Where should I relocate to?

[nomorefrogs]

I’m hoping my divorce will finalise soon and give me a lump sum of £200-£300k. I am in my 50’s and after the horrors of an abusive ex and police investigation now want to buy a house with no mortgage. I need 3-4 beds for my kids at Uni to come back to during their holidays. I could move anywhere if needed as my job is in pretty high demand. I love the beach of any description. Where would you move to?

Not going to get a four bed house in Hastings on that budget (I bought a two bed flat for £175 four years ago there).
Wales it's borders sound great if you like rural living, but at your stage I'd want to be near something lively like a market town or small city. Your kids are not going to be coming home for much longer, so maybe you don't need such a big space.

If you want to stay South coast how about Southsea in Hampshire? You will be able to get a terraced house 5-10 mins walk from the beach and eveything is close - restaurants, bars, interesting shops in Southsea, supermarkets and other shops in Portsmouth 1-2 miles away or Southampton, Chichester or Guildford a short distance away, plus direct train lines to Cardiff and London

(And decent hospital nearby - we have to start worrying about these things as we get older!). You will be able to remain active as everything is in walking distance

I relocated from Surrey (just on the outskirts of London) to West Sussex 8 yrs ago. I love it! I'm moving again (parent with I'll health) so I'm having to get a bungalow but still staying within W Sussex. Fabulous walks, near West Wittering, Bognor & Hayling. Good luck with your search 🤞🏻

@Hilsea

(And decent hospital nearby - we have to start worrying about these things as we get older!). You will be able to remain active as everything is in walking distance

We're almost neighbours!! I use QA hospital regularly as that's where my rheumatologist is based 😊

North Wales coast
4 beds

Thanks for all your suggestions. I do need to weigh up access versus beach as I can see this is going to be difficult to achieve. Great to see I have some options and will do some hunting

Was about to say Northumberland but have been beaten to it!

Berwick upon Tweed. Beautiful beaches and on the east coast mainline so good connections.
Can live close to town for amenities but also within walking distance of beaches

I’d be looking at the mid Wales beaches area. Aberystwyth and surrounding area. Not far from Shropshire, easy access on the train. But long term, you may very well have grandchildren and I’m sure beach / seaside memories would be lovely for them.

If it were me I would move to Lincolnshire or Norfolk on that budget, or maybe the scarborough coast. It's within budget, great coastal paths and great lifestyle

@KloppsTeeth

I’d be looking at the mid Wales beaches area. Aberystwyth and surrounding area. Not far from Shropshire, easy access on the train. But long term, you may very well have grandchildren and I’m sure beach / seaside memories would be lovely for them.

easy access on the train.

I've got plenty of experience of this. Sorry, @KloppsTeeth, but whatever Aberystwyth has got going for it, being well-connected is not on the list! The line out takes 2 hours 40 mins to get to Wolverhampton, and, unless Wolverhampton is where you want to be, plenty more time on top. And it is pretty unreliable anyway, I've often been bundled onto a replacement minibus. A weekend away to anywhere but the Midlands is not really feasible!

Sadly it's in the nature of geography that you do have to choose between coastal beauty and being well-connected. I can't think of anywhere that ticks both boxes.

Sorry @KloppsTeeth, I just noticed that Shropshire is actually the intended destination, in which case, not such a bad journey, good idea! I'm just bitter about terrible train journeys elsewhere.

You'd be 2 hours away from Shropshire, so not great, and Aberystwyth doesn't have great links to anywhere, and it would seem rainy compared to Bournemouth

What about something in Shropshire nearer family at the lower end of your budget and buying a caravan bolt hole by the beach in Wales?

Weston super mare could work perhaps
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/114849251#/?channel=RES_BUY

How about Shrewsbury? It's a gorgeous town and being that it's West Midlands would be close to your family, but also just across the border from Wales. Not so sure on what the rail links are like there though!

Shrewsbury isn't in the West Midlands. It's in the Midlands and the Welsh Marches

Oh sorry, my family live in Telford which is classed as West Midlands so assumed Shrewsbury came under the same area as it's quite close!

Telford is in Shropshire. West Midlands is a county.
Techically it's North Midlands

Parts of Gloucestershire are lovely and not too expensive. The bits near the Welsh border/Forest of Dean have beautiful landscapes, great villages and small towns, lots to do and very friendly. Good rail links from Gloucester.

Shropshire or North Wales, lot of house for the money and some nice towns

@beguilingeyes

Wales? Cheap property, lush beaches.

Please don’t suggest this. Property here isn’t “cheap” for locals. We have a desperate housing crisis now due to affluent people from SE england moving here in droves, and a huge increase in second homes. We are a different nationality, we have a different language and culture, and this is being destroyed by people who don’t value existing communties being able to outbid locals on every house sale. All the young people are having to move away. It is dismal living here now, with people being evicted for the rentals to be turned in Airbnbs, and every single house selling to someone from away. We are losing all our coastal communities, school closures not far off. It isn’t houses being bought, it is whole communities. A large rally in Cardiff this weekend on this issue, we have had enough . Nid yw Cymru ar Werth. Wales is not for sale.

Whitley Bay area would be ideal. You could get something for your price range and have close access to the beach whilst also being only 20 mins by car to a really nice city (Newcastle!) and that has a big train station. There's a big 70mph road that takes you all the way into the city centre ('the coast road') with minimal traffic (relatively speaking) even at rush hour. Both Whitley bay and the city centre have loads going on, gorgeous places to see, eat, drink, visit. And easy access to the Northumberland countryside too. And of course Geordies are so friendly and welcoming. Can't recommend it enough!!

Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan has lovely beaches and access to Cardiff. I would say Cardiff itself, but has got expensive.