brits1

I think our problem was we could not forget the countryside etc while in Aus...not knocking the Outback etc as we certainly explored as much of that environment as we could and there is a certain beauty Aus and in also a lot of countries have their own certain loveliness, even the sand dunes in the middle east are spectacular but for us something about the greeness here and the quickly changing landscapes for such a small island is lovely.....after being overseas we now make the most of what we have here....even if it's only a trip around a lake nearby or even our local park with it's stream (which our little dog loves lol)....when you have not had that for a few years you certainly do appreciate it even more.

Pistolpete2

Yes indeed, but the people within those different counties can be very different in terms of their interests and priorities, which creates a completely different tone to everyday life when it is not solitary. This can in some cases leave one as isolated as if one were in a foreign country which spoke English.

And you know what they say about the further from London, the friendlier the people.

aries

And growing up in Devon, I was brought up to believe it was the most beautiful place in England. But I left to see what else there was in the world, and of course there are countless beautiful places in England and around the globe. England has a prettiness, but it doesn't have spectacular scenery, though where I live now, it is quite bland and uninteresting.

I really can't make up my mind where to live in England, certainly in the south with reasonable train access to London (where I can't afford to live!), but for access to enable me to visit family members elsewhere, and visit a friend in Germany.

johnh009

Yes, I completly agree, but, rather than moving overseas, I sometimes think that I should have tried a different part of England first for some adventure. Probably less grief in the long run.

cheers

Pure it on!

You know we are out here suffering and all we got to show for it is cheap petrol.

cheers

Aye, what do you got against Christians. Its a bit late to slaughter them. I knew a Christian once. No problem with her taking credit.

Lorry1

That's exactly what I wish we had done!

3 and a half years in Canada and I am so depressed all I can think of is home. I have to wait another 2 years before I can leave so daughter can finish school.
Most days I feel so sick I feel dead here there is no soul to this place!

windsong

Ohhh, that's exactly the conclusion I came to about the USA after being here only a week - no soul. Thirty plus years later I wonder how I could have been so astute at the age of 23!

Pistolpete2

I've been to the Grand Canyon, Saguaro National Park, walked in Bryce's Canyon and through the Painted Desert in Arizona into Utah and indeed they are spectacular but there are spots in England & Wales that are in their own way equally spectacular and full of flora and fauna, architectural and historical interest and then there's the Highlands and Western Isles. What's more they are extremely well written up for explorers to discover on foot or on a bike.

Devon still has an awful lot going for it as can be witnessed by its huge popularity as a retirement destination but for some its tougher access to London is a problem.

I noted last week that Plymouth Airport is to close and this was a speedy link to London and onwards for travelers from that area of Devon. Exeter will probably get a couple of extra flights but is already important access to Europe and the North by air which is often much cheaper than rail, if you are flexible.

I'm not sure how much work you've already done on this but:

Dorset, East Somerset and the Quantocks and Wiltshire and Avon are pretty well covered in research on these forums. We have covered up to Nailsworth and the Stroud area pretty well on the edge of the Cotswolds.

As soon as you become commutable to London by road or rail, prices start to rise quite steeply which marks Oxford, Winchester and Hampshire in general plus Berkshire as pricey.

Nobody, so far, has looked at Bristol or Bath, but Bath is pricey.

sallysimmons

So true. I would love to try the south for a while, just to experience something new, but family and friends dictate that we stick with the north. Not that they insist - just that we are moving back to be close to them, so moving somewhere far away wouldn't make much sense. But we do intend to travel the country spending weekends in different places. I'm excited to see what I've been missing.

Bevm

There's a lot of emotion behind house ownership and prices.

There's a fanatical attachment to owning a house in the UK. Even if it makes no financial sense, a lot of people think they're not fully respectable members of society if they rent. Perhaps it goes back to the time when you had to have property to vote!

So parents will help their children buy if they can, and there seems to be a growing trend for generations to live together to afford to own.

I don't think house prices in the most of the UK are going to plunge, but I also don't think they're going to rise in real terms, so a house is a lousy financial investment. However, it's a wonderful emotional investment if it gives you securitf in a home that makes you happy and that you can adapt to suit yourself.

I've noticed around here that some properties appear on the market and are snapped up, and others linger forever. That tells me that there are buyers and the lingerers are the less desirable and also the over-priced. Quite a lot of people either aren't desperate to sell, or are emotionally attached to getting what they think their house is worth. Or, of course, simply can't afford to sell for less because they'd be in negative equity.

I say can't afford to, but if they need to move for employment or such, they have to either rent it out or take the hit.

Bev

Pistolpete2

Beautifully put! Sums it all up very sensibly.

I'm not making excuses for lousy estate agents but:

I do also think that those who are just testing the waters for a valuation?? / fishing for an offer and those who are asking too much are a couple of the reasons why estate agents might not be as hungry as they could be as they are really time-wasters and I'm sure there are plenty of them. The value of one's house can be a bit obsessive in the UK.

Lorry1

I realised after a year, I had just been back to England for a week and haven't settled since.

I don't think I'll be staying here for 30 years!

sallysimmons

I've seen that in the areas I've been watching. I look at houses that have been on for a year while others have been snapped up in weeks, and wonder what those people are thinking.

I had a chat with a real estate agent here and she said there is no shortage of buyers if the price is right. The problem according to her is that too many people are in denial about the current value of their home.

windsong

No, you ought to go back as soon as possible. I wish I had gone back years ago. Sometimes you make the mistake of staying thinking, "Oh, it will get better" but it never does. You simply live a half-life.