Moving from London to Norfolk?
20 July 2020, 04:35 PM
#1
Moving from London to Norfolk?
Appreciate this is a bit of a weird topic for scoobynet, but scoobynet definitely used to the fount of all knowledge for all things weird and wonderful.
I was hoping that people would chime in with opinions on a move "to the country", as it were.
Current situation is:
- House we live in is too small. Two kids (8+2 girl & boy), and houses around here are absolutely stupid (to get another box bedroom, we're looking at another 150k on top of existing house)
- Need to move anyway because of secondary school choices, so extension / loft is not an option (or at least it will not solve the school issue)
- I work from home a minimum 3 days a week (pre-corona), with an office in the city of London, and after Covid, it actually looks like the long term plan for a lot of companies is to work more from home anyway.
The plan would be to move somewhere in e.g. Norfolk, because the houses we can get with a smallish mortgage are completely off the scale to what we could get around this neck of the woods. It'd be a lifestyle move, so that the Mrs didn't have to work, and the kids could grow up with parents around more than what is possible at the moment (well, outside of Corona-lockdowns..)
I'd probably catch the train down one morning, work, stay one night in an airbnb (or travellodge or whatever) and then come home the following evening.
Any thoughts?
I was hoping that people would chime in with opinions on a move "to the country", as it were.
Current situation is:
- House we live in is too small. Two kids (8+2 girl & boy), and houses around here are absolutely stupid (to get another box bedroom, we're looking at another 150k on top of existing house)
- Need to move anyway because of secondary school choices, so extension / loft is not an option (or at least it will not solve the school issue)
- I work from home a minimum 3 days a week (pre-corona), with an office in the city of London, and after Covid, it actually looks like the long term plan for a lot of companies is to work more from home anyway.
The plan would be to move somewhere in e.g. Norfolk, because the houses we can get with a smallish mortgage are completely off the scale to what we could get around this neck of the woods. It'd be a lifestyle move, so that the Mrs didn't have to work, and the kids could grow up with parents around more than what is possible at the moment (well, outside of Corona-lockdowns..)
I'd probably catch the train down one morning, work, stay one night in an airbnb (or travellodge or whatever) and then come home the following evening.
Any thoughts?
20 July 2020, 04:57 PM
#2
Appreciate this is a bit of a weird topic for scoobynet, but scoobynet definitely used to the fount of all knowledge for all things weird and wonderful.
I was hoping that people would chime in with opinions on a move "to the country", as it were.
Current situation is:
- House we live in is too small. Two kids (8+2 girl & boy), and houses around here are absolutely stupid (to get another box bedroom, we're looking at another 150k on top of existing house)
- Need to move anyway because of secondary school choices, so extension / loft is not an option (or at least it will not solve the school issue)
- I work from home a minimum 3 days a week (pre-corona), with an office in the city of London, and after Covid, it actually looks like the long term plan for a lot of companies is to work more from home anyway.
The plan would be to move somewhere in e.g. Norfolk, because the houses we can get with a smallish mortgage are completely off the scale to what we could get around this neck of the woods. It'd be a lifestyle move, so that the Mrs didn't have to work, and the kids could grow up with parents around more than what is possible at the moment (well, outside of Corona-lockdowns..)
I'd probably catch the train down one morning, work, stay one night in an airbnb (or travellodge or whatever) and then come home the following evening.
Any thoughts?
I was hoping that people would chime in with opinions on a move "to the country", as it were.
Current situation is:
- House we live in is too small. Two kids (8+2 girl & boy), and houses around here are absolutely stupid (to get another box bedroom, we're looking at another 150k on top of existing house)
- Need to move anyway because of secondary school choices, so extension / loft is not an option (or at least it will not solve the school issue)
- I work from home a minimum 3 days a week (pre-corona), with an office in the city of London, and after Covid, it actually looks like the long term plan for a lot of companies is to work more from home anyway.
The plan would be to move somewhere in e.g. Norfolk, because the houses we can get with a smallish mortgage are completely off the scale to what we could get around this neck of the woods. It'd be a lifestyle move, so that the Mrs didn't have to work, and the kids could grow up with parents around more than what is possible at the moment (well, outside of Corona-lockdowns..)
I'd probably catch the train down one morning, work, stay one night in an airbnb (or travellodge or whatever) and then come home the following evening.
Any thoughts?
It takes a little while to adapt to countryside living, less facilities, but quality of life so much better. Just check you can get a good 4g indoor coverage. We use 4g for our internet, BT are ****e in the countryside generally-but could be lucky
Get out of the sh!!thole of London. You get so much more for your pound. Get the right area and countryside walks, nature, clean atmosphere are all available. It all depends how remote you want to be. Hamlet, small village, large village or town.
We live in a hamlet, nearest town 8 miles away, nearest city 28miles. I regularly cycle to the town for shopping on quiet country lanes.
We can if needed to get to London in 2 hours with mainline station 18 miles away. We visit do what we want then get the hell out same day.
20 July 2020, 05:27 PM
#3
Scooby Senior
Appreciate this is a bit of a weird topic for scoobynet, but scoobynet definitely used to the fount of all knowledge for all things weird and wonderful.
I was hoping that people would chime in with opinions on a move "to the country", as it were.
Current situation is:
- House we live in is too small. Two kids (8+2 girl & boy), and houses around here are absolutely stupid (to get another box bedroom, we're looking at another 150k on top of existing house)
- Need to move anyway because of secondary school choices, so extension / loft is not an option (or at least it will not solve the school issue)
- I work from home a minimum 3 days a week (pre-corona), with an office in the city of London, and after Covid, it actually looks like the long term plan for a lot of companies is to work more from home anyway.
The plan would be to move somewhere in e.g. Norfolk, because the houses we can get with a smallish mortgage are completely off the scale to what we could get around this neck of the woods. It'd be a lifestyle move, so that the Mrs didn't have to work, and the kids could grow up with parents around more than what is possible at the moment (well, outside of Corona-lockdowns..)
I'd probably catch the train down one morning, work, stay one night in an airbnb (or travellodge or whatever) and then come home the following evening.
Any thoughts?
I was hoping that people would chime in with opinions on a move "to the country", as it were.
Current situation is:
- House we live in is too small. Two kids (8+2 girl & boy), and houses around here are absolutely stupid (to get another box bedroom, we're looking at another 150k on top of existing house)
- Need to move anyway because of secondary school choices, so extension / loft is not an option (or at least it will not solve the school issue)
- I work from home a minimum 3 days a week (pre-corona), with an office in the city of London, and after Covid, it actually looks like the long term plan for a lot of companies is to work more from home anyway.
The plan would be to move somewhere in e.g. Norfolk, because the houses we can get with a smallish mortgage are completely off the scale to what we could get around this neck of the woods. It'd be a lifestyle move, so that the Mrs didn't have to work, and the kids could grow up with parents around more than what is possible at the moment (well, outside of Corona-lockdowns..)
I'd probably catch the train down one morning, work, stay one night in an airbnb (or travellodge or whatever) and then come home the following evening.
Any thoughts?
Norfolk is a nice area of the country, but the transport connections are pretty terrible around there, so take into account the access links when looking for somewhere as you'll quickly get p155sed off your commute to/from London takes 5+ hours! Bear in mind, in Norfolk there are lots of farmers driving their traaaacters really, really, slowly!
20 July 2020, 08:06 PM
#5
The internet checking is probably the best advice given:
I went from virgin 200mb down 20mb up to BT ‘super fast’ FTTC 20mb down 2mb up.
The latter is a really ball ache with dropbox/onedrive etc. Especially after I had the sparkys round turning the power on/off do now the exchange thinks I’m dropping connections and crippled my up speed to 1mb
Irony is there is a Virgin cable running 50metres away along the road across a field and I can’t get to it but can see the manhole cover from my bedroom window.
:
4G on the other hand is 12mb down, 17mb up...so better for uploading but poo for download
Also living in the sticks; if you are too far away to walk to store/shop. It maybe wise to have AWD and winter tyres. Everyone round here has Defenders, and everyone with a modern Defender regrets selling/swapping their old TD5. And if you have land, you will end up borrowing sheep as they are cheaper than a small tractor or paying someone to do it...of which wil be charged at ‘Townie’ rates.
Tractors are cool; they have a job to do and therefore serve a purpose (and some are rather nippy). Horse boxes on the other hand are a pure menace and serve no purpose to the economy of the nation unless transporting meat for the Irish ‘beef’ burgers.
MAMILs don’t exist...they’ve all been squashed by the tractors
I went from virgin 200mb down 20mb up to BT ‘super fast’ FTTC 20mb down 2mb up.
The latter is a really ball ache with dropbox/onedrive etc. Especially after I had the sparkys round turning the power on/off do now the exchange thinks I’m dropping connections and crippled my up speed to 1mb
Irony is there is a Virgin cable running 50metres away along the road across a field and I can’t get to it but can see the manhole cover from my bedroom window.
:4G on the other hand is 12mb down, 17mb up...so better for uploading but poo for download
Also living in the sticks; if you are too far away to walk to store/shop. It maybe wise to have AWD and winter tyres. Everyone round here has Defenders, and everyone with a modern Defender regrets selling/swapping their old TD5. And if you have land, you will end up borrowing sheep as they are cheaper than a small tractor or paying someone to do it...of which wil be charged at ‘Townie’ rates.
Tractors are cool; they have a job to do and therefore serve a purpose (and some are rather nippy). Horse boxes on the other hand are a pure menace and serve no purpose to the economy of the nation unless transporting meat for the Irish ‘beef’ burgers.
MAMILs don’t exist...they’ve all been squashed by the tractors
20 July 2020, 08:45 PM
#6
With global warming, you don't need a big 4*4. Want one, different matter. The idea is to use the car less and cycle or walk to local convenience stores.
Our kids cycled to school in the next village from 8 year old on their own 2 miles each way.
Our kids cycled to school in the next village from 8 year old on their own 2 miles each way.
20 July 2020, 09:27 PM
#7
Note I said AWD not ‘ big 4x4’ for his purpose.
But for the yokels that tows crap across fields and dumps a dead ewe in the load bay uses one, for obvious reasons
Jimny will do the job...1.3 does most things a defender does. Including dead ewes if you can cope with the smell.
Legacy or V60 AWD for everything else.
But for the yokels that tows crap across fields and dumps a dead ewe in the load bay uses one, for obvious reasons
Jimny will do the job...1.3 does most things a defender does. Including dead ewes if you can cope with the smell.
Legacy or V60 AWD for everything else.
Last edited by ALi-B; 20 July 2020 at 11:38 PM.
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20 July 2020, 09:36 PM
#8
Ahh smell...forgot about that (nose blind ).
Clean fresh air often include the smell of sh*t or smoke as invariably somebody will be either spreading or burning something somewhere.
And if you live in a ‘dip’ that appears to have spring water bubbling out the ground could well be the outflow from the septic tank.
).Clean fresh air often include the smell of sh*t or smoke as invariably somebody will be either spreading or burning something somewhere.
And if you live in a ‘dip’ that appears to have spring water bubbling out the ground could well be the outflow from the septic tank.
Last edited by ALi-B; 20 July 2020 at 09:38 PM.
21 July 2020, 09:33 AM
#9
I am doing the same thing currently, i have just retired early and would like to move to the country had enough of living on an estate with the noise and constant deliveries!
We looked at Norfolk along the coast line near Cromer and Mundelsy which is obviously more expensive than inland, we are looking elsewhere as well going up to Lincolnshire next week to view property , but we still need to sell our house which appears difficult even though stamp duty has been removed for first £5k, i would check out some other areas as well to see what is out there.
We looked at Norfolk along the coast line near Cromer and Mundelsy which is obviously more expensive than inland, we are looking elsewhere as well going up to Lincolnshire next week to view property , but we still need to sell our house which appears difficult even though stamp duty has been removed for first £5k, i would check out some other areas as well to see what is out there.
21 July 2020, 07:40 PM
#10
Hmm, my Mrs has gone off the Norfolk idea a bit after reading some thread on mumsnet, where apparently there's nothing to do (which IMO sounds absolutely perfect ) Now looking at Suffolk,Essex,Kent instead apparently.
House is up for sale now - first two viewings tomorrow (only went live today), so hopefully we'll have to actually do some real house hunting soon.
idf101: whereabouts are you? Houses around here seem to be selling OK at the moment, but who knows for how long? I'm not sure we'd be looking ourselves without the stamp duty, but it's difficult to turn down the enormous "free money" (i know it's not really free...)
) Now looking at Suffolk,Essex,Kent instead apparently.House is up for sale now - first two viewings tomorrow (only went live today), so hopefully we'll have to actually do some real house hunting soon.
idf101: whereabouts are you? Houses around here seem to be selling OK at the moment, but who knows for how long? I'm not sure we'd be looking ourselves without the stamp duty, but it's difficult to turn down the enormous "free money" (i know it's not really free...)
21 July 2020, 08:04 PM
#12
Around here £350k will get a large detached house garage and garden. £500k bigger house bigger garages and land. We have lots of ex Londoners who had moderate incomes in London but retired and bought their house outright with the sale proceed from London property.
My daughter is renting in London in a tiny flat. The flats in the street are going for £750k. Ive told my daughter to get out before she pisses tens of thousands in rent down the drain. I said Id buy her a house outside London where I could get two for the price of one poxy flat
My daughter is renting in London in a tiny flat. The flats in the street are going for £750k. Ive told my daughter to get out before she pisses tens of thousands in rent down the drain. I said Id buy her a house outside London where I could get two for the price of one poxy flat
21 July 2020, 09:01 PM
#13
Around here £350k will get a large detached house garage and garden. £500k bigger house bigger garages and land. We have lots of ex Londoners who had moderate incomes in London but retired and bought their house outright with the sale proceed from London property.
My daughter is renting in London in a tiny flat. The flats in the street are going for £750k. Ive told my daughter to get out before she pisses tens of thousands in rent down the drain. I said Id buy her a house outside London where I could get two for the price of one poxy flat
My daughter is renting in London in a tiny flat. The flats in the street are going for £750k. Ive told my daughter to get out before she pisses tens of thousands in rent down the drain. I said Id buy her a house outside London where I could get two for the price of one poxy flat
21 July 2020, 09:27 PM
#14
Unless both you and your family are onboard to move into the countryside then you maybe storing up a problem later. If your wife likes having all the doorstep convenience of city life, she could resent a quieter less hussle way of life, its not for everyone.
p Some folk just cant see beyond having everything 2 mins away.
Having lived in the countryside for 15 years I would not go back to town or suburb living.
p Some folk just cant see beyond having everything 2 mins away.
Having lived in the countryside for 15 years I would not go back to town or suburb living.
21 July 2020, 10:39 PM
#15
I'd love to love on the coast around Norfolk, the biggest issue I csn see is the lack of work and as mentioned above there isn't much to do if you take the scenery and beach out of the equation
22 July 2020, 09:58 AM
#16
Tbh this is exactly why we're looking, and why I (in particular, sadly) am keen... We don't have a fancy house at the moment, just a standard 2up/2down in the suburbs, but it could be swapped for something enormous, or we could live mortgage free in something more modest. Especially with remote work, I wonder if house prices in Norfolk (and other far flung places) will start catching up with more accessible areas.
Remote places not popular with Londoners will still become more popular and rise in value accordingly due to people like me that have no need to access to London or a big city becoming displaced due to the above! Of course circumstances change if new railways and roads are built, take the motorway upgrade to the A14 in Cambridgeshire as a good example.
Good luck with the viewings; I will warn that a certain ethnic group will bring their entire family round on the first viewing (mom, dad, uncles aunts as well siblings) and treat your house like a DFS showroom. They are rarely serious buyers, give ridiculous offers or want to deal in cash (to evade tax/money laundering etc.)...given the coronavirus issues take my advice to only allow two inside and the rest to sod off. Also if it’s a popular area don’t be afraid to ensure the estate agent properly vets and verifies that the viewers actually have enough liquid assets (in a bank, not under the bed) to afford a reasonable deposit on a typical mortgage.
Last edited by ALi-B; 22 July 2020 at 10:16 AM.
22 July 2020, 11:16 AM
#17
Hi mate,
I live just outside Fareham which is near the solent, i have had some viewings but nothing serious, i have a small 4 bed house so in effect 3 and a bit! I am having families looking ie. 3 kids which this house would not suit.
So between a rock and a hard place in terms of who would want it, i am in a cul-de-sac and not asking for stupid money, we will be looking at Lincolnshire next week as it looks pretty good with property also looking good, once we have been there i will discuss with estate agent my next move.
cheers
I live just outside Fareham which is near the solent, i have had some viewings but nothing serious, i have a small 4 bed house so in effect 3 and a bit! I am having families looking ie. 3 kids which this house would not suit.
So between a rock and a hard place in terms of who would want it, i am in a cul-de-sac and not asking for stupid money, we will be looking at Lincolnshire next week as it looks pretty good with property also looking good, once we have been there i will discuss with estate agent my next move.
cheers
22 July 2020, 12:45 PM
#18
We spent 18 months looking for an area to live in. Coming from a Northern city, our requirements were
quiet location, near a school(kids could cycle to/from) town within 30-45min cycle.
a rail line local(nearby) and national within an hour car journey.
no pylons in view.
We would go to a new area twice a month, stay over, and drive around looking at prospective houses forsale, checking they met our list requirements. We bought OS maps which helped considerably in isolating/ disregarding areas.
Once we found a potential, we would sit in our car windows down and listen for noise, whether traffic, farms, business even small airports
Its amazing how small spots areas around a complete county are suitable.
Eventually we found a run down property to renovate with 2 acres of land. It came with outline planning for for another house - currently developing.
Once we've completed the new build sale, we will start drawing up plans for our move to a valley ridge plot (acquired )with views of a large lake and open countryside.
quiet location, near a school(kids could cycle to/from) town within 30-45min cycle.
a rail line local(nearby) and national within an hour car journey.
no pylons in view.
We would go to a new area twice a month, stay over, and drive around looking at prospective houses forsale, checking they met our list requirements. We bought OS maps which helped considerably in isolating/ disregarding areas.
Once we found a potential, we would sit in our car windows down and listen for noise, whether traffic, farms, business even small airports
Its amazing how small spots areas around a complete county are suitable.
Eventually we found a run down property to renovate with 2 acres of land. It came with outline planning for for another house - currently developing.
Once we've completed the new build sale, we will start drawing up plans for our move to a valley ridge plot (acquired )with views of a large lake and open countryside.
22 July 2020, 01:15 PM
#19
Ahh a rural gentrifier. Not one to take a issue with it normally, but a few too many round here appear to have really p**sed off the local parish council with their persistent attempts to circumvent green belt and conservation area planning rules to the point that when someone wants to extend a garage the plans get rejected with barely any consideration at the fear it may in future become a dwelling.
That said, the reason being is too many tried it on; A recent one is some city boy built a stable (no need for planning on green belt if the rules are followed)...and after a few years applied to make it a dwelling, rejected, so reapplied to make it a holiday rental lodge, rejected, so reapplied again as a change of use to a temporary dwelling/mobile home....when after official inspection it transpires this ‘stable’ was nothing of the sort (it had a ceiling too low for a horse so only of use for ponies and donkeys
), has never been used as a stable and the construction was obviously done with the intention of making it into a dwelling.
So due to the likes of him anyone putting forward application gets extra scrutiny and rejected through paranoia citing protection of the openness of the area or amenity/visual impact etc.
They’ve pulled my permitted development rights which I’m sure has been done in improperly. I’ll sort it, just need to buy the right person the right beer (at risk of being a hypocrite).
That said, the reason being is too many tried it on; A recent one is some city boy built a stable (no need for planning on green belt if the rules are followed)...and after a few years applied to make it a dwelling, rejected, so reapplied to make it a holiday rental lodge, rejected, so reapplied again as a change of use to a temporary dwelling/mobile home....when after official inspection it transpires this ‘stable’ was nothing of the sort (it had a ceiling too low for a horse so only of use for ponies and donkeys
), has never been used as a stable and the construction was obviously done with the intention of making it into a dwelling.So due to the likes of him anyone putting forward application gets extra scrutiny and rejected through paranoia citing protection of the openness of the area or amenity/visual impact etc.
They’ve pulled my permitted development rights which I’m sure has been done in improperly. I’ll sort it, just need to buy the right person the right beer (at risk of being a hypocrite).
Last edited by ALi-B; 22 July 2020 at 01:17 PM.
27 July 2020, 11:03 AM
#20
Just to update the thread:
Managed to sell the house (subject to contracts), but we also found another house locally that offers a lot of space and is in the catchment for the right school.
Not Norfolk, but at least we will have space to swing a cat and the garden is absolutely ridiculous for London suburb (well, Bromley, really).
Hopefully nothing funny happens with the contracts/surveys etc, but the chain is very short (BTL buying ours, and were buying someone's empty BTL).
Now that I've signed my life away again, the housing market can go ahead and drop and leave me in negative equity ...
Managed to sell the house (subject to contracts), but we also found another house locally that offers a lot of space and is in the catchment for the right school.
Not Norfolk, but at least we will have space to swing a cat and the garden is absolutely ridiculous for London suburb (well, Bromley, really).
Hopefully nothing funny happens with the contracts/surveys etc, but the chain is very short (BTL buying ours, and were buying someone's empty BTL).
Now that I've signed my life away again, the housing market can go ahead and drop and leave me in negative equity ...
04 August 2020, 12:34 PM
#23
Shame, missed opportunity. Back in the Scooby heyday, moved from East London to West Suffolk with much the same thought processes as you. Ended up in Bury St Edmunds area in a very rural setting, yet I could drive into work in 90 minutes. BSE is on the A14 and a quick drive/park/ride into Cambridge or a slightly longer drive to Ipswich or Norwich, though saying that, BSE is well appointed itself. Nothing to do is an excuse to find and do other things that you don't normally do. Anyway, loved it there.
Unfortunately, had to give up that house when I left the wife and move back to London for a time but am now living in rural Wales with no near neighbours bar the obligatory sheep. Such a difference in lifestyle, people are friendly, no road noise, hardly any plane noise (bar RAF low flybys sometimes) and the peace/quiet is to die for. Since CV been here full-time and as work is now a "distributed workforce" then no intention of going back to London.
Unfortunately, had to give up that house when I left the wife and move back to London for a time but am now living in rural Wales with no near neighbours bar the obligatory sheep. Such a difference in lifestyle, people are friendly, no road noise, hardly any plane noise (bar RAF low flybys sometimes) and the peace/quiet is to die for. Since CV been here full-time and as work is now a "distributed workforce" then no intention of going back to London.
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