please tell me about Felixstowe

[EmmaGrundyForPM]

We are hoping to move to Suffolk - I grew up there but haven't lived there for years. Until recently Mum lived in Hadleigh, which we really like but we would prefer to live on/near the coast.

We love Woodbridge and it ticks all our boxes EXCEPT price. Our budget will be up to £750k for the right house. We need at least 3 bedrooms, as both DH and I predominantly wfh. However, DH will need to go to his office in Cambridge once a week, and will also need to go to London a few times a month. We would like off-road parking for at least one car, preferably two, plus a garage or large shed. We just don't think we can get what we want in Woodbridge.

We are therefore looking at other locations and like the look of Felixstowe. It seems to have more property that fits the brief, and is also within 2 hours reach of Cambridge.

We currently live in a small village and would now like to be somewhere with a bit more to offer. Woodbridge appeals to us because it's got nice restaurants, shops, art events etc. I don't have a feel for Felixstowe but have only ever visited in the height of summer.

Does anyone on here know Felixstowe and can advise? Has it got an "arty" side to it or is it all seaside arcades and fish and chips?

Hmmm Felixstowe isn't great tbh. Lots of the high street has closed down. No arty scene as far as I'm aware of. Your budget is good for Suffolk, what about Bury St Edmunds?

Thanks. That's disappointing but good to know the reality.

I love BSE but we really want to be near the coast. I had hoped our budget would be enough for Woodbridge but it appears not. I know we could afford to buy in one of the villages near Woodbridge but we have been in villages for the last 25 years and fancy a bit of (small) town life. I quite like the idea of walking to shops, the cinema, restaurants etc.

We have looked at Saxmundham but it isn't big enough. And probably a bit too far. We have friends in Ipswich and Colchester area so want to stay within striking distance of those towns.

Felixstowe used to be awful, but I feel like maybe it might be improving...? My parents live nearby so I go there every couple of years and the seafront seemed much better last time. A lot of nice places have opened up. It was pretty desolate around a decade ago but I feel like it's getting better!

I'm amazed 750k won't get you a three bed in Woodbridge. I'm guessing Southwold and Aldeburgh are out of reach as well in that case?

Do you need to consider schools?

Hi @hertsgirls thanks for your response. I was hoping that Felixstowe might be up and coming as a developer seems to have built some very expensive houses by the golf course, not that they are remotely affordable (or even that desirable) for us but it made me take that maybe it is on the up.

We were really surprised by how expensive Woodbridge has become. We visit regularly and prices have shot up. You definitely can buy a 3 bed on our budget but not a big enough one for what we want. We are currently in a large 4 bed detached with garage, parking, study, 2 bathrooms etc. We are prepared to downsize but not to something that wouldn't allow us to both WFH comfortably, and have space for kids, friends etc to come and stay.

Our dc are in their 20s and independent, so we don't have to worry about schools.

I think 3 bed properties in Woodbridge don't say on the market for very long, also I suspect many don't come to the open market. Assume you have registered with all the estate agents.

@tryingtorun

I think 3 bed properties in Woodbridge don't say on the market for very long, also I suspect many don't come to the open market. Assume you have registered with all the estate agents.

We haven't registered yet as we aren't planning to move until later in the year - will probably put our house on the market in April/May. So at the moment we are just looking at Rightmove etc. I think you're right about them moving quickly, which is why we need to get our house on the market before we look seriously. But having been very fixed on the idea of moving to Woodbridge, we are now having to consider other options.

What about Leiston? You can walk to the beach, it’s got some lovely Victorian houses there and definitely has an alternative / artsy scene - it’s been a suppressed by the pandemic. Plus you’re only 10 mins from Aldeburgh and Snape which has lots of cultural stuff coming through it.

I think Felixstowe does has some cool stuff going on there - it has a great book festival and some brilliant sea swimming clubs. Definitely more amenities than Leiston or Saxmundham but you will be swamped by tourists in the summer.

@pennysays we would prefer not to go as far north as Leiston if possible. It's never appealed to me but I may be doing it a disservice!

DH has found a Victorian water tower in Thorpeness that he has his eye on despite it being over budget and completely impractical!

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/113810078

Thorpness really has nothing and is vastly holiday makers and holiday homes. Felixstowe is your best bet if you want a town + seaside and not prepared to go north. Melton is lovely and has great surrounding villages and benefits from the stuff going on in woodebridge. But the prices reflect that.

Orford is interesting - hothouse chocolate box town but bigger than Sax or Leiston.

I don't think DH is being serious about Thorpeness! He likes the pub there but not sure that's enough to draw him.

I hadn't considered Orford - I thought it was quite small? Maybe we should have a look.

I know if we went to a village near Woodbridge we would get much more for our money, but we really don't want a village. I'm fed up with having to drive every time we want an evening out. One of my friends lives out on the Hollesley Peninsular and it's beautiful, but not for us.

@pennysays what is a hothouse chocolate box town?

Is Framingham nice? That's not far from the coast (only been there for the castle!)

Framlingham is lovely, and we haven't ruled it out but it's a bit small in terms of activities.

I think Woodbridge is pretty posh. I wonder if it's more availability than affordability?

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/114060056#/?channel=RES_BUY

E g this has four beds and a study, is still mainly in town (walkable to get into the middle) and is 775.

I think felixstowe is a mixed town - there's always plenty of employment from the docks etc, but it has less savoury parts. Could you book a few nights away there in the week in the bad weather in early February? How often do you think you'll want to visit the coast? I do love the sea but I think I'd find the bleakness of the north sea in winter tiring. If you were prepared to compromise on the sea thing I would really consider bury, it's a lovely place. Alternatively you could afford to live in a really nice part of Ipswich: it's definitely got its problems but it's big enough to have a range of people and the waterfront is lovely, and the independent shops on the Saints.

Old Felixstowe is lovely, and very near the beach. You could afford a very nice house with your budget! It really is a town of two halves I think; north of Hamilton road is wide streets of mainly Victorian and Edwardian houses some of which are amazing, and seventies estate houses which aren’t as pretty but are mostly big with wide streets and good gardens (the cliff estate). South of Hamilton road is much less salubrious. Do you need to consider schools? The high school isn’t great. And there’s more going on in artsy terms than there used to be … the book festival is good, WAMfest this summer (women in art and music).

thanks @StellaOlivetti, it's Old Felixstowe we were thinking of. It seems lovely, but it's also important for us that there's enough going on in the town that would interest us. DH is very sporty (tennis, badminton, squash etc) and also wants to get back into sailing so he will be fine but I'm more into talks, art, poetry etc. I think we need to go to Felixstowe and look at what seems to be in offer.

@Gladioli23 thanks, we have seen that one on Rightmove. It does fit the bill but is above our budget, and we really only want to go to £750k if the property needs nothing doing to it.

We will only move if it's to or near the coast, so we're not looking at mid or West Suffolk, lovely though it is. We are currently just outside Cambridge which is great in terms of going out, events, etc but we really want to try living by the coast and I'm a Suffolk girl at heart

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111734480#/?channel=RES_BUY

Hope this works!
I’m sure you’ll have seen this @EmmaGrundyForPM but couldn’t resist posting it.
Isn’t it beautiful 🤩

Hi everybody and thanks for your help.

DH and I went to Felixstowe yesterday to have a look. We've decided that it really isn't for us. Old Felixstowe is lovely, and so near to the beach. Unfortunately the town centre seems very tired and run down, more than we had anticipated.

I think we'll be having a rethink given that out budget can't get us what we want in a place we'd like to live in.

Have you thought about Wivenhoe? I mean, I hesitate to suggest it because it doesn’t tick a lot of your boxes - it’s Essex not Suffolk, estuary not coast per se, and more of a village than a town. But - but! - it is right by Essex university which has a theatre (and there are two more in Colchester, plus two arts centres), there is the sailing, it’s very near Colchester, has a train station so easy for London…

No, we haven't thought about Wivenhoe. I do know it a bit, but haven't been there for years. I spent my early years in Colchester, and still have friends there.

We would rather be in Suffolk, although wouldn't necessarily rule out Manningtree.

I know this thread is from over 2 years ago now, but just wanted to update all the people who kindly made suggestions.

We took the plunge and moved to Woodbridge. It's been absolutely the right move for us, it's a wonderful town and we love it.