Any recommendations for places to rent/places to avoid renting.No need to worry about travelling to work etc.A bit of decent bike and beach would be a bonus.As I won’t be buying could you tell me how the rental market is looking down there.Cheers for any help.

Expensive.

Anywhere near the coast and you’ll be in a limited market with second homes and holiday lets pushing prices up. Probably better further inland and you’ll still be a shorter hop to the beach than most. Maybe towards Dartmoor. I would still expect it to be pricey though

Ivybridge?

Pricey wherever you are. We moved back to Plymouth 4 yrs ago and rented whilst we decided if it was for us. Some properties in s devon were going within 3-4 hrs of going on rightmove.

If you have a pet expect to pay a higher deposit.

All along the s cost of devon will be high to very high. Salcombe used to have the most expensive postcode in uk. Recently had thay ‘crown’ taken by sand banks i think…

Ivybridge?

Does it have to be South? How about slightly West of Exeter? you’re still fairly close to the beaches of the south, Dartmoor, Exmoor short drive with riding, plus Haldon.

A friend of mine moved to Shaldon a couple of years ago from the S.E.

She loves it and now rents a house on the sea front. I’m sure she doesn’t pay too much in rent and she loves her life down there. She started renting near Shaldon and when the lease was nearly up, the beach front house became available. Shaldon seems to be a village that always has events and festivals happening and more pubs than is required for a village that size.

Very nice is Shaldon. Where the posh folk live to sneer on Teignmouth. Small village, not the easiest of access. Proud of their community though. Even in the towns, it’s an area where everyone knows everyone.

Is a nice area, where I grew up. I left because as a teen I was bored (and the jobs were in the SE) and nearest decent big town/city was a fair drive to get to (Exeter basically. Plymouth maybe but it’s shit). Still think about moving back though.

Not too far from Haldon & Dartmoor, though have to go up some big hills to get there (if thinking about riding from the coast).

There’s a coastal cycle path being built in stages. Can get to Exmouth, at least from Dawlish and bits along the Teign to Newton Abbot I think have been done.

We’ve just moved to Brixham. House prices here are very reasonable as are rents. Not the greatest place for MTB riding but road riding is ace as long as you like hills and don’t mind  the odd ferry. Very very friendly town and I’m typing this to the tune of seagulls.

All this talk of it being expensive – I think it depends where you are comparing it to. Just taken a look with my Hampshire centric eyes and Totnes looks pretty reasonable. Not cheap, granted but probably cheaper than the town I live in by circa £150pm for a 2/3 bed of a similar pleasantness. Totnes is not quite on the coast or getting away from it all but good links and facilities and not far to some good beaches or Dartmoor for mtbing. A bit yoghurt knitting but that might be your thing.

Or elsewhere – this one in Aveton Gifford @ £725pm. That would £1k pm easy round here. And that puts you within walking distance of Bantham beach without the nightmare of living there in high season.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-55976208.html

It’s expensive compared to what it used to be, but not as much as Surrey prices (judging by a 2 to 3 bed semi with no garage in parts of Surrey costing as much as my parent’s 4 bed detached, decent garden, garage and sea view). Though certain coastal villages and sea front property attract a premium. You can definitely get cheaper.

Maybe not Hampshire/Surrey prices but compare the average earnings. I work in Totnes, earn pretty good money for down here and couldn’t afford to buy something half decent here.

3 bed ‘condos’ with a river view and a single parking  space are for sale just behind my office for £675k.

I live in west Devon.

– this one in Aveton Gifford @ £725pm. That would £1k pm easy round here. And that puts you within walking distance of Bantham beach without the nightmare of living there in high season.

But thats a winter let only. It’ll be quite a bit more to rent it over the summer. I guess you could spend the off season there and move somewhere else for the summer. That would still be quit nice. Also it’s a fair walk to bantham beach, but it’s a very nice kayak paddle away

Exeter ? Some places are really cheap.. you do have to look for them though.

Topsham and Dawlish are a bit more as you come out of Exeter, but do-able.

What about Torquay coastline? Just becuse it proclaims to be the Golden coast doesn’t mean prices are expensive..

Friend of mine decided to move down Axminster way and rented before buying, £650pcm for a 3bed new build … that’s not bad at all.

Sounds like a great idea to me..

Also it’s a fair walk to bantham beach, but it’s a very nice kayak paddle away

True, more of a jog (about 3miles). Or a swim (see Bantham swoosh) or SUP/Kayak. Nice place to live though. Friends lived there for a couple of years – not quite as nice as the place I linked to but they paid a lot less.

Tavistock and surrounding villages are worth a look – close enough to moors and beaches, and a nice place to be, all things considered.

Look slightly further inland – Moretonhampstead way etc.  Only 30 minutes to coast and riding literally on your doorstep.  A few working farms up there have converted their 17th century stone barns into cottages to rent, which gives you access to their land for dog walking etc, and they nearly all have a bridleway or footpath crossing them.

Moving to the edge of Plymouth next week. Beach within 5 mins or so, Dartmoor close by, good riding.  One reason why we are not staying in Surrey is we will never be able to afford a house in the area we were renting, but we can around Plymouth, long term.  Tavistock looks nice.

Tavistock looks nice.

it is, but to quote King Charles II

There are three things in life that are certain: death, taxes and that it is raining in Tavistock.

dont live on the western flank of the moors if you don’t like it wet. exeter gets ~50% of the rainfall of tavistock.

I’m from Teignmouth. The posh people live in Shaldon. Nice place but shady all afternoon. Back beach is the place to rent. Watch the sun set over Dartmoor with a nice drink whilst the kids play on the river beach.

Dawlish is nice, further south gets cheaper then a LOT more expensive. Salcombe is one of the most expensive places in the county and quite a pain to get to.

East Devon has shingle beaches and feels more remote. It’s very hilly if you plan on cycling.

What’s Teignmouth like?Could you cycle off road to Exeter from there?

I should have mentioned I don’t currently own a car and I need  place with 3/4G signals.The ability somehow to get to Exeter would be nice.I think prices in that city itself are possibly a bit steep.Thanks for all your excellent replies.Neil

you’ll find something in the ‘burbs, particularly crediton side of town.

there have also been reasonable places to rent in villages like kenton ( back towards teignmouth, easy offroad to exeter ) as i’ve had friends who’ve rented there.

I’m typing this to the tune of seagulls.

LOL. that’s going to get old, real quick!

if you need to work, as Jambo hints at, you really need to pick according to that. Torbay for instance has little in the way of large employers these days apart from the tourist industry and it’s dependents. and tbh living in torbay is a complete PITA if you ever need to go anywhere in the summer.

LOL. that’s going to get old, real quick!

Nope we’ve just got a cat

Well Teignmouth and Dawlish are on the South Coast railway, that ends up in either Penzance or Exeter… Western edge of Exeter is cheaper.. the closer you get to the M5 and South are more expensive… for obvious reasons.

Scamper, I’ve sent you a message about riding in Plymouth.

Which areas on the Western edge of Exeter should I look at?

Nope we’ve just got a cat

The big gulls eat cats…

I,ll have a look at Kenton.

West side out of Exeter – Crediton has a fair amount of rented and a reasonable bus  service. Bit of a hick town. Tedburn St Mary is pretty small but also has some rental. On bus route.

Areas around the university pretty well taken up by student rentals. Alphington is the main ‘burb on the west but St Thomas and Cowick St area might be worth checking out.

If both riding out of your door and passable access into Exeter are important to you then I’d draw a circle on the map around Haldon and focus a bit of research within that. Some lovely villages, some with more facilities etc than others. I live in the Teign Valley and love it. For me it’s a 10 min ride up to Haldon, less than an hour’s ride into town and amazingly we do now have an OK mobile signal. Bus service functional but not frequent.

Not what I’d call “South Devon” or near a beach but the discussion above seems to have widened a bit.

Also consider Bovey Tracey and environs for the moor?

Weather,another reason to move down south.

On the riding, I’ve only just heard about this place: scadsonfreeride.com – Torbay (Cockington, out the back of Torquay/Paignton). Yet to check it out. Freeride stuff obviously. If it involves getting air then likely out of my league.

p.s. Round that way, Paignton is okay if a bit seaside touristy. Brixham, Dartmouth and anything up the Dart estuary would be good. Likely in the top end of prices though. Anything further down is getting a bit remote.

Exeter – there used to be some trails and jumps in Stoke Woods I think. There’s nice stuff down Woodbury Common by Exmouth.

What’s Teignmouth like?Could you cycle off road to Exeter from there?

There’s the Exe Estuary Trail starting from Dawlish which goes up to Exeter and then back out to Exmouth. Would be road bits from Teignmouth to Dawlish and couple of hills along the way. Plan was a trail linking from Teignmouth to Dawlish also someday.

Problem with a lot of Devon though is a lot of the green bits you see on a map are private estates and farm land with no access. For a big county it’s surprisingly limited where you can wander off road outside of Dartmoor and the odd bit of woodland dotted about.

Most expensive water in the country considering the stuff falls out of the sky most of the year.

Sure you want to be here and not Wales or Scotland?

O Yeh.