Relocating from Kent to Somerset (or somewhere else in the SW)?

[happycamper75]

Hi all, I'm new here and wanted to pick MN brains on relocating from Kent to the South West in the next few years. We will both be early retired and are planning on renting for 6 months or so to get a lay of the land before hopefully buying. We don't want too large an area to be looking at houses in so originally thought of renting in Somerset and looking there.. probably north Somerset. .. we have up to around £180k for a 1-2 bed house. What we're wondering is, is this doable for a nice house / area? We want a small city or a town with access to amenities ideally and good access to hospitals etc.

We're open to thinking about Dorset, Wiltshire and Devon and Cornwall if needed for better house prices though... At this stage trying to find the best place for a renting base to then buy but don't want to do it in an area that we can't afford.

Thanks!

Thanks @FuzzyPuffling I've just replied. Sounds perfect 👌

Cornwall is fine in the right place but I'd not recommend it for you. Far too remote. Takes us 3 hours to get to Bristol which is where everything starts!

I'd be looking a Somerset, Gloucestershire or Herefordshire...then you have access to motorways and links to all sorts of places without an initial 3 hour slog

I agree @Navigatinglife100

There was an interesting thread here last week about downsizing from a rural to a town property that you might like to read, OP.

Thanks @FuzzyPuffling !

Morning all, thanks to the recommendations yesterday I watched my first turd towns on YT! 💩 Very enlightening, funny and useful. Taunton didn't come out too badly so that's our current thinking. Thanks again!

Just an update to say we're still looking into the idea of Taunton but also are playing with the idea of Wiltshire for affordability too.. in case it's helpful for anyone else. A few places like warminster and Trowbridge are much more in our price range and sound nice on the whole and still pretty close to places like Frome.

Warminster is garrison town. Beware.

My mother in law moved from the south east to Mere in Wiltshire which is really nice. Lots going on for a smaller town. People seem very friendly. Not sure on the house prices but maybe work a look.

Thanks @FuzzyPuffling I did wonder about that...

Thanks @Dinosaursdontgrowontrees i haven't looked at Mere, I'll check it out.

What is your pull to Somerset? I'd have thought you could have a similar lifestyle in Kent?

If your looking in Wiltshire there is a range - Trowbridge is very accessible, some people move out of Bath to there for bigger houses, town centre is tired and be aware river Avon can flood. Bradford on Avon is lovely but pricey, Melksham has lots of new housing but not much of a town centre, Chippenham is growing, again new housing but also larger tie centre - and closer to M4. Calne will be cheaper housing, as will Devizes (which has lovely small town centre).
All are within reach of Bath and Swindon (both have large hospitals).

It's probably not that dissimilar but we need to move house anyway as the DIY is beyond our capabilities or budget so we thought we might as well move area too. Fresh start. Prices are also crazy in the SE and we can't find what we want here without working longer than wanted. So two birds with one stone...

Thanks @samlovesdilys that's really helpful. I keep hearing food stuff about Devizes. We are too rural now so want a nice town centre or large village maybe, that we can walk to especially as we get older.

Devizes is lovely - lots of local shops and a community feel, walks and canals… but traffic can be bad (although not Kent bad!!) and my teenagers moan about slow buses trundling across the countryside!

That sounds right up our street thanks @samlovesdilys ! Yeh there just seems to be continuous roadworks where we are so it's all relative.