My partner has always wanted to live by the coast/in the country and each year that passes the eagerness grows! We live on the edge of a small city in a newish house (small garden, crappy outlook etc) and appreciate that we have a lot of convenience on our doorstep, especially having a 9 year old daughter.

Somewhere like the Yorkshire Dales or Somerset would be ideal (not that I know either area well but it looks nice! The issue is work: my partner works part time as a receptionist at local vets so could probably find a similar type/paid job in most areas. I work full time in a secure job in an office environment but don’t really have specialised skills – what I know is only really relevant to my current employer.

So has anyone had a complete change of lifestyle and moved away completely? I think my biggest issue is I’m not really a risk taker and also have a daughter to consider – she’d probably have to come with us 😆

Ta.

Yeah, a couple of times. Not with family though.

It’s exciting, reminds you not to limit yourself through familiarity.

Couple of times before kids.
It’s good for the soul, may well do it again when they finally leave home.

Northumberland, Midlands, Lakes, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Lakes, Tasmania.

The UK is exceptionally small and easy to get round, you’re never that far from anyone else.

I’ve moved all over the country and abroad, all before kids though and usually because of work not despite it.

If you can get work and would have a noticeable improvement in quality of life then I’d say do it. If you do though you need to be fully committed IMO. My sister in law moved down to Cornwall 4 years ago as the grass was greener down there, she’s moving back up this summer which means more disruption for her 14 year old daughter.

Yes. I moved to Lynton&Lynmouth from Warwickshire.

I had a good job in Warwickshire and an equally well paid job in North Devon. However the two companies are chalk and cheese and that’s why I’m back in Warwickshire.

The company in Devon are relatively small but are a huge player in North Devon. This seemed to affect the way they treated their staff. After being well treated in Warwickshire I couldn’t (wouldn’t!) live with the bullying and intimidation at the new place.

It was real disappointment as I was 1/2 hour from all the best riding on Exmoor and only 1 hour from the Quantocks 😕

I don’t have kids though.

I think work is the biggest barrier, assuming I buy a house for similar amout to what I have now we need to earn a similar wage.

Was the best move I’ve ever made. Headed north(ish) out of Brum to Cheshire 14 years ago and haven’t missed the place since.

I was lucky that I moved with the same company and had a job waiting for me. The wife needed to get a job but picked one up pretty quickly to initially give her some pocket money and eventually ended up teaching at the local Agri college; something she’d always wanted to do but never had the opportunity before our relocate.

We now live in a small village near a couple of towns so have everything to hand if we need it and all the countryside if we don’t.

I wouldn’t let your daughter’s age hold you back TBH. She’s probably a the best age to move schools as she’ll have the opportunity to settle in to her new one and make friends before hassle of moving to ‘big school’ starts.

Yes, some 9.5 years ago i moved from west coast of Denmark to Scotland.
And 7 years ago i moved from there to the eastmidlands.

I have missed the sea the last 7 years, always been living within 10 min on a bike from the coast, and now i live the furthest you can get in the UK (in travel time)

Yep, Buckinghamshire to the Scottish Borders.

Houses are far cheaper but work is scarce and poorly paid (unless you manage to get into the public sector).

Wouldn’t move back though.

No – but I desperately want to.

We’ve moved across the country due to work and would move again if the right opportunity came up, anywhere worldwide really. Howevr, I have never had a big change of lifestyle, we’ve always moved to at least one secure job with the confidence that we would both be employed in a short time. But I plan and consider the impacts in detail, so I would also say I don’t take risks. And I want to know what the contingency is, if things don’t work out the way you expect them to.

You spend so much of your time at work and since you are the primary earner I think that needs to be the deciding factor.

But firstly you need to decide what kind of place you and your partner are looking for. Are you just looking for a place with more space and a view onto fields or the sea? Could you move within commuting distance of your current job? Or do you want wildlife in your back garden, or walks up mountains from your door, or do you want to be remote? If you are looking for remoteness, what are your priorities with regards to school/public transport/socialising opportunities for your daughter? She might prefer to be close to a relatively large town so she can get public transport to school, town etc and be a bit more independant of you as she gets older. And its also nice to be in or near a village with some amenities (shop, pub, post office) but some people would prefer the isolation of a property out in the sticks.

Then you can search online to find roughly where you might be able to get a job that pays enough for you to live on. And search online to find whether or not you can afford to live within commuting distance of said job (remember to double travel time estimates for rush hour travelling).

I agree with tonyd, if you can find an opportunity that could give you a better quality of life, then go for it. Just try and focus on what it is your partner is actually looking for.

Twice – ’95 went from Peterborough to Sussex with a new job, then 2000 from Sussex to Derbyshire as we couldn’t afford to have a kid on one income down south.

It’s a great experience taking the plunge, but you need to think carefully if kids are involved. Also a huge gamble at this time – would imagine getting any work that pays enough to feed a family could be tricky.

After spending best part of 40 years in Enfield, North London, we took a complete gamble and moved to Stroud, Gloucestershire, when our lad was 5 and a bit years old, should have done it years ago, no regrets, have no intention of even visiting London, South Devon was our ideal destination but no work for us there, but we may head that way once lad flies the nest, or when I’ve murdered the mother & brother in law (trust fund)…

Actually, the only bit I miss is the very below average trails I’ve left behind. I miss having known them for 40 years and seeing them change over time and seasons. Bizzare, but true. Will take many a year to build up a similar memory bank in my brain.

It all down to finding a job for you really

We went MK to Durham for I think 7 years. But we are teachers and have portable jobs. We came back for a variety of reasons but I think its worth asking how much family do you currently have round you as that was a factor.

I think the coast falls into to categories, cheap with no jobs or expensive with better jobs access to jobs.

Yorkshire Moors has the coast but I can’t imagine its swimming with jobs

But don’t let me stop you dreaming. Its far from impossible. Choose some areas. Get on rightmove and check house prices. Really think about each house and its locations. Could you live in a smaller house with a smaller mortgage?

At the same time start checking for jobs. look at local paper website. Try and work out what areas are within commuting distance and what companies are where.

Finally try and work out what your skill set you have. The specifics must only apply to your job their can’t be no general skills

Made the move just over three years ago. Moved from West Midlands to the Lake District. Best move ever!!

There is always risk attached to such a move. We know the area, having been coming to the Lakes for almost 25 years, but it was a new job for me, no job (at the that time) for Mrs Me and new scholl for both kids.

Our reason for moving? We wanted to live and bring the kids up in a clean, tidy and low crime environment. I think i heard that Cumbria has just been ranked as being the forth lowest country in terms of crime.

Family were a little concerned over the impact of the move, but to be honest you can move anywhere on the emerald isle of our and still not be more than 1/2 days travel from family.

Go for it as you don’t choose be brought up in an area!

Get thee to North Berwick and get jobs in Edinburgh. Just about country living, on the coast, big city nearby. And a bloomin’ good city at that.

Moved south 15 yrs ago, only regret is that I didn’t go further.

Moved from London to Brighton and now moving back to London if that counts?

Go for it -I moved from Yorkshire to London to train as a chef under Marco Pierre white and Gordon Ramsey.Then i travelled the world as Executive chef for Red bull formula 1 team for 3 years,then i moved to Derry, Northern Ireland for 3 years before moving to East Sussex and a house on the beach. Next year i am moving to Thailand (just building a house there now)Everytime i moved i was nervous, but met new people and discovered new things and different lifestyles.1 thing i would say is you need to be financially ok as moving and a new life style hits the wallet hard. It was kite surfing that made me move to Ireland, as there were big waves and beaches to take every wind direction ,i moved to Sussex for the flat water at Camber ,then i got back into MTB and unfortunately i live on a 40 square mile marsh with no hills -guess you can’t always have it all ha ha -do it and good luck .

Gone from liverpool to london, made some money ,bought a few properties. Sold up in 2010 and moved to devon. i’m 40 and don’t have a mortgage anymore. I wasn’t sure about moving so far from home at the time as i was only 21. Best decision i ever made. I wouldn’t be in the position i’m in now if i hadn’t taken the chance.

Oddly, I probably wouldn’t move elsewhere in the UK (and I doubt anywhere else would have much in my line of work available) but would move my family to Paris at the drop of a hat.

Having said that I have moved from Tunbridge Wells to Hastings to Southampton to London to Epsom, but it’s all South East so not much different.

Did the East Midlands to Bath 13 years ago. Got a job and moved down with a car full of stuff and a sleeping bag. It’s worked well but easy when you don’t have kids. I’d do it now, but there’s no where in the uk I prefer. Might go to NZ for a couple of years when they are older though.

I managed to persuade my boss to let me move from London to Ilkley (southern tip of dales) and pay my travel costs to go back weekly. 9 months later I have a new job in the North.. No looking back now 🙂 could not be happier with the decision. riding or running in the dales or lakes several times a week 😀

Oddly we’re thinking of going from NZ back to Scotland – family mainly the pull with a wee one now. Lots of pros and cons both ways. I’ve loved living here but priorities change.

It may sound obvious, but only move somewhere that fits in with your lifestyle. I wanted to live in/near a city for years, I was reluctant to leave my family’s business though…now I’m older, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else in England (I live in the Lakes). I could be tempted by certain areas of Scotland, but as others have said, the right jobs can be hard to find.

Indeed, i’m fortunate that i don’t actually have to work so can choose where we go although saying that I would probably like to be within striking distance of an airport as I will still be doing some freelance work to stop me going too mental.

We moved from the northern outskirts of Sheffield to Melbourne, Aus 12months ago because Mrs antigee was offered a 4year contract here we said yes because probably have regretted it if didn’t – we’d always said we move in the UK if it made sense with quality of life being overriding and giving the kids the opportunity to experience life in a big city.
We have 2 daughters and the older one found it harder as she had a couple of close friends and had only just gone thru changing to secondary so to quote had to do it all over again, younger one loves sport and they do stacks at school here so thinks it’s fantastic.
We made a tick list of what we needed from where we could choose to live and stuck to it. Seems a bit out on a limb to start with as don’t have any of the support you sort of take for granted like being able to pick up the phone and get someone willing to take one kid to soccer when the other has an event that clashes. Moving mid term made it harder on the kids as friendship patterns already established.
Lucky financially as don’t both have to work though I do some contract stuff but meant wasn’t an essential – find some of my skills are a bit dated and not formal enough for some employers – is there anything in you current work that interests enough to do some study towards a qualification? or something in a completely different field? Lots of quality online/flexible learning stuff around now.

I have always moved around a fair bit, I came from Portsmouth originally and joined the Army which meant i saw a few bits of the world and the lovely towns of Aldershot and Colchester, I then went to uni at lived in York and Leeds, the travelled around Spain and Moroocco for a few years, then down to London for the “party years”, then when i trained as a lawyer I worked I lived in Guildford area and now I have a family, I have moved to Norfolk.

It is difficult at times to leave what you know and friends that you have made, but if they are good mates you’ll still keep in touch and it gives you a reason to travel round the country (with bike) visiting them, plus i truly believe that travel and different experiences are good for a person, especially when young and I always found it difficult to stay in one place for too long.

Yes, grew up in Glasgow, moved to London after uni, back up to Glasgow after a few years, forgot how crap the weather was in the west of Scotland and took a punt on a move to the south coast when a vacancy came up with my employers in Southampton. Now living on the Isle of Wight, a move prompted by my other half’s desire to be nearer her elderly parents. Great place to live in lots of ways although it is highly seasonal and a bit backwaterish, and it really grates being held to ransom by ferry companies any time you want to go a bit further afield.

It is tough in some ways – working from home makes it difficult to establish yourself in a social setting, and I spent the first three years or so mooning around on my jack. Still consider Glasgow to be “home”, as that’s where my family and long term friends are.

Still, done it twice now and would do it again -will probably head for pastures new when my other half finishes her course next year. Would love to move abroad but don’t have the kind of job you can just rock up to anywhere and do.

Seriously consider the impact it will have on your daughter. My parents moved me a lot when I was a kid. (Age 5, 7 and again at 12). At the younger ages it was fairly easy to make new friends, but moving from Carlisle to Bristol at the age of 12 was horrible. I found it really hard to make new friends and settle, and it’s probably affected my ability to make lasting friendships to this day. At age 9 she will probably be OK, but don’t leave it much longer as teenage years are hard enough without having to make new friends and settle into a new area as well.

Done it lots of times and I think it’s a great thing to do. Longest we’ve done in any one house (since my childhood home) is 4 years. We’ve been in our current place which we love for 2.5 years but we feel ready for the next adventure now.

how have people that have done this gone about it?

found a job first, then moved?

chose an area and searched for a job there?

We moved from Kent to Dartmoor 2 years ago. We had no family links in Kent – had just ended up there due to work and had been looking for an opportunity to make the move West for some time as my wife grew up nearby and it’s where we spent most of our holidays and spare weekends. I was getting sick of the commute into London and we’d both realised that the South East was not where we wanted to bring up our son, who was 2 at the time.

A job came up here for me here around the same time that my wife’s company were offering redundancy. We put our house in Kent on the market and it sold within a couple of weeks. Made the move and haven’t looked back. We were lucky with how things fell into place I guess.

Despite halving our combined salary with the move, there is no way we’d consider going back. We love it here – it’s a huge playground for our son, we have stunning countryside on our doorstep and with both living and working locally we feel connected to the community in a way we never did in Kent where we barely knew our neighbours – in fact we already know more people locally after 2 years than we did in 9 years of living in our dormitory village in Kent.

We’ve had to budget a little , and in some ways I work as hard as I did previously (I do 2 jobs here) but have swapped a 90 minute commute for a 10 minute one (25 mins by bike). Consequently we spend much more time together as a family and have found we spend much less money here – it doesn’t cost anything to climb a tor or splash around in a river, and we’re only an hour from the south or north coast. I really wouldn’t want to live anywhere else now.

Thanks all for the input and sharing your experiences, a lot of good stuff for me to take on board.

A couple of things to bear in mind:

You need to consider the finances carefully. The more desirable parts of the country from a lifestyle point of view tend to have a significant gap between pay (low) and property prices (high). Luckily we had a good, flexible mortgage which was portable and meant that we could reduce our monthly payments significantly – we shifted a load of our savings (and of course the equity in our old place) to reduce the capital on our mortgage and also extended the term by a couple of years – consequently we almost halved our monthly mortgage payments and ended up with a slightly bigger house. Without doing that we’d have struggled to make the move on one salary… a good IFA was worth his weight in gold for this…

If you want to make the move enough, you’ll find a way to make it happen but there are inevitably compromises involved. Good luck with it all.

Totally agree with SprocketJockey.

We moved from London to just outside Exeter 4 years ago. It’s been really stressful at times as the job market sucks down here but I’ve now got a cool job with a cool company and as I look out of the window I can see all the way down the Exe estuary to the beach and across to Haldon. We can be on Haytor in less than 15 mins and the beach in 20.

London is an amazing city, it’s not a great place to bring up kids but is great for careers if you bust your gut. Devon is the opposite. But after realising what’s important in life, I’d pick Devon every day. That said, it has to work financially or it doesn’t matter.

HTH.

Moved to Guildford for work, stayed for 18 months, an absolutely lovely place, but just made me realise how much I love Liverpool and its where I belong. My wife, who is a Londoner, wholeheartedly agrees. We moved back, not moving away again. Ok so I have to drive to ride trails, but I know if I moved away again I’d just end up coming back, so its where I’ll stay, and the wife has refused point blank that she’ll ever move away again, she loves it here just as much as me.