Re: Where to live in the UK?
 

If you look at a risk zone map, with rising oceans, many of these areas in East Yorkshire are likely to disappear. It is the second highest risk area in the UK after the area around the Wash. Many of these areas areas are already prone to flooding and this could potentially affect property values. Despite all of this, they are building as fast as they can around Selby because of the relative abundance of cheap, flat land. It is like what they did when they built on the flood plains around York and look what happened there. As for rising house prices, who knows? Building costs are certainly rising.

Surging Seas: Risk Zone Map (climatecentral.org)

Re: Where to live in the UK?
 

I live in a village near Stoke On Trent, Staffordshire. We returned from New Zealand just over five years ago. We purchased our three bed semi detached house 18months ago after previously living in rented accommodation. It's really nice and significantly better value than the same house would have cost in Surrey.

Manchester airport is our local airport. Same distance from home to MCR airport now as it used to be from home to LGW.

My husband and I work from home, so it doesn't really matter where the boss/the office is located.

We live a couple of streets away from the local park.

There's lots of facilities in the town and surrounding districts i.e. gyms, pubs, shops, cinemas, restaurants, theatres, market, cinemas, swimming pools, sports and fitness activities etc.

We are near the Welsh border. It's an hour and a half from home to the nearest part of the north Wales coast.

Re: Where to live in the UK?
 

Thank you all for the feedback! Also now looking at the Norwich and surrounding areas, looks lovely and we love the history. Anyone visited or know anything about that neck of the woods? Thanks again :)

Re: Where to live in the UK?
 

We have visited Norwich/Norfolk lots of times and we love it and would move there in a neat bit it’s not a great match for my husbands work place. Norwich city centre has everything you need, shops, history, restaurants etc a good university and you are never far from the coast plus it has much better weather than in the North West for us we thought the house prices were really good. We also really liked south Shropshire.

Re: Where to live in the UK?
 

Thanks for the info! I'm looking forward to visiting the next time we are in the UK ... this year fingers crossed!

Re: Where to live in the UK?
 

Just got back onto BritishExpats after a while away from the site. Interested in your post and all the friendly comments to your question about where in the UK to settle down. I grew up and was educated in Bournemouth on the Jurassic Coast, then emigrated to Canada many years ago and having spent all my time in Ontario, with a design business in Toronto, I now really must go back home. Since 2003, I have been living in 'the countryside' and could never live in a city again.but I have been forever homesick. Now at the stage of my life as a 'boomer', and since my beloved hound-dog sadly passed away at seventeen years old in 2020, I am free to leave Canada. Planning to sell almost everything I have (except a few precious things!) by the end of the year and so will be able to make the big move. I have been looking on many of the UK real estate rental sites for a place to live that is affordable... not so easy. Rents are high as they are in Ontario now. I too am wondering where would be the best area to look. The south coast and south-east is preferable but open to suggestions as you are, ExBritFL! Must have the basic infrastructure and quiet but not isolated and not in a busy city either. The desirable features of small towns and villages in England which I find wonderful are: (but not in order of importance!)... a nice pub, post office, grocery shop, antiques shop, a church, a tea room and the ever-important train station that connects one to London and the rest of the country! I can continue to work as a designer and artist probably anywhere, thanks to the internet. Sorry to have piggy-backed onto your posting, ExBritFL, but I have the same question and was not sure how to post my own question. Thanks!

Re: Where to live in the UK?
 

Parts of Somerset, Cornwall (non tourist areas) Isle of white and parts of Wiltshire offer good house prices for the Southwest, Wales and also Hereford and Shropshire and parts of Worcester have some good house prices all with market towns or villages on the east coast you have Suffolk (further away from London the better prices) and Norfolk. It depends on your budget but hunt around Dorset and Hampshire (lots of variety of new builds being built in Hampshire ie one two bets etc home or apartments) and even West Sussex and you can find some reasonable house prices. Good luck

Re: Where to live in the UK?
 

Thank you for the suggestions! I will check all of those areas for an affordable rental! Looking on Right Move and the other sites for realtor's listings.

Re: Where to live in the UK?
 

That list looks to me like it is describing East Anglia. Even Norwich doesn't have a "big city feel", though there are many market towns between Norwich and the NE fringes of London that might suit you better.

Re: Where to live in the UK?
 

We were just in the UK looking at areas to move to, because I've had enough now.

We took homes that looked promising from RightMove, mapped the routes out and then would drive past like 15 of them in a day, noting what we thought of the town, area, surroundings. It was useful. Some areas were a no right off the bat, some were great, some surprisingly nicer than we'd imagined. The children were not thrilled with this version of a "vacation" though, so be warned you need to intersperse playground visits to stave off complaints.

I refuse to move back to where I grew up (Hampshire) as it's so congested and over priced, hence reinventing the wheel trying to get to grips with new areas. It's daunting after so many years abroad (over 2 decades).

I wish I could sell my house now to dodge CGT as non-resident, but there's hardly a rental to be had in NJ for the past year.

Re: Where to live in the UK?
 

We have been back a month now and its been very stressful. We have been all around Devon then up to Yorkshire as these where the areas we liked. We are really struggling to find a rental that takes a large dog. Some agents will do virtual tours while others will not and as we are staying with my Sister in Hampshire and having decided Yorkshire was for us the 4-5 hr drive to see a couple of rentals while my husband holds down a job is nearly impossible. We also hadn't prepared ourselves for once again having no credit and the hoops you must go through to to build it before being able to get a mortgage.
Lots of lovely areas around York and Leeds you cant go far wrong x

Re: Where to live in the UK?
 

I currently live in the North East of England and have worked in and around Durham over the years (along with a few years in London), if you did want to be close to Durham then it might be worth looking at the Wynyard estate, I've just moved there and you get a LOT of house for your money (especially compared to London and the South), it's a nice village feel with good access to two major roads, and close enough to the main line stations for travel by train. there's a lot of developments going on at the minute so maybe possible to rent and look to buy when you decide.

Re: Where to live in the UK?
 

Thanks so much for your message! I had relatives near Durham in Willington as my grandmother grew up in Chester Le Street not far away. I visited Durham city many years ago and really loved it. I will definitely look there as you suggest for a rental apartment. If I could find a like-minded 'boomer' with whom to share a place, it would be financially helpful! These days there is a term for it -- looking for a 'boom-mate'!

Re: Where to live in the UK?
 

Thanks for the ideas! Lots there to follow up. All sound great! I have not been to the west coast or Shropshire or Wiltshire but did have a relative in Ledbury in Herefordshire where I visited in my youth. I loved the entire area. It's difficult looking on rightmove and similar sites when one is in another continent but got to keep at it! So stressful trying to arrange getting back home to England. Now I hear I won't be covered by the National Health because I have been away too long! And I am still a British subject! Selling almost everything and where I am renting has just been sold so my days are numbered! Not possible to find anywhere to rent here meanwhile as rents are now unbelievably high and not affordable. My best option is to move from here directly to the UK without any temporary rental here in the interim. I have 'family' in England but there's been no offer to stay there until I find a place to rent but I suppose there's 'no room in the inn', so to speak! I am hoping they can find some friends who can suggest a rental or place to share. There is also a site called 'Homeshare UK' which I am hoping can help with a place to share. Praying things will work out! It's just a matter of time. I appreciate all the responses here!

Re: Where to live in the UK?
 

That's not correct. NHS eligibility is based on residency, so as soon as you move back you're covered.

HTH.