Topic starter
Yes, another 'where to live' thread, but also I'm interested in whether the housing market to buy is similar all over the UK at the moment.
Recognising that we're fortunate to be able to move if we like, I'm after...
...Ideally somewhere sunny to help with Mrs Mellie's mental health, and change my employer to suit. However Br*x*t has made moving abroad more troublesome, so we are likely to have to compromise on that front.
...So I'm focusing on staying within the UK for now.
We currently live in the west of England and I remote work most of the week. I would need to get to Swindon or London once a fortnight minimum for my current job. Journey time to the office I'm fairly flexible with, as long as it's reasonably straightforward. Train or car.
Looking at different areas of the South on Rightmove, availability within our price range* mostly falls within either:
a) new build, crammed in, over looking each other
b) standard, dull, expensive for what it is, pre-owned stock
c) optimistically priced fixer-uppers, which on closer inspection need demolishing and starting again.
The exercise is pretty demoralising.
- is the picture the same where you live?
- is Rightmove best avoided? If so, where to look?
- what other options are there? Self build? Live on a commune? Convert and change of use on something?
We don't want total isolation, but some peace would be good. Suggestions welcome!
Cheers
*let's say under £400k
Posted : 18/04/2025 10:55 am
East Devon?
Prices are ok, not gone up too much. 400k will get you a nice 3-4 bed with a garden in somewhere like Ottery/Honiton.
Near the M5 and train stations for both London lines.
Posted : 18/04/2025 11:37 am
roger_mellie reacted
East Devon?
Prices are ok, not gone up too much. 400k will get you a nice 3-4 bed with a garden in somewhere like Ottery/Honiton.
Near the M5 and train stations for both London lines.
Similar in North Yorkshire although prices have gone up in some areas. Plenty of different houses to go at too although do'er uppers get snapped up by the trade if they're worth it. Noticed the days of being able to pick up a farm house or barn to fix up for a reasonable price have gone though, most have been done and now cost a fortune.
Posted : 18/04/2025 12:41 pm
roger_mellie reacted
Gwynedd now that the council have ****ed everyone over (including locals) by messing with who can buy what.
Prices dropped 12% in 2024
(Defo not sunny today though)
Posted : 18/04/2025 1:00 pm
We had a look at Pewsey, but it was a bit quieter than we wanted,
Posted : 18/04/2025 1:06 pm
roger_mellie reacted
Sunny or warm?
Moray coast is way way sunnier than it has the right to be (thanks Cairngorm mountains), has mountains very close to ride in (thanks Cairngorm mountains) - is quieter and the house prices are sane in comparison to the south. 30% less rain that our last location in the south downs (Hampshire) though it does not score as highly on the warm front - like on average 5 degrees cooler 12 months a year. On the flip side snowy sunny days make you smile.....if you work from home.
And if your ethics can stand it, a 'commute' by air from Inverness to LGW or LHR is a lot cheaper than a lot of train journeys from southern counties to London and is stressless like only a small airport can be. Lots of folk do it for their compulsory day or two in the office back in London.
Posted : 18/04/2025 1:26 pm
roger_mellie reacted
Cirencester is a nice town, we enjoyed living there. Easily commutable to Swindon, in fact for one day a fortnight I'd cycle it. Also a doddle for London with the train from Kemble.
Or Stroud, which is a bit more earth-mother if that's your bag. Probably get a bit more for your money there too.
Posted : 18/04/2025 1:51 pm
I'd look just inside Wales (or the English bit nearby). Chepstow, Forest of Dean, etc. Easy access to the M4 or fast trains. Short hop to the rest of Wales. Decent countryside from the door. Priced at more reasonably than the English side although prices did go up after the bridge toll went.
Posted : 18/04/2025 2:22 pm
roger_mellie reacted
Allegedly Dunbar is the sunniest place in Scotland and you can get the east coast mainline to London.
We've been in Scotland for 15 years, moving up from North Yorkshire, currently Montrose, can't see us moving back to England.
Posted : 18/04/2025 4:54 pm
I'd also advise caution/open mindedness on the type of place you're looking for.
Our previous house was exactly what we said we didn't want - an 80s house on an 80s estate - but we'd agreed that we would look at everything in our price range so we, grudgingly, went to view it. Within about five minutes of walking through the door we knew that it was the one we wanted.
Posted : 18/04/2025 5:07 pm
roger_mellie reacted
Herefordshire/Shropshire/Welsh borders - say around Ludlow area. We went on holiday there a couple of years ago and I was amazed at how empty it was, how nice the area was and how cheap the houses were (compared to where we live in East Sussex). Totally possible to get a nice liveable fixer upper with some land for 400k and easy to get anywhere in the country as a bonus instead of being trapped down South below London with a 7 hr drive to the Lakes. Swindon a very easy drive.
Its deffo one area on our retirement list - if retirement ever happens....
Posted : 18/04/2025 5:19 pm
roger_mellie reacted
Topic starter
Thanks all for the comments and suggestions. I have some research to do later!
Posted : 18/04/2025 6:49 pm
Topic starter
Moray coast is way way sunnier than it has the right to be
Funnily enough we did live near Nairn for a couple of years and I would be back with no hesitation, unfortunately Mrs Mellie would take a lot of convincing!
Posted : 18/04/2025 6:51 pm
Rural Carmarthenshire looks pretty good value compared to Brecon Beacons.
Generally an extra room and more ground for similar money.
Equally wet though.
Posted : 18/04/2025 7:33 pm
roger_mellie reacted
Self build? ........
*let's say under £400k
Have you ever watched Grand Designs.....................
Posted : 18/04/2025 9:01 pm
As this is on a MTB forum I'd have to say Forest of Dean.
Posted : 18/04/2025 9:15 pm
unfortunately Mrs Mellie would take a lot of convincing!
Posted : 18/04/2025 9:22 pm
roger_mellie and Yak reacted
Worthing?
Posted : 19/04/2025 10:46 am
£400,000 will get you a nice house in Derbyshire - and with right location then main-line train from Derby to London or M1 all the way.
Lots of towns and villages now have full-fibre broadband too.
Good biking north of Derby too.
Posted : 19/04/2025 11:31 am
If Pewsey is a bit quiet, there are plenty of alternatives north of Avebury and Marlborough, and the roads are easy to drive, and there’s Wroughton, the two Ogbournes, Broad Hinton, the two Bassetts and Winterbourne Monkton, and you’ve got access to miles of byways to ride and walk between the A346 and the A4361/361, Royal Wootton Bassett…
You wouldn’t want to go the other side of the M4, though, that way lies madness, or Swindon, as it’s known to the locals…
Posted : 20/04/2025 2:51 am
roger_mellie reacted
Rural Carmarthenshire looks pretty good value compared to Brecon Beacons.
Generally an extra room and more ground for similar money.
Equally wet though.
Beautiful today 🙂
We swapped a 3 bed semi in Oxfordshire for a 4 bed detached and plenty left over to refit it. We are about 400 yards off the A48, just past Cross Hands, so it's pretty much one straight run to London.
Posted : 20/04/2025 6:45 pm
Do you like riding mountain bikes?
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/160841405#/?channel=RES_BUY
OK you might have to fly to your office...
Posted : 20/04/2025 9:37 pm
We currently live in the west of England and I remote work most of the week.
I was in Bradford on Avon last week, lovely looking place, good rail access especially, nice riding locally.
Posted : 21/04/2025 2:36 pm
North Yorkshire near York or in Harrogate, good rail connections, varied choice of houses, access to countryside.
Posted : 21/04/2025 2:43 pm
£400,000 will get you a nice house in Derbyshire - and with right location then main-line train from Derby to London or M1 all the way.
Lots of towns and villages now have full-fibre broadband too.
Good biking north of Derby too.
I’d second this. Somewhere west or south west of Chesterfield would be good, straight to London in under 2 hours on the train, great gravel and mountain biking from your doorstep.
Posted : 21/04/2025 4:53 pm
Go north rather than south. You could buy half a street for £400k.
Posted : 21/04/2025 5:58 pm
