Returning to London at 60 🤔

[jjW29]

I’ve already posted about this a few months ago under London topic and tried posting this today in Retirement section but not much response.I would love some points of view from people that may understand my dilemma a bit more or may have been in same situation as me…sorry but I just need more opinions.
Im 59 and relocated to Norwich around 17 years ago with then partner(from London and has since married)and our 2 young children.
Fast forward to now I’m an almost empty nester in a large mortgage free house and have been single apart from bit of online dating etc for 12 years.I just can’t see me living out the rest of my life here,I miss London so much.I have a handful of friends in both Norwich and London but no family so friends and family wouldn’t really be a factor.
My house is worth around £350k and I’m on a low income £25k or so and have savings of around £50k.I feel I need at least 2 beds so that my 20 DD at uni and DD 18 can still have a home.
I know I should just make the move but people keep saying why would you want to move there,the crowds,the crime,the cost,you’ll be lonely there on your own in your old age!! I’m finding the logistics hard to imagine also,having moved house many times I know what it’s like but seems a mammoth task now…I suppose I’ll have to prepare to be out of work for at least a few weeks as need to hand notice in a month before move and then no guarantee of finding job within a month.
Would welcome any advice or thoughts please on relocating to London alone age 60ish xxx

Are you for real? Yes, everyone outside of London sits on their sober arse watching tv and can’t get to the pub 😂 fuck me

Do you want to be close to Stansted specifically or just A N airport? If the latter, I’d definitely consider SE London. There’s good connections to Gatwick and even Heathrow - though further - is straight forward to get to now thanks to the Overground/Windrush Line connecting with the Elisabeth Line. Somewhere like Crystal Palace has its own local community and lots of cultural events and networks, artist open house, markets, film festival, choir, volunteer gardening group, history society… plenty of options to meet a wide variety of people on your doorstep. Green space for dog walking. As well as direct trains to London Bridge and Victoria and Overground to North East London. I have a friend in her nineties who lives there and has a great time!

Since you know Enfield and Edmonton, have you thought about Chingford? Something like this may suit (lease is getting short and annoyingly doesn’t mention service charge). This one may be a little way from the station.
I’m 59 and moved to Highbury nearly two years ago, back from Hampshire. I just rent though. I’m really enjoying being here, never dreamed I’d be able to move back but divorce changed everything and I didn’t have enough money to buy where I was. Look out for jobs now though - I work in retail, it may seem like there are hundreds of jobs but the contracts are for a few hours only, you have to be completely flexible and the shops are open late! I think you are better north than south but that’s partly because you mentioned Norwich and also I don’t know south. Chingford has Epping Forest too.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/172579415#/?channel=RES_BUY

Chingford is on what is now called the Weaver Line and is a few minutes to Walthamstow Central. This flat is not what you want as not ground floor but read the description and you will see - The Ridgeway is where my mum aspired to living, so close to Station Road for shops and station. If I had more money, I think I’d go for one of the two - love living in Highbury but I’m only renting.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/170754545#/?channel=RES_BUY

Really? I've never lived anywhere more unfriendly than London. I lived for a couple years in Shepherds Bush/Ealing and never knew a single one of my neighbours, not a single person in the blocks of flats i lived in. I find it a very isolating place where people are totally wrapped up in their own lives. I now live in a beautiful village where I know pretty much the whole village, a couple hours from London.

London is definitely not where I'd go to find friendly people.

The area i live is more friendly than when I lived in Herts :) of course London is big

@chewcheweewww well obviously the OP
had a different experience to you. Everyone experiences life differently.

I made loads of friends in London when I lived there before. Much more friendly than where I live now! Can't wait to move back ☺️

People would chat at the door, on the bus, on the tube, while waiting for the train. Loved it

Envy is so corrosive

So I’m a bit of a city mouse at heart and lived in London in my teens and twenties. I now live in a small city that is fine for my needs (lots of restaurants, museums, an opera, as well as interesting events etc…). I am preparing to move to the outlying villages to be able to buy a house rather than a flat but am fully prepared to move back to the city when I’m older and retired. There’s just so much going on in a city, a lot of it free. I love London and think if you like a buzzy environment with plenty to keep you occupied it could be a great move.

You could definitley get a flat just factor in the service charges especially if building has a lift. Sounds like a good plan especially if you can get a retirement property - cheaper and will be well designed with a community on site!

How about Barnet- you could get something like this and it's on the tube (which you'll be able to get for free!) https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/87503241#/?channel=RES_BUY

I can absolutely understand why you would move back and IME living in London is no more expensive than anywhere else, leaving aside housing.

(That said, I really love Norwich as well.)

I’m hoping to find a 2 bed house with a living and dining room so the living room can become 3rd bedroom if needs and the kitchen and living area will be adequate depending on layout.Otherwise an ex local authority house/maisonette or a 3 bed flat with decent balcony area as have a small dog.Im not rushing into this,even if I were to buy now and hand in my notice I probably wouldn’t be moving until the summer and that’s if my house sells quickly.It will more than likely be after Christmas and my DD will either be in uni or will move with me for few months.
As for earnings I will be mortgage free or will have a loan to pay off(prob won’t qualify for mortgage as would need to be 10 years and I’m coming up to 59) I will be looking for admin/PA type work so hopefully earning 25-28k and pension,also state pension at 67 😥

This!

Barnet is lovely but not sure I could afford,will keep searching though! Yes I know what you mean about cost of living same everywhere,when my DC were under 18 it was somewhere between £4 and £5 to get a return ticket on bus to city centre,journey is around 6 or 7 stops! Food,fuel,household bills are exactly the same and if anything eating out in London is cheaper as there is so much choice so the prices are competitive.The majority of London museums are free,I was surprised to have to pay entrance to Norwich Museum.

I totally get this,we moved away from London when DC were 1 and 3 and they still ask me why? Overall I’m glad I left London as they have had a lovely environment to grow up in and that was important for me as a single parent,but now I feel it’s my time to live and they can choose whether to join me there or not.I feel that I’ve spent years(most of my 40s and early 50s)being a Mum and staying home etc also having a low paid term time job and not really a career as such.I know lots of people will frown and say but you’re almost 59 but I’m hoping to work full time or almost for another 10 years.Like you I doubt my DC will have careers in Norwich and they will need to be in a bigger city x

I don’t want to know everyone in the village nor them me,that’s my idea of hell but it’s nice to exchange a few words with strangers and have a bit of a joke even if you’re never going to see them again which I think sums up a lot of interactions in London

Love Chingford as it’s got a bit of everything and is ideal for Stansted airport 😍

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/168392057#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/168392057#/?channel=RES_BUY - this is a lovely road.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/172119701#/media?activePlan=1&id=media0&ref=photoCollage&channel=RES_BUY - this too.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/87147921#/?channel=RES_BUY

I live in London and when I retire I am going to sell my house and move somewhere central, I can't wait to be retired here. Always something to do, free travel, amazing theatre & galleries. Can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be.

Looks lovely! Hope you don’t mind me asking but how can you afford to rent if working in retail? Unless you’re management? Or is it a house share or something like that? Always interested in other peoples situations 😊

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/71350172/?search_identifier=9c19a7327ac6430535463ccc5df42470739872a45e646bcfe44870199447e8fd

Sorry meant to post this too - this is a great road. Amazing views over London.

Hi there @jjW29 I returned to London in my late 50s, and have flown since then and am very happy. Can I say that your salary expectations are far too low... you are a seasoned Executive Assistant, and should be looking for a salary of at least £38k to £50k, I sit at the top end of this bracket.

I totally understand where you are coming from, as I went back home for 20 yrs and lived in an outstanding, highly lauded seaside town,which had culture but was not multi-cultural, last bit of public transport finished at about 7:00pm... you get the idea. I moved South of the river (when previously you would never see me on the other side of Tower Bridge. When I moved back up here, I looked for groups to join, went through the local Facebook groups and ads in the local library, I have never been happier. I live in Lee, just down the road from Blackheath, I can be into London Bridge in about 15 mins and Charing X in 20. Free travel will kick in when you are 60 and God, does it feel liberating. Just do it.

I really hope you succeed in your endeavour to return to London at 60 - it's a great city in which to be older!

If you live in a London Borough you'll get the 60+ Oyster travel pass so free travel on tube, bus, trams, trains, Elizabeth Line, etc., that will be very useful for your commute to work

Regarding being near Stansted/an airport - I wouldn't factor this in to be honest... how many times a year are you going to travel to make this important

Your finances do seem to be a bit tight - you've been checking the property pages and some of the links show you might just be able to find something suitable, but you don't want to be dipping into your savings. The fees for selling/buying, moving, etc soon add up.

Have you made any enquiries with potential employers?

That flat looks lovely - and as it's a conversion not a block the service charge is likely to me minimal; all depends on the details of the lease though

it’s nice to exchange a few words with strangers and have a bit of a joke even if you’re never going to see them again which I think sums up a lot of interactions in London

And most places in the UK if you're a friendly person.

Good luck with the move, OP, sounds great. I can assure PP that those of us living in Not London don't spend our lives in front of the telly, never going out to drink, socialise or access culture! Just as, I imagine, a huge number of Londoners never set foot in an art gallery or go to the opera.

Thank you! Yes any airport will do as I have mother in 80’s in Europe and some friends and family so I try and get a couple of days there every couple of months or so x