London to Devon

[Danniwoo2]

I need some advice please!
We are currently living in Bromley, London and looking to relocate to Devon (we think!)

We have around £550k to play with, and hoping to get something detached with land (1-3 acres). Near a nice country town/village and good schools close by. Preferably on the outskirts of a larger town so our children will have somewhere to go when they're older.

We've looked at Exeter & Okehampton.
I would like somewhere very pretty but also not too remote or too quiet.

Any advice or recommendations would be great.
We are looking to sell and be mortgage free so our budget is £550/£560 max.

Could you please answer my pole too? I love a bit of research!

Reason to wanting to move- want to be mortgage free, want land, want less crime and want a new start!
We are self employed with jobs that work in any area.

Thank you😁

I love Devon and Bromley. Cornwall is a hard pass for me since I’m currently trying leave 🤪

Somerset is also brilliant!

"Constantly rains". "Rains every day". These people don't live in Devon or don't want you here. Me? I'm more worried about a drought this year. (Not really).

well the weather forecast for us right now in Cornwall is sunshine and clouds. We have heavy rain and gloom.

What do you expect when you can't even do your scones right? (Teasing).

🤣 fair!

Really appreciate everyone's input and honesty here!!

Need to sell my house first, then I'll update you when we've decided.

Totnes is such a lovely place - we love all the shops and cafes there.

Sidmouth is really lovely and people there are always super friendly - it isn’t on a train route and narrow roads to there so it would take a while to get to other places.

Lyme Regis in Dorset just over the border is also really pretty!

Brixham looks lovely too but might be quiet in the winter.

Crediton and Exmouth would both be very good options - both are on the trainline so teens could travel into Exeter. Topsham is also a really lovely suburb in Exeter with lovely shops and restaurants but it’s unlikely you would get an acre in your budget.

Teignmouth isn’t the prettiest town (some bits are and others are run down) but I’ve heard it is a lovely place to live with a great community - it’s also on the coastal trainline that goes to Exeter.

Chagford is lovely too though very small and quiet for kids, might be a bit remote? Also the villages in the moors seem to be quite cold lol.

If I was buying in Devon I would visit in the winter as in the summer you won’t get the real feel as there are a lot of tourists about. Lovely coastal towns like Dartmouth and Salcolmbe are really quiet in the winter and Salcolmbe has less kids/teens living there all year round than you’d expect as so much if the town has been bought by holiday makers (Salcolmbe you also need a huge budget). I was told by a lady living in Dartmouth that the buses are reduced in the winter so it’s hard to go anywhere if you don’t drive so maybe check too if the towns you are looking at reduce their bus/train schedules in the winter.

Don't entertain the idea of Sidmouth unless you are a pensioner - my gran lived there and it's like an old folks' home by the sea with few young families.

I'd choose to be close to a big town or city. Exeter or Bristol would be my pick.

Again, hyperbole. I know Sidmouth. Lots of old people AND lots of young families. I only skirted it because of the lack of a train-line. Otherwise it's a magical place fully open all year around - including its own department store.

There are A roads to it from Exeter and Honiton - just not dual-carriageways.

Sidmouth itself is fine - loads of families, bustling town centre.

Budleigh Salterton is God's waiting room.

550k would get you quite a lot in Norfolk if that would be of any interest, and the fastest train from Norwich to London is about 90 mins I think.

Parts of the county are not particularly welcoming to outsiders though, IMHO.

I like Budleigh too. It's the sort of place where the only crime will be murders.

I think you will need to look for property that's a bit more rural if you want acreage in your budget. I have a doer upper with 1.8 acres going up for sale soon at £500k...but it's 30 mins from Okehampton and not in the Exeter direction!