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Original poster

People who have moved to the country from London

490 replies

CountessDracula · 13/01/2006 14:37

What exactly is so much cheaper about living in the country to justify the massive salary cut you have to take when you move?

Food, clothes, schools etc the same price surely. Plus masses of petrol so that is more. If you are moving to an area where the house prices are not dissimilar to London, I can't see where you make the saving.

OP posts:
Aloha · 13/01/2006 18:48

I really would hate to move out of London. Love the countryside, take holidays there, but really do not feel at home. I am actually itching for the children to be a bit older to make more use of the city again. I think London's a wonderful place for children apart from the state secondaries, which are appalling.
PPH, are your figures per year or per term?

polly28 · 13/01/2006 18:53

Don't think Winchester is exactly the country!

There's plenty of shops,schools.things to do.You're only an hour from London.What's all the fuss about?

Unless you need to drive at least 5-10 minutes to nearest village you are not living in the country IMO.

flutterbee · 13/01/2006 18:54

I wouldn't think two seconds about what money you may or may not loose, its all about happiness and by the sounds of it you would be really unhappy anywhere outside of London.

lapsedrunner · 13/01/2006 18:56

Spanner in the works here......Go one step further and move abroad, w europe I mean (assumes dh can get job). Where shall I start...quality of life, better standard of living, lower crime, better schools, cheaper petrol, perfect public transport etc, etc, etc.

ScummyMummy · 13/01/2006 19:00

Has Winchester changed a lot? It used to be horrible 15 years or so ago. We used to drive through it to visit relatives and my Mum, who grew up around there, used to shudder. She was a devoted Londoner all her adult life!

Lonelymum · 13/01/2006 19:02

OI! that was uncalled for SM!

Tinker · 13/01/2006 19:04

Or move to...The North, that'll scare you.

ScummyMummy · 13/01/2006 19:09

It's the truth, lonelymum! I was genuinely wondering if it's changed a lot. Haven't been there since my grandparents died and it was nothing like Richmond then! Rather, it was a vile mixture of twee and grim exacerbated by my mother's instant foul mood at being back in her home town... I'm honestly not anti-outside London generally speaking- we'll end up in the burbs through financial necessity if we ever get round to buying somewhere so I have no cause to be snooty but nothing in this world would persuade me to live in the Winchester I remember from childhood, I'm afraid! Sorry CD- not helpful really.

mancmum · 13/01/2006 19:10

ooh no -- no more southeners moving up north and buying all our houses outright for the price of their flat in N1... don't tell them how fab it is up here...

ScummyMummy · 13/01/2006 19:11

I would like to move North. Don't care where i am as long as part of big city. Partner is sworn Londoner though.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 13/01/2006 19:26

Well I had the same opinion of Winch as your mother scumster, but I really think it has improved recently. It just seemed a bit more civilised last time I was there and not so depressing.

I have resisted this move for years but tbh if dh really wants it so badly then I am prepared to give it a go for his sake. If he wanted to go and live down a well I would probably go rather than lose him so Winchester doesn't seem that bad really

OP posts:
willow2 · 13/01/2006 19:45

DON'T

Original poster
CountessDracula · 13/01/2006 19:49

aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhh I know

what can I do tho?

OP posts:
pottytrainingcod · 13/01/2006 19:51

remember the postcard cd

foxinsocks · 13/01/2006 19:51

don't know if it's been mentioned (only skimmed the thread) but I got done on the train the other day because dd is now older than 5 and I have to pay for her!!

I had forgotten that although children are free on London buses, they aren't on the train so if you are doing your transport calculations and you use the train often, you'll have to add in your children once they turn 5.

chicagomum · 13/01/2006 19:53

Is there no other compromise CD? on't know where you currently are in London, but would a move to SW or Surrey even be plausible?

Original poster
CountessDracula · 13/01/2006 19:53

it is on my fridge cod

OP posts:
Original poster
CountessDracula · 13/01/2006 19:53

We are in SW London

Surrey no good as the commute to Soton too bad

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 13/01/2006 19:59

if you are near the M3 in SW london/Surrey, the commute to Soton is not so bad (against the traffic most of the way) but it is quite long. Would he consider going on the train?

chicagomum · 13/01/2006 20:00

OH pants. Sorry about that (funnily enough I'm the one dragging dh "out" of London, but we are currently North LOndon and looking SW or Surrey (my paren'ts live in (whispers) Chandlers Ford so would like to be closer to them (and there are a few other reasons).

drosophila · 13/01/2006 20:02

Why does he want to move to the countryside. Is it really cos he thinks the life will be more chilled or is it because he is fundamentally unhappy perhaps with his career. Sometimes I think people think there is a solution to be found in moving.

As my aunt once said to me 'No matter wher you move to you always take yourself with you.'

morningpaper · 13/01/2006 20:04

Not read the thread except original post.

Cheaper: Housing housing housing

Also there is nowhere nice to go out and eat so that saves a FORTUNE.

But the people are dull and white.

bakedpotato · 13/01/2006 20:07

Isn't the salary cut supposedly balanced out by the fact that you don't work such awful hours out of London? So work/life balance is much better?
I am very jealous of friends elsewhere whose DPs are always home for bath/bedtime.
Which is all very well for DH, working locally, but you'll be out of the house for even longer with the commute.
(Winchester's water meadows = heaven on earth)

foxinsocks · 13/01/2006 20:08

to be honest, house prices in SW london/surrey/nice parts of hants are not that much different to sheen/mortlake

morningpaper · 13/01/2006 20:08

oh that's true

dh walks to work in 10 minutes