Any Norfolk Mumsnetter's? Need help deciding where to relocate...

[Charlieislovely]

Hi all,

So for a while now my husband & I have wanted to make the move from London to Norfolk. We've been going there for a few years (have family in Fakenham & Dereham), and fell in love with both North Norfolk and Norwich.

The problem is that we don't know where we want to move to out of the two. Obviously they are v different, it's deciding whether we want to be somewhere quieter but close to the sea (a big one for me) or going to Norwich which is more like a large town and enjoying nice coffee shops, art, having everything close.

Would really appreciate some help to get me closer to the decision...

I’d personally prefer to live in or near Norwich and have North Norfolk as a place to visit. The coast is a lovely place for a day out or weekend away but there are lots of second and holiday homes and property can be very expensive and therefore the vibe a bit snooty. Also very bleak weather at times and less employment opportunities. If you don’t want to live in Norwich a half way town such as Aylsham could be a good compromise.

You don't say how old you are but I would live in Norwich. I think moving to North Norfolk would be one of those things that seems lovely on paper but you'd quickly miss a drink and a take away and get sick of your long, back roads commute.

It's extremely easy to get to the coast (as you know!) but there's so many lovely places near Norwich, it's so easy to escape to somewhere pretty.

Thank you ladies. I am 29, we have a two year old son also. I am definitely swaying more towards Norwich, it's a great city and as mentioned above we get more for our money too. Would love to be able to 'pop' to the beach though, but I guess we have to prioritise...

How do you spend your time, now?
Dereham has somewhat better transport links.
Their town centres are similar.

Norwich is fab for families. There's always lots going on.
Doesn't take long to drive or take the train to the coast.
I grew up in Norwich and now live in South Norfolk and love it here.

OK, then I definitely think you're a bit young too move to North Norfolk. The good life always looks really appealling from a distance (especially London) but it is actually a bit dull. Norwich is a good bet and if you decide it's just too exciting, you can always move further out :)

I live in North Norfolk, moved here when I was mid 20's and now early 30's with a young family.

I like it, it's about an equal distance from the coast to the city. It is quiet but I prefer it, before this we lived in South Norfolk and Broadland and found it a bit too built up!

Only downsides of where we live now is other than the local takeaways, we can't get any takeaways delivered!!

I personally prefer living a bit further out and wouldn't want to live closer to the city again!

We live in norwich and we love it- it’s quite bustling and has a fab vibe. We live in the city centre but with our two kids it feels a little cramped. The traditional terrace houses that the city is built on are ‘cosy’ and the gardens are small too.

We are moving out to the suburbs next month (if everyone completes on time!) for a bit more space but will still only be a 15 minute drive to the city- seems to be quite a common things to do as their kids get older and they need a little space.

How old are your kids? Secondary schools with good reputations in Norwich are hard to find, so we have used school catchment areas to help us find our new location