Emerging alternative & artist communities, South England, Cheap to buy?

[Sublime66]

As first time buyers 2022 is a frightening time to go house shopping with a small budget of around 400k for a 3 bed house with garden.

We’re wondering if there are any emerging alternative/open minded communities more affordable than the usual list of hotspots, somewhere between Devon and London? OH is a homeopath and I am an photographer/artist.

Usual hotspots are Totnes, Glastonbury, Stroud, Frome, Bristol, Brighton, Lewes, etc… but these areas have become incredibly over saturated and are now pretty exclusive when it comes to property prices and the types of people who can afford to live there.

There must be other locations at the earlier stages of development, on the up, with less inflation in property prices. Perhaps slightly less alternative without having to live in affordable but less interesting Swindon, Portland or Yeovil. Hastings could work but we prefer to be west of London due to family ties out that way.

Would appreciate any advice.

Shoreham by Sea has a houseboat community which is popular with artists and alternative professionals. Lewes also has a lefty heart but might already be too pricey. Worthing is more 'up and coming' but definitely has potential as people are priced out of Brighton.

Sorry I see you've already discounted Lewes!

Frome?

@actiongirl1978 No Frome, I said that on the original post. Its become too expensive and isn’t really my bag to move somewhere with such a high demand. It’s the same with Margate, no thanks.

This might be too westerly for you but Cardigan certainly had that vibe when we visited a couple of years ago.

4 bed townhouse for £230k www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/121120580#/?channel=RES_BUY

6 bed character terrace for £155k
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/118490582#/?channel=RES_BUY

3 bed bungalow out of town for £395k
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/119315159#/media?id=media0&ref=photoCollage&channel=RES_BUY

@ghislaine thanks looks good and I do love Wales but due to family ties in Surrey/Dorset, Plymouth is probably our limit.
@Hoolihan Yes Lewes is pretty unaffordable. Will look into Worthing/Shoreham-by-sea, good tip!

The West Country used to be cheap. However due to the insane increase of house price inflation in the West Country since the start of the pandemic, areas closer to London are actually quite similarly priced and are more attractive for access to the capital.

Don't be so quick to dismiss Hastings , it has a very emerging bohemian alternative vibe and great house prices .

Bridport? Housing isn't cheap but there's a wide spectrum available, definitely properties in your budget. A private garden attached to the property isn't a given (that was the hardest thing to find for us) as a lot of the rope yards were broken up and are now more like allotments, but it depends on where you are in town. There's an arts centre and an artists' quarter.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/123426878#/?channel=RES_BUY
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/114750056#/?channel=RES_BUY
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/122139998#/?channel=RES_BUY

From your title, I was going to suggest Hastings. It has good road links to London, you can easily get what you want for your money and has the up and coming vibe you're after. Just research your areas well.

Southampton?

My ex moved to Worthing for a few years - from what I could see on my few visits there was an emerging art scene, with people unable to afford Brighton etc. He sold the mixed-use residential/commercial property to an 'arty' couple from London.

It was definitely on the up like a lot of coastal towns.

@hattie43 only dismissing Hastings because of what I said, its on the wrong side of London. Its the same for Folkestone.
To reach family in Dorset will take 5+ hours by public transport and probably £90 for a single journey. It's a pain in the ass.

Shoreham is not cheap imho.

Worthing is increasing in price quickly due to people being priced out.

Have you looked at Folkestone? Hythe? Bexhill?

Going west, what about Lancing? Weymouth? Bridport?

@crispinglovershighkick We love Bridport. The only issue is lack of a train station but compromise is a must own this budget. Thanks for links.
We're also considering Dorchester and Salisbury but are not so sure about the alternative/indie offerings of either.

@Cockenspiel Yes have considered Weymouth and Bournemouth due to cheaper housing stock but we feel they might not be what we're after.

@DorritLittle is southampton alternative with an artist community?

DH has commuted from Dorset to office in London, not every day but say on a Tuesday he gets the bus to Dorch and comes back Thursday night (I understand this wouldn't work for everyone). He can do it without a car on the way out to London early in the morning but I usually go to collect him when he comes back due to dwindling bus timetable.
He quite likes the bus/train journey as the scenery is beautiful and he can get some work done.
Fwiw I wouldn't like to live in Salisbury or Dorch with your shopping list. I have what might be an unreasonable dislike of Salisbury due to the traffic noise/speed/dust; lorries whipping past you inches from the narrow pavement. Dorchester is a nice place for an hour's pootle about or Argos click and collect. Both feel conservative and suburban compared to Bridport. Just an outsider's honest personal view, I haven't lived in either place and maybe there are hidden depths 😊
If you're considering Yeovil you may already know it's kind of... locally infamous? My PILs talk about it like it's Bed Stuy (or insert your choice of infamous area here) and while I think that's exaggerated it does have kind of a grim atmosphere.

What about Wellington - lots of independent shops, a few small galleries, there are a few dispersed communal communities locally, preCovid we got Buddha Festival & the Tribe of Doris up in the hills; just off the M5, short drive to train stations in Taunton or Tiverton & it's own station due to reopen in next few years.
On your budget you can definitely get a 3-bed semi or detached house with garden & parking.

I put in Totnes +3 miles into Rightmove and it returned quite a few properties within your budget. Is it too “established” or were you concerned about being priced out?

@crispinglovershighkick salisbury/Andover is the perfect position geographically and brill that it has fast connections. it’s just if we can afford to suit the lifestyle we want.
The further west is beautiful but much further from practicalities like family and London/Airports. We’re doing everything we can do avoid Yeovil, Swindon!
@APurpleSquirrel wellington sounds nice, maybe Taunton is good considering it’s on the fastest west country line to Surrey/London for family.
@ghislaine totnes begins to push the budget a bit on housing, considering it’s also so far from Surrey/London for family.

Have a look at Southsea, we have lots of fab local artists

I came on to say Southsea. Lots of arty types, some great houses, the sea and the A3 to London or direct route to Waterloo.

@TheFutureIs @lightisnotwhite I've never heard of southsea being an artists hub but used to go there a lot as a child, in particular the kite festival! I'll do some research, it makes sense that it could be popular with artists, like Hastings, affordable and on the sea.

They’ve upgraded the hot walls into independent studios for artists. Lots of Londoners with money have come to the coast. There’s loads of independents from antiques to interiors and art.
Portsmouth central is dire in patches but the area still a really liveable place to be in terms of location and housing.

Bumping this thread to see if there are anymore suggestions. Our budget has increased to around 550k and we definitely can't be further west than Bristol nor further east than Woking.
We also would like to be on a trainline close-ish to a bigger city.