Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Just wanted to give a update because you guys have been so great offering advice and tips. My friends informed me that they have booked hotels in several different areas of the UK. In fact their family is going to celebrate the holidays in Brighton. Apparently they have family that live there and his fam from Scotland are all going to be in town. So that should really give them the chance to see that area for a substantial amount of time. They have also booked rooms in Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool and near Oxford. After a month of on the ground research they should be far better prepared to make a smart decision about region and city.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

https://media.rightmove.co.uk/dir/cr...ax_476x317.jpg
Here is a very cool looking house in Oxford with TONS of charm and very livable for a large family. I'm starting to think Oxford might be similar in price to buying a home in Berkshire.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

https://media.rightmove.co.uk/dir/cr...ax_476x317.jpg
Now I see why my friends included Oxford among their areas to seek out a place to call home. Excellent Proximity and the homes are Classic! I think they would find similar houses for the same price range in Berkshire but maybe with more land.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

I have a question. What cities would you pick as your top three to call home between Newbury, Berkshire, Cookham Dean, Pangbourne, Oxford, or Upper Basildon, and why?

Thank You

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Again, I'm not sure there is much point in us giving you opinions when really your friends just need to visit and form their own opinions. The above are all so different as well, you can't really compare a tiny village like Cookham Dean to a major city like Oxford?

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

I appreciate the feedback and I agree they will learn a lot from being on the ground and seeing many things firsthand. The information I learn simply adds to their base of knowledge and of course it's always better to be as informed as possible when making a huge decision. They are leaving tomorrow for the UK and I couldn't be more happier for their family. It makes me happy to see my friends go after, and achieve their dreams. And I'm a little bit of a preparation guy, were I like being over prepared for situations when possible. And through this process I'm learning a lot as well. Hope I'm not asking too many questions. And thanks for all the help!

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

As chrismasoompa rightly says, comparing cities/towns to villages is a no go. I personally would go for Cookham, or indeed anywhere around there on the Thames (Hurley is lovely) but idealistically draw my line at Henley. Only reason being, I don't like towns, and less so cities. I'm well rural. ;)

And we're all different in what we want, after all.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

I think your friends will work out what suits them, and then best to suggest they sign up for themselves on BE rather than you pass info on to them. Hopefully they'll find somewhere to call home on their trip, if they do sign up to BE do let them know they're very welcome to pick my brains about Berkshire if needed.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Thank You Buckinghamshireboy. Very kind to offer your input. Deciding between a small town versus an actual city, I agree, are vastly different comparisons. Some of these places I've never been to which explains my lack of knowledge about them.My friends have told me a time or two that the added help I've given them, with all this research, has made them even more excited. His wife was nervous at first about leaving everything behind that is familiar, but now she has turned a corner, and understand that this adventure is going to be a huge positive. They thanked my wife and I for helping to put her mind at ease. And what a kind thing it is to appreciate someone's efforts. But I know how she feels because I went through the same emotions when my wife wanted to move to her home of Manchester. Going through that experience changed the way I view the idea of home. As long as I'm with the most important people in my life, and I have some of my must have creature comforts, I'm home.

Have you always preferred living in the countryside?

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

They will work it out for sure. It's a process figuring out logistics that make sense, and that also feels right. Thank you for your input.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Yes, I have always preferred the countryside. I grew up in a small village in Buckinghamshire, was used to taking long country rambles with my dog, and despite living in several towns in southern UK - even London on two separate occasions - I always went back to rural life after a couple of years.

We've just quit Switzerland (outskirts of Geneva) for Belgium, the last place we had there was about 7km out of the city, at the end of a cul-de-sac and backed on to a park, so very quiet. That said, I'm actually happier location-wise in our new place; from the house, turn right and after about 1 km I'll be on the 'main drag', with shops, buses (ok a bus). If I turn left, 1 km will bring me to gorgeous forests with walking trails, lakes, even a castle.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

That's a stunning picture you just described there! Can certainly understand why someone would feel at peace living in such a picturesque place. I can almost imagine the Belgium chocolate shops, which btw I've heard are amazing. I'm sure that's a whole other reason to pick Belgium;)
By all accounts living in Switzerland is very expensive and if that is actually correct, maybe Belgium is a better place on many levels. I've met a couple Belgium people and they were very nice. No plans of ever returning to the UK?

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Cookham Dean is a village, not a small town. It's a lovely village, but vastly different from Oxford with all of the amenities that has to offer.

FWIW, I'm a country bumpkin too. I've actually lived in Oxford, albeit over 20 years ago when I was a student there, but I love village life. I love the fact that I don't have to lock my doors or car, the community spirit you get in a village, that I can walk the dogs from my backdoor without going near a single road, and that I can go for days without seeing another living soul other than my own family and the deer/partridge/guinea fowl etc in the garden! But it sounds like your friends want more amenities and access to things like live music (not my scene at all), so a tiny village may not suit them.

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

I'm in unchartered territory vis-a-vis the chocolate shops. Like limiting visits to only once a week :blink: Or trying to...

We quit Switzerland due to the impending slashing of my company pension - I took early retirement about a year ago - and after the slash I figured that we really could no longer afford to live there. You are correct, Switzerland is hugely expensive, it's a great place to be when one is earning a decent wage, even better when two are.

OH got made redundant a few years back, and despite literally hundreds of job applications, no go. Having decided to get the hell out of Dodge, we looked first at Portugal, Spain, France, Greece, but finally decided on Belgium for family reasons. OH was born and bred here, we have loads of family within a 20-30 minute drive, I have good friends (both ex-colleagues) about an hour's drive away.

The people here are really great, if anyone tries to tell you that Belgians are boring or unfriendly, take that with a pinch (bucket) of salt.

As to the UK, I - sometimes we - visit every two or three years, but to move back there, absolutely no way. I've been away too long, and I could never subject OH to that.

Happy wife, happy life. ;)

Back to your friends, suggest to them to have a good look at the Thames valley... :nod:

Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?
 

Very :goodpost:.

I guess that OP's friends will get a much better feel after 'feet on the ground' for a few days...

This is becoming a humming thread, UkWinds5353, please post us updates, and if your friends have other questions while there, then fire away.