relocating to devon

[sarahandduck12]

Hi there. Hoping someone can help.

We currently live offshore but the prices have gone crazy here (average price for a 2 bed house is 550k) and we are thinking of relocating to devon.

We have a trip booked for the end of November to see areas/houses.

We are looking for semi-rural - so a nice plot of land, not too close to neighbours but also on edge of a village/community - husband thinks around Taunton area but I just don't have enough of a handle on the area to decide if that's right.

We have 2 very young DC (1 and 3) so would want decent nurseries/schools - we love farm shops, eating out, the outdoors, and want to try to live a more wholesome and sustainable life, but also make some friends.

Has anyone got any recommendations?

Thank you in advance x

Taunton is Somerset, not Devon.
Devon is a large place - do you want to be near the coast or more inland?

Yes, sorry, I should have said that our search area will also include Somerset and Cornwall. We'd like to be more inland but not averse to the coast. We basically just want somewhere with a good, safe community feel to bring up our DC.

You would be better off looking widely to find a house that fits your criteria and then determining if you can afford it and if the area suits your needs. We have been looking for a similar property, anywhere from the eastern side of Taunton down through all of Devon (ideally not really into Cornwall though). It's taken us 20 months to find a property and have an offer accepted (for which we had to offer significantly over guide price). Rural properties with even a teeny bit of land more than a standard garden have been going in less than a week and they are coming up rarely now (as everyone sold already when the market was even more nuts). Your best bet is to find a house that's right for you and then figure out if the location is going to be a good fit. We have ended up buying somewhere about 30 miles from where we ideally wanted to be, just purely from lack of properties coming onto the market.

We thought about Devon esp Exeter and surrounds, then up the motorway corridor, and ended up in Bristol. Anything else felt too isolated / backwater for us, and I’m particularly glad of that choice now we have teenagers.

Prices in the SW are high, especially now, and Devon has more road miles than any other English county, many of them quite small. I don't know east Devon very well, but on the western side of the county, I'd be looking at some of the Dartmoor smaller towns/larger villages. Tavistock is good, Chagford is lovely (but quite small), Okehampton is about to reopen the rail line, Ashburton (don't know it well), Moretonhampstead? The South Hams (Plymouth east to Salcombe and Dartmouth) is very pretty but desperately expensive on the coast; more affordable a few miles inland.

Some more places.... Totnes is a bit alternative; Topsham is just outside Exeter; Teignmouth and Shaldon. There are lots of gorgeous places but the market is still very fast.

My mum comes from Bovey Tracey on the Eastern edge of Dartmoor and my great-aunt lived there all her life. Lovely place, quite a bit going on and not too out-in-the-sticks.

I also particularly like Tavistock and the surrounding area on the Western edge. South Brent on the Southern edge of the moor is also nice.

I love Dartmoor. That's what it looks like in heaven, I think .

Wherever you choose I hope you will be very happy. Best wishes to you. x

Thanks all - will look into all those suggestions! We know market is fast but we are cash buyers (as in need tiny mortgage) and on a month's notice in rental so in a good position to move quickly on the right house. We are in process of contacting all estate agents to line up viewings for when we are over so I think you're right - identify a house we like and then see if area would work.

I only know Devon as a regular visitor, not a local. But Exeter - Exmouth is nice. Town-y things for kids and teens but you won't be far from the beach. You'd have train stations and be on the line to London too.

You'll definitely need to present yourself as attractive buyers and be willing to put in a high offer and move quickly on the viewings (within hours of them going on the market, you have to call and book). We were in an equally good position financially, we are also renting, completely flexible. Still took 20 months. About half the properties sold before we could even make it to the viewing. Just before we had the offer accepted on our house, we nearly had another offer accepted on another house. We lost out to someone with an equally high bid (80K over guide price), because they were willing to exchange the next day, no survey, no proper conveyancing, etc. It's that mad.

If you do plan to look while over, I would plan to be here an extended period of time. There is little coming on the market now and we were only really finding about 1 house per month in all of Devon and the western part of Somerset that fit what we were looking for. I know that there were people putting in offers sight unseen and having them accepted pre-viewings, so that could be an option if you can only come for a short time.

Oh bugger - yes, we can only come for this short time pre-Xmas due to DC and lack of leave. We are planning a longer trip early next year. We are just SO disillusioned where we are - to get what we want here we are taking 850k mortgage (plus lots of cash on top). Devon - 280k mortgage Max - but also lots of cash on top!

I've lived in Devon all my life and have never seen the market as crazy as it is now. Houses are selling before they even come online, selling well over the asking price and already having inflated starting prices. I think the issue is that a lot of people are having the same idea, and wanting to move to Devon. You are going to have to be very proactive I think, and aggressive in your search. Decide on some areas and get in touch with agents to be informed about up coming houses and not just wait for them to come onto Rightmove because many are not even making it that far!

do you think this will continue though, with the interest rates going up/end of the SD holiday? The mad scramble I mean. It seems to be calming down where we are but it's just the thought of taking out such a huge mortgage here which means we won't be able to retire early. We reckon if we relocate to uk we could retire in 15 years or earlier.

If you need a mortgage, however small, you aren't a cash buyer

You'll still need to go through all the mortgage hoops which will slow things down

I’d echo the comments I think it’s unrealistic to ‘book’ in viewings in advance for a visit weeks away in the type of market here. I live in Devon and friends who have bee renting locally still took two years to get something over the line after missing out on a few properties. Very little is hitting the market after crazy year, & high prices. Our house has gone up 10-15% in value easily over the last year. You may well need to be based here first or buy a new build. But rentals are as rare as hens teeth too as air b nb makes more money.

We do have a mortgage already approved for a significant sum on a house that fell through here - so I get we are not pure “cash” but it will just be a formality so I think we will say we have pre-approved funding (we will also be putting down something like 80% cash)

I think we will just have to contact agents a few days before we land and see what they can show us

Sorry I know I keep harping on how unrealistic this is, but I think if you are serious, you need to come at a time when it's realistic to be doing viewings. No one will be doing viewings just pre-Christmas once the school holidays have started. In fact, there are people who don't do any viewings at all over Christmas. It's a really disruptive thing when you are trying to get ready for Christmas and family are starting to visit, end of term, etc. If you must move soon, I would come and look for a rental, and then look to start viewings when it's spring and properties start coming back on the market.

That’s true but this first trip is more about scoping out Devon etc and if we can see a few houses whilst there then that’s a bonus. We think we need to get into the areas to get a feel on the ground as to whether the move might be for us.

We are def not renting first - we have been renting here since selling our house over a year ago and we are just not going to go through that again.

If that ultimately means virtual viewings in the spring then so be it

Just to echo, don't say you are a cash buyer if you need a mortgage even if a small amount. Our buyer did this and I found it really cheeky. You can clearly still present yourself as a good buyer.

What does off-shore mean? Where are you now? I personally find and inland Devon Somerset very remote with vast swathes of not a lot.

You aren't a cash buyer though. Half the appeal of a cash buyer is the fact that the process is quicker because they don't need to wait for the bank, which doesn't apply to you. In a very competitive market lieing to sellers / agents is not a good move. You need the agents onside to hear about properties first (particularly if you are abroad) and you want sellers to honour a commitment to you and feel to guilty to accept any gazumping offer if they get one.

Wrt the market, I think there is a feeling that the crazy won't continue, but that house prices may retain their value because of lack of supply coming to market. Anyone who was think about selling already has

Honestly, I’d start by looking at schools and go from there. Private is Exeter, Tiverton, west Buckland, etc. Grammars in Torquay and Colyton. Then look at which secondaries you like the look of.

For example, exmouth community college is apparently a good school and I’ve heard great things, but it’s huge. If you don’t want that, then it might rule out that area.

We moved here from overseas. Ended up in a lovely place but crap primary. So we moved and made sure catchment for decent secondary with that move. DCs were still young enough to be fine. But we knew had to be commutable to Exeter, so much smaller search area!

Channel Islands

We have said to agents we need only a very small mortgage, have already had finance approved at a much higher sum (which is true) and have around an 80% cash deposit - which is all true

Also, depends on price of property - if it’s below a certain value then we are totally cash buyers as won’t need a mortgage

We are not that bothered about the prices staying the same as they are far far below the prices here and you get a lot more house for your money - decent 4 bed here even with a small garden is about 1.5-1.65 million! - it’s more just how we would actually be able to see things given we are here.

We can def dedicate more time on the ground to it next year as we have more annual leave and I can always hop on a plane as I have 2 days a weekday off

Also friends of ours are cash buyers with a very large budget. Currently in rental because if you’re not in the first 20 or whatever to call, agents won’t even show you. They know they’ll get a buyer from first group, so why show more people around. It’s brutal. Appreciate limited market as looking £750k plus. And rental market is shocking - we lived in an awful place when we first moved here.

But, we got there in the end and it’s definitely worth it !

Sorry, just re-reading some of my messages back I sound like an arse. I’m not an arse - we have just had a very rough time of it, stupidly selling our perfectly lovely house in sept 2020 with nowhere to go and thereby missing out on the huge price rise

Then into 1 set of rented with a friend who assured me we could extend (or we probably wouldn’t have sold) then kicked us out when my youngest was 5 months in favour of someone she didn’t even know

Now in another rented which is hell on earth with 2 kids and in the meantime the market here has risen 3-400k in our bracket and building costs have increased to 4K a square meter.

We are thoroughly fed up, depressed and exhausted and totally feel we are being pushed away from here, like it’s a sign as everything property related keeps going wrong - we weee under offer on a house here had spent 6k in fees and vendors pulled out without apology 3 weeks previous because it “wasn’t the right time”

And now interest rates rising

So we just feel we keep getting fucked up the backside and it’s a sign we need to leave

I am scared to go and start again

There’s some lovely places to live in Devon including lots mentioned on here. I wouldn’t overlook the quality of secondary schools if you are looking long term. It’s a real mixed bag if you can’t fund private schooling. People seem to move thinking only of primary schools of which lots are lovely as it’s a great place to raise young families. But then find poorer offerings in the teenager years. Public transport outside the towns is very limited at times, so you have to be able to drive and end up being taxi service. My DDs sport club is 30min drive each way and the length of the training sessions means it’s not that feasible to stay out so it’s 2hrs of driving out & back, unless you find a lift share. Which means a big petrol bill. That said as a family we love living here as we are outdoors people. Good luck in your search you may get lucky but I’d be prepared for a long slog to get what you want. We’ve had loads of people move from SE and midlands in the last 6months, filling up the new builds which don’t come with any upgrade in infrastructure so there’s literally no dentists, the doctors can’t take on more patients and the school is frantically building a new very overdue classroom block.