Relocating to Mansfield - Help!

[Laurasco87]

My partner has been promoted and we are going to relocate so he’s nearer his new office. His job is going to be in Alfreton but I have read not great things about that area. I am open to Mansfield or Derby or surrounding areas but would still need to visit family in both Leeds and Doncaster so not too far south! I am more concerned with a good/safe location than size of house and our budget is around £230,000.

We like rural areas but still want a social life! Currently have no children but that is in our future, and I am a primary teacher so will be looking for a job in that sector wherever we move to.

Can anyone give me any guidance on where to look at moving? It’s so hard doing everything from a distance!

Thanks in advance :)

2 bedroom terraced house for sale in The Common, Crich, Matlock, DE4 (rightmove.co.uk)

Forgot about Crich. Rural. Only 5 miles to Alfreton.

Mansfield IS Notts

Another vote for Matlock!

@sandrapinchedmysandwich I know , was just extending the search area beyond Mansfield!

Darley Abbey is lovely near Derby or Duffield, Allestree, Little Eaton. Belper is a good shout.

A lot of vitriol on here about Mansfield. I have lived here for decades and so far avoided being murdered, raped , a drug addict or an alcoholic. People are warm and friendly, house prices are low, yes the town centre is run down, however projects are in place to address that. Like every town it has its good and bad areas. It's close to the M1 and within easy travel distance of Nottingham, Derby, Sheffield etc for days/nights out and places of interest to visit. Frankly I'd rather live here than some parts of Nottingham, Derby, London etc.

Newton looks ok - largish village. Edwinstowe is nice, as is Matlock or Matlock Bath. Bilsthorpe is much improved and is quite a friendly village.
Husband has just said he can’t think of anywhere near Alfreton he’d choose to live and it’s all a bit dour, although concedes that Libby and Papplewicknnear Hucknall are quite nice. Reckons there are actually some nobby areas of Mansfield now though.

Yeah I'd stay away from Mansfield. There are some lovely villages in commutable distance of Mansfield, but I'd never choose to live in Mansfield

Edwinstowe
Walesby
East Markham
Tuxford
Burton Joyce
Southwell
Even as far as Wymeswold on the A46 can be commutable to Mansfield

The traffic in Papplewick is absolute madness.

I'm not sure if people haven't clocked the budget or are just totally out of touch with house prices as a lot of the places mentioned are too expensive.

I'd consider parts of Alfreton itself, perhaps Giltbrook, Kimberley, Watnall, Hucknall areas too. Countryside on the doorstep but easy access to Nottingham too.

It's just a case of OP needing to be near Alfreton and thinking of Mansfield, the majority of people pointing out that given the huge alternatives within easy reach of Alfreton there are nicer places within OP's budget than Mansfield. I don't think that's vitriol, it's clearly suggestions from people who do know that area of Nottinghamshire/ Derbyshire. I mean there are a lot of places worse than Mansfield too, but you've said yourself, the centre is run down, my experience of the nightlife is pretty dire, it's like going back in time a decade! (I have a lot of work colleagues who live in Mansfield and have spent a few evenings out there) , the benefits you list such as being close to M1 fit for a lot of the other places suggested that are nicer places than Mansfield.
Everyone I know who lives in Mansfield live there because they always have, or their family is there so they stay. It's not the kind of place many would choose to move to with no family ties when there are nicer alternatives.

@scruffydogstinks But those nicer alternatives are out of OPs budget. Most people have to live where they can afford. I have rels in Worksop and Edwinstowe. According to MN abysmal places but tbh no worse than where I live in reality. If you listened to MN half of the north would be uninhabitable because of the proximity to poor people and council estates.

I'd be looking at the villages around Ilkeston - West Hallam is the biggest or there are Mapperley, Morley, Smalley, Stanley. You'd be with half an hour of Alfreton even at this time of day, and then teaching jobs would be accessibly in Derby, Nottingham or anywhere in between. £230k would get you a 2 or 3 bed semi - possibly ex-council house, so good sized rooms and a garden.

But Alfreton isn't 'worse' than Mansfield. There is no point in living in Mansfield for a job in Alfreton.

There are some places that are out of the OP's budget that have been mentioned, like Belper and West Bridgford but there are plenty of places that are not out of budget, especially as it's just the two of them, that she won't have heard of.

Personally don’t know Mansfield, but we live 15 mins from Alfreton in Belper and would highly recommend it and the surrounding areas mentioned by other posters. There are plenty of good schools in the area, and it is easily commutable to Derby, Nottingham and Chesterfield. We are 10 mins from the M1.

I had a quick search for Belper on your budget and found this one for around £227k
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138009755#/?channel=RES_BUY
so there are affordable houses but depends on what you’re after I guess.

If you don't fancy Alfreton you probably won't like Mansfield.

There are some nice areas not too far from Alfreton though. Look at some of the other Amber Valley towns depending upon budget.

Mansfield is very cheap so you will get a lot for your money but so is Alfreton. I'd suggest Swanwick or Ripley would be a bit nicer but still reasonably priced. If your budget stretches then Pentrich, or Crich, or South Wingfield, are pretty close. Belper, Duffield and Milford are nice but a bit further out.

Try Horsley Woodhouse, Little Eaton, Breadsall, Smalley, Heanor - all within an easy drive to Alfreton.

Personally, if at all possible I'd avoid anywhere that involved having to use J28 of the M1 at rush hour.

Yep - J28 is a fucking nightmare and I'll do detours to avoid it.

Mansfield has some pockets of horrendous deprivation and lots of the resulting social problems tend to overspill out into the surrounding areas. Some beautiful big properties on the outskirts - but lots of them tend to have been bought up and converted into care homes or similar.

A52 corridor between Notts and Derby would be a fair bet - people have mentioned Stapleford and Sandiacre... Toton might be a bit pricey - but just over the Long Eaton side of Toton would be doable on that budget (we're about 5 houses over the border - so get the Toton stuff but not the Toton prices). Bramcote might be worth a look as well, along with Draycott, Borowash etc.

Belper is lovely but a bit of a pain in the arse to get to in my view. Ripley - one I'd swerve. West Bridgford - beloved by MN but I would not want to commute across to Alfreton from there on a morning.

As for primary work - I used to supply teach and the location was pretty much perfect for accessing multiple areas to work in.

Just an FYI - Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire don't have the same school holidays.

I know you don't have children OP, but thought I'd point out for future-proofing your move, given you are a teacher.

Most of the places mentioned aren't outside of budget at all. Kimberley, Giltbrook, Heanor, Sandiacre, etc all have houses with budget and are much nicer areas to live than Mansfield.
Yes there are a few ridiculous suggestions like burton Joyce and Southwell which are out of budget but a majority of suggested places are within budget

I like this one in Belper.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146039972

That's lovely. I like the ceilings.