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Best relocation areas in the UK?

Best relocation areas in the UK?

Old Jun 16th 2019, 4:34 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by PrairieWriter


Only Trump! Yes, he is a nightmare. We (at our house) can’t wait until his presidency is ancient history. He’s just awful.
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Old Jun 16th 2019, 10:02 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by yellowroom
The vast majority of houses for sale are listed at rightmove , even other online agents like purplebricks. Many agents list on zoopla too, but the latter is mostly useful for historical searches of house prices. The expectation is that you will put in the legwork.
Yellowroom

Thank you again for the Zoopla tip.
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Old Jun 16th 2019, 1:54 pm
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/de...hotos/50886055

I like this style of structure but the home it self might be too far out from London. Think it's a 1 hour drive.

I do have a question.

What amazing areas in London would you consider to buy a detached house in, and which areas would you stay away from even if the neighborhood is nice but might have other issues?
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Old Jun 16th 2019, 3:39 pm
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by UkWinds5353
https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/de...hotos/50886055

I like this style of structure but the home it self might be too far out from London. Think it's a 1 hour drive.

I do have a question.

What amazing areas in London would you consider to buy a detached house in, and which areas would you stay away from even if the neighborhood is nice but might have other issues?

Generally, forget driving to London for activities. Check out public transport instead - google maps is pretty good and accurate for the options. It will likely be longer/slower to drive and then all but impossible to park once you get there. There might be one or two odd exceptions - perhaps somewhere on a Sunday, but in general it's a decent principle.
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Old Jun 16th 2019, 4:56 pm
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by rebs
Generally, forget driving to London for activities. Check out public transport instead - google maps is pretty good and accurate for the options. It will likely be longer/slower to drive and then all but impossible to park once you get there. There might be one or two odd exceptions - perhaps somewhere on a Sunday, but in general it's a decent principle.
Agreed, 100%. I lived in Wimbledon, Wandsworth, and Kingston-upon-Thames, and very rarely ever drove into London, and that was before the central driving zone was implemented. There really was no need, with a tube line into the west side of the West End, and very frequent trains into Waterloo, I never even bothered with memorizing the timetable as even late at night there would be a District Line tube and a train from Waterloo every 15 minutes or so until after midnight. And then there were night buses after that.

I drove in once early on a Sunday morning, before the introduction of speed cameras and it took me barely 20 minutes to drive the 14 miles from Kingston to the City of London (financial district). As that is an average of 40 miles an hour you can imagine what speed I was doing for most of the journey!
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Old Jun 17th 2019, 1:42 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by rebs
Generally, forget driving to London for activities. Check out public transport instead - google maps is pretty good and accurate for the options. It will likely be longer/slower to drive and then all but impossible to park once you get there. There might be one or two odd exceptions - perhaps somewhere on a Sunday, but in general it's a decent principle.
I hear the same thing from everybody including my wife. Driving in London is a nightmare and counter productive.

In NYC driving can be problematic and expensive for parking, but never not a good idea. I always prefer to drive in NYC and pay the high cost of parking garages. But you wouldn't want to park on the street because your vehicle can get vandalized. Mass transit involves a lot of walking and if you're shopping that can be a problem. But if shopping is not on tap you can then do a mix of buses and taxis when moving around the city. Taxis are the way to go in NYC when not driving your own car. But to use mass transit all the way from upper Manhattan to the Soho or other lower city districts would be seriously time consuming. The fact that driving is a horrible experience in London does turn me off a bit and makes me want to live outside of the city.
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Old Jun 17th 2019, 1:56 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by UkWinds5353
I hear the same thing from everybody including my wife. Driving in London is a nightmare and counter productive.

In NYC driving can be problematic and expensive for parking, but never not a good idea. I always prefer to drive in NYC and pay the high cost of parking garages. But you wouldn't want to park on the street because your vehicle can get vandalized. Mass transit involves a lot of walking and if you're shopping that can be a problem. But if shopping is not on tap you can then do a mix of buses and taxis when moving around the city. Taxis are the way to go in NYC when not driving your own car. ....
If you're visiting central London you really need to get used to walking - the main shops and the theatre district are not more than about a 15-20 minute walk from one side to the other, and to mention a couple of key tourist hotspots, Buckingham palace, near the SW corner of the West End is less than four miles from the Tower of London, which is about as far east as you would want to wander. The central area of London that you'd want to visit for shops, restaurants, theatres, and museums is more comparable in size to Midtown than to Manhattan.

So, (i) you might think you'll want to take taxis in London, but the first time you run up more of the fare waiting at traffic lights than when you're moving, you will probably change your mind, and (ii) it is never worthwhile talking the tube for just one stop - it will take you longer to get down to the platform, and back up again when you get off, than to walk between the two stations. Personally I would only take the tube for at least three stops, and maybe more if it involves a change of tube .

And bear in mind that the London tube "diagram" is a very poor representation of spatial reality - two stations that are on different lines and require a journey of several stops and a change of lines might only be a couple of minutes walk apart at street level. Famously the stations at Embankment and Charing Cross are so close together that the front of the train is arriving at the next station before the rear of the train has left the previous one!

Last edited by Pulaski; Jun 17th 2019 at 2:03 am.
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Old Jun 17th 2019, 2:37 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by Pulaski
If you're visiting central London you really need to get used to walking - the main shops and the theatre district are not more than about a 15-20 minute walk from one side to the other, and to mention a couple of key tourist hotspots, Buckingham palace, near the SW corner of the West End is less than four miles from the Tower of London, which is about as far east as you would want to wander. The central area of London that you'd want to visit for shops, restaurants, theatres, and museums is more comparable in size to Midtown than to Manhattan.

So, (i) you might think you'll want to take taxis in London, but the first time you run up more of the fare waiting at traffic lights than when you're moving, you will probably change your mind, and (ii) it is never worthwhile talking the tube for just one stop - it will take you longer to get down to the platform, and back up again when you get off, than to walk between the two stations. Personally I would only take the tube for at least three stops, and maybe more if it involves a change of tube .

And bear in mind that the London tube "diagram" is a very poor representation of spatial reality - two stations that are on different lines and require a journey of several stops and a change of lines might only be a couple of minutes walk apart at street level. Famously the stations at Embankment and Charing Cross are so close together that the front of the train is arriving at the next station before the rear of the train has left the previous one!
I appreciate your post. I know for a fact that we can get up to speed on the whole walking thing but starting out it's gonna be a problem. My amazing wife is not going to love the idea of walking everywhere we go. We are seriously a car family to the tenth power. My kids were driving at the age of 10 in the drive, and by 12 years old on roads less traveled.
I've been thinking about this situation and how best to finesse it while keeping everyone happy. We're only looking at London as a go to option in order to influence our kids thinking about where to live. I might have to come up with a plan B and still keep all the love ones happy.

I definitely don't want to feel like we're living in a fish bowl.

Compared to Manhattan, is London a GREAT city to live in? I ask that question because in comparison, NYC is a great city to live in if you like big city life.

Last edited by UkWinds5353; Jun 17th 2019 at 2:45 am.
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Old Jun 17th 2019, 5:48 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...82075121.html#

This is a cool house in Oxford about 60 miles from London and is extremely affordable. I also read on a website that some realtors are offering to pay Stamp Duty as a sales incentive. Has anyone heard of this before?

The Mrs and I talked tonight about a possible compromise and her thinking on the subject. We're considering renting a place for the boys in London if they agree to moving over, and that way everyone can have what they want. And if they stick to the plan we can look at something more permanent. I wouldn't be miserable living in London but there is a huge gap between happiness and existing somewhere. One of my biggest hobbies is driving fun cars and how would one do that in a city where people sit in traffic that does not move. I think this can work.
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Old Jun 17th 2019, 6:02 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...61844325.html#

With a price adjustment this one could be a forever home. Located in Henley-on Thames.
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Old Jun 17th 2019, 6:17 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

I can't get over how affordable homes are away from the main cities. This one is in Hook Norton which is too far out from London but I'm never the less impressed.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...78264299.html#

This one seem very pleasant but I don't know anything about the area of Bicester. Apparently 60 miles from London.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...71211853.html#
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Old Jun 17th 2019, 7:42 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by UkWinds5353
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...82075121.html#

This is a cool house in Oxford about 60 miles from London and is extremely affordable. I also read on a website that some realtors are offering to pay Stamp Duty as a sales incentive. Has anyone heard of this before?
Yes, I've seen that before, usually on new builds. You'll pay for it one way or another though - if the stamp duty is, for example £40,000, then the price is going to be effectively £40,000 more than it should be.

Originally Posted by UkWinds5353
The Mrs and I talked tonight about a possible compromise and her thinking on the subject. We're considering renting a place for the boys in London if they agree to moving over, and that way everyone can have what they want. And if they stick to the plan we can look at something more permanent. I wouldn't be miserable living in London but there is a huge gap between happiness and existing somewhere. One of my biggest hobbies is driving fun cars and how would one do that in a city where people sit in traffic that does not move. I think this can work.
In general, it would probably be an excellent idea for you to rent for a while when you do move over as that will really give you a chance to explore areas and find ones which suit you - you have linked to some lovely houses in some lovely areas, but a lot of it is down to personal preference - no one here can really tell you which area/town you will like best.

Will your sons need to get jobs in the UK or are they self employed? If they will need jobs, will that dictate where they live?

As for driving in the UK - can be very different from driving in the US - have you ever driven over here before? Different does not necessarily mean worse, but may not be to your taste - my husband very much enjoys driving and found driving in the US extremely boring - again, personal taste
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Old Jun 17th 2019, 7:55 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

And of course the further from London the less expensive the home and you get more property for your money. Funny how that is the rule in every country.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...66742798.html#

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...80967491.html#

This is a stone built home and one of the most moderately priced. A substantial home is definitely more affordable in the UK and the property taxes are 1/3 compared to the States. I seem to be drawn to Oxfordshire.
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Old Jun 17th 2019, 8:02 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by UkWinds5353
And of course the further from London the less expensive the home and you get more property for your money. Funny how that is the rule in every country.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...66742798.html#

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...80967491.html#

This is a stone built home and one of the most moderately priced. A substantial home is definitely more affordable in the UK and the property taxes are 1/3 compared to the States. I seem to be drawn to Oxfordshire.
You should go to Cork, even more affordable and only 1hr 20mins from London :-) https://www.daft.ie/cork/houses-for-...-cork-1890162/
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Old Jun 17th 2019, 8:13 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

This particular home caught my eye because of the indoor character. The fireplace is insane!

A fireplace In Florida has zero purpose which is why most homes don't have one.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...61411323.html#
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