Where should I live?

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I live in SE London Zone 2/3 and have all my life. I am increasingly struggling to pay the mortgage on my Victorian terrace and really need to be mortgage free.

I want to live somewhere with a good inclusive vibe, similar to here in Brockley.
I need a 3 bedroom house, would absolutely love a detached, but know that could be difficult on my budget of £475k.

Areas I've considered are Faversham, Canterbury, Whitstable, Bath, Bristol. I don't need to worry about schools as children are older at uni. I'm 51.

I'm single, so want to be in a nice community where I can make friends and build a life. I work in education, and in my field, it shouldn't be too difficult to find a job.

Any suggestions would be very welcomed. Thank you

Thank you, I think she did try Meet Up (used to be know as City Socialising) now I think about it and it is good. And there’s a brilliant group for young women called Let’s Go Girls if you’re twenty something.

What Bath lacks is a Community Facebook group, web site or similar. You have to know exactly what you’re looking for!

I moved to Deal from London and I love it here.

I would also suggest Broadstairs, Sandwich, Folkstone and Whistable.

We have a Facebook one called Born and bred or live in Bath - that’s used a lot and there are ones for particular areas like moorland road or larkhall -

Whitstable is more on the pricier side.

What about Deal? That’s a nice little place.

Sandgate is nice and within easy reach of all the facilities at Folkstone. Folkstone has certainly improved over recent years.

Rye is another place I’d consider.

As you live in London now, do you still have to travel there regularly? If so, which part do you need to get to?

Thank you that’s really helpful!

Deal, Sandgate, Whitstable, Broadstairs, all good. For my money I'd head to Canterbury, though, unless you're desperate for beach walks. Much more of a buzz, which you will miss if you move out of London, and easier access back. Less than an hour on the fast train to St Pancras. i work in central Canterbury, there's a lot going on and two universities and lots of tourists ensure it's varied and inclusive!

Depending on what sort of property you're after, you could pick up something charming and quirky within the city walls for your budget, although you'd probably have to compromise on parking and maybe outside space. There are tons of lovely villages on the outskirts of Canterbury (eg Bridge, Chartham, Wye, Wingham, although avoid Sturry and Aylesham) where you'd get more for your money, but wouldn't have the amenities of a small city on your doorstep.

I would agree, though, with the pp who said about the schools being different to London. It's a grammar area, as I'm sure you know, and dh (teacher) struggled to settle in to a job when we first moved from London. We live in Thanet though, which is a world of its own 😂

Here's a wild card entry for you :)
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/156402359#/?channel=RES_BUY