Did you quit london? If so, was it because you were priced out or just done with city life?

[Daytripping7]

Torn about leaving London. Can just about afford to stay and live somewhere not-massive but in a nice, family area. But have been craving space lately! And less edge.

Why did all you London leavers go? Did any of you regret it?

Harpenden!Yes. No idea what Harlesden is like, but not very ‘Harpenden’ - which is a bit of an insult round these parts

Just catching up on all of these!

Yes it’s so hard to know if lockdown london is colouring my perspective.

Though moving to Cornwall like a PP Sounds like absolute heaven!

I only lasted 9 months in London. I had a buzzing student life and was desperate to move to London to continue it, for that "sex and the city" type lifestyle, cocktails after work etc. LOL! Turned out I only got a job in the Home Counties so had to commute out, and was exhausted after work so just wanted to watch TV in my room. I lived with 2 really clingy friends who constantly wanted to go out to socialise and seemed to be personally offended that I didn't want to join. They didn't understand that I needed space and were constantly pestering me for company, as well as being noisy.

I was paying £720 per month for a small room in Zone 2, and £280 a month for commute, plus bills. On a salary of £1720 per month I had to keep a spreadsheet of every single expense and walk everywhere, just so I could still save a few hundred a month. I could barely afford "London life" anyway, I drank tap water when out.

I moved to the same Home Counties town I worked in, got a lovely 1-bed flat for £700p/m and no commuting cost. Never looked back. The area has everything we need, and I can still get my fix of London in 30 mins on the train. I don't think I'm a big city person though, my London friends are all "work hard play hard" whereas I'm literally the opposite - leave the office at 5pm sharp to then sit on Reddit all evening

@Daytripping7

I felt like I had "done" London. It's something I'm glad I did when I was younger with more energy and fewer responsibilities.

Buying a home in commutable distance from London was mostly for quality of life. There's a greater community feel - like, I'm not sure I ever knew my neighbours that well whilst living in London. More green space, more bang for my buck when it came to housing and just being closer to family/friends.

As it happens, I weirdly do more (well, did so before lockdown) stuff when in London now than when I used to live there. It's like I took all the culture and things to do on my doorstep a bit for granted when I was a Londoner. Since I don't live there anymore, I now feel a bit more like a visitor and it has more of a tourist feel (even if commuting for work etc), which I prefer actually - feels more exciting, bizarrely.

I just replied to another thread about where we used to live in London and I feel all sad now.

We moved back to close to where I grew up in Bristol about 6 years ago. It was down to a mix of finance (my husband lost his job and became a sahp) and a desire from me to go back 'home' and closer to my family. DH is a Londoner but his parents had moved out in retirement and his siblings were also considering it so family ties and support were disappearing.

We outgrew our small house which we bought when prices were on the up and sold when they were quite flat so didn't really make enough to up size especially on one income.

Living in zone 4/5 with small kids by the time we left we were rarely took advantage of living in London, it could have been any suburb tbh so moving became an easy decision.

We moved back to Scotland from SE London when DD1 was a baby, it meant we could get a big house for less than our teeny flat and I could become a SAHM.