To move to London?

[2024i]

I went to university in London and fell in love. I have always felt more at home in cities and have no desire to go back to where my parents are. In 2020 I moved from London to Birmingham for a cheaper cost of living and focused on my career. I’m now 27 and on £42k. I’m not getting any younger, and wondering if aibu to bite the bullet and move back to London now that I have more money?

Generally the pros are, it’s where I feel happiest and I have the potential to boost my career/have some personal development and live near people that make me happy. The cons are:

Cost of living:

I assume things will be ridiculously tight in London if I live alone. I’m in a new relationship & wouldn’t move in with a partner soon, and I don’t have a trusted friend to house share with right now.

If I stayed at my public sector department in current role, I’d be eligible for a London uplift which is £3k a year. I’m a data scientist and my skills are in demand. To be as comfortable as possible, I could apply for a promotion/move to private sector for a higher salary. I’m very comfortable at the moment and doubt I would maintain same standard of life eg holidays, living conditions, savings, in London

Nostalgia:

I was happy when I last lived in London but equally it could be a different experience in 2024. Lots of people I know have moved out of London for example. Not sure if I’m chasing a dream that no longer exists, if that makes sense

Future:
it would be hard to save, buy a house and raise children wouldn’t it? But should that stop me from moving back in the short term? Should I prioritise getting on property ladder elsewhere asap etc?

I wasn't on near 42k but I just had to leave London as we rented and worked in a very nice area and after having a child just couldn't afford that lack of stability anymore as rents are going up and rental properties were getting scarcer. That was our area though, south west. I missed it so much I felt sick, I loved the green spaces and the city, the vibe and stuff to do all the time, alot of which is free. Having a new baby and lifestyle change didn't help, but time has made it easier. You could always move out again if you do end up having a family and find you can't afford accommodation costs etc. Just be ready to miss it heaps!

I found holidays etc way cheaper in London as flights are much cheaper often and you can fly direct almost anywhere. My husband and I weren't high earners by any means and went on three holidays a year overseas.

I moved to London at 19 for uni from the North and stayed til I was 35 and will always cherish my twenties and early 30s there. I miss it now because my friends are there, my lovely job is there and cant be replicated elsewhere, so that's a factor to consider as you say lots of people you know have left, do you still have a social circle there that you could actively see? If you have to uproot yourself again to buy a property and have a family is also something to consider.

Sorry reading that back its not very helpful 😅 moving back sounds like alot of pros if you can reconcile having less savings etc, and if you can manage another move in future if you dondecjde to have a family. There's nowhere else like London so if that's your happy place then sounds like it would be worth a go, but on 42k and living alone rental would most likely be a large proportion of your salary.

It depends what areas you are looking at?

I wouldn't move back to where I'm from for love nor money.

Somewhere naice though, and I could be tempted.

All depends what you can afford really.

I moved back to London with three children just when everyone else was fleeing to the countryside. I would say if you can afford to live, then there is nowhere better. I love it. I don’t make use of all the cultural stuff in central as much as I should but even just the food I can buy in my little row of shops makes me so happy, the different people & cultures, my children’s school is such a welcoming and diverse place. It’s blissful.

Do it, wish I never left ❤️

Do it! Your cons can all be overcome, and life is short.

I would OP. I think it’s important to live somewhere that makes you happy (if it’s possible).

you don’t have anything to lose by trying it surely?

Rents in London are crazy. 45k won't go a long way. What area would you be looking to live in?

Another yes from me! Decades later, I still miss London dreadfully and would move back tomorrow if I could afford to - I know how much has changed in that time, but it's still London.

Basic costs are much higher, but - as long as you can afford an acceptable roof over your head - quality of life can still be better because there's so much variety, availability, and such a lot of interesting things to do for free or very little cost.

You're at an age when your career should be taking shape. There's always more opportunity in London, so it's very possible the move will put you on a steeper upward trend than elsewhere.

I know I've already had my late twenties (in London, was a blast!) but I'm quite envious of your next few years ...

London is the best. I will never leave!

There are genuinely nice-looking 1 bed flats on Rightmove for <1,400 which would be viable at half your take-home pay. You'd have more room to manoeuvre with a share, at around 1,000.

There's a possibility (no guarantee!) that a share might help you ease your way back in socially. Depends how much you need to be able to close your own front door on a busy world.

100% yes ! Best place in the world .. but I'm biased .. I'm a Londoner who has lived abroad but no there's no place like it .. adult children also feel the same way and have moved there

100% do it, there's no place like it. I left for the cou tryside when I had a baby and came back 2 years later.

If London is calling, I think you should go! It's the best place in the world. Loved my years there, and though I now live on the other side of the world, I hope to retire there, or at least spend half my time there in retirement.

I would. We live near London and go in fairly often but it's not the same as living there. I'd move back in a heartbeat and know enough from obsessive Right Move searches that it is always possible to find a deal on a place to live if you look hard enough. DH would hate it though.

I’m now 27 and on £42k. I’m not getting any younger

27 is really young! I think you should move to London.

If you are a data scientist you could potentially earn a lot more in London!

Move to London! It’s such a brilliant place to be in your 20s and 30s*. Have an amazing time, you can always move to the outer zones or commuter belt / somewhere else later on if you want more space.

• edited to say I have no doubt it’s brilliant after 30 too, but we moved for work & space/school reasons when I was 39! Still miss it, three years on, even though where we are now is fab too.

Do it!

I’d never live anywhere else in the UK. I’m looking at a move overseas in 2024 but I know I will return to London when I’m ready to come home. In fact, London is home - much more so than where I grew up.

Hi op, what did you decide to do?