WCott

Hello all. My wife and I (both in our early-mid 60s) want to take the leap from Canada and spend whatever time we have left in England. Both our daughters moved to London over a decade ago - and they’re not coming back. My wife can get in on an ancestry visa as she has family that come from Scotland. We’ve always like the Derbyshire area near the Peaks, like Belper and Melbourne - but we’’re open to alternatives. We would behave a house budget of £350-450k (cash buyers), and would have a monthly income of almost 3k.
Am looking for suggestions/thoughts. Is this doable on our budget? Best places to live? To avoid?
Cheers…hope to raise a pint with you soon!

christmasoompa

Hi, and welcome to BE.

Sounds doable to me, what will your wife (and you?) be doing for work? That may have an influence on where would be the best place to live.

Good luck with the move.

WCott

We’ve both retired from our jobs and have been pensioned off.
My wife would like to work part-time or volunteer at a garden centre or flower shop.

christmasoompa

Ah, perfect. Although the Ancestry Visa requires her to work, I don't think the job has to be full-time.

And that should mean the whole of the UK is open to you, she should be able to find something suitable in most places, Derbyshire is probably a great choice then.

Good luck.

WCott

We have spoken to an immigration lawyer, and he did mention working as a condition of the visa….something we have no problem doing. He also went on to say that working part-time is acceptable. Also, volunteer work counts the same as “work”….as is “looking for work” (as least temporarily).

christmasoompa

Yup. I'm assuming you discussed how to stay longer term with the lawyer as well, that's another factor - sounds like you want this to be a permanent move on a temporary visa, so having a route to ILR in mind will be essential.

I think your budget sounds fine, and being closer to your daughters is a great idea. I wish you the best of luck.

brits1

Hi I currently live in the Peak District and firstly your budget will be very good for the area and detached houses will certainly be in your price bracket. Ashbourne, Bakewell are very nice market towns and not a too far drive from the M1 which is good for visits to London but there are plenty of larger villages to choose from. Volunteer roles are plentiful and also part time work especially seasonal work is very good at the moment. Derbyshire has the M1 on is souther fridges so you do get the sense of being really rural but you are not as it still has excellent roads and it’s easy to go south towards London but also easy to head north and into Yorkshire and beyond. Good luck

dunroving

Personally, I'd be looking for proximity to public transport as a priority in retirement. Ashbourne, for example, gets great reviews in the "Move to ..." sort of articles, but doesn't have a railway station. Your budget should be fine for Peaks, and it's probably the best outdoorsy location (lots of variety, truly "countryside") that's within reasonable distance to your daughters in London.

Exciting times! Good luck.