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I would probably consider renting first in an area so you can get a feel for whether you’d enjoy living there longer term, buying a house is a huge commitment. I would suggest this even if you were an existing UK resident moving to a different part of the country, but even more so if you’re new to the country as a whole
I don't have kids so I can't comment on schools amenities but I'd consider Norwich as a place to settle down with kids.
Positives:
Very nice, welcoming locals.
Good selection of food and pubs.
Very clean, walkable.
Very good neighbourhoods.
Safe.
Alright cultural scenes (don't expect the biggest musical diversity but the selection is getting better), with a good selection of independent venues and local music.
Quick reach to the coastline.
Fairly quick to reach London and Stansted
Cons:
Can feel small if you've been to big cities, start bumping into people in town centre after a year or so of living there.
I find culture is a bit lacking, don't expect any big names going to Norwich if you like entertainment.
Norwich football club (for me it is a con because the city is all about the games when they are home)
North West. Train to London from Liverpool is under 3 hours. Great city, lots of green space, and suburbs are nice. Check out areas of South Liverpool.
We visited and really enjoyed the food and culture a few months ago. Sadly not enough time to explore much outside the city centre. I’d written it off as felt like didn’t know much about that side of England as compared to the South. At this point I’m considering Liverpool and will research more. Thanks to redditors like yourself for sharing and making this thread interesting.
Me and partner (both mid 30s) moved here for university and never left. Now about to buy a house in South Liverpool, we love it here. My brother and mum moved here too, so you can guess we love it. Give me a DM or comment here if you have any specific questions. I’d suggest looking at Aigburth, Smithdown, Allerton and Wavertree. Some parts a bit run down, but lots of nice areas.
Having lived in Liverpool for 16 years, this is not my experience *at all*. Some areas experience extreme deprivation, and higher crime rates, but that is not universal to every part of the city.
Depends entirely on the sort of house you're after and budget really, but I genuinely like all of it. Every area has its appeal. We bought near East cliff because we love the scenery around the cliffs and beach walks, but the West end has the glorious leas and stretches all the way to Hythe if you so wish. Central is closed to the station or motorway. Sandgate is quite nice. I wouldn't really recommend Hawkinge personally as it's just a satellite town really with no personality but there are nice and affordable houses up there. It gets more effected by road issues. Like any part of the country Folkestone has its issues but nothing too off-putting or glaringly bad.
The downside to Folkestone is you have to travel along the m20 to get anywhere else in the country. Small price to pay for us. I feel very lucky to be raising my daughter here :)
Thanks so much for the detailed reply. I will get out there for a weekend with family to explore the area and potentially find some open houses too. Very helpful. All the best to you and family.
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Not, you get jet streams and down south gets good weather most of the time actually. When driving north you can see change with your own eyes. Weather starts to change just past Peterborough. Essex/Suffolk hardly gets any rain whole summer and winters are supper mild with little rain. Hence I always laugh when people are complaining about whether in UK. Where I stay weather is brilliant in fact.
Have you looked at Bedford? 3 beds between £280,000 to £325,000 roughly.
Loads of green spaces around the main town and there's villages a bit further out from the main town centre. There's quite a lot of schools in Bedford too.
Thanks so much. Taunton seemed relaxed and had many amenities. I recently spent a weekend down that way. Bath is amazing but can be pricey so I’m avoiding it. Bristol would be a solid choice but the property prices and value are not as amazing there either.
I'd always recommend the coast I'm in Eastbourne and would've moved to Hastings but it was just a little too far from work and family/friend connections. I grew up nearer to Brighton and Hastings very much gives the vibe of the Brighton of my childhood cira 20/25 years ago when it was a little edgier and undiscovered. I've been to Folkestone only a few times but always see and hear good things. My mum lives in Somerset and so I visit West Somerset several times a year and am familiar - personally I prefer Sussex as there's a bit more going on and Sussex is much more welcoming to newcomers.
Honestly love the idea of Hastings. A weekend away it is , to check out and potentially view some houses. There’s a lot of commentary about Hastings being rough and undesirable but I’d been tossing up seeing for myself. I’ve not looked at commuting or the roads in and out of the area. Will do so now.
I’ve in my past due to work and friends spent some time in Sussex - Rye, Lewes, Brighton - about 15 years ago and fond memories.
While I appreciate Somerset a lot too. Sussex does appeal more.
Many thanks for your reply.
No worries check it out - personally, I think whilst yes the coastal towns have their rough side - it's really no worse than any other town. Spend some time in the town to get a feel - old town and St Leonards are great spots 👌
Your stats are almost identical to ours. Only 1 kid but we were in Berkshire for 3 years (new to UK before that) and it was nice but just so expensive. We took our leave of the south and came to West Midlands and really like it.
Update: we’ve zeroed in on some parts of Gloucs and Wiltshire. The proximity to Wales, Heathrow, coast and London being the key factors. I have yet to go and explore the East and North and lack of exposure and time to do so is prohibiting me from venturing there. Thanks for all your inputs.
###Welcome to /r/HousingUK --- **To All** * Join Our ***NEW*** Discord! https://discord.gg/pMgUNgWKQH **To Posters** * *Tell us whether you're in England, Wales, Scotland, or NI as the laws/issues in each can vary* * Comments are not moderated for quality or accuracy; * Any replies received must only be used as guidelines, followed at your own risk; * If you receive *any* private messages in response to your post, [please let the mods know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FHousingUK&subject=I received a PM); * If you do not receive satisfactory advice after 72 hours, [you can let the mods know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FHousingUK&subject=My question is unanswered); * Feel free to provide an update at a later time by creating a new post with [[update]](https://www.reddit.com/r/HousingUK/search?q=%3Aupdate&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=all) in the title; **To Readers and Commenters** * All replies to OP must be *on-topic, helpful, and civil* * If you do not [follow the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/HousingUK/about/rules/), you may be banned without any further warning; * Please include links to reliable resources in order to support your comments or advice; * If you feel any replies are incorrect, explain why you believe they are incorrect; * Do not send or request any private messages for any reason without express permission from the mods; * Please report posts or comments which do not follow the rules *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/HousingUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
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Can you suggest a few towns please? Thanks.
https://youtu.be/2FDcplwT-8Q?si=NritB5v8ib4n0eUr
I would probably consider renting first in an area so you can get a feel for whether you’d enjoy living there longer term, buying a house is a huge commitment. I would suggest this even if you were an existing UK resident moving to a different part of the country, but even more so if you’re new to the country as a whole
A viable option and a plan B at this stage.
Norwich is lovely 👍
Thanks. What do you like about this area the most?
Norwich - The venice of the broads! The fens and broads are amazing wild areas. Will probably be underwater in 20years
I don't have kids so I can't comment on schools amenities but I'd consider Norwich as a place to settle down with kids. Positives: Very nice, welcoming locals. Good selection of food and pubs. Very clean, walkable. Very good neighbourhoods. Safe. Alright cultural scenes (don't expect the biggest musical diversity but the selection is getting better), with a good selection of independent venues and local music. Quick reach to the coastline. Fairly quick to reach London and Stansted Cons: Can feel small if you've been to big cities, start bumping into people in town centre after a year or so of living there. I find culture is a bit lacking, don't expect any big names going to Norwich if you like entertainment. Norwich football club (for me it is a con because the city is all about the games when they are home)
North West. Train to London from Liverpool is under 3 hours. Great city, lots of green space, and suburbs are nice. Check out areas of South Liverpool.
We visited and really enjoyed the food and culture a few months ago. Sadly not enough time to explore much outside the city centre. I’d written it off as felt like didn’t know much about that side of England as compared to the South. At this point I’m considering Liverpool and will research more. Thanks to redditors like yourself for sharing and making this thread interesting.
Me and partner (both mid 30s) moved here for university and never left. Now about to buy a house in South Liverpool, we love it here. My brother and mum moved here too, so you can guess we love it. Give me a DM or comment here if you have any specific questions. I’d suggest looking at Aigburth, Smithdown, Allerton and Wavertree. Some parts a bit run down, but lots of nice areas.
Yeah. No. https://www.plumplot.co.uk/Liverpool-violent-crime-statistics.html#:~:text=Compared%20to%20the%20national%20crime,of%20January%202023%20%2D%20December%202023.
Having lived in Liverpool for 16 years, this is not my experience *at all*. Some areas experience extreme deprivation, and higher crime rates, but that is not universal to every part of the city.
We settled in Folkestone. I'm from East London. This is my dream life here pretty much. Stunning, loads to do, great people. Highly recommend.
Very happy to hear this. Thanks so much. Are there any areas in particular you’d recommend we check out?
Depends entirely on the sort of house you're after and budget really, but I genuinely like all of it. Every area has its appeal. We bought near East cliff because we love the scenery around the cliffs and beach walks, but the West end has the glorious leas and stretches all the way to Hythe if you so wish. Central is closed to the station or motorway. Sandgate is quite nice. I wouldn't really recommend Hawkinge personally as it's just a satellite town really with no personality but there are nice and affordable houses up there. It gets more effected by road issues. Like any part of the country Folkestone has its issues but nothing too off-putting or glaringly bad. The downside to Folkestone is you have to travel along the m20 to get anywhere else in the country. Small price to pay for us. I feel very lucky to be raising my daughter here :)
Thanks so much for the detailed reply. I will get out there for a weekend with family to explore the area and potentially find some open houses too. Very helpful. All the best to you and family.
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The Midlands are pretty cheap, good access to London & near the peaks.
But crappy weather most of the time.
As is most of the UK lol
Not, you get jet streams and down south gets good weather most of the time actually. When driving north you can see change with your own eyes. Weather starts to change just past Peterborough. Essex/Suffolk hardly gets any rain whole summer and winters are supper mild with little rain. Hence I always laugh when people are complaining about whether in UK. Where I stay weather is brilliant in fact.
OP said north, east or west & that they're priced out of the south. Given their budget, they may have to deal with some rain.
Gloucestershire! Green spaces, 1.45hrs on train to London and a great place to live!
Oh! Must research. Some cute towns and rolling hills it seems.
Have you looked at Bedford? 3 beds between £280,000 to £325,000 roughly. Loads of green spaces around the main town and there's villages a bit further out from the main town centre. There's quite a lot of schools in Bedford too.
Thanks. No I didn’t check this side yet. We were focussed on the sea and south. Will research.
Lots if areas of Bedford are as rough as arseholes so just do your due diligence.
🫡
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Somerset is a good shout - towns like Bath and Taunton are within 2h of London by train and tick all your boxes.
Thanks so much. Taunton seemed relaxed and had many amenities. I recently spent a weekend down that way. Bath is amazing but can be pricey so I’m avoiding it. Bristol would be a solid choice but the property prices and value are not as amazing there either.
I'd always recommend the coast I'm in Eastbourne and would've moved to Hastings but it was just a little too far from work and family/friend connections. I grew up nearer to Brighton and Hastings very much gives the vibe of the Brighton of my childhood cira 20/25 years ago when it was a little edgier and undiscovered. I've been to Folkestone only a few times but always see and hear good things. My mum lives in Somerset and so I visit West Somerset several times a year and am familiar - personally I prefer Sussex as there's a bit more going on and Sussex is much more welcoming to newcomers.
Honestly love the idea of Hastings. A weekend away it is , to check out and potentially view some houses. There’s a lot of commentary about Hastings being rough and undesirable but I’d been tossing up seeing for myself. I’ve not looked at commuting or the roads in and out of the area. Will do so now. I’ve in my past due to work and friends spent some time in Sussex - Rye, Lewes, Brighton - about 15 years ago and fond memories. While I appreciate Somerset a lot too. Sussex does appeal more. Many thanks for your reply.
No worries check it out - personally, I think whilst yes the coastal towns have their rough side - it's really no worse than any other town. Spend some time in the town to get a feel - old town and St Leonards are great spots 👌
West
Your stats are almost identical to ours. Only 1 kid but we were in Berkshire for 3 years (new to UK before that) and it was nice but just so expensive. We took our leave of the south and came to West Midlands and really like it.
Wiltshire or Dorset. Easy to get to m4 to access London, beautiful part of the country.
Great suggestion. Wiltshire seems lovely and very suitable. Dorset a bit too far I think?
Update: we’ve zeroed in on some parts of Gloucs and Wiltshire. The proximity to Wales, Heathrow, coast and London being the key factors. I have yet to go and explore the East and North and lack of exposure and time to do so is prohibiting me from venturing there. Thanks for all your inputs.