Where should I relocate to?...(I need your help) please read the post to understand better. TIA

[TheTallOne]

Hello Mumsnetters, I am new on here and I could do with your kind help regarding where should I relocate to? Yes I am a guy – I have seen so many threads about properties on the web from Mumsnet that made so much common sense and were honest, I felt I wanted to join and ask for help - I hope that you don’t mind? :-)

I’m a guy about to need to relocate away from my family home and I’m in an area that I have grown to love, it a village in Surrey named Shepperton. This is not something that I want to be doing and I am forced to due to the breakdown of my relationship and because as a cash buyer, I now cannot afford a reasonable detached house with a garage anywhere near my family home, family or friends. That’s life.

Here’s where I need your help: I would love to integrate into a new community where there’s a reasonable standard of living and I can walk to local shops, reasonable public transport and hopefully be near the sea or countryside and in an area that is welcoming and relatively safe. That’s what I have here in Shepperton. Sure, it’s not the best area, but it’s definitely not the worst area :-)

Starting a new life in my early 60’s is leaving me feeling a bit overwhelmed on my own, and while I have wanted to live near friends in Kent (Whitstable / Seasalter / Canterbury or Hastings. Or relatives in Arundel). Trouble is with Covid in this example, it kicked all those areas off my wish lists with DFL’s buying places as soon as they could realise they could get away with working from home and buying in those areas for less money that their London homes were worth.
Supply and demand went crazy quickly. I think I went a bit crazy when I saw what happened and was powerless to react.

Prices went through the roof rapidly! My budget was static. I saw increases of £75k - £125k per house in some instances. Offers well above asking prices, sometimes sealed bids were common. Gazumping reared its ugly head. My newer dreams gone.

Looking on Rightmove & On The Market I have saved 100’s of detached houses or detached bungalows with 3 bedrooms and a garage and garden for around £275k cash from months of refining my searches. It absolutely must have decent fast Fibre Optic connectivity and decent mobile phone signals for EE or Vodafone for work. Yeah, I know “he’s fussy isn’t he” :-)

So many areas. I don’t have the time to visit so many areas to take a look. I am really busy on so many fronts. Once I have narrowed it down with your help, I will visit for a few days per area. This is where I could really do with your input. What fits my requirements in your own experiences?

I have looked online in so many areas. I have no experience of any of them, and it’s daunting not knowing any of these areas to live in from - Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Lincolnshire, Pembrokeshire, Norfolk, Devon, Lancashire, Cornwall, East Anglia to Monmouthshire and others I probably omitted.

Can you please help?

Thank you so much for your kind help in advance.

@TheTallOne another vote for Epworth from me!
I'm originally from the Isle of Axholme and live in Surrey now.

Epworth is lovely, I'd move back there in a heartbeat if the situation arose!

Southampton?

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/81477358#/?channel=RES_BUY

As we were in Aldburgh for a music thing this week I thought of you and your search and how you were getting on. I haven’t read all of the updates so apologies if this has been mentioned/ruled out but how about Norfolk Broads. Nice, safe area, lovely countryside, close to sea and relatively close to Aldburgh/snake. V quick look shows these www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/78268005#/?channel=RES_BUY

0r www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/107653262#/?channel=RES_BUY

*Snape not snake

@SylviaTrench

I think it's from watching too much daytime telly, things like Escape To The Country 😂 You get a retired couple wanting to live in the middle of nowhere, who want to be part of village life, have a massive garden to grow their own veg, and have visions of making new friends in the local pub... ...except the village pub is a thirty minute walk along twisty NSL roads with no pavement or a dark yomp across four muddy fields filled with angry cows, and they'll need to grow their own veg because the nearest Tesco is an hour away.

Personally, if it hasn't got street lights I wouldn't want to live there 😉
But seriously I would consider what sort of facilities you might require going forward. Being fit in your 60s can be very different to not-so-fit in your late 70s.

I've heard of daytime telly!!

At my age, I'm needing to re start my own specialist consultancy business and re establish myself in business, while never leaving my finger off the pulse much in anticipation of my ex acting like she is

It's tricky dealing with all the various elements and priorities when no two days are similar

The selfless help and support from you and so many other kind people on here is extremely well received and will be put to very good use

I am so humbled and grateful 👍🙏😊

[quote sunflower198]@TheTallOne another vote for Epworth from me!
I'm originally from the Isle of Axholme and live in Surrey now.

Epworth is lovely, I'd move back there in a heartbeat if the situation arose! [/quote]
Thanks, I've never heard of the Isle of Axholme 🤣

If you like Epworth so much - what's stopping you? 🤔😎

[quote Nerdippy]Southampton?

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/81477358#/?channel=RES_BUY[/quote]
Why not indeed?

When I called about a similar property on Rightmove in Southampton a few weeks ago, the agents gleefully told me that the vendor was seeing which of the 10 offers over asking price they would accept?

They didn't like me politely asking why they were still advertising the property on Rightmove?

[quote anxiousmum2019]As we were in Aldburgh for a music thing this week I thought of you and your search and how you were getting on. I haven’t read all of the updates so apologies if this has been mentioned/ruled out but how about Norfolk Broads. Nice, safe area, lovely countryside, close to sea and relatively close to Aldburgh/snake. V quick look shows these www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/78268005#/?channel=RES_BUY

0r www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/107653262#/?channel=RES_BUY[/quote]
Thanks, I like both of them tbh 🙏

However, being on a busy or main road is not for me, and it's why I would rule them both out

Thanks for letting me know about them 🙏 ✅

There's a couple of 3-bed detached houses in Wymondham, Norfolk. Wymondham is a nice small market town with a mainline railway station, lots of other shops/services and is close to the A11 and Norwich and not too far from the coast...

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/99158999?utmcampaign=property-details&utmmcontent=buying&utmmedium=sharing&utmmsource=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

This first one (above) doesn't currently have a garage but looks like it may have space to put one to the side (where the conservatory/porch is)? It does have off-road/driveway parking though.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/112038443?utmcampaign=property-details&utmmcontent=buying&utmmedium=sharing&utmmsource=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

Don’t know if anyone’s suggested Northamptonshire - tends to be cheaper than some of its neighbours eg Cambs and Oxon, but still accessible?

Pembroke

spacious property with flexible accommodation, with possibilities to reconfigure to your requirements doesn't look to need too much work but some scope for a project

nice area and Pembroke has facilities, and a station. There are pubs, green spaces, a music bar and music shop, butchers, artisan bakery, co-op and a wonderful grocer/deli called Wisebuys, cafes and galleries and antiques centres. Some nice houses and a fabulous castle. Boating/paddleboarding on the moat. Lots of beaches nearby not too far to Haverfordwest for Withybush hospital.

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/59712956/

Loads in Hastings and st leonards.

There are lots of musicians and festivals/ events and the like, so easy to make friends.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E94376&minBedrooms=3&maxPrice=375000&radius=5.0&propertyTypes=detached&secondaryDisplayPropertyType=detachedshouses&includeSSTC=false&mustHave=parking&dontShow=&furnishTypes=&keywords=

[quote ablutiions]Loads in Hastings and st leonards.

There are lots of musicians and festivals/ events and the like, so easy to make friends.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E94376&minBedrooms=3&maxPrice=375000&radius=5.0&propertyTypes=detached&secondaryDisplayPropertyType=detachedshouses&includeSSTC=false&mustHave=parking&dontShow=&furnishTypes=&keywords=[/quote]
Ah, Hastings, SLoH and Bexhill have all shot up dramatically in the past 12 months and because of that, I am out priced. Fact. It was a target because I have friends there and know the music scene there

DFLs and Covid prices are out of reach sadly

What was £275k this time last year you can add a minimum of another £75k + to now in September 21. I'm unable to move there as a consequence

Thanks anyway

@Salome61

I went to Nelson as a child, and then dances at St Edmunds when I was a teenager :) I do miss good old Whitton!

I don't miss Whitton because it's become another greater London crime statistic nightmare, and with part of it neighbouring Hounslow it's no surprise

Predictably the prices are horrendous

When were you last there out of interest?

You mentioned Monmouthshire, try looking at Caldicot, or Coleford (just over the border).

@TheTallOne, I haven't been for a long time, I think 2006 was the last time I came down.

When I told my friend I was thinking of moving home in 2016 she also said it had changed completely, and not to. I didn't realise it had become a crime statistic nightmare, but as a child I lived on Hounslow Road. In 1969 we were all in bed when a burgular tried to break in, and when my Dad ran downstairs to tackle him, the burgular hit him with the jemmy, and fractured his skull. Not a good start to my time at Twickenham County.

[quote Salome61]@TheTallOne, I haven't been for a long time, I think 2006 was the last time I came down.

When I told my friend I was thinking of moving home in 2016 she also said it had changed completely, and not to. I didn't realise it had become a crime statistic nightmare, but as a child I lived on Hounslow Road. In 1969 we were all in bed when a burgular tried to break in, and when my Dad ran downstairs to tackle him, the burgular hit him with the jemmy, and fractured his skull. Not a good start to my time at Twickenham County.[/quote]
As someone born on the Hanworth and Twickenham borders, near SW Middlesex Crematorium, I live further out of the hell hole by about 20 minutes, and if I never go back there, I'll be happy with that 🤣😎👍

Why do men always write so weirdly and why are you mansplaining us to read the post, half of it was irrelevant anyway.

@DogPeeHelp

Why do men always write so weirdly and why are you mansplaining us to read the post, half of it was irrelevant anyway.

Did you have a point to make that’s actually relevant to the thread or are you just in a grumpy mood and looking for someone to moan at?

Also, @DogPeeHelp, for some reason numerous posters decided they knew better than the Op what his requirements for a home are and he had to clarify multiple times that he didn’t ask for views on his choice of detached house, his need for three bedrooms or his requirement for a garage; it’s hardly ‘mansplaining’ when he politely pointed these things out and referred folk back to the original post, to avoid the thread being derailed with unhelpful - albeit well intentioned - advice.

What about North Somerset? Close to Bristol and really good links to SWales, London and Birmingham?

Some unexpected places can be fab, for e.g. Feltham, in the area near the station around Cardinal Road very nice, good schools and minutes to the station for 35 to Waterloo or practically next to Richmond.. Community garden at the end of the road with an orchard and feels safe at night and night buses and Heathrow for holidays.

Any luck OP?

I drove through a village called Tetney the other day, Lincolnshire.
Has a shop, couple of pubs, has a countryside feel but was only 10 minutes drive from the beach.

@SylviaTrench

Any luck OP?

I drove through a village called Tetney the other day, Lincolnshire.
Has a shop, couple of pubs, has a countryside feel but was only 10 minutes drive from the beach.

Been off of here because I have just re launched a derivation of a previous business and its been full on and successful rapidly, and I'm loving it 🙏👍😎

I have spoken with my GF and she's decided that she will relocate with me and she's going to continue working at a top London hospital

We are going to visit Grantham, Lincs

Nice enough area, house's are where I need them and online chats with locals have been positive

Commuting is fast, although it is expensive, but hey it's £11k PA all in

I am thrilled and delighted with this news and hope you don't mind me sharing it because I am so genuinely grateful to all of you for the support that you have all given me, I really mean that 🙏

@snowspider

Some unexpected places can be fab, for e.g. Feltham, in the area near the station around Cardinal Road very nice, good schools and minutes to the station for 35 to Waterloo or practically next to Richmond.. Community garden at the end of the road with an orchard and feels safe at night and night buses and Heathrow for holidays.

Thanks, but I grew up near Feltham, and it still retains its status as the incest capital of Europe according to the police I know who work in that area

I wouldn't live there thanks