For me the purchase was easier because I bought into an area which was previously railway yards next to Canterbury West Station. It ended up being over 200 properties of mixed new-build houses, flats and regenerated warehouses which was highly recommended by the Financial Times at the time and caught my eye at a time that my son was at school in Canterbury. The position was just outside the city walls and on the right side of the city for access to transport to get to Whitstable on the sea.

It turned out that the area bloomed with new restaurants and a nationally renowned daily farmers market with built-in restaurant. So it has for the most part worked for me. Of course Whitstable has become hugely popular since some entrepreneurs re-introduced the oyster business and seafood restaurants attract a large, almost cult following.

There are other areas of Canterbury that are also attractive but not so ideal as St Dunstans. The post code I know of on that side of Canterbury is CT2 8SD.

Sorry about that! After we had discussed Hinkley Point the other day I should have spotted that before inserting it. I note that EDF are contracted to now put another two reactors there too.

"Areva, a French company, is building four reactors for EDF Energy which is set to construct new nuclear power plants in Britain. Two of the new reactors will be at Hinckley Point in Somerset and two at Sizewell in Suffolk. Areva said British companies will be involved in 80% of the work and therefore jobs will be created."

True, but there are plenty of places in the UK that are less populated than Saltspring. If you don't need to be close to employment, they're there, especially in the north.

The trouble with building more houses is that people want them in the already overpopulated parts of the country, and that generally means taking over green belt land. I think the preservation of the green belt is one of Britain's victories.

I think they need to move a lot of central government departments way north. Spread things around a bit. With modern technology, government ministries don't need to be in London.

Bev

My gran is hilarious. She's always been a real 'townie' and when we drive through the beautiful national parks of the Dales or the Lake District, she says "Oh look at all this space just going to waste. Just think how many houses they could get on there." She usually ends with "it's a crying shame, isn't it?"

I've been gung-ho to buy when we go back but DH just said he's like to think about renting and putting the money from this house in the bank. His argument is that we'd be much more free to do what we want if we rent (downsize, upsize, move somewhere else in the country, take a year to travel Europe - whatever), and that we won't have our savings tied up in property. I promised him I'd think about it. My biggest sticking point is the idea that I wouldn't be able to decorate my house, or do renovations if I wanted. But I do like the idea of the freedom to change our minds.

Well maybe you could decorate and do renovations and negotiate a lease to make yourselves secure there for an extended period, which was your other concern.

It would take a while to search for a place but there must be precedents for fixer-upper type deals when renting residential property. We know there is such for commercial property, such as bars and restaurants or even offices.

The landlord would give you negotiated credit for the agreed improvements and most of your NY proceeds would still be in the bank. Not quite so flexible though!

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has experience of same!

Actually the British Government should be doing the same type of deal with owners of near derelict properties nationwide to aid the rental housing shortage - other than in Malvern that is.

Hey Sally, did you see the Lakeland today. I did and when I saw picture 4 I felt I was there. Luvely feeling it was.

Yes me too. I'm not necessarily looking for a fixer-upper, so much as the freedom to change things if I want. But maybe we can find something nice enough that it doesn't matter.

Cheers, I did see it. Lovely! They had rain today for the first time in weeks, but mum said it cleared up later and she's at a BBQ this evening.

I understand why it happens, but I'm still astounded at the number of properties which have downstairs loos and loos beyond the kitchen. Also three bedroomed houses which have been recently renovated but still only have one bathroom and no cloakroom or utility room.

Definitely things to change in a rental property!

Hi

I work for EDF Energy and was part of the team that constructed Sizewell B. I have spent 18 years of my career in the UK and Canadian nuclear industry and found it much safer environment than coal and oil/gas industry I have had some experience working in.

Working at or near nuclear plants has been a good for my family. Low housing costs( no crowded housing estates), minimal road congestion. low crime, good schools.


Hudd

So do you know all about living in a town like Leiston which is the closest centre of population to Sizewell B?

We lived on the outskirts of Leiston for 6 years. We had a lovely Edwardian house with field and rural views. My wife said Leiston was the most favourite areas she had lived in the UK and Canada. I can remember tellins someone about not bother to lock the car at night and not worrying about crime. I was once talking to a local policeman who said they knew the handfull of people they would visit if there was petty crime in the area. Local people were very easy going and honest/down to earth.

Thorpness and Southwold are nearby and nice places to go for a meal or take the kids out too. There are some nice places to eat such as the Lighthouse in Aldeburgh. Downside for some is that it rural, so if you do not have cars or want the city life its not the place for you. Also roads are very rural and takes time to get to any decent motorways We left Leiston in 1997 and went back there last year and little has changed since then.

Leiston or some of the other towns/villages is where were would move when new build programme commences at Sizewell.

Hudd

Interesting!

We stayed in a B&B when in Leiston a few years back but went to the Lighthouse (excellent) and Regatta in Aldeburgh and pubs in Aldringham, Middleton and Westleton. We wondered about Leiston because property there seems very reasonable indeed and to be honest we thought that it might be due to the proximity of Sizewell. Apart from tourism and the power station plus presumably agriculture, there doesn't seem to be much else for the locals to work at.

Aldringham and Middleton have properties in Rightmove which I fancied but you really need a car to live in this part of the world because the nearest rail is in Saxmundham. We have vacationed many times in Suffolk, though normally in Lavenham, which is very special.

This property in Lavenham is worth looking at just to see that bed :

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

I know you're right Bev.

Here's one that I really like in a lovely little village Winterbourne Monkton(with a pub) just North of Avebury, a few miles from marlborough and Swindon. It has a very interesting ancient church and the village used to be owned by the monks of Glastonbury.

The cottage itself is right up my alley. Floor boards and terra cotta... even has under floor heating. Nice garden. It all has a very good feeling.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...rtyType=houses

Hi there, off topic, here are some interesting articles with some suggesting property prices could experience a 10% or more year by year fall. Remember, It was a property boom that preceded the more than decade long slide in Japan.

http://www.moneyweek.com/news-and-ch...k-house-prices