsby.

I moved from Sussex to County Durham about 5 years ago. I love it. Close to the city but out in the (sort of) countryside. 20 minutes drive to the beach. We bought a 3 bed semi for less than a 1 bed flat would be in my hometown.
I am however cold 95% of the time but then I was cold 90% of the time living down south so I'm obviously just a cold blooded person. It's definitely a bit colder up here but we're hardly talking the difference between Dubai and Alaska.

Do.you actually live up.North or are you just making massive assumptions?
we do.have posh areas up.North too ,and accents vary,we are not all.to.thick to.think.all.southerners are posh
as for insular town,s yes there will.be some areas all.over the UK t has are very insular but going off threads on mumsnet people in London and the South East seen very parochial and can't seem to.see outside of their little bubble
but im.sure not everyone and everywhere in London and the southeast are like that .

I feel sorry for the OP, she posted as she wants a better life for her and her family and she’s been laughed at.

OP, like many other posters I wouldn’t consider Grimsby. There are so many nicer areas around England which will be massively cheaper in rent compared fo what you’re paying now, that are far nicer than Grimsby.

However, if you don’t want to uproot your eldest before their GCSE’s, could you put yourself on the local housing register?

Also, in the meantime could you up your hours to full time and could one of you get an evening job a couple of nights a week? I think it’s the only way you’re going to be able to get through the next few years until they finish school.

Otherwise, have a look at Sheffield, Shropshire, Norfolk, Suffolk. All these places you could get a 3 bed for about £900 a month.

But really, I would look at putting yourselves on all the local housing association lists.

There are some gorgeous places to live in the North. Grimsby is most certainly not one of them. I feel like you’d regret it for the rest of your life.

Whilst it’s possible to get a 3 bed in Sheffield for £900pm, it won’t be in a nice area.

I don't think its fair on your kids to move them so far away from their friends and other family.

I related to the NW of the Lake District.
I have the beach, mountains, lakes on my doorstep.
in 20 mins on a train I can be in Carlisle, direct to London / Edinburgh.
Rent for a 2 bed cottage is £425!!
Cost of living is cheaper here too

OP isn't looking for "posh" areas up North though. She's looking for cheap areas and specifically mentioned a 550 rental in Grimsby. Yes there are lovely areas too, that's why I said "some" and referenced some ex industrial areas.

Thank you for this. Every other thread about trying to make money go further, everyone suggests moving. I am thinking of it and am laughed at.

Right now DH works overnights and I work day times so there's no childcare to cover. I will be going full time instead of term time once dd2 starts secondary.

There's no way we would get social housing unless we were homeless. Even then it could be several years of being moved around with no guarantee of a permanent home.

For those who asked how we afford our rent on minimum wage... universal credit and lots of scrimping and saving.

I am happy to continue scrimping for the sake of my girls mental health and happiness. I just wish I had listened when DH suggested moving to a cheaper area when dd1 was 3 and dd2 was a baby. But can't change that now so just got to try and save up so we can stay around here.

This thread is bonkers and it's hilarious that the Lakes have been mentioned as a cheap place to live! Honestly, have a look on Rightmove- you'll get the shock of your life if you imagine that Cumbria and the Lakes are cheap!

I'm not far from Eastbourne and Brighton. If you're looking for cheaper it needs to be Newhaven.

I get the issue totally but I think both you and your DH would be better off trying to find better paid employment and staying where you are. This would be a huge jump, but you must be screaming for money at this time if that is your rent and it is very tough. But try and keep what you have made for yourselves- it has its own value

I think you're right to stay put and do what you're doing. It's tough both being a teenager and having teenagers. Moving away from their friends and your support system could cost you your sanity which is worth more than the financial saving. Moving costs a lot too, and it would take a while to feel the financial benefit of a cheaper home.
We looked into doing similar so we could free up some money to help our lot get on the property ladder, but decided against it.
Hope you can sort something out to make life feel a little easier

I wouldn’t dismiss it out of hand, l love Brighton but it is super expensive. A big move out of the region would take time and money to do. With lots of research required, weekends and annual leave to be used. It also a bad time to start making big changes. Laughing about the weather comments, it’s typically colder and wetter in the north. I have lived both north and south of England, l can’t face the dodgy weather anymore

Social housing is a pipe dream in most places. Where l live there is a 5-10 year wait, for people with lots of needs and vulnerabilities. So 2 working full time adults won’t get a look in

I agree with this.
Also bear in mind that in a few years the child element of UC will stop as your DC reach early adulthood.
Are there other reasons why you,presumably 30s/ 40s are on NMW?
If you have ill health or disability are you claiming everything you are entitled to?

The weather? Us southerners? Do you realise how ridiculous yous sound?

Op. I did the exact same thing from just outside Brighton too. We moved to South Yorkshire. I was incredibly homesick for a few years. Everything was quite different. Especially the sense of humour. I learnt that sarcasm wasn't received very well quite quickly.

BUT I grew to love it. I could afford to retrain and I now have the best job. I slowly made friends and I now don't really know anyone in Brighton as most also moved away. I don't miss it down there at all.

I would think twice about Grimsby though. It's quite isolated there with not much work. Also your oldest might struggle. I would look for somewhere more cosmopolitan. Sheffield might be good. Not as cheap as Grimsby but much cheaper than Brighton. Near beautiful countryside and lots of southerners who don't mind the weather 😉

I have relocated a few times, from Bedfordshire to West Yorkshire, then back to Buckinghamshire, then back up to the East Riding of Yorkshire. The moves north meant much cheaper housing, good choice of jobs, cheaper cost of living with the bonus of wonderful countryside & coast. When I returned south for work I had to pay twice as much for a smaller house. I truly prefer life in the north, though a born & bred Londoner. There is a wealth of cultural opportunities, glorious walking opportunities, beautiful seaside resorts. I'm currently 40 minutes from the Dales or the coast, and living in a lovely large property that was £100,000 cheaper than my Bucks house. Have a great GP practice where I can tonight book a face to face appointment for tomorrow, a good NHS dentist where I've just booked a check up for 2 week's time. Naysayers frequently have never lived in the North, many will not have even been there! Closeness to London is like a mantra for some Southerners, but how often do they actually schlepp in. I've got Harrogate and York for shopping & lunch outings, with excellent regional theatres for culture, just a short drive, easy parking, and Betty's tearooms! My local cinema tickets, in reclining seats are £6, what's not to love! Ooh and lovely fish & chips for under a tenner, with free tartare sauce. It's not grim oop North.

This

I dont understand where people get this rubbish from.

Its not wetter either - there is a east/west split for rainfall not north and south