Please can you suggest locations in the UK where I could buy a 3 bed house for £250k?

[CobOnTheCorn]

We're looking to relocate after a change of lifestyle. We've always lived in or near London and commuted and paid a premium for property at the same time. I've now decided not to work for the next few years while the children are young so I fancy living somewhere different.

I'd love to buy an affordable house with a garden and idealy walking distance to schools, shops and a park would be fantastic.

If you are separating, you need to first establish where your STBXP will need to be for work, extended family etc. IME men who are attentive fathers after separation have a lot of parental support.

Then you need to live no more than 90 minutes' door-to-door commute away. That's still a three hour round trip, which will really eat into a child's access weekend.

As a single woman, a close-knit rural community or commuter area may not be easy for making friends. In your shoes, I'd be looking at university towns. These tend to be expensive, but not if you're prepared to move towards Liverpool or Manchester.

That house is lovely tiredemma. I don't know SC at all. Is it naice?

Yes I would say anywhere outside London really!
Decide on how long you'd be happy to travel for the kids to see your ex. Draw a circle around where you need to be for these access visits and than at least you won't be thinking about the entire country! Good luck.

Plenty of 3 bed terraces for that in untrendy but fine bits of London, like Streatham Vale., SW16. Sometimes even with loft already converted into an extra room. Some decent schools, too.

Red hill / Reigate in Surrey, loads in Somerset (Cheddar, Wedmore, Wells, Taunton, Yeovil). Random selection there but just from our own recent searches.

1605 yes, indeed, very practical suggestions from you.

STBXP works in London and his parents live in London. I mentioned upthread that moving too far away does scare me and access is one of the reasons. But I don't want to be tied so it's a fine balance.

In terms of the type of area to live in, I'm also not sure about a rural setting. I like the sound of it but in reality I don't know if I'd fit in.

I think I'm suited to surburbia but I guess some suburbs are more snooty/Hyacinth Bucket than others.

And this is my challenge!

Bingham, Nottinghamshire? (I know it's Midlands but that's quite a big area)

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-26490419.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-34746655.html?premiumA=true

We moved to Norfolk almost 2 years ago (although DH and I both grew up here). It seems a vast area when you first look but actually shrinks down when you start listing what you want/need. For example; easy access to Norwich and clost to mainline rail services will immediately restrict your search area.

If you are interested post what you like/dislike and I'm sure us Norfolk MNers can help you with a search area.

Thing is, if I live close enough to STBXP for access then I'm still in the SE and still paying stupid money for property. Money that I don't have.

I guess I don't know for sure until I've looked more thoroughly.

I know that I don't want to live in London.

Someone upthread mentioned Horsham. It was ruled out as a joint search but now I don't have to consider anyone else's opinions (must think positive).

In Suffolk Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket and Ipswich are the main towns to look for - there aren't any cities in Suffolk! Ipswich and Stowmarket are on a mainline to Liverpool Street. But Bury St Edmunds is the nicer place to live IMO, but I may be somewhat biased.

We are in Sompting, West Sussex. There is plenty down here in your price range. Close to Worthing and Brighton and 1.5 hours by train to central London.

What about around Bristol? Or Cambridge?

Yes, they are, large villages/small towns. Dorchester is the county town.

Cob, I'm in Sidcup/Bexley, good primaries, grammar schools etc.

Chelsfield is slightly further out than me but equally nice, and the non-selective schools are probably better than they are here. I would imagine you could get something in your budget.

Do keep distance to your exp in mind though. At one stage I was looking at moving from Kent to Essex and there was some suggestion that I might be expected (if the access issue went to court) to do at least half the journeys to drop off/pick up from exp as the one who had moved away. Not to say that would be the case for you, but it's just something to think about. Whoever said max 90 min journey time (I'd prob say closer to 60 tbh) was right.

You would get an ace house for that in most parts of Scotland.

Colleysmill, I know exactly which village you mean from that description.

Dh used to live there and it is lovely.

Try the Suffolk/essex border area. Colchester has a train into Liverpool street that only takes 50 minutes. You get countryside and close to the coast too.

Just playing Devils Advocate.

What will you do if you decide to start work again in a few years time? Will you need to commute (for an hour) everyday, will you uproot the family again by moving back closer to London, or will you be lucky enough to find the kind of work that you do in a more rural area?

very 'naive'- we even have a Waitrose (which is walkable from that house)

that house is near mine- we are right on the very edge of Sutton Coldfield (before it goes into countryside towards Lichfield). Its lovely here.

Close to bham and lichfield - excellent train links as w are right by the Cross City line.

Local Secondary School is one the best in the Country.

all local primary schools are good/outstanding.

i really love it here.

very *naice!!

York is gorgeous and has plenty at that price point. (If you want something posh you're looking at £400k+ though.)

tiredemma I wondered what I had done to be called naive then!!

It does sound lovely but now I'm not sure it's close enough for access. At least a two hour drive from London I assume.

swindon
seriously don't write it off
we have large 4 bed for 213,000, with huge garden.
city is full of parks and cycle paths
theatre, outlet centre, cinemas, sports centres etc
just on the doorstep of the cotswolds, cotswold water park, village pubs etc

local primary is rated no.187 in the country, in fact there are lots of outstanding primaries here, and very good SEN provision

secondary is bit further afield, good secondary here is 15 minutes drive, the school bus leaves from end of our road, they have a system for buses for kids staying late at after school clubs too.