Relocating from the South East plans to start family

[Partyflock]

We're considering moving from the South East due to cost of living and would really like to buy our first home to start a family. Nottingham has been recommended by a group of friends and from looking online it ticks a lot of boxes.

Just for context, I'm mid 20's and my partner is mid 30's, we are both low income workers earning a combined £50k. I'm working from home and my partner will most likely be working in some sort of office. I drive but my partner doesn't, so being in the center of the city isn't vital but being near public transport links would be great.

We tend to enjoy staying within walking distance from the more central areas or public transport routes that take less than 20 minutes to reach central.

Our budget to buy would be up to £500-600k ideally for a detached/semi-detached property with a garden.

What are the areas I should avoid looking in? Antisocial, unsafe.

Is there anywhere a bit further out I should consider looking at?

Any tips for areas to visit for a coffee & walk around to get a general vibe of the area?

For context, we're moving up from Brighton and things we value from here close to where we stay are:

Being within walking distance of a good gym health club or a good sized park for running/run routes.
Tennis club that has indoor facilities if possible
Bookable 3G Football Pitches so I can get involved with some sports.
Easy access to outdoor spaces/parks that aren't swarmed by small children.
Walk able area with cafes/restaurants/convenience stores without being overly crowded.

Some areas we thought might fit us well: West Bridgford, Beeston, Chilwell and Wollaton.

Bristol (although the prices seem quite similar to here) also looked like it would be a good move in terms of the size, jobs, things to do and general vibe.

Wouldn't want to be more than 3-4 hours drive from Brighton so kind of rules out some of the Northern cities.

Any advice great welcomed, thank you x

You must have an enormous deposit for that to be your budget, have you thought about cash buying somewhere smaller for the time being and buying a larger place in a few years?

You need the title of this post changed to include Nottingham. Message admins, I think they can do it? Or start a new thread.

Also add Bristol to the title.

I'd look at market towns in counties that you consider within your geographic range. Narrow them down to ones with rail links. And, if it's important to you, Waitrose! You get the benefit of decent enough services and not being too small to stick out in.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Market_towns_in_England

I'd agree with @bravotango . Buy the cheapest property you'd be comfortable in. Don't squander a big deposit in a falling market.

You don't have to move 4 hours from Brighton to get a house for £500-600k. I don't entirely understand your budget, based on your income though. Presumably you have a £250k deposit? You'd still be looking at £1500 a month mortgage at least though, so if you're going to relocate then why not buy for £300-400k and have a more manageable mortgage?
If you're wanting to start a family you'll need to account for the years of maternity leave/childcare bills so either saving for that or having a mortgage you can afford on one income, would be sensible.

Definitely look for a smaller place in a nice location. It's a falling market and you really don't need a big place with small kids 2-3 bed with small garden is a better bet than detached house. Childcare costs are expensive - think ahead