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.

iloveblu waves so am I! Do I know you? everyone seems to know each other somehow!

Lots for that price in East Mids, in nicest parts of the cities too.

west bridgford is nice

4 beds and good schools in Derby

Warwick? Great schools and quite attractive.

Also second York - it's is lovely!

Glasgow - 3/4 bed flat in the west-end
lovely city, great people

Elizabeth. can I butt in with a question? what about flooding - it's quite relevant nowadays! which parts of R are flood-proof? seems like the nicer looking areas are all by the river, though I've only seen it all from a train!
Also how is it for socialising?

I am sure Elizabeth will fill you in, however there are not very many flood areas that have been developed, therefore housing rarely gets flooded. To be honest I have never heard on the news about houses being flooded and I have lived here 42 years. The Thames very rarely bursts it's banks, infact my Husband had a house 50ft from the river and did a lot of research before purchasing, he went right back to the 50's and couldn't find any history for his road and he couldn't be any nearer. The areas that flood tend to be around the River Loddon and even then it doesn't effect housing just open spaces and the park and ride is always getting flooded.
Socialising in Reading is brilliant, the Oracle has bars and restaurants all along the river and there are some fantastic country pubs.

You would get a 4bed round here for that! I hour into St Pancras, good schools and transport links. Most of my friends round here have either relocated from London, or 1half commutes in! Welcome to Kettering, Northamptonshire!

We're Lincs too. £250 can buy you a large 4 bed farmhouse with outbuildings (or £400 could to) or any modern 4/5 bed house. 3 bed houses start around £150K. Depends which part of Lincs. Schools are generally great though some less so. If you were near Newark, trains to London are frequent and fast. Towns like Sleaford/Stamford/Spalding and surrounding villages all seem lovely. We're further north, which are fab, but public transport and links to other places not so great apart from by car.

There is a reason Rugby is cheaper than Coventry - sorry - the second house you linked to is about two away from where my uncle lived for years - not a bad area but nothing inshrining and the center of town is sad and peeling - try the villages surrounding Rugby or go further south in the county, pay a bit more but you still for the moment have the trains into the capital

Elizabeth do you think we should work in Tourist Information lol

The countryside around Huddersfield. Maybe in town too, I dunno, i rarely go into town! Look at Holmfirth, Penistone (actually closer to Sheffield than Huddersfield), Denby Dale - Basically postcodes HD7, 8, 9 and S37.

That would buy you a mahoosive 3 bed house here in Leicestershire/Rutland. I'd recommend Market Harborough or Uppingham if you're looking for a small town. In Leicester itself the inner suburb of Clarendon Park/Knighton is nice, and within walking distance of the city centre (and a big park called Victoria Park). The fast train to London only takes just over an hour if you want to go back down there to visit relatives (Market Harborough is also on the London line). There are loads of gorgeous little villages out in the county if you like gently rolling green hills but it's impossible to live out there if you don't have a car

thank you HaveTo and Elizabeth - all very useful! The only problem is that there isn't much there on rightmove atm, but I'm planning to go and have a look at Reading centre as described. Encouraging re flooding!

What about noisy/quiet - are the streets off Oxford Rd noisy, and what about Coley Hill off Castle Hill which is A4 (these houses are now on rightmove and look quite nice size-wise)?

you could buy a 3 bed house in Leicester for as little as 110k. 68 mins on the train to st pancras

AlexanderS I live in Clarendon park. wondering if I know you

sorry I meant off Caversham Rd (which is also near the river btw ) - nice house there, but suspiciously inexpensive at 245.

North Yorkshire coast. I live overlooking the sea in a lovely 3 bed detached and you would have 50k left if you bought one like mine. Schools are great, the people are friendly and the pace is relaxed. Kids can surf and kayak all year and it's 1hr.58 to London from York.

I just put 'at least 3 beds, no more than £250k, in my [north Wales coast] postcode and 15 miles around' into rightmove and it found more than 1000 hits, so while I assume that's too far from London for you, it's certainly possible.... Some of them are very beautiful too, in lovely places.

South Wales? There are some nice areas around Swansea and Neath.

These houses are in a nice area, good schools within walking distance.

I second BikeRunSki The area I live in is rural but 15 minutes from town. It's also 40 minutes from Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield at the most. Leeds has good train links with Kings Cross, as well as Manc-Euston, Sheffield-St pancreas although they take a bit longer but tend to be cheaper.
It would be a bit of a drive for regular London contact though

You have loads of choice with that budget.
I would definitely recommend York. Really diverse, loads of good schools, loads of parks and museums. Lots of history.
Under 2 hours to London. 2 hours to heart of the lakes. 4 hours by car to Edinburgh, 2 hours by train.
Leeds also good but a lot busier, depends on what you want or your future way of life?