Pistolpete2

Hi bandrui!

Just mentioned Colerne on another thread with good access to Bath. Is in the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty:

http://www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk/?page=map

Something that needs some TLC, and negotiating for:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-25518792.html

feelbritish

We have had a re-think about moving back to our house in Marlow. Because it is in a good area for rentals and the rentals are higher than average and because we have a tenant long term who takes good care of the property we are seriously thinking of keeping our property as an investment rather than putting our money from our house here into some low interest savings! We have been talking about renting at first on the Isle of Wight to see if we like it. Perhaps buying a holiday let rather then if we do not want to stay long term we can rent it out weekly. Other than that my OH is making some noise about perhaps also spending a year or so in Spain! 9 months of winter is really getting him down here, but he still wont move until he is 65!

cheers

Hey that is $400,000 in real money!
You can buy a new really nice 4 bed/3 bath house here for £200,000.
If I was living in England I would hop on a plane to Atlanta, Geogia and buy a home there. The homes there are beautiful and really affordable.

Prices in the UK are hard to pin down price wise. I read complete opposite headlines in the British news about the prices there. One day one thing and the next day it is the complete opposite.

bandrui

Hail! Hail! The gang's all here. Hi PP2.

That one's a bit South of the area I am looking at but wouldn't rule it out.

I am particularly interested in the area circled by the towns of Cheltenham Spa, Evesham, Stratford on Avon, Banbury, Oxford and Cirencester. Just think of the options; let's see where shall we go today! It also, as you mention, is an AONB with fantastic walks.

Another reason I am honing in on this area is that it has good rail and bus connections. I have determined that what is important to me in my twilight years is the ability to take a daytrip to London and to be able to take interesting sidetrips to a variety of places.

I am enouraged to see from my ongoing research that it is certainly likely that I will be able to find a cottage with a good-sized garden where I can grow veggies and fruit for £200k or even less.

Here are a few from my shortlist:

This one has terrible decor and I would put a woodstove in:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-39611468.html

This one is sold... suprise, surprise.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-37847086.html

For this one, you need to be an agricultural worker. Hmmm.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-37592482.html

Yard needs a little work.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-37802863.html

An auction property:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...?premiumA=true

Definitely one of my favourites:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-34394437.html

Near Banbury:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...?premiumA=true

I see this one's sold too:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-40346591.html

Another favourite:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...?premiumA=true

This one shows that you can't judge a book by its cover (also sold):
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-35217682.html

Now obviously these are all going to sell before I get to England but I save them so that I can keep an eye on what's available within my price range and criteria. I find it very encouraging.

bandrui

Hi Cheers.

No the exchange rate a couple of days ago was $1.50 USD to 1 GBP!

feelbritish

lovely area you are looking at! Prices seem so reasonable as well!

cheers

I think we are going to be neighbors! We both are looking in the same part of the country. DW is very keen on Ross-On-Wye. She has good memory of it. (Did I say that right?)

Cheers

cheers

Yep your right, more like $345,000 but don't pin me down on the conversion

Cheers

bandrui

I'm focusing quite a bit East of there now. I was finding that it was difficult to connect to other places from Tenbury Wells, except Worcester and impossible to get to London and back in a day. I was raised 45 mins from London so have always enjoyed day trips into the city.

Ross-on-Wye would be even further out.

Actually the Cotswolds are quite central for getting to a lot of different areas; south to Dorset and Devon, east to London and the Home Counties, north to the Midlands and west to Wales. Still easily accessible to Worcester for family research too.

It's ironic really. I can still hear my Grandmother's words in my ear... "just give me a little cottage in the Cotswolds and I'd be perfectly happy". She was from Evesham.

Pistolpete2

A good list!

I like the ones close in to Moreton-in-Marsh for the London access plus Moreton is not too shabby and Stow-on-the-Wold is for antique lovers, even if just looking.

Also Honeybourne and Andoversford look to be good centres though countryside around Honeybourne seems rather bland.

The sold one near to Dursley (the last in Coaley) looks to be a very good area for connections as well as being lovely country.

Was also looking at Cirencester but I think it is too land-locked for our requirements and maybe a bit snooty overall for our taste. Was a bit bothered about the 4 mile hike to get to Kemble Station every time one wanted to go to London for a trip but there is National Express service from the town to London.

Was focused on Avening, fairly near Cirencester for the longest while. See this one:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-40690718.html

"The garden is to the front of the property and is surrounded by an original Cotswold stone wall as well as picket fencing. This area is laid to patio with mature shrubs and small borders. There is also a vegetable garden and a greenhouse." - Strangely no views, out of 18.

Lovely, but funny layout:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-37596370.html

Not so sure that I would be looking to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia as an alternative right now, at any price. - Sorry Cheers, fell out of my chair reading this in the MBTTUK section - and definitely not when compared with Ross-on-Wye, but then I'm talking only in terms of retirement and maybe not thinking enough of them bones them bones.

BTW, I'm now looking at Weymouth - Rodwell/Wyke Regis area (because of Weymouth College) in earnest, for next year with a view to renting. Alternatives, though far less likely, would be Canterbury/Whitstable (Canterbury College) and somewhere between Truro and Falmouth (Truro & Penwith College) (Mylor Bridge/Devoran??) because of youth sailing interests.

Have also been looking at area around Exeter (for Exeter College) but feel it is a bit too much urban sprawl aside from Topsham and Exmouth didn't seem to be what it what made out to be upon closer inspection. Would move on after two years and we are looking at Paignton/Brixham area for access to the River Dart - more renting. Maybe even Totnes!

Pistolpete2

I'm finding it hard to equate the idea of renting in the Uk while still owning elsewhere there because of the tax (on property income) issue. If you are in the property there is no tax and you are accumulating the tax free element for capital gains tax if/when you sell. But, if indeed the tenants are taking good care and the rent is at the high return end this seems to weigh against selling if you find something with less landlord return to rent for yourselves elsewhere and there is no valid alternative use for the money and right now, unless you are an investor*, there is precious little else.

*It's interesting that in spite of the stock markets on both sides of the Atlantic being up around 10% in 2013 alone, the average small time investor has been scared off by talk of fiscal cliffs, debt ceiling, sequestration, political grid-lock etc. etc. and has actually taken money out of key stock funds. Market timing is everything.

Pistolpete2

All very different:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013...bungay-suffolk

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013...zance-cornwall

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-35805505.html

Same property is for rent @ 550 a month, no pets:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-35083027.html

Which is a landlord's return of approx 3.7% - wow!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013...oakham-rutland

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-25427892.html - FUpper!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013...am-tyne-valley

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013...rmouth-cumbria - bring those wellies!

windsong

Most beautiful part of the country

I remember from my father's window we could see for literally miles over the patchwork green fields. Absolutely gorgeous!

Added note: I believe it was the Mendip Hills my father overlooked.

Pistolpete2

This looks a lot more attractive than Honeybourne, though clearly not the Cotswolds judging by the stone:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3241856

On the other hand, maybe I'm wrong:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1793519

Not that far from Stratford here. Strawberry country!

Not bad!

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-36434008.html

Huge facility at Long Marston (a Shakespeare Village) is former MOD, now storage for rail company rolling stock.

bandrui

The area around Avening is a very good location. I like the idea of being close to Stroud, a centre for alternative left-wing types such as myself . The downside I have found about being close to Stroud is that I have yet to find a property on level ground which is an absolute must for me. I currently have a house built into the side of a hill and my garden is on 2-3 levels. It's a b____y nuisance.

I certainly like the idea of being by the seaside and have pondered this long and hard but in the final analysis, it comes down to what I need to be close to. Having said that I wouldn't rule it out and particularly like the area around Weymouth and Wyke Regis.

I have to say that, living on an island and having the sea in every direction, I hardly ever go to the beaches but when I do, I think "Why don;t I do this more often?"