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Original poster

Retirement places in south east for moving from scotland

50 replies

purpletrees16 · 29/07/2021 17:53

Where is a cheap place (200k max for. 2 bed house) 2-3 hrs to London (SE postcode) that is ok to retire to?

My parents live 12 hours drive from me in Scotland and are visiting and want to check out some towns they could retire to in 2 years time. They’d like to retire to ideally day or at least weekend trip distance to me in S.E London as a lot of their friends are also retiring elsewhere and we really only see them 3 x a year.

However, the Scottish house is worth 180k at the moment, they don’t want to take a mortgage as pensioners. Nor will they accept help. I am for the sake of ease assuming house prices rise and fall in tandem.

Is there anywhere ok that they can live or is this a pipe dream? Dover? Gosport? Isle of wight? Anywhere that I am missing? They love the sea. Current location isn’t exactly amazing so they aren’t expecting the Rivera but your money does go a lot further in Scotland.

They won’t do a flat - need a garden for the dog and had a bad experience with neighbours ( and a fire caused by them) if it’s a flat or nothing they might stay put.

Thinking of where to put in for a road trip! (This is in a few months so hopefully after COVID is lower.)

OP posts:
LushHeaven · 29/07/2021 19:16

What type of house are they expecting? Terrace? Detached? I think 200k for a house will really struggle to stretch beyond a small terrace with small garden in an area I'd feel they were secure in.

DGFB · 29/07/2021 19:22

Eastbourne is nice, on the sea, and you could get a terrace for that price, might need a bit of work.
Hastings but it can be a dump.
Other places on the coast are too expensive.. Worthing etc.

Original poster
purpletrees16 · 29/07/2021 19:23

Yeah - house up north is semi detached and in a good area but 2 bed…

Anything so long as it’s a house and there is no threat of joint repairs. They’d prefer something new ish.

I’m aware that it might not work.

Isle of Wight seems like it might do.

OP posts:
OlafLovesAnna · 29/07/2021 19:26

Gosport might work - maybe Elson rather than Alverstoke.

Lee on the Solent is lovely but probably too pricey. It's an easy stroll though or Stokes Bay in Gosport is nice for a walk

Original poster
purpletrees16 · 29/07/2021 21:34

Thanks - can also be Norfolk /Essex way as well I’m just less familiar!

OP posts:
Original poster
purpletrees16 · 29/07/2021 21:41

Are those lifestyle lease things a good idea? I am fully expecting all my parents money to be spent on them and their care but I wonder if it would mean that they couldn’t sell the house to pay for care when the time arrived and I’m concerned that relying on good will of gov. To pay for it for another 30 years isn’t great.

OP posts:
DaphneDeloresMoorhead · 29/07/2021 21:58

@DGFB

Eastbourne is nice, on the sea, and you could get a terrace for that price, might need a bit of work. Hastings but it can be a dump. Other places on the coast are too expensive.. Worthing etc.
You must be joking ! 200k in Eastbourne might buy you a 2 bed semi - next to a cannabis farm or ASB central perhaps. Our tiny 10ft wide Victorian 2 bed town centre terrace sold for 215k 5 years ago. Plus council tax is very high, parking in the town centre is a nightmare.
DaphneDeloresMoorhead · 29/07/2021 22:06

House prices have walloped up in Hastings too. Similarly to Eastbourne, anything at that price will be in a really rough area where you won't want to leave your car unattended.

DaphneDeloresMoorhead · 29/07/2021 22:10

This is one of 5 in Hastings under 200k with 2 beds+...

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110490692#/media?channel=RES_BUY&id=media9&ref=photoCollage

EverythingDelegated · 29/07/2021 22:20

Isle of Wight is lovely but expensive ferry crossings every time you want to visit if taking a car, they would probably need to catch passenger ferry and train to get to you.

Original poster
purpletrees16 · 29/07/2021 22:25

Ironically, if the expensive crossings are /our/ expensive crossings then that’s ok. Can you take 2 small dogs on the passenger ferry? And they hate long drives so will train with their railcard by preference.

Isle of Wight certainly looks nicer than anything in Kent or Sussex for that price!

OP posts:
QOD · 29/07/2021 22:28

I don’t know it at al but lots of people head to Herne Bay, Margate rams gate from London etc as it’s cheap as chips for HUGE houses.
All areas have good and bad bits - they could get an ok area in Folkestone as long as they avoid the East End

ScribblingPixie · 29/07/2021 22:30

Faversham just about?

confusednortherner · 29/07/2021 22:53

In opposite direction but what about South Norfolk/North Suffolk? Train to or from London and easy access to coast.

Original poster
purpletrees16 · 29/07/2021 22:59

Yes Norfolk / north Suffolk would work - I don’t know it… my only touch point is that film where the Beatles stopped existing that was set in Lowestoft. Will have to be covered by functioning flood defences (with the fire story we have a flood story )

OP posts:
EverythingDelegated · 29/07/2021 23:09

Another thing to consider about the IOW is that I have heard of unwell elderly people having to be transferred to hospitals on the mainland if they need treatments that aren't available on the island, then that is a problem with visiting for the partner, I'm not sure how big a problem that is but might be worth investigating.

confusednortherner · 29/07/2021 23:12

I'm thinking Beccles, Harleston, Eye, Diss so inland but easy to get to coast . I would give Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth a miss myself and the nicer seaside towns like Aldeburgh and Southwold will be over budget. May just get a small property in Woodbridge for that budget too.

Salome61 · 29/07/2021 23:18

I'm originally from Twickenham but moved to Northumberland with my late husband when he was promoted in 1999. When he died in 2016 I looked at moving to the south coast somewhere with good train links to London. I visited Broadstairs in Kent, and Exmouth in Devon, but my budget of £250K would only buy me a terrace in quite grotty streets, with high to medium flood risks. I decided to stay put and have just bought a bungalow here.

It would take a bit longer to visit you, the Alnmouth-Kings Cross train takes 3.5 hours, but it's a good journey. Northumberland is lovely and the beaches are fantastic, people are in the North Sea today . If they moved to Alnwick it has a hospital, a bus station, doctors and dentists plus the full range of supermarkets. There is also voluntary or paid seasonal work available for retired people at Alnwick Castle/Gardens. Amble is also within their budget, which also has a good doctor's surgery and a nice High Street.

Salome61 · 29/07/2021 23:23

I did think about the Isle of Wight but the ferry has to stop running so regularly in bad weather it put me off. My aunt lives on the IOW, she's 85 - the health care there is rubbish considering the age of the population. My aunt noticed her friend (also widowed and living alone) was becoming confused over two years ago, the Memory Clinic is completely understaffed, her friend is only just receiving the help she needs.

iwannafurloughmydp · 29/07/2021 23:46

@purpletrees16

Where is a cheap place (200k max for. 2 bed house) 2-3 hrs to London (SE postcode) that is ok to retire to?

My parents live 12 hours drive from me in Scotland and are visiting and want to check out some towns they could retire to in 2 years time. They’d like to retire to ideally day or at least weekend trip distance to me in S.E London as a lot of their friends are also retiring elsewhere and we really only see them 3 x a year.

However, the Scottish house is worth 180k at the moment, they don’t want to take a mortgage as pensioners. Nor will they accept help. I am for the sake of ease assuming house prices rise and fall in tandem.

Is there anywhere ok that they can live or is this a pipe dream? Dover? Gosport? Isle of wight? Anywhere that I am missing? They love the sea. Current location isn’t exactly amazing so they aren’t expecting the Rivera but your money does go a lot further in Scotland.

They won’t do a flat - need a garden for the dog and had a bad experience with neighbours ( and a fire caused by them) if it’s a flat or nothing they might stay put.

Thinking of where to put in for a road trip! (This is in a few months so hopefully after COVID is lower.)

Jaywick ? Haha just joking.

I have a lovely 3 bed property in Dover that I intend to sell some time next year. Huge garden, near parks and beach.

A bit more than 200 though
Grin
I loved in Folkestone and Dover... love down there but Folkestone is better and more expensive.

Good luck !

Turmerictolly · 29/07/2021 23:54

I think they'll definitely struggle to get a nice house in a nice area in the SE on that budget. Retirement flats are cheaper but not what they're after. I'd look East towards Suffolk/Norfolk and even then they'd be lucky as there's a lot of people relocating to the seaside or looking for second homes which has pushed prices up recently. Lincolnshire is a lot cheaper.

CoffeethenCrochet · 30/07/2021 00:25

How about Cardiff? We have sea, the bay area is lovely for dog walks, coffee, meals out, great city centre with lots of lovely parks. As above there are bad areas, but this is a new-ish build that has everything they want. Good bus network into city centre. Trains to London are 2.5 hours. And easy drive along the m4 for you to visit by car too.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110066606

scarletandblack13 · 30/07/2021 05:29

There are quite a lot of houses in Norfolk for under 200k, we just got ours for under that in a village a few minutes drive from quiet beaches in North Norfolk and with decent sized garden, needed TLC but nothing structural or major.
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111142334#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/106184105#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110800307#/?channel=RES_BUY

A terrace with smallish garden in Norwich, Dereham, Gt Yarmouth etc also easy to find although Norwich definitely the best in my opinion. Great Yarmouth you can probably get a 4 bed for that, it is very run down in the town centre though.
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/109083902#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/108311339#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110344289#/?channel=RES_BUY

OldTinHat · 30/07/2021 05:52

Definitely Isle of Wight. It's where I moved to when I sold my house in Sussex because I couldn't afford anywhere else in the SE and be mortgage free. I've got a three bedroom 200yr old cottage and paid £140k three years ago. Prices have gone up a bit since but you'll be able to get a house for £200k.