Yve

Hi,

My OH and I are looking at various options including going back to the UK. I'm from London so no idea what's up North, except cheaper homes and friendly people from what I've heard. Any tips on decent areas, clean, green, pretty towns, not too far from a city where it's possible to find work.

Thank you

iaink

Whats your budget, what do you do?

Naturally there are nice parts near the big cities...look for where the overpaid footy players end up living..... Not necessarily cheap areas though.

I grew up in Caldy on the Wirral...now home to half a dozen or more rich young (and not so young) men. It was near perfect to grow up there. Great schools (if you werent thick...11+ in place), good local facilities, Liverpool a short train ride away for city stuff, North Wales close by for outdoors stuff, Big sandy beach nearby.

Couldnt afford to move there now though...too bloody expensive.

Cheshire Karen

Depends how north you want to go, we are from Mid Cheshire and there are some great areas around here:

- Commutable to Manchester,Liverpool, Chester & Birmingham (depending on where you live)

- North Wales coast & Mountains on your doorstep

- Reasonable house prices

- Loads of farms & green open spaces. Will see cows etc. on commute.

- Delamere Forest 15 min drive- loads of walks etc.

- Trendy little villages with decent pubs and coffee shops

- Very good schools

Strangely, very near the previous post of the Wirral. Cripes, I miss it more than I know.

Sue1

Have to agree with you, we come from near Chester and can't afford to buy there due to the house prices soaring and afraid to say I think the house prices have gone up due to a lot of new people moving into the area, not that I blame them it's just the likes of us have to look at houses in areas not so nice just to get on the housing market, and I just feel why should we.

Just my little moan, not getting at anyone.

meols12

I grew up in Meols on the Wirral, and also lived in Hoylake, the neighbouring town. The area of the Wirral from Meols down the Dee estuary to Heswall is a nice place to live, plus some areas of South Wirral, but expensive. However, there are certain parts of Birkenhead and Wallasey which are still quite cheap, but not really places you'd care to live in.

Celtic Princess

I'm originally from Lancashire but I'm afraid I've gone over to the dark side. I love Yorkshire and woud happily live anywhere there.

Of course that's not my number one choice. No 1 is Keswick in the Lake District but I don't think there are any really big places nearby.

Mummy in the foothills

I vote for Chester and North Wales.

Jerseygirl

I'm originally from Sheffield but moved to Cheshire when I got married. Lived in and around Chester for many years before moving to the US. I have just purchased a house in Cheshire...I love the countryside and the proximity to Wales, Lake District, Pennines etc just 30 mins away from Manchester Airport...the Trafford Centre, Manchester, Liverpool.

dewdrop

I thought the house market had stalled..and prices ARE going down? except for major cities of course ie)London...and to get a first time mortgage, unless a good d/p can be put down, then that was harder than finding the actually house?
unless i've been reading the wrong info.

good luck to the poster...sounds like a nice area to move too.

Bijilo123

A mention of the Delamere Forest. I used to live in Cuddington and work in Helsby - fantastic places both and as you say get to Chester, Snowdonia, Manchester and all the rest of it...

Wish I'd never left sometimes.

heading downunder 2002

Cumbria, great place to live and still affordable

Sue1

Hope so, been looking a bit, will be looking more in the new year, so fingers crossed, it is like everyone is saying a great place to live!!!

johnh009

Agreed, I am from Leeds and I find that for people there to commute 10 miles is a big deal. However, after living in Canada, this is nothing and I find that there are many nice areas to live within this commuting distance.

Yve

helpful feedback, will be checking out all places mentioned online. OH works in IT and we have a good downpayment for a house, How about Shropshire? Is that midlands...nice??

TestaRossa

Shropshire, Welsh Borders, Gloucester, they are all nice areas, but getting further from the big cities. NW where everyone has been talking about has Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds, Harrogate, York, Chester, all within a couple of hours of each other, Chester to York is probably 3 hours tops. Of these two I would pick York - bigger city and really pretty. Crap weather, but you can't have everything - well not in the UK where weather is concerned anyway! In the UK I lived in Manchester, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Midlands(B/ham) Berkshire and finally Sussex. Unfortunately, it is Sussex I would go back to, but it is probably the most expensive!