Relocating to Cornwall

[Vickivicster]

We’re seriously considering moving to Cornwall and I’d really love some honest opinions from anyone who has actually done it, particularly with children.
We’re a family of three currently living in Sussex where I grew up. We love where we live in a lot of ways, but we’re increasingly drawn to Cornwall for the lifestyle – being closer to the coast, beaches, walking etc and it reminds us of the lifestyle we had when my husband and ai lived in New Zealand. Additionally we feel we are being priced out the area here and property prices in our area are becoming unattainable.

We’re at the point where we’re actually looking at houses, rather than it just being a vague idea, so it’s starting to feel like a very real possibility.
The thing I’m most worried about is schools.
Our DS is 9 and will be heading towards secondary school age, which makes me slightly nervous about moving now. He would be going into a mainstream secondary school and is generally doing well, but obviously changing schools, leaving friends behind and starting somewhere completely new feels like quite a big thing at this age.
For those who have moved to Cornwall with children around this age, how did you find it? Did your DC settle in OK and make friends? How have you found the secondary schools generally?
And what about actually living there long term? Did you buy a house before moving, or rent first? Did you feel you knew enough about the area before buying? I’m conscious that looking at an area for a weekend is very different from actually living there year-round.
I’d particularly love to hear from people who moved from elsewhere in England rather than people who have always lived in Cornwall. Was it what you expected? Do you still love it? Anything you wish you’d known before making the move?
We’re not expecting it to be perfect and I’m definitely interested in the negatives as well as the positives. I think I’m just trying to work out whether we’re romanticising the idea of Cornwall or whether it really could be a better lifestyle for us.
Any experiences, particularly from families with school-age children, would be really appreciated.

@1dayatatime I’d suggest none of that is deprivation. Deprivation is not affording food and heating. Not car ownership at 18. Glad the Cornish aren’t as deprived as they say they are. Most young people don’t have cars - mum and dad take them to places and even a bus stop.

When people live in remote areas out of choice, parents need to think about what this means. It means you don’t have easy access to everything. I don’t have a bus where I live. No school, shops, or even a pub. We’ve chosen that and could afford it, but others need to be in towns to suit their pocket.

So let me get this right- you are suggesting that Cornish people living in Cornwall (remote areas) is out of choice and they should either stop complaining or be ethnically cleansed by moving to large English cities.

Presumably thereby turning Cornwall into one large tourist theme park?

I live in north Cornwall (moved 5 years ago with children now aged 15, 14, 10) and for me this post nails it.

Of my 18yo only two had cars. (He didn’t have one BTW) and one had a job since he was 16 and the other one also had a job at a Tesco.no parent handouts.

Property prices are not insane. The most desirable places yes, but that’s the same anywhere and it’s absolutely not London prices. That’s why people move! More bang for your buck.

But it's about proportion.

If you're in a minimum wage job, only able to find part time or seasonal work, have to spend exorbitant time or costs on transport it all affects affordability.

That's the same issue nationally of course but the housing prices in Cornwall are grossly disproportionate to the income of the average resident.

We are one of only two households on our street who own our very ordinary mid terrace 70s build homes. Neighbours are a mix of jobs - GP receptionists, SEN TAs, two self employed carpenters, a gardener, a school cleaner, hospital admin, a care worker, a hair dresser... All renting. All those are in their late 30s - mid 40s.

@GreenFootstool Those scenarios preclude you buying a home more or less anywhere! Part time seasonal work isn’t going to pay the rent, let alone a mortgage . Living in Cornwall is not obligatory. However the state pays well enough to enable many to have a perfectly good 4 bed family house for a fraction of the price of where I live. The wages are not higher for doctors or teachers 35 miles out of London but property is significantly more. If the Cornish want better jobs, they have to get educated and move - like everyone else does or stay put and do a professional or trade job. It’s a perfectly good place to be if you work for the state.

I grew up in a similar area but thankfully the second home owners haven’t moved in. it’s so sad when places are turned into ghost towns in winter, accelerates the closure of local schools. I wish people would bring their custom to the area and stay in hotels or self catering attached to defined holiday residential. There are no ways local wages can compete with a fund manager spending their bonus.

I love living here but itt seems to be getting more and more "flaggy"

I infer from that that the people are feeling more and more socially marginalised.

We live in Cornwall and moved here 38 years ago after relocating from the South East. Never regretted it. We don’t live in a particularly touristy town though and the schools were fine when our DC were little but now with 2 SEN GC they are less able to meet their needs and being rural means more travel. Our DC now adults have chosen to stay down here although they both moved away for Uni etc but came back as luckily they can work remotely. We are now retired. Housing was more affordable here than the South East and both our DC have bought houses. We never had problems fitting in but we are close to Devon border so no antipathy towards incomers. Our town is relatively prosperous being near a large city. We are close to the moors both Bodmin Moor annd Dartmoor and 30 minutes away from beaches. Lack of airports can be a pain as we have to drive to Bristol or sometimes even London or Birmingham. Limited flights from Exeter and Newquay. I would not live anywhere else though.

Lots of people are priced out of houses they want all over the uk. The SE and London in particular. There are schools struggling to survive in country areas due to the low birth rate and pinning it all on second home owners is ludicrous. And what hotels? Not many around in some areas or maybe the Cornish like the ugly caravan parks that are dotted about! Most second home owners let their property out and these people spend generously in the local area. Without them say goodbye to cafes and restaurants. Plus a host of trades and maintenance jobs. When tourism is 33% of the economy, it’s wishful thinking that these tourists will fit into hotels and caravan parks.

However, again @MeetMeOnTheCorner it's about proportion.

40% of all workers in Cornwall are part time. That's not a lifestyle choice by a significant proportion of the people here.

The median salary is well below the national median as is the average salary.

https://cornwallcommunityfoundation.com/our-impact-strategy/cornwall-local-economy-employment/

We have limited opportunities for tech or business, civil service jobs have a very small footprint in the county, with Cornwall Council being far and away the largest employer - and on the cusp of going bust. The second largest employer is a company owned by the Council (care work, roads).

There are big employers in the state sector! The NHs and education for starters. You have two universities. There are job opportunities for educated people or people with skills. Unemployment is relatively low in Cornwall and plenty of people actively seek part time working to fit around family life. There are some areas of work that are under represented but if you want that work, Cornwall isn’t the place to be. If I wanted hotel work, I would not live where I live! Ditto tech. There are bouyant businesses in Cornwall but the education system doesn’t seem great and some people prefer the lifestyle over working 60 hours a week. No one goes to Cornwall to join the rat race so they?

I like the shouts for Mumbles and North Berwick. Definitely worth exploring other spots that tick the lifestyle/surfing boxes without all the drawbacks that could bite you in the ass.

Only other thing I’d add is that secondary years go by in a flash. After infanthood/primary seeming to take ages, it all speeds up and before you know it they’re into sixth form and gone. And gone far away in many Cornwall scenarios. Just mentioning as you’re so focused on your DS, understandable as an only, and his secondary years and those schools are ofc incredibly important but think beyond that too as it’ll be the blink of an eye. Don’t make this move for him. I do think Sussex is the better option but investigate all options and see what makes sense for all of you, now and for the future.

I’m sure you really enjoy the high paid work you do in Cornwall but there are huge housing shortages and “normal” jobs struggle to cover the inflated prices. This isn’t a secret.

@Meandthegherkin I’m not in Cornwall and I know salaries are lower than in some other areas but for state employees this isn’t en issue because housing is cheaper than lots of commuter towns in the SE. Of course people want the pretty seaside towns and villages but where I live (40
miles from London) there’s a vast amount of new housing and many villages now join my local town. It’s a huge amount of new housing. I’ve not seen such huge expansion in Cornwall but people can move for better wages - but don’t expect cheap housing! Anyone working for the state isn’t badly off in Cornwall. Seasonal work is more problematic and, reading about Cornwall, employers say there is a skills shortage in some areas and that the education system is poor. Those can be rectified but I’d not be rushing to live there unless I had a well paid job and my dc had a future.

Who do you expect to provide the seasonal labour if the local house prices are vastly inflated by second home owners?

@Meandthegherkin Prove that they are. Look at non coastal towns and the housing is good value. Seasonal labour - students and school kids like everywhere else. How do you think people afford housing in London commuter towns where it’s £500,000 for a bog standard semi on a new estate? It’s not that in Cornwall. 4-5 bed detached is easily available for that. Second home owners are only in nice villages. They don’t affect central Cornwall at all.

Do you actually understand rural poverty?

@Meandthegherkin Me? I live rurally. No bus here. My DDs have moved elsewhere though. Life is what you make it. There are decent jobs in Cornwall and not everyone lives rurally do they? Any more than they do here. I think lots of the issues start with education and ambition. Where I live, I don’t see anyone hanging on to living here. They go where they need to go. That doesn’t seem to be the same in Cornwall but employers still report they cannot recruit suitable people. There’s a definite mismatch. Oh - and someone others said the young all buy £500 cars and insure them. So they cannot be that poor.

Hello
I would like to give you my personal view of moving to Launceston in Cornwall five years ago. I am a kiwi married to my English husband with grown up children who have flown the nest. We moved from Kent during covid and was drawn to the beauty of the North Cornwall beaches where we spent numerous memorable holidays in the sea with the kids surfing and seeking a slower pace of life. The one thing I was not prepared for was the amount of rain you have in the winter but the summer when it's good cancels this out. People have time for one another and I would say that overall the teenagers are polite and respectful. I don't see them walking to school drinking lucozade or eating crisps for breakfast. They usually thank you if you stop to let them cross the road or give you a friendly wave. There is a good independent school here but am unable to comment on the others. I have no regrets moving here and wish you well with your research and decision.