Retirement - where's a good UK base

[Dubaiinception]

Hello

We're long term expats (I'll give you three guesses where based on the username), looking to retire in about 10 years. Realistically, we'd want to have a base somewhere in the UK (spending more and more time there as we get older) but aren't tied to any particular location. I'm really struggling on how to make the decision of where. There is no clear 'home' in the UK for either me or DH - there are places that we spent considerable amounts of time as children, and places we visit regularly because parents are based there, but nowhere that we'd have an established network of friends/family in place (family are disbursed around the UK/world).

Assuming not London/South East because looking to keep house prices and cost of living low(er), does anyone have any suggestions of areas to start thinking about? Or even good sources for information rather than me going into Rightmove flights of fancy?

Criteria are:
(1) 3 bed (but ideally three double, two bath) house for under GBP500k, ideally more like GBP400 (assuming prices will increase over the next few years). Some form of garden, off street parking, but doesn't have to be detached. I like older houses (but might not actually want this if I'm thinking of old age an maintenance!). Some form of view. I'd love to be rural but given the other criteria anticipating that's probably not going to happen.
(2) Good transport links including public transport easy access to a decent sized town/city that has options for restaurants, theatre, cinema etc.
(3) Access to (NHS) healthcare i.e. not an hour from the nearest decent hospital.
(4) A community that is likely to be welcoming to outsiders and ideally multicultural/otherwise open minded.

I grew up in the Yorkshire golden triangle, and actually that would be ideal but not sure how I feel about going back to my childhood 'home' area. Plus possibly too little Britain?

I know you said the SE might be too expensive but I would still look at places in Kent like Deal, Folkestone, Broadstairs, Sandwich, Ramsgate because I do think you could get a house there for your budget.

You get to live by the sea and there is a direct, fast line to London. You can also easily travel to Canterbury from there.

I am semi-retired in Deal where I got a 3 bed terrace for less than £280K and loving it.

Thanks for the additional suggestions!

Try somewhere less up itself then and not full of chattering class types. Same places get trotted out all the time on MN. Has Hebden Bridge been mentioned by any chance ? Thing is so many outsiders are moving there ie Harrogate, Skipton, HB, the thing that attracted people in the first place just gets diluted.

It sounds like you need to consider access to a decent sized airport OP?

Thanks. We do want to travel but everywhere so far has been a decent distance from Manchester airport for example. I agree I wouldn't really want to be 5 hours from an international airport but happy to consider it if somewhere is otherwise great.

Doesn't actually need to be Yorkshire though!

I live part way between Leeds and Manchester (in Yorkshire) and its around 40 minutes to Manchester airport and 35 to Leeds Airport. I visit both cities for work and play

Is it Hebden Bridge that seems to have gotten a lot of hate for some reason :)

Genuine question as you're clearly around there - what's Halifax like?

No, I don't live in Hebden but not too far and it used to be great but then it got very popular and cool and house prices shot up, it went from Hippy to Hip and gets a lot of hate now. Plus it DOES flood, there were parts of that valley flooded last night.
I know Halifax very very well but I don't live there either.
I am actually a professional relocation agent and would be happy to answer some more specific questions by PM if you want, I don't take Private clients so I am not touting for business, total freebie 😀
I have lived in this area for around 30 years and help people move here from all over the world so am pretty well placed to give you further info

Ooh I will probably take you up on that. Thank you!

please do 😁

I live near Hebden Bridge too 😂😂
Halifax is a bit of a mixed bag. It's quite a poor area now, but architecturally a lot was built on wealth from the wool trade etc. so there are some very handsome buildings.
There's quite a compact but thriving arts community, more than one theatre, the Piece Hall which is really finding a niche as a concert venue. Good local museums like Eureka and Shibden Hall. Lovely countryside. Good transport connections, large hospital.
Some nice cafes and restaurants but much less than places like Leeds or Manchester. There isn't an abundance of shops but it does have a perfectly fabulous little department store called Harvey's.
I would choose where to live very carefully though.

Total left curve here - My Dad retired to south, South Wales. He loved it and he'd worked in the Middle East for 40 years. There's arts, outdoors, walks, culture on the doorstep and he's had a quadruple bypass in the Swansea which was sucsessful and he's been well looked after since then. There's thriving bus services and fairly regular trains. It may not tick all the boxed but it's like Devon/Cornwall in weather and scenery but without the crowds.

There are a fair few expats in the area.

Not Bridport! It has no public transport so definitely no good for future-proofing. I'd go for York - it's a lovely city and is well connected.

I would never retire anywhere without a railway station.

I agree with pp, Wales is beautiful and the house prices are a lot lower. If you settle near Cardiff/Swansea then there is lots going on. In the North the access to Manchester, Liverpool and Chester is really good.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/153453320

I was coming on to say Cardiff or one of the nearby villages but see others have beat me to it. Another option is Bristol but your budget will not go as far

East Devon on the coast like Exmouth. Close to Exeter which is a lovely city, by the sea and lovely active villages.

Honestly, the place you are after is Church Stretton.

Hi OP, what an intriguing puzzle. I think the problem is reconciling the different criteria. Personally I've always hankered after retiring to central London but I've also had my head turned by Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Cambridge has a lot of what's on your list but it is pricey and those narrow medieval streets aren't kind to off street parking.
Fantastic bus service inside the town though. And Stansted is so close they tried naming it Cambridge Airport once. Decent train service into London and more culture than you could possibly need.
And Addenbrookes Hospital which is also good. Plus that brand new Papworth heart hospital, now actually in Cambridge instead of in Papworth Village which was charming but also had no parking.
And Cambridge is crammed with people arriving of course not just students also folk working in tech.
It depends what you like of course but I really enjoy the gothic architecture and its great to get the benefits of the money the colleges spend on making themselves look lovely. And the only new building that happens is that the University sanction, so not much!

If you’re looking to retire and not move again then I would suggest being on a good bus route, close to shops and ‘stuff to do’, and casting distance to a good hospital- even if you can afford private you’ve still got to get there when you’re (potentially) frail and ill. Everyone wants to retire to the country, but the flip side is there are zero services and in time you will have to rely on everyone for everything. Plan sensibly now so when the wheels come off (because they will, even though none of us want to think it will happen to us) you’re already set up.

You probably will get some interesting info on https://restless.co.uk/ which runs surveys on the most popular places to retire to so you don't rule out some of the obvious places.

Have you looked at Arnside? You can get beautiful properties with breathtaking estuary views within your price range. Easy access to the Lakes. Great train connections to London and Manchester airport.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/150833048 www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/150833048]]]]
Lenzie in Scotland.
50 minutes on the train to Edinburgh, 10 minutes to Glasgow. Bus also goes into Glasgow every 15minutes and takes about 20 minutes.
2 major teaching hospitals within 20 minutes drive.
Easy access to amazing scenery on the West Coast of Scotland

Thanks. One of my best friends is in South Wales so this definitely seems worth checking out.

Lymm, Stockton Heath, Knutsford would all fit the bill I'd say!