Hey sorry if this has been asked before.. but I’m moving back to the UK after 4 years overseas and a bit out of touch. Would love some suggestions on areas to look into buying a place. My friends and family are equally dispersed all over the place, so it’s pretty much a dart in the map.

– I work remotely running an internet business. As long as I can get 5 MB/s speeds I can live anywhere in the UK.
– I don’t need access to London, but access (<20miles) to some kind of sprightly civilisation might be nice. I have a budget of 350k.
– Lots of windows and good views are high up my list. I’m thinking rural is good, but urban could work if there is some privacy, eg the edge of a city/town or overlooking water. Not so keen on suburbs.
– After some tumbles, I’m mostly a road/XC rider these days.

Thanks very much!

Leith

Lots of villages in the Pennines between Manchester and Leeds would suit

350k will buy you a fair bit in the outer edges of the UK. West Country is my favourite as I like a bit of surf but west wales would get a look in if I was picking again.

We moved back to the UK with a similarly free choice (though relatives in N England and S Scotland was a bit of a pull) and are very happy to be in the Yorkshire Dales. Great riding, pubs, cafes, a little short on high culture but we don’t really miss it on a day to day basis and connections to the rest of the UK are quite good – we are not too far from M6, Skipton has decent trains.

I’m doing the same soon, but with a budget of 35 quid and no job.

I’d say south west near say woolacombe. Beaches, great road rides (exmoor etc) and if you want Dartmoor and quantocks nearby.

Sheffield.

Dumfries & Galloway or the Borders
http://www.dgspc.co.uk/

South West would be my choice. Friendly, slightly slower pace of life and generally better weather.

+1 for the Borders

Not Northumberland it’s horrible and your money doesn’t go far.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-34004823.html

Portobello, lots of big windows.

Bristol was voted best UK city to live in recently, plus has good bicycle scene. Outside of Bristol has the Wye Valley, Forest of Dean, etc.

350k won’t buy you big windows in brizzle.

Interesting city could be significant. If you have friends and family spread out then decent transport links could also be a plus.

The south west in my experience was fairly free of sprightly civilisation but then I was in Bridgwater. Further north towards Bristol could work and you’d have sensible train/motorway and airport links. THe SW is warmer than a lot of the rest of the UK. Accomodation seemed expensive.

I now live in Newcastle, colder than anywhere else I’ve lived. It is very noticeable although you get used to it. I don’t own many shorts these days although I did have bare knees on my ride today. Good transport North and south with trains and planes. Roads aren’t too bad. House prices are cheap.

I also lived in Bolton in the NW, but I see no reason ever to go back there.

I’d look at South of Manchester. Somewhere in and around Leeds/Sheffield or Edinburgh.

FoD = http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-44357836.html

350k won’t buy you big windows in brizzle.

hmmm, i make you right there:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/commercial-property-for-sale/property-32451328.html

I take it back.

Lake District. Job done.

Lakes +1 on my very short list of places I’d move back to

All depends on where you are from originally and where you have been living outside of the UK….

If you have been living somewhere with 24 hour convenience then moving to the lakes where the shops still close half day on Wednesday (I don’t know if this is still the case but it was much longer than in the SE) might just make the result frustrating

SW. Either the N coast for surfing and your money going further or around Exeter for civilisation but a higher cost of living.

Leigh in Lancashire, it’s got a road to Wigan for a more cosmopolitan experience.

The broadband will drive where you live. 5MB connections in some of the more rural areas can be quite difficult to achieve. Who will you use for provision? Does the exchange you plan to live near have their kit in it? Will you need a fibre connection in the future?
Bear in mind the regular threads here on BT, Talk Talk (an absolute shower IME) and Plus Net and the problems they can’t or won’t fix (It’s an Openreach problem anyone?) I would research that first and then look at where you can live that has the right provider for you.

A lot of Cumbria is on fibre now, £350k can get you a nice property in decent area’s too.

EDIT: Brigham is quite nice

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/49701469

I always fancied living somewhere on the Pembrokeshire or Northumberland coasts.

There are some real hidden gems on the coast west of Cardiff.

seriously – why UK…why not anywhere in European Union?

Living in the SW, great access to Devon/Cornwall and South Wales. But I do miss the ‘centralness’ of when I used to live various places further north, Leeds/Cheshire/Staffordshire. Peaks or Dales on the doorstep, and easy access to North Wales, Lakes, Scotland. With no other ties to consider I think I’d be looking North Peak District.

It is warmer down here in the SW though 8)

how about a little rural cottage in Cradley, nr Malvern with bordering brook/ fishing rights? Or a house up here in the Hills there’s all kinds of options for that kind of money, with views over many counties. Loads of tech bods here too, for ‘socialising’, comparing markup and talking in code 😉

seriously – why UK

Good point. I like the UK for lifestyle and variety but if I had total freedom I think I’d consider other options (although suspect I’d still keep a base here). Have some friends with an internet business and they went through this and chose Andorra. Great location winter and summer plus low taxes.

I’d go somewhere near Leeds or Bristol, depending on exact requirements.

Thinking about it, as others have said – why live in the UK? http://www.rightmove.co.uk/overseas-property/property-17302746.html?premiumA=true it’s probably dialup but you’ll have enough cash left over for putting in overtime via 4G from the pool 🙂

I’ve been thinking about this for 10 minutes and I think you are out of your mind for wanting to return to the UK when you have the option not to.
I don’t understand the fascination with the Lake District in particular, I’d go for the West Country, somewhere near Exeter.

My reasons for the UK/
it’s a decent place, good services, good connections, language, friends and family.
Lakes some of the most amazing riding, huge variation, stunning scenery, good connections by road and train, decent employment available and nowhere near the south.

I’ve been thinking about this for 10 minutes and I think you are out of your mind for wanting to return to the UK when you have the option not to.

There’s quite a lot to recommend the UK, perhaps you have to leave it to notice. Apart from the weather, perhaps.

I’ve lived abroad in Italy, and I didn’t miss the UK, I had to return for work reasons, whereas the OP is as free as a bird. Granted, though, everyone has a different perception, you definitely have to like muddy mountainbiking!

Mackem – Member
I’m doing the same soon, but with a budget of 35 quid and no job.

Cairo Street is canny nowadays.

Shhhh…don’t tell anyone about Northumberland…don’t want southerners finding out about it and making it busy!
I’d move north of a line that includes the Lakes, Yorkshire Dales, North Yorks Moors. Dorset, Devon and Cornwall are nice too if you need the coast / warmer weather.