To move to Cornwall?

[RockpoolPeriwinkle]

Background - I live in rented, but I have had a promotion, and can now wfh, so looking to buy my own place (mortgage arranged in principle). I’m just finishing a week’s holiday in St Ives, and found out the tiny, but cute as a button place I’ve been staying is for sale. It’s a long way from where I live now in the midlands, but I think it could work.

Do you live in St Ives or similar tourist destination? What’s it like to live there year-round?

to be happy, should have followed the above post!

There's absolutely no reason for you to not explore this further @RockpoolPeriwinkle What's the worst that could happen? If you don't like it then you move. Personally I love St Ives and visit most years. It definitely has a special vibe. Reading this thread has made me want to visit in winter though. Let us know how you get on.

People who want to move to Cornwall should be forced to live in Redruth.

That's my alternative life too, although in mine there is a lovely flat above that bookshop and I live in it . I get bread every morning from the bakers further along the street.

I’d go for it but you may find it impossible to rent. I lived in Cornwall for a few years loved it but had to move for work. We live on the Devon border now as a compromise but go on holiday to Cornwall regularly preferring outside the peak times. You only live once I’d do it now before you get too old too as once you need more medical care you may end up moving again.

Or Truro. Beautiful place

Living up country in Somerset...no don't. Kids will have to move to get a decent job. The poverty in some areas is awful. During the summer it's shite to even go 10 miles. The beaches get full of knobs... and I love the place and have friends who live there.... but I could go on

That’s my “alternative “ life too!
Just adore St Ives in the autumn.

If the OP is working from home, that takes one huge hassle out of the equation which is the need to drive during the summer months. I love summer in the SW, I don't attempt to go to popular places at silly times (e.g. Saturday morning traffic on M5) and I have lots of good strategies to get to quieter nicer things- like we often go to the beach at 5/6pm on a sunny day when everyone else has gone home. I go to cafes and restaurants strategically as well, haven't found it unbearable this year at all. The worst is if you have to do school runs or commute at that time of year, but the OP does not.

Haha....that's the real Cornwall (got family there so l know the area).
Very depressing place.

Everyone local would hate you so you'd be very alone in the dark wet winter. We left today and it took 12 hours to get to london the traffic was so bad as everyone else must have been leaving today! So not like you can just quickly escape either. Where do you live now? Family or friends around?

@RockpoolPeriwinkle the Edward Hain Centre has a Facebook page and they do a lot of local fundraising. Worth checking it out.

it’s the local cottage hospital which was built by the wealthy Hain family in memory of their son who died in ww1. The community have bought the building back from the NHS and are opening a wellness centre.

For those of us old enough to remember, EH was the hospital you went to for minor injuries. And it really was a cottage hospital.

Devon is far nicer than Cornwall - and much less isolated. Move there instead 😄

Since when is Cornwall not English?

Please tell us what you said 😂

I lived in Cornwall for 5 years in my 20s and found it to be quite a depressing place. The only people loving life there were the absolute mega rich.
There is a lot of social deprivation, poor pay and very stark employment opportunities.
If you’re desperate to do it, I’d recommend checking whether they have fibre optic broadband in St Ives as you’ll need that to be rock solid before making the move.

I live in Cornwall and it is beautiful. We moved from the South East and never encountered any resentment from locals. We lived and worked here though rather than buying a second home. Not a tourist town though. St Ives is heaving over the summer.

Personally I would rather you didn't buy if you aren't going to live here. Second home owners are unpopular.

Having both holidays in Cornwall & lived there for a few years I'd say if it's do-able & you really love the place then go for it.

As a child/teenager i had regular family holidays in the Penzance area & never tired of the country. After studying for a few years i decided to make the move & i absolutely loved living there. I only returned because the my father's ill health.

St Ives is beautiful. Good luck

I lived in St ives for 15 years. Beautiful place but soooo horrendously busy in the summer, then utterly dead in the winter.

I now live in Falmouth and am so happy here. It has so much life to it and it isn't just a tourist destination, there's a working population with lots going on. I feel lucky every day to be here, would just be nicer to be closer to a major city/airport. You can't have it all though

I meant people from other parts of England.
"My bad". Of course Cornwall is English (disclaimer - if you are Cornish nationalist, no offence intended).

My brother lives there so I've visited quite a bit and usually in winter.

One time I was there and feeling something was 'off', then it struck me, I'd only seen white people all week.

I know that's a really strange thing to notice but here (Wolverhampton) is very mixed.

I would seriously miss not being able to go to a sweet centre and buy samosas, proper samosas not the ones made with filo pastry you get in M and S.

When my health is good enough I do like to cook and I like to have access to a range of ingredients.

But that's just me.

I wouldn't exactly call St Ives a ghost town or dead in the winter, it may have been at one point but many businesses remain open all year round and some places are still making a profit. Plus there are plenty of non-touristy businesses which open all year round so there will be traffic for those. I will be one of them as just started a new job there.
Even Perranporth which has been utterly dead out of season for as long as I can remember had a few cafes open in February and the beach was heaving with dog walkers.

I’m having the same dream OP! But got a little one so it would mean moving her. Staying in pz is my usual place but even with the crowds in st Ives it’s a stunning place. Booking a week for the winter to see what it’s like then.

I will need to go into the office v occasionally - maybe a day or two (consecutive) every 3 months or so, so I think that will be ok. You’re right Llyn, I don’t know how long that will last, but there’s no suggestion of any change to that atm. I’ll have a chat with my manager to make sure there’s no change planned.

You might want to get that written in your contract.

I was in a very similar situation to you - working from home, spending every bit of holiday time I had in Cornwall, summer and winter, and wanting to move there permanently. But I did have slight misgivings about whether the amount of times I needed to go into the office would change and missing family and friends etc. So what I have ended up doing is downsizing my house at ‘home’ and buying a holiday lodge in Cornwall which is much cheaper than a full residential property. I can use it all year round as long as it’s not my only residence. So I spend as much of my time there as I can, but still have a house near my family and workplace when I need it. I don’t know if this would work for you? I still plan to move there permanently when I retire, but this works really well for me at the moment.