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Original poster

Dilemma - move to london from southwest

15 replies

Coral88 · 03/01/2017 18:38

Hi this is my first post here and just looking for some advice from families living in london.

I currently live in a very nice area on the outskirts of plymouth, outstanding ofsted schools, a lovely semi detached house, huge gardens with so much potential and option to buy. Not far from beaches and countryside etc.

My partner would love to live in london, he has lots of friends there, visits often, is from the middle east and feels at home there.

As we rent from a housing association we have the option to exchange to a new build 2 bed flat in zone 1, post code area ec1m for £129pw.

I can also transfer jobs to an office in croydon so employment and housing would be covered. My daughter is currently in foundation in school.

All my partners friends are telling him to jump at the opportunity but its just such a huge lifestyle change. In one way i really want to up and go for it but in another im happy where i am.

Has anyone made this sort of move before or have any advice on the area and living in zone 1? Thanks

OP posts:

scaryteacher · 03/01/2017 20:18

Personally, I wouldn't. My home is in Cornwall, but I am currently living just outside Brussels and cannot wait to get back to the Tamar area.

Have you been to London for any length of time? What would your family support be like there as opposed to in Plymouth? What are the options for secondary?

What would the dynamic of your life be like there if your dp has friends there? Would he go out and leave you to cope with the work and childcare because that is where his mates are? What are the options for moving back if you hate it?

What is your commute to Croydon going to be like from that postcode, what is the season ticket cost, how reliable is the company that runs the train service? What is the walk like from the Croydon station to your office?

I had to spend a couple of days in meetings not too far from your potential London postcode in June, having spent the previous week in Milton Combe, not far from Yelverton. I left Devon feeling relaxed and clean. I left London feeling tired and grubby and frazzled from the sheer amount of people everywhere.

London has many advantages, and lots to do that is free, but I wouldn't want to live there, and many of my HM Forces friends who have had London jobs breathed a sigh of relief when they head SW on a Friday afternoon.

Turbinaria · 04/01/2017 09:52

Ec1 m is in the heart of the city of London business district and completely the opposite of what you currently have. If you value peace and quiet, outside space and a slow pace of life it will not be for you. If you love the hustle and bustle of London with a few million people coming into the space daily and an exciting nightlife it'll be great. Not sure what the commute to Croydon will be like but at least you'll be going in the opposite direction to everyone else. Also ec1 completely empties at the weekend and it's like a ghost town

WhatKatyDidnt · 04/01/2017 10:35

A two bed new build flat in Farringdon for £129 a week? That is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I would grab it with both hands.

Ifailed · 04/01/2017 10:39

Agree with WhatKatyDidnt, you'd be pushed to get a hotel room in the same area for one night for that amount.
Go for it, your commute to Croydon will be a doddle as you'll be going against the tide and if after a while you decide it's not for you, people will be queuing up to swap with you for somewhere in the sticks.

titchy · 04/01/2017 10:50

Bear in mind your commute will involve Southern or Thameslink - they are both truly shit services...

£129 a week is an absolute steal though, but is there a service charge on top of that?

YoungBritishPissArtist · 04/01/2017 11:02

Reading between the lines, it sounds like your partner wants to move more than you.

Have you spent much time in London? Perhaps you could stay in that postcode for a few nights and get a feel for the area.

YelloDraw · 04/01/2017 11:02

What is the deal with the flat? What kind of tenancy?

Just that you will be totally fucked if you ever need to move into the private sector rental if you've been used to paying peanuts for such a central location.

I do think London is no fun for low earners though - but that is mainly because of the cost of housing. If you ave that sorted then there are loads of opportunities for children and families and things like travel and cultural stuff is much cheaper/more accessible.

LadyLapsang · 04/01/2017 23:04

I love living in London but sad Londoners and people living and working in London can't get affordable housing yet housing associations are involved in deals where people who have no link to the capital are encouraged to come because they don't have to pay a market rent. My central London office is full of bright graduates paying an absolute fortune in rent for small rooms or forced to live at home / return home well into their 30s in order to save for a deposit. If you are thinking of moving, I would suggest you contact local schools to check there would be a place for your child. On the plus side there is a train from Farringdon to Croydon so you may not have to buy a Oystercard if you need to cut costs. Will your partner be working?

Cornishclio · 04/01/2017 23:09

We did it the other way round. I was born and brought up in Croydon and we moved to a town in south east Cornwall about 7 miles from Plymouth when our daughters were small. Dreadful schools unless you live in a really nice area in London. Commuting in London is a nightmare and the train services awful. Personal choice but I would not go back.

LadyLapsang · 04/01/2017 23:12

Just had a quick look on Rightmove - rent for 2 bed flat in EC1, £335-£900 pw.

LadyLapsang · 04/01/2017 23:14

Cornishclio, there are lots of outstanding, high-performing schools in London.

Crispbutty · 04/01/2017 23:20

We lived near Croydon and moved to Devon. Would never move back to London.

Cornishclio · 04/01/2017 23:43

Lady Lapsang yes I am sure there are some high performing schools but whether there are a lot and in the EC area I would not know. The area in Croydon we lived in had rubbish schools 20 years ago but I don't have a clue now. Living in London is completely different to living in a Plymouth suburb. From my experience 20 years ago it was busy, the people unfriendly compared to the South West and local services much more overstretched. We still go back regularly to visit family and I think if anything it has got worse. Think very carefully OP. Cheap rent is one thing, the way of life up there is totally different to the South West.

Cornishclio · 04/01/2017 23:48

If I remember right Faringdon is on the Bakerloo line which would mean tube to Victoria or London Bridge then overground train to Croydon which is too far out for the underground. That is a busy commute although it is going the other way to everyone else coming into the city

Blueroses99 · 05/01/2017 00:01

Farringdon is not on the Bakerloo line, it's on Circle/H&C/Met lines but does have several direct trains to East Croydon 52mins. Which actually sounds doable and a fairly easy commute. I suspect those are Thameslink trains though so no idea how reliable they are. Back up would be to get trains via Victoria or London Bridge.

If I was moving from another part of the country to London, I wouldn't choose zone 1. I'd look for somewhere more family orientated further out (probably south of the river to be closer to Croydon).

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