# Nice places to live in the UK?



## staceyemma (Jul 30, 2011)

Hello there.

Me and hubby are looking to relocate somewhere nice and soon our little boy will be joining us.

Ideally I'd like to be not too from a a beach, lots goin on nearby ie ice skating rinks, cinemas, good places to eat, good schools, low crime rate etc...

Does anyone have any nice suggestions?

We currently live in Hereford. We are ideally looking for somewhere in England and Wales rather than Scotland or Ireland as too far to travel to family.

Thanks!


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## bambibaby12 (Oct 29, 2012)

We are currently looking at houses in Cotswolds. Generally want a nice village location in Oxfordshire preferably. Chipping norton. Also looking at a house in mixbury which is Buckinghamshire but lovely village. For us needs to be commutable distance to Milton Keynes as that's where my DH works. 

Depends what order of the things you want are most important., think if you are wanting a lot of the "entertainment" things you will need to live closer to a town/city centre so therefore crime rates would increase.

Good luck xx


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## staceyemma (Jul 30, 2011)

Thanks for replying bambibaby I do appreciate it I'll have a look online I've heard good things about The Cotswolds


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## Sarapd (Dec 4, 2012)

Cardiff is lovely - you're only an hour away from the Brecon Beacons and just over an hour from the beaches of the Gower. Cardiff has some great shops and lots going on.
Let me know if you want more specifics.
Sara. xx


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## staceyemma (Jul 30, 2011)

Thanks Sara  
I've only ever been into Cardiff once and the rugby was on that day and it was crazy  
I have a few friends near Cardiff so Cardiff is a good suggestion


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## yogabunny (Sep 12, 2012)

hi staceyemma,

congratulations and how exciting planning where to be.

we really like brighton and for a while we lived in village in west sussex in the south downs near by ready for babies - better schools, countryside, bit cheaper than brighton, lower crime, close to the beach and a drive away from brighton and everything it has to offer.... when babies didn't happen so quickly we moved back into brighton!

we are considering moving away to be closer to family if we ever get the BFP though, for the support network. But I also do dream of cornwall and devon     Now reading your thread I am going to get more ideas! Breacon Beacons and Gower beaches sounds good too

xx


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## goldbunny (Mar 26, 2012)

it's really hard to get the 'whole wish list' from one place. for example to be near a beach sometimes means being further away from other ameneties or leading a seasonal lifestyle where in winter everything's closed and in summer you can't park anywhere. To be within an easy reach of things like cinemas and schools sometimes means being in a more urban area than would otherwise be wanted. 
I used to live somewhere where we were about a half hour journey to get to a cinema. at the time it seemed annoying and we felt as if that stopped us going as often as we liked. Now I live close to a cinema yet we still hardly ever go! So it turns out it wasn't as important as I thought.  

Although I grew up in villages when I was in my late teens we moved into a town. My parents weren't keen, believing I think that the more rural atmosphere of a village was a healthier place to live. However when it was pointed out to them that if we lived somewhere remote they'd be a non-stop taxi service any time their children wanted to go anywhere a house close to a town centre was chosen... 

different places suit at different times of life and I think sometimes people get hung up ( I watch too much daytime tv by the way mainly property shows) on trying to have it all at once instead of just accepting that it can be better to move to different places as life's needs change. 

why miss out on taking a toddler to the beach every day just because there isn't a handy secondary school, or, live somewhere with a long commute so daddy misses out on time with his children just so that in 5 years time they'll be in a village. always best to pick somewhere that will be good 'now' because you don't know what's around the corner. 

another thing to bear in mind is that very often the best places and worst places can be right next door to each other. don't rule out an area just because of one thing. I've seen people move to the country only to be upset by wind farm plans or miss out on good housing because they think an area isn't right.. 
make a list of the things you definitely don't want to be next door to but realise you can only pick two or three things because there just aren't many houses that are perfectly situated and the premium they cost might not be worth the extra years at work. So maybe you have to compromise and look in areas you might not consider straight away.

look out for development plans and things like high speed railways popping up, an area can change a lot, sometimes it is safer to be in a developed area but where it has been done well, rather than an unspoilt place with bad plans hanging over it. That nice field across the way could be 100 flats next week. 

it's really useful to put postcodes into online directions apps like googlemaps or the AA site and work out where is quick to reach. Where we are here, DH has a long commute, but when we looked on a map it turned out that a lot of the nearer places were so far from main roads that they would have taken just as long travel wise even though they were a lot closer. Think carefully about the winter conditions because an extra 10 minutes drive down a country lane is a laugh in the summer after a long days work but a nightmare in ice-covered winter.  

also look online for the environment agencies flood map (in this heat floods seem miles from anyone's mind) because it can be really useful when deciding if a house is a good idea. 

I think the size of household makes a difference too, if there's only one or two people being stuck in the middle of nowhere seems a bit mad but in a larger household it could be fun. I'd love to have a big house in Scotland or on an island filled with laughing relatives. but then suiting everyone's needs at once is tough. Things like getting shopping delivered are easier in towns - do you want a shopping trip to be a once a month trek involving a whole day out or an everyday quick dash when it suits? I knew someone used to live in a remote bit of wales and they struggled to get stuff sometimes because they had to rely on local traders a lot. 
sorry for the long post I just find the whole thing interesting,  i'm a bit addicted to rightmove for looking at property and dreaming! 

if anyone knows a perfect place though where you really can have it all please let me know!


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## goldbunny (Mar 26, 2012)

the other thing I find funny from the tv shows is when people have decided firmly they want a certain style of house but then get cross because it doesn't exist where they want to live. For example you see a couple where he's always wanted to move to the country but she's always lived in those lovely big high-ceilinged town houses with all their 'features' and he says to her, well the compromise is you'll agree to move to the country but I will let you choose the house and then she won't move because strangely there is a shortage of town houses in the country. If you really like barn conversions or 1930's semis or whatever you really can't just dream them up unless you buy land and build so if a certain style floats your boat that makes narrowing the search easier. I have always wanted a 1970's house I like huge windows and exposed brick inside and I quite like split level stuff too.. and I love balconies. I think actually I probably want to live in a 1970's dolls house!  Modern houses have tiny floor space compared to older homes. I don't think i'd like a new build but then, they're more efficient and need less work. it would be fab to be able to afford a self-build though and have one shaped like a boat or something.


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## Honey x (Apr 21, 2013)

If you're still looking I can highly recommend living in Devon, we're in Plymouth and it pretty much has everything I could want.  I'm 10 mins drive from the beach, and dartmoor is on our doorstep, the city has good shopping, nice restaurants, cinemas etc.  I can get a train to London in just over 3 hours so we're not too far away and we have most of our holidays and weekends away in some stunning places around Cornwall and Devon.

I've lived in lots of other places in the UK and abroad and Plymouth comes top of my list as a great place to live.  

Good luck in finding the right place for you and your family  

Honey xxx


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

I've relocated to Brighton, no ice rink except at Xmas- )I believe Bournemouth has still where I also lived ). But I look onto the sea, the Downs are not far for countryside, there are cinemas, bowling etc London is 51 mins by train. Lots for kids to do vibrant city.


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

Ive just relocated to Brighton - no ice rink except at Xmas. I used to live in Bournemouth and it used to have one x


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## MissT (formally MissTurneriffic) (Mar 10, 2012)

I know a couple of girls have already said this but I live in Worthing which is 10 miles along the south coast from Brighton. I have moved away - I lived in Scotland for 4 years - but nothing beats Sussex so I came back and do not regret it. 

We have the beach on our doorsteps, the south downs a couple of miles inland. The city life in Brighton and the country life too. We have an ice rink for three months of the year between November and jan and you will never be bored.

Can't rate it enough xxx


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## coweyes (Sep 4, 2008)

Somerset


Taunton, big enough to have good restaurants, cinemas etc etc and the beach is only 45 min away also many really good walks.


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## surrogate013 (Jul 18, 2013)

I second Cardiff  but very expensive like £550 a month for a two bed shoe box 
xx


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## sickofwaiting (Jan 31, 2013)

I live in Brighton - it's great, love it!! It's expensive though. We have moved about 4 miles outside of the centre and it's much cheaper. Views of the downs from my window and buses to town. Brighton itself is an amazing city, and there are loads of young families here, lots going on for kids - festivals etc. Great restaurants and bars, fantastic shopping and generally a brilliant laid back atmosphere. And you've got lovely villages on the doorstep too. i highly recommend it! Hove is a lovely (but expensive) place to live too.

Kat x


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## MissT (formally MissTurneriffic) (Mar 10, 2012)

Lol living in the expensive south I actually think £550-£750 for a 2 bed flat is cheap!!!

Xx


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## goldbunny (Mar 26, 2012)

me too, reckon you'd do well to get a bedsit for £550... so to get two whole bedrooms, wow.


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