To ask - have you moved from a large house to a city pad and if so, how is it?

[Pumpkintopf]

We’re looking at selling our large detached family home in a very rural village (nine miles to nearest town) and moving to a city , but a little village-y bit within the city.

No way our budget will stretch to a detached house there tho so looking at terraced/townhouse/apartment. I like the thought of being walking distance to shops etc but concerned about being so close to neighbours not having done this for a while!

Anyone have experience to share?

No but I’m about to! Watching this thread with interest. I am sick to the back teeth of living in a village with nothing going on. I cannot wait to walk five minutes into shops and bars and restaurants.

I’ve moved from what’s essentially a McMansion (5-bed detached with a quarter acre) in a wealthy rural suburb to a semi-detached townhouse within walking distance of a town centre.

I was worried about noise from next door and the road out front — as well as just missing all the green space and peace — but honestly, I’m so happy to be here. I love having everything I need within walking distance, and I feel so much less lonely, bored and isolated x

We did exactly this! Moved from a large, sprawling village semi with big garden to a smallish 3-br modern detached in a village-y university city.
It was absolutely the right thing for us, we love our new house and the small but very vibrant city and have never looked back.
It was definitely noisier in some ways but I can honestly say we quickly got used to it and it doesn't bother us now. (It's not actually noisy, just noisier than we were used to.)
We are just a short bus ride from the city centre and DH has taken to the cycling culture here like a duck to water. We've also had a real cutural mix with regard to neighbours and have liked them all immensely.

Thank you all this is useful to hear! We have been staying with our DS who has a flat in the area we’re interested in and it’s been just lovely having shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs all within a short distance to say nothing of the delivery options- experienced Tesco groceries delivered within half an hour! Dh is maybe 5 years off retirement so we’re thinking about the future too.

I’ll definitely be thinking about doing this in the future, which city are you thinking of moving to?

I lived in Central London for years but now live rurally. I’m from the area originally and moved back in my mid 40’s when I reconnected with a friend - now DH. I don’t understand why so many people move to rural areas, particularly to retire, the services here become so inaccessible with a lack or transport and anything within walking distance.

I hope to retire back to a city. Decent flat with people around. Public transport, theatres with a performance more than once a month. Places to go every day, hospitals that don’t require a 90 minute drive to access a specialist. We have no delivery services here. I plan to spend my pension exclusively ordering from high end restaurants - straight to my door, at 11pm! Rurally, everything finishes at 8:00. I get the views, costal path and air quality etc etc but I’m all for the access to shops, bars and omg airports, I forgot airports. Being able to get to a massive airport within an hour as opposed to four!

Looking at Bristol. We currently live at least two hours from anything - an ikea, an airport, a venue for large concerts- we often say we’re in the middle of nowhere!

Many years ago i had a 2 bed house large it was huge, open fires, drive, brick shed large garden in the country side the whole dream to some.
I was about 8-9 miles from my nearst town and i BLOODY HATED IT.
I did not own i was renting from H/A so i done a swap did not take long i moved to town i liked in a first floor flat and i loved it.
I have since moved on but i stayed in town and still went for another flat first floor been here 4 years now never want to move.

We are quite old now and live rurally and whilst it's beautiful everything is a drive away. At least half an hour to nearest supermarket, same to hospital, theatre, cinema. Plan is to move to a city where everything is walkable. Manchester most likely. Honestly, can't wait.

Food for thought definitely! Thanks all

Having spent a weekend there recently having access to everything within walking distance is quite attractive.

Parents moved from huge rural house to v small semi in London and absolutely love it. No regrets. They found they do like having neighbours, shops and restaurants within walking distance and a great bus and train network after all

YABU for putting this in AIBU. There is a property thread.
But, 10 years ago, we moved from a rural house to a modern house in central Bristol. After 20 rural years it's lovely.
Apart from if you want to drive anywhere. Shopping is a bit crap now as well.
And local politics infuriating.
But otherwise great.

@Sausagenbacon. fair enough! 😁

why is shopping a bit crap? Seems great to me in comparison to what we have!
Traffic does seem quite heavy…
Any particular areas you’d recommend/not?

Thanks 😊

It's just not good - compared to places like Bath.
Traffic is a PIA, but then, there are buses.
I think area depends on how much you can afford and what you want - perhaps put a question up in Property? People are very helpful.
As I said, I've never regretted it - so much to do, and lots of interesting people, and we're not spending our time on keeping the garden going (we only have a terrace now) and maintaining an old house.
I'll tell you probably the only thing I miss - bonfires!
Feel free to PM me if you like