Someone find me a house?!

[moonbows]

I spend far too long messing about on Rightmove, and never seem to find anything that's right.

We are looking for a cottage - a holiday home, I guess, though I think we'd move there once the children are through school. Ideally it'd be a 4 bed stone cottage, in wild mountains, near a station, and no more than 2 hours from London. This is evidently impossible, and so I go round and round in circles, trying to find somewhere that appeals.

Things that matter:
Not much of a garden (have a garden already, don't need another!) but a bit of outside space
No traffic noise
Possible to get to without a car - probably means a station needs to be within 10-15 miles
Ideally would have a view and be remote (not in a village, or if in a hamlet, ideally not attached)
Lovely outdoor walks, bike rides and swimming (river, sea) nearby

Where should I look, what can anyone see?

Sorry just looked at the second one again, doesn't need work....grrr no edit button!

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/129227318

That one is lovely! On the South Downs, train station, quite rainy there but at least two pubs in the village

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/128998478

Penis town <snigger>

Few more in West Yorkshire:

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/96628564#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/130297949#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/130377851#/?channel=RES_BUY

In short, you can get a fast train to Leeds or Wakefield and then a local connection to some often quite hilly and remote feeling areas (although you might struggle with the last few miles, what with trains not going up hills)

East Anglia near the coast if you are after sea - just thinking aloud. (Though I think the one posted by broomers is very pretty but I know nothing about the area):

Suffolk, within easy reach of stations:
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/123330215#/?channel=RES_BUY
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/126966452#/?channel=RES_BUY

small town centre, but has possibilities - not far from the coast:
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/128779919#/?channel=RES_BUY

Norfolk Broads:
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/126530402#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/129863252#/?channel=RES_BUY

I could say an awful lot about the one at Arrochar - but will summarise: "buyer beware and do your homework".

Nowhere is perfect however. It's what works for you.

Not many cabs in the wilds , OP. Not that many shops these days, either.

ah, some of these are sooo lovely. I have been eyeing up the off grid Yorkshire one for some time, but it seems to me that that sort of place just has to have a permanent occupant. I love it though, really love it.
And the Amberley one! I had found that one too, by chance, and it’s such a good fit that I will go and see it. No mountains, to be sure, but sea within train and bike distance, and many other boxes ticked.
none of the E Anglia ones are quite right, tho some are nearly-nearly. I’d always rather have fewer bigger rooms than lots of tinies. DH and DCs are all tall tall, so low ceilings are a no go.
On cabs and shops, yes, I know all too well about cabs (as a no-car dog-owning family of 5 this is our world!) but with time and forward planning we’ve always managed so far. Shops, it’s so sad… In many ways this one really is really important to me, as a shop is such a maker of a place.

Everything you're saying is pinned on location, if it were me I'd change the search to look for a piece of land then build the house. You can still build out of stone and add classic features but get the ceiling height and room size you're looking for.

How about maybe not buying a second home and contributing to the housing crisis?

I live in Cornwall so it's particularly acute here but it causes massive problems in rural areas when people come from London, buy up property for £600k and leave them empty for much of the year.

We've literally got local families living in caravans with nowhere available to rent anywhere near their jobs or kid's school.

PMSL at wild mountains not more than 2 hours from London!

I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/130185029

Another taxi from lewes
I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/130067549

Walk up to the top of downs for south downs way from that one

Plenty countryside and a steep walk up to south downs way west of swanborough which is few hpuses and a post box but close enough to taxi or half hour walk to lewes

It's the same in London. Please don't fall into the trap of thinking only Cornwall and other rural areas are affected. Londoners are probably the most "pushed out" due to 2nd home ownership of all.

Head further north. 2 and a half hours from Darlington to London.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/125569871#/?channel=RES_BUY

@broomers, I am sure you're right. Equally sure I don't have the stomach for it! Or at least not right now, in exam years...

And @Babamamananarama, I go round and round in circles about this one. But tell me, if we're to holiday in the UK (and we mostly do, we don't fly) then why is it better for me to rent someone else's holiday house, than to buy one ourselves, and then try to make sure it's used as much as possible, whether by us, by friends, or sometime on longer/shorter lets? Friends w a cottage in Dorset often do longer lets over winter. I know just what you're saying, but seriously, does Cornwall (etc) not want visitors?

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/127180580?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

Eastbourne 3 bed

Love love love this one!! 💕

I think you are underestimating the taxi costs to/from the station.

My parents moved from a village into town in their 70s because they started to calculate costs if they had to give up driving. The taxi costs for a return taxi (eg 2 trips for a night out) to the town was £70. That was more than 10 years ago, and the town was 4 miles from their village in a busy well populated area with lots of villages etc and also a pretty wealthy area with lots of people who use taxis.

It would be often be cheaper to rent a car for the week.

Eastbourne one - view from nearby Butts Brow

maps.app.goo.gl/uBXP6Fy6zicJbK9M9

Taxi to polegate Station approx £12 each way

Of course you should be using an existing rental rather than buying your own and taking another property away from the local population. If you visit an existing rental you are still putting money into the local economy but in a more sustainable way. If people hoover up 2nd homes and there's nowhere for the people working in tourism to live how do you expect it to function?

YY to pp about taxi costs. A round trip to our local hospital (7 miles away, no public transport) is £80.

I hear what you are saying, and agree about holiday homes in general, but in this case OP is looking to move permanently to the house eventually, so I personally can live with this.

Mmm we’ve had large taxis all over the place, and while I do grimace a bit at £12 for 4 miles, of course it’s ‘really’ 8 as they come to get us.
Main point is - we do both drive so this is a decision that works for us now but can be changed if it’s mad.
on the holiday homes eating local housing point, I know how terrible this is - London has the exact same problem, on top of a more general shortage and insane costs. It seems to me that huge policy level changes are needed, to make sure second homes pay their way locally. This isn’t something that can be changed or solved by individuals (as I know so well from my own forlorn attempts to live car free).