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?

I live in Cornwall (though not a spot as touristic as St Ives). It’s lovely year round a- the worst time in summer holidays when everything is so busy.
I love it here and wouldn’t be anywhere else.

(Sorry ignore the a-! not sure what happened there!)

Do it !

I got offered a job in Penzance a few years ago, at the time I didn't remote work and we were going to rent our house out (elsewhere in the UK) and rent down there to try it.

Trying to find something affordable which we could actual fit in (there are 5 of us, current home 4 bed so we we were looking at 3 bed or more), which was near good schools and had some sort of garden for their chickens and rabbits was impossible. There was just nothing or it was gone before I even rang.

In the end I find a 1 bed flat and applied, on the basis that I would move at first then we would sort everyone else moving later. Submitted my application but there were 10 other people also submitted so I didn't get it.

The new company said they had this problem a lot, trying to recruit from out of Cornwall but then people couldn't find somewhere to live to rent.

I say definitely go for it.

I live up the coast from St Ives in a just as touristy bit of N Cornwall and I love it.
It's very busy in summer...you do need to make bookings weeks in advance at any of the restaurants or pubs for dinner out.
We get a lot of friends coming to stay....
I quite like the busy beach in the summer...but we do live literally on the beach so I don't care about the traffic...I can walk to have a swim or walk dogs Early and go back to my garden when it's getting busy..and yep I do feel very smug..want a badge that says 'im not a tourist I live here".
I love the winter quiet too.
We moved her three yrs ago and the few full-time locals in our village are very friendly.
We made huge effort to join things in nearest bigger town (padstow) so have a social life which is excellent.
I caveat all this by saying we also have a flat in central London..my DP is about 60:40 in London and I go up for work a few days a fortnight..I fly up or get the sleeper train.
If Cornwall feels to busy or too bleak on winter I have the choice..
I am very very lucky

I think wfh is the answer for areas like Cornwall. Look into it, just because it didn’t work for one person doesn’t mean you can’t make a go of it.

As a local myself, you are entirely wrong! We have issues with the holiday makers who clog up the roads and underestimate the country lanes. And who fill the beaches so the local are unable to actually enjoy them when the weather is nice, despite paying the ridiculous costs to live here so we can have them on our doorsteps.
We also despise people buying second homes and then leaving them empty for 9 months of the year! While the people who live here struggle to house their children. That's what we have a problem with, people moving down here and making a life for themselves are more than welcome.

OP don't do this, you will become part of the ever growing problem in Cornwall. People who live here genuinely can not afford to house themselves because our homes are becoming second homes to people up country, which leaves the rest of the homes here in such high demand that they can charge ridiculous rents prices/sale prices which no one on a basic incomes can afford.
It genuinely is such a dire situation here, and is leading to such awful poverty in certain areas also. But people who only "holiday" here don't see that, they just get to live the best of both worlds. All the while they are contributing to families being homeless or having to rely on the council to house them, when actually they would have had enough money to afford it themselves if the housing crisis wasn't the way it was.

@Tryingtomoveisdrivingmecrazy
Apologies, I just saw you said holiday lodge rather than a second home. You are not part of the problem, I just misread.

Who are the locals? I moved to Cornwall from Essex 6 years ago, and I''ve met people from all over the UK who live here now. A lot of the locals are not Cornish. Generally people here are friendly and welcoming, Cornish or otherwise. Though some people can be a bit insular if they've lived here all their lives I have found.

I grew up in west Cornwall, and moved back to east Cornwall in 1990. I am not Cornish, but have spent 2/3rds of my life here. And in between, I've lived in Bristol, London and NYC. I enjoy all of these places. Bit of a slippy fish.

I have a friend who moved down with her husband to live in St Ives. I don't think it's a good place to move to- it seems that a once thriving local community has been strangled by excess tourism, and there's not a lot there for locals any more. She now says that it's a shame they didn't opt for Penzance instead, and I agree with her.

We moved here 12 years ago. North Cornwall though. Love it.
Far from being hostile people were incredibly welcoming. We moved to a tiny village and had lots of the older folk saying how nice it was to have a young family move in. There’s lots of social stuff going on - think The Archers!

And I can go to the sea. I love being able to take the kids to the beach for fish and chips after school! We love a good winter beach walk. Summer’s a bit busy but if you know where the quieter bits are it’s ok.

I grew up in London and I miss football but that’s about it. It’s not as though I went to the west end every week so I don’t miss that and we can still go there to visit and do those things, we can just come home to beautiful views on the school run.

You do have to drive everywhere - I just plan so I don’t have to pop out to get stuff like milk but pick it up on my way past. Ferrying kids around is part and parcel of it - I don’t mind.

We had the chance to move back to London a few years ago and unanimously decided no way. Great to visit but this is where we want to live. The children may need to move away as they grow up. That’s ok. Loads of my friends don’t live where they grew up. Especially those from London - it’s so expensive. Lots moved away for uni then stayed near there rather than heading back home. Moving away for work is what I expect the children to do wherever we live, so future prospects don’t worry me.

This lifestyle suits us. It’s has almost everything we want and we can put up with the downsides

My parents live in a similar place. It’s nicer in winter! Also in summer when you literally live at the seaside you don’t have to worry about parking or traffic. You go to the beach when the tide’s low rather than ‘in the morning’ which seems to be when the tourists go. There’s plenty of beach to go around! St Ives has the arts scene which will be lovely.

Escaperoomtothesun, you do know there's a great train line that runs between Cornwall and london?

Yes, but the Dawlish bit is usually underwater ...

Yeah, I'd have stuck with "there's a train line" 😂

On my own, possibly moving to south east Cornwall. NHS is my job. Would commute to Plymouth for NHS job. Part of me says not a good idea, part of me says now or never. Brief history I am from Plymouth, born and bred, well used to rough, windy and rain. Do not like cities or heavily populated towns to live in. Have always lived on the edge of a town. Like the outdoors, paddle boarding, surfing, body boarding, walks, general exploring. Can drive, have a car. I’m not so young any more but young at heart. Would you move? Such a big decision. I have family in present home area, see each other sometimes, but I am not reliant on them for support. Well versed as I say, with the south west ways. Visit here all the time, even made passing acquaintances with some local Cornish, here that often. Decisions!

Calstock? Regular trains to Plymouth. It's fairly liberal and open minded.

I would say...GO FOR IT! Good luck! xxx

Wonder if the OP went for it.

I love St Ives. But wouldn't want to live there. Too remote. The beaches, the Island and the light are unrivalled. I usually visit in Sept after kids go back to school. It is emptier but still busy then. I have just come back (today) from there. Really enjoyed it. Busy but more relaxing than Sept but a fair bit of rain. But enough sun to make us happy, and the light was as gorgeous as ever.We stay in the old part, there are very few locals living in that part I fear, although there are some flats around that look like social housing. I hope that is the case. Sad that a lot of the independent shops are closing, high rents mean the chains have moved in hard and fast - the usual, Fat Face, White Stuff, Superdry, Crew, Seasalt. Moomaids icecream parlour has moved but still ace. A great Thai restaurant in the Harbour.

It must be annoying seeing all the places being snapped up for holiday lets (which can be extortionate to rent). But any locals should take their beef out on the other locals who sold their properties in the first place. I grew up in a very touristy area. It could be frustrating but you just had to take a pragmatic view and get on with it. Life is not fair but it is what it is.

I find a lot of Cornwall depressing. Outside of places like St Ives it feels very deprived.

Did you do it OP?

I love cornwall but I am Cornish transport is a pain in a lot of areas and work can be bleak with the house prices now though it's crazy

This thread has popped up after being dormant for ages.

your comment about locals needing to be annoyed at those who do sell up to tourists, I think a big issue is in those who cashed in in the 90s and whose family homes have now changed hands (sometimes more than once) for life changing amounts of money. Hard because the move was life changing to them at the time, but as is always the case with such things, the houses were bought as an investment by those who already had significantly more, and now have even more riches. It’s complex.

In Summer, Fore Street in St Ives is the busiest street in the world. I have been there when it is almost impossible to move unless the person in front of you lifts their leg at the same time. A tiny flat perched above one of the side streets would be hell. There are far better places in Cornwall.