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Original poster

Relocating to Devon/Cornwall - should we do it?

134 replies

Lastyearsmodel · 22/09/2009 11:23

We've done the classic thing of returning from holiday in Cornwall and wanting to move down there - are we stupid to think we should live somewhere lovelier?

We've been down quite a few times and have friends who moved there from West Yorkshire 6 years ago and love it, so we're not completely unaware of the pitfalls.

We're in South Yorkshire, DP has a secure but boring job (he says) and have DD (3) and DS (18 months). I'm a Londoner but have lived in Yorkshire for 15 years and DP is a Yorkshireman. The schools here are OK, not great, and I'd always said I didn't want the kids to grow up here.

We're outdoors types - cycling, walking, paddling, etc - is it worth the move to have better weekends?

He's seen jobs he could apply for and reckons now is the time to go. Are we being naive?

Has anyone relocated because you felt you and your family deserved a better quality of life?

All thoughts and opinions welcome - as you can probably tell, I'm a bit confused...

OP posts:
mumblechum · 22/09/2009 13:36

The house prices seem to be catching up with SE England now. We have a fortnight in Devon every year and usually leaf through Devon Life to decide which manor house with 25 acres we'll retire to in 8 years time but this year we'd be lucky to buy half of what our money would have bought us a few years ago.

It is lovely, though, esp. Drewsteignton/Chagford area.

I'm pretty sure that the Waitrose in Okehampton and even the Tesco in Exeter may have heard of avocados!

cheesesarnie · 22/09/2009 13:40

we have avocados in our tiny market town.(we burn them-isnt that what an avocado is?for worshipping ceremonys?)

TheMightyToosh · 22/09/2009 13:40

IME the house prices are highest if you go by the coast, but if you look a little further inland, you can still get a decent place for decent money.

Obviously if you want sea views and a golf course next door, you will have to pay premium prices! But there are also plenty of affordable villages and towns around.

That way you avoid most of the tourism but you can still get to the beach easily when you want to.

mumblechum · 22/09/2009 13:42

Off to do a spot of fantasy house shopping on PrimeLocation.

scroobiuspirate · 22/09/2009 13:43

toosh, then you are within avocado stone throwing distance of me.

we must meet for cowpats sometime.!!

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 22/09/2009 13:46

MP at home in Somerset.

OrmIrian · 22/09/2009 13:50

But no bagels!

TheMightyToosh · 22/09/2009 13:50

where are you scroobi?

morningpaper · 22/09/2009 13:51

lol

that is me

cheesesarnie · 22/09/2009 13:52

bagels are for posh people surely?

OrmIrian · 22/09/2009 13:52

posh cultured people.

scroobiuspirate · 22/09/2009 13:53

we have this MP!!!

even better than Cafe Rouge ya know

scroobiuspirate · 22/09/2009 13:55

toosh, i am in a town south of ivy, with K at the start. I was brought up here, but moved away for long long time.

trying to think what village you mean. it might be an M word.? or perhaps smaller than that.

mackerel · 22/09/2009 13:58

We relocated to north Devon and have never looked back. We chose our location carefullly because i didn't want to live in seaside BandB land. I think it is fab all year round - in the winter there are winter beach walks and Exmoor walking and in the summer we're on the beach lots. We moved for the lifestyle and it has met all our expectations. It isn't all country bumpkin stuff outside of Totnes and to be honest I like that where we are is pretty down to earth in the way that where we used to live up north was - which is the only part of where we used to live that we liked. do you follow that??! I didn't want to be in a chi-chi town full of useless shops full of expensive tat or a London-by-sea type place. North Devon isn't too expensive either and although I think I might find Cornwall just a bit too far from anywhere to consider moving there, I do love the fact that for a holiday or w.e. away it is only a 1.5hr journey. Our children love it here and we have made lots of like minded friends. the only downside is the availability of work. We are both public sector workers so DH could move on the same salary band and works for the NHS, but part time working opps. for me are limited. I say do it! - esp. whilst your kids are young. You won't regret it. Feel free to CAT me.

TheMightyToosh · 22/09/2009 13:58

scroobi - cool! ours is an E word .

scroobiuspirate · 22/09/2009 14:00

i like the country ways, they are simple, effective and easy.

I can breathe here.

AHHH the E word. I drive thru it to tesco !!!

pixiestix · 22/09/2009 14:06

Slightly controversial, but can't help but say,
ahem,

Please don't move to Cornwall!

People moving down from up-country in droves is ruining the local environment, pushing up house prices and obliterating the local culture.

Go and introduce avocados to another county and leave us alone!

(Am a nice person really , but when you walk into a Cornish primary school and all the kids talk with a South London accent its quite depressing)

saintlydamemrsturnip · 22/09/2009 14:22

They're the only ones who can afford the house prices now When we moved down dh made a big point of saying I was from here originally to avoid hostility

Go to St Mawes out of season if you want to see something really sad....

mackerel · 22/09/2009 14:28

We relocated to north Devon and have never looked back. We chose our location carefullly because i didn't want to live in seaside BandB land. I think it is fab all year round - in the winter there are winter beach walks and Exmoor walking and in the summer we're on the beach lots. We moved for the lifestyle and it has met all our expectations. It isn't all country bumpkin stuff outside of Totnes and to be honest I like that where we are is pretty down to earth in the way that where we used to live up north was - which is the only part of where we used to live that we liked. do you follow that??! I didn't want to be in a chi-chi town full of useless shops full of expensive tat or a London-by-sea type place. North Devon isn't too expensive either and although I think I might find Cornwall just a bit too far from anywhere to consider moving there, I do love the fact that for a holiday or w.e. away it is only a 1.5hr journey. Our children love it here and we have made lots of like minded friends. the only downside is the availability of work. We are both public sector workers so DH could move on the same salary band and works for the NHS, but part time working opps. for me are limited. I say do it! - esp. whilst your kids are young. You won't regret it. Feel free to CAT me.

mackerel · 22/09/2009 14:31

oops. Never mind. can't emphasise enough how great it is.

cheesesarnie · 22/09/2009 14:39

pixiestix-what a shit attitude to have!

to everyone else-we dont all think like that!

Niecie · 22/09/2009 14:56

I'd move to Devon like a shot. I wouldn't live in Cornwall though - far too cut off. You have to go through Devon just to get out of the West County. Devon is a little more part of the mainland! Cornwall seems to be lacking in services and generally a less prosperous county all round, even if it is a very beautiful place.

If, in my dream life, I ever got to move there I would probably go for Honiton/Exeter/Newton Abbott. Just far enough from the sea not to be heaving with tourist but close enough to visit any time you like. Mind you, I was put off Newton a few weeks ago after spending ages in traffic on a normal Friday lunchtime. It was a bit of a shock after featuring quite heavily in my musings. I

We looked at buy a business in Torquay a few years ago but couldn't make it work financially - the house price differentiatal between where we live (Hampshire) and there was not great enough. It is even smaller now. Couldn't go now anyway as DH has started a business here instead.

Schools in S and E Devon are excellent as far as I can tell (having only looked at league tables etc). Having started looking at secondaries for DS1 I am even more tempted to go as the schools round here aren't as good.

I am amused about the lack of avocados - not really a problem I have encountered. They do have supermarkets after all. Exeter even has 3 Sainsbury's - almost like the a real city!!

saintlydamemrsturnip · 22/09/2009 15:00

I love avocados. I even eat sushi quite often.

Traffic in Newton Abbot (and Exeter) is always bloody awful.

Jux · 22/09/2009 15:10

We get avocados here, even on the market stalls. What I haven't seen are artichokes. Hmm, think I'll grow some (I can down here, because I have a big garden in which to do it).

pixiestix · 22/09/2009 15:12

Well, a straw poll in my office of fifteen people has come up with the results 14-1 that most think like me!! The one who doesn't is an emmit from Liverpool.

So maybe not all people think like you Cheesesarnie !!!