thank you brits1. We feel exactly the same way you have described (must be an expat thing). I guess the draw to family is due to our children, now in their 30's will stay in Australia except for one son who lives in Berlin. Having said that, our preference would be "new adventures" in South West England. I guess we would only be 3 hours away not 12000 miles. We could still visit quite easily a couple of times a year, which is far more than once every 3 years. The last thing we want to do is purchase a property and make a mistake on the location, that would be a costly mistake. Really interested in your story and thanks for sharing. We will hopefully be looking to relocate in Sept/Oct so we have some time. Thanks again for sharing

As you say to visit family it's easier, a few hours drive or by train (if not in the North West) and way by far cheaper than having to save and fly back if your lucky every few years and even then some cannot afford to do so. We are now currently renting which we did when we first arrived just so we could have a good luck around, we did not want to make a quick decision on areas until we were sure it was right for us. If you need any help please just ask. Take care