To relocate up north

[StonwEd]

From East Anglia? Has anyone done it? Am I mad?
I’ve just spent yet another lovely week in the Lake District, greater Manchester and Derbyshire. We do this often although not as often as I would like due to very low holiday allowance.
Daydreaming a bit but also not really.
Kids all moved out, own my house outright, prob will sell for around £375k.
Enjoy my job but it’s crap money and hasn’t really got prospects but it is a field I’m sure I can get another job in and I’ve seen plenty of remote working jobs that are related (and better paid 🙄)
Husband is on board with this fantasy, he has a small business so can work anywhere.
I had kids very young so have lived in my home town all my life. Never left but always wanted to.
I’m 45 and I’m finally thinking it might be time. Financially as long as I get a job, we’ll be fine, and I’m so poorly paid as it is, shop or bar work will be fine to start with.
I’ve got a fair bit of savings and I’m thinking of travelling round the north for a couple of months, stay in local b&bs and to know some areas better before we take the plunge. I’d have to quit my job obvs but it’s a risk I’m starting to think is worth it…

And most importantly, where should we be looking? Want nature on our doorstep, but easy access to a town.

Alright cilla ;)

Typical Mumsnet comment 😂😂

OP, do it! There are areas with high deprivation, but the South has those too, so don’t be put off. We have beautiful countryside, great vibrant cities, gorgeous coastlines and welcoming people. (I’m Yorkshire, and wouldn’t live anywhere else).

I know the north is an enormous place, I’ve stated a few times now that we have no idea at the present time where we would want to live.
There’s so much helpful stuff on here though, we do have time and financial security on our side so next thing is to do lots and lots of trips. And definitely out of season, that’s a very good point.

I was only saying this morning that a lot of Southerners have moved up North to my area.

There are some beautiful places up here. Our UK holidays have mostly been spent in the Lakes, Scotland and Whitby in recent years.

Don't buy up North. Your house will decrease in value which will diminish your kids inheritance. It's anti-social in many places. Also lower life expectancy up there.

Rent out your house and use the rental to rent a place up North, so if you don't like it, you can move back home. If you're happy there after a year or so, then buy.

What, all of them?!

Don't be ridiculous!

If you seriously think every person North of Watford is living in poverty you are seriously deluded.

@StonwEd but if I was you, I’d buy a small property in the area I like then use the rest to travel whilst still young and healthy enough to enjoy that. I’m older than you but my younger two boys are still in primary school. Take advantage of your decision to have kids young. 👍

Bit of a generalisation there! 😂

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Yep definitely don't move up North to where I live. Beautiful countryside, hardly any crime, only 45 min drive to unspoiled coast or the Lakes/Dales. Amazing community spirit and kids can play out safely.
Definitely don't come here, it is vile 🤣🤣🤣

Okay....I'm not talking about any of that though. I'm talking from an investment standpoint.

I've just looked at Northallerton and Knaresborough on Rightmove... you can get a nice house for your money up there, and they are both pleasant areas. OK, you won't get a fancy period property, but a good-sized 3-bed semi or detached is well in your reach. Even Richmond is quite manageable, and its beautiful round there.

You spend time up there regularly, OP. You know where the areas are that you like and have the time to have a good look around the nice small towns and near them.

Please ignore much of the utterly batshit Southern rhetoric on here. It's nothing short of ignorance. Go wherever you want to go and maybe don't ask Southerners about the North! 😂

There are lovely and EXPENSIVE places to live from the Midlands up to the Scottish Borders.

375k wouldn't buy you a nice place in the village I live in, I can tell you that much.

Because people only buy houses as investments obviously

You don't have to live your life based on return on investment though....such a sad way to think.

We moved from South East to Yorkshire.
Be prepared for an almost cultural shift in the climate if this is something you're considering. We did the same 30 years ago. All I can say is the SE must have undergone the hell of a climate shift since then, much greater than the rest of the country.

This is an insane comment. Look at how much house prices have climbed over the last 10 years in places like York, Leeds etc.

Moved from south to North Yorkshire 7 years ago and never planning to go back!

And those of us not living in Kent only see depreciation of our houses, apparently 😂

We've done bugger all to ours since we moved in 9 years ago and recent evaluations increased the asking price over 300k on what we paid.

As opposed to living life based on emotional whims?

@UAvoidUrProblems, we bought in the NW before the 2008 crash and our house, whilst dropping/stagnating temporarily, soon bounced back. We made a healthy profit when we sold a few years back. It’s continued to rise in the last decade and is now worth 1.5million. It’s just a standard 4bed 1950s detached.

As long as the OP sticks to the rules of buying something that doesn’t have an obvious flaw making resale difficult then they’ll be fine.

Wow...I've lived in various towns 'up north ', including Tarporley, Nantwich and Chester...none of which I would describe as grim.

The houses haven't decreased in value yet, so don't know why you think they would start decreasing in value now.

It's anti-social in many places So it is in many places in the South.

Also lower life expectancy up there Your personal life expectancy won't decrease if you move up north.

....or "extremely poor "

We moved 2 years ago from South East, we're between Lancaster and Kendal. It's great to be able to see the mountains, coast nearby, lakes, dales and Forest of Bowland all 30 mins away. And less crowded and more laid back.

Do we really have to have the North vs South debate....we're all in this together....