If you moved out of London but still worked there where did u move to and why?

[ilikecartwheels]

And most importantly do you like it there or regret move?!
I'm partly posing for personal reasons as I have moved out but am regretting it, though not sure whether can move back now so am interested to know what others chose to do and how it panned out for them. Am also interested as London now is just crazy prices. I've looked back on threads where posters were bemoaning moving zone 1/2 to zone 3/4!!!! But now zone 3/4 seems ridiculous prices. Be weird to know what happens in next five years there.

DH and I are London born and bred. Me: West and
Him: South East.

2 months ago we moved to West Sussex. To a house on the beach. He commutes/drives (80ish miles) each way, 6 days a week. Why? Because we love the earning potential of London but wanted a different environment for our DD. Would we move back? Maybe but I doubt it, even though we are lucky enough to perhaps (hopefully) always be able to afford to do this but right now, even after only 2 months, I can't ever see us going back. I love London and am proud to call it home and my DH loves his job so we take the hit of commuting expense and less time with Daddy in order to live a more off-the-grid type of life.

Initially St Albans - fast train links to London, lots going on at weekends, nice feel

BUt moved further out once we had Dcs (nr Hitchin). Bigger houses not so expensive, better quality of life, countryside etc

Winchester. It's got lots going for it. Great place to raise a family. We are both still commuting which is crazy expensive and knackered because the days are long and we see the kids less. Tbh the jury is still out on if it was worth it!

we moved zone 2 to just outside zone 6 10y ago to swap a fkar for a house as planning to have kids. Meyer moved to a bigger house just inside zone 6 (Surrey). I don't regret it at all really as we're only half an hour from London bridge, at most and I am always in London for work, nights out etc. I don't really think my life in zone 6 is much different from how it would have been in zone 2 once I'd had kids (though obviously vastly different from the social life I had pret kids ....)

I think a more dramatic move much further out or into the countryside would have been too much for me, but could probably handle it now.

Later moved to!! only thing I miss is having more choice of places to eat and takeaways on the doorstep.

DH is Kent born and bred and I am from East London. My commute was 60mins from East London and now it is roughly the same; only that it costs twice as much.

We managed to buy a 3 bed semi. The same amount would have bought us a 1 bed flat in London, we were on the wrong side of 30.

I miss living near my family but his family are very supportive which has helped. The air is cleaner. I miss the exotic food shops, cash and carry shops with very cheap vegetables. I miss simple things like back in secondary school, we used to, every Friday buy 3 chicken wings and chips for £1 on our where way home. Where I live now, you won't find fried chicken anywhere.

I think I celebrate all the country has to offer bse I could never have been able to afford London.

We initially moved to Dartford. Spend 9 months there and moved again. Now in Swindon which is nice enough, cheap housing, 1hr from London but expensive commute.

I like it here as have all facilities young family needs, Cotswolds on doorstep but long term plan to move back to London when DC move out.

Marketharborough
52 min to London pancras
Bigger houses
Healthier lifestyle
Reason to leave work at x time due to trains etc

Crayford zone 6 so train prices more expensive than inner London but not ridiculous jump you get from dartford or further Kent. Local schools are good and it's near to blue water and m25 which makes it much easier to visit dh family in Suffolk. It's not a pretty area and the people can be a bit rough and ready but there is very little crime. Biggest bonus is that it is near my mum and sister.

South Bucks. Moved for more outside space, schools and smaller mortgage. It's OK but I do miss London and have discovered that I am much less interested in having a large garden than I thought I would be.

We are thinking of moving out. My fear is the extra long commute. But I live in zone 4 now so not really the centre of London but takes me 30-40 mins door to door which is fab. Moving out would add an extra 30-45 mins at least for us both which I dread.

Not me Dh, Essex. It mighg have a bad reputation but parts of if are beautiful, with great school.

Sussex. 45 min commute back into London. We both grew up in a village and felt a yearning for this lifestyle once kids came along. I love my extended family and they are all here on our doorstep.

DH doesn't mind commuting. Always gets a seat and does emails or watches tv shows. I go into London for work once or twice a week which I love. I wouldn't recommend it to a couple who both need to commute in most days, it is too hard on the kids.

Miss the diversity of people in London but love how rooted it feels to live in a village where nobody is going anywhere.

Omg! Can't imagine both parents commuting to and from Winchester every day! It's a nice enough place, but honestly?

I find it interesting that people commonly feel there is something on offer for children outside of London which compensates them for seeing a lot less of one or both parents. I struggle to understand what that would be.

We move from West London to Essex. Best thing we ever did. Schools are fantastic. More space for the kids and we do more activities than we used to as there is no London premium.

It used to take me over an hour to get to work but now 35/45 minutes. I am so glad that I no longer have to use the crowded and claustrophobic tube.

The only thing I really miss is a good curry. There are no good curry houses in this part of Essex.

My friends moved from London to Kent and have now moved back because the long commuting hours were taking their toll because her H works long hour. Having said that trains from outside of London often take same amount of time as those from the suburbs because there are fewer stops - depending on where you live and whether you just take the overland or need to use the tube as well.

East Anglia. My previous 17 minute commute is now about 75 door to door(I am close to station both ends). I moved because of property prices, definitely better value for money. Upside is nice town, nice house, beautiful area and 30 mins drive to the beach. Downside is £5k season ticket and I'm always knackered. I never go out after work now and if I go into London at the weekend I get all nostalgic, even for the dreaded tube! I couldn't afford to move back though and if it wasn't for the commute I'd love it here really.

We moved to Hampshire and I commuted until DD1 was born but not thereafter. I love where we live and wouldn't change it, but I would definitely have had more career options if we'd stayed in or nearer to London.

We live in gravesend not the most glamourous of places but cheap and practical. 30 mins on high speed to kings cross or 50 min to london bridge. Trains are expensive but we calculated that out with the cheap housing(300-500 per month depending on route etc). We love it here less hustle and busle than london but cand get everything you want etc.

Edinburgh. DP is away Mon-Thurs; stays in a flat in London during the week.

I'm not sure yet whether it was the right decision. I miss London, although I don't want to move back - possibly just nearer. And I feel far away from people I know. The children miss Daddy and ask for him a lot.

We have a lovely set up objectively - big house, garden, lovely nursery, local school round the corner, park, and still all the advantages of a city with culture, stuff going on, potentially more jobs for me than small town etc. But but but but… … I don't know, it just doesn't feel right yet.

Plus it's v cold!

Just realised I didn't read heading properly as I don't still work in London! Just DP obviously. Would be a little crazy if we both commuted back…

mdpis3 Is it really an 'off the grind' life with your DP driving nearly 1000 miles a week? Six days a week? It sounds awful.

I too can't imagine making a compromise that big, hardly ever seeing your children because money.

Tunbridge Wells.

Moved here 3.5 years ago when I was on my second maternity leave. Work in London, 4 days. DH works from home so does almost all of the nursery and school runs.

I like the down time my commute gives me. Time to check emails, do my weekly Internet food shop, mn. I leave for work before the dc are up so I miss the morning routines.

I'm home nearly always before they are in bed. But I also have school holidays off.

The upside is that we love where we live. It's that simple.

The downside is that if I'm feeling rough, it can be a real struggle to drag myself into work. It's hard to motivate yourself sometimes when the workplace is 1.5 hours away. Problems with trains can really mess up the routine.

I would always recommend that if you are going to do it, aim for a commute which does not involve the tube or a bus journey after the train into London. You want train and a walk if possible.