Please can someone help me find somewhere to move to?!

[Voilly]

I downsized 2 years ago from the large family home to a smaller house in the same town.

At that point, all 4 of my adult dc weren't living at home, and had no plans to do so. Things have changed since then and 2 of them are now back.

I really hate the house I've moved to, and I suddenly feel that after more than 30 years I don't want to live in this area any more (near Windsor). Many of my friends have moved away or are planning to. Plus most of them are still married/in relationships, whereas I'm widowed and I feel that our friendships have changed :(.

I want to move but don't know where to! I've kind of got RightMove fatigue and am fed up of looking on there. The 2 dc currently living with me will move with me. The other 2 are abroad and not likely to come home. I have no other family, and I work remotely.

I have a budget of up to £600k and, other than being aware that I should factor in getting older (61 now), I could, in theory move anywhere in the U.K. I'd like an airport within about 2 hours to visit my dc living abroad but that's pretty much it.

I'd be so grateful for some suggestions of nice places to live anywhere in the uk (except for Cornwall). Does anyone have somewhere they live that they love, or somewhere they'd like to live that they love?

Thank you 🙏

I would look here on edges of Bath or Frome ir Bradford on Avon if you want a bit more for your money than Bath , but easy access to Bath- all are good - Frome is brilliant if you want to pick up a social scene quickly - if’s a bit woo , lots of yoga and poetry group type stuff - but is very community minded and you can get a nice houses quite reasonable , My FIL moved there at 86 !! I also really like Cheltenham .

Haywards Heath - South Downs, Brighton, beautiful historic places to explore, urban and rural in easy reach, close to Gatwick, 40 mins to London, affordable, plenty of nice parks/cafes etc in the town itself

Winchcombe in the cotswolds

From where you are near Windsor, I'd say to follow the saying that West is Best. Maybe the Cotswolds, but a large town like Bath or Bristol would meet your future needs well.
If you want something a little smaller, then Weston super Mare is good.

I came to suggest Sheffield- you’d have the Peak District on your doorstep but with good transport links and equidistant from various airports, plus they are reopening Doncaster-Sheffield airport in the future. It’s a lovely, busy and friendly place!

I sense that you'd be best in a market town like Marlborough or Sherborne.

Haywards Heath is really nice, also Lewes.

Ha!

I was scrolling through looking at people’s suggestions to get to the bottom and suggest Chichester!

So another vote for it from me OP!

I would consider another ‘destination’ sort of place, if that’s what you are used to.
If you go somewhere interesting and within reach you will always get visitors. That will supplement old friends as you build new.
Would you ever do ‘home exchange’ where you swap homes with someone abroad simultaneously?
Look at places within reach of airports - Gatwick, Bournemouth, Southampton, Bristol - and you’d be set up well for that.
Train services are likely to be more time proof than relying on bus services so for travel infrastructure base your search in location to trains rather than buses.

I’d try and save a bit of money for your relocation search.
i’ve recently relocated 400 miles north to south. It took 18 months and involved around 20 Airbnb nights of staying in possible locations. Then once the location was known I literally had to walk the streets to get to know it better.
While you are considering location use this time wisely to declutter
and paint your existing home to get absolutely top dollar for it. And consider a downsize by one bedroom. To improve your location and future proof criteria .
Wishing you well.
PS, I did five nights in Chichester

@Beesandhoney123
The Cheltenham house is lovely. Wow! and it comes with the annexe if one of the OP's children want to live at home. Or the OP could rent out the basement for an additional income.
Is there a catch? It looks brilliant.

Given you are indecisive between urban and rural, and worried about getting older, I would be tempted to look at a village with great dog walks that is on a very frequent and reliable bus route to a city so it is still workable if you can no longer drive.

E.g Harewood between Leeds and Harrogate has very frequent buses to both places. 20 mins to Harrogate, 30 mins to Leeds as often as every 10 minutes.

You've got good access to hospitals and airports. Although maybe look for an equivalent place with a few shops so you can get a pint of milk etc?

The key for good bus routes is often to be between two towns/cities that people want to commute between. What you don't want is one bus an hour between limited times because that then stops you going out in the evenings.

Parking permit available , there are houses on two sides but only 7-8 spaces . Add in some are not houses but look like a business
and that tree in the NDN garden would annoy the hell out of me .

Otherwise it look good -garden is overlooked though
Annexe is a basement flat which might be an issue with stairs

Forgot to say Corsham is very nice between Bath and Chippenham, like a very large stone built village - it has a mix of newer estates and lovely old houses, several great pubs, cafes , arts centre , great bookshop, a huge coop , a few lovely restaurants, deli, fantastic butchers, greengrocers, you have Bath 7 miles one way for a great browse and shows and concerts etc and Chippenham 3 miles the other. It’s not on the train , but is on a very regular main bus service and you would get something lovely under budget . If you ok with a modern detached it would be well under budget and as stone faced built a lot are quite attractive. Lovely for dog walking in the whole area. Chippenham is 1hr 10 on train if you want to go to London .andDominic west and Nick Mason from
pink floyd are your neighbours - Nick has a lovely open day at his house every year for charity showing all his vintage cars , house used to be owned by Camilla

I understand the urban vs rural dilemma OP, I feel the same.

Towns I like or have known others to enjoy living in (a bit of a varied selection!):
Chepstow
Penarth
Portishead
Clevedon
Romsey
Wokingham
Broughty Ferry
Balfron
Eaglesham
Various places in Yorkshire, near Peak District
Milngavie
Westbury on Trym

Small world but I am yet another person who moved from Windsor to bath. We love it, it's so beautiful it feels like being on holiday every day and I can't quite believe I'm allowed to be here. It's about a third cheaper than Windsor and we have a house on the cheaper southern fringes. Bathonians are so spoiled - only in bath could our safe, beautiful area with amazing parks and views be the cheap part of the city. We are right next to breathtaking country walks - can do them on foot straight from the doorstep - but also a quick bus ride from the centre, and there is talk of installing a tramline. There are no "bad" areas like there would be in a larger city, and a good sized hospital where I've had good experiences. City centre is gorgeous. Perfect sized city in my view.

@Ifeellikechickentonightchickentonight. Ooh we should get together!! I’m up near the uni

I’d go Bath, Cheltenham, Chichester. Maybe Tunbridge Wells if not too expensive. I knew people who lived for a long time in first 3 and they loved it.

Isn’t Bradford on Avon super expensive these days? I used to holiday there as a child but heard it had gone posh and equestrian now.

Brighton gets busy. Bath is nice but depending how often you’re going to London you need to factor in trains (which are very good). Coaches also good for your DC if they want cheaper travel.

@Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain it’s not peanuts but a bit cheaper than Bath - you would get something like this for well under OPs budget

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/172295909

That’s actually quite nice!

My mum’s friend moved there years ago (now dead) and had a huge house with grounds and annexe near the Tithe Barn. But this was in 70s when you could still get bargains.

I'd move to Frome, nice vibe town - countryside when you want it. Easy to get to bath.

I also like cambridge.

Bradford on Avon is stunning though, apparently for fans of Bath. Bristol is also near. I was there as a child but we had friends who lived there in the centre and on an estate nearby (Paulson). Lots of shops restaurants and swimming pool. No idea what trains are like there.

Yep it’s a cracking little place although you will need to go into Bath for a ‘good shop’ that’s not food. The only problem with BOA is it floods quite regularly and that can be a pain - 15 mins on train ( beautiful trip too) into Bath . Great farm shop 1 mile out at Winsley - town has a nice pool and lots going on at the big hall . You can definitely get a nice place under £600k, may be a bit 70s or a semi or a smaller character place, but it will still be nice for that money. It has a lot going for it at that price point without being isolated -