Locations to retire to and why?

Locations to retire to and why?

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Discussion

GreatGranny

Original Poster:

9,097 posts

225 months

Monday 9th October 2017
quotequote all
Now I'm into my early 50's chats with wife mates etc.. seems to revolve around when and where to retire to.

It's a few years away for me (youngest is just 11 so realistically 7/8 years until he leaves home) but thoughts have turned to moving away from where we live now (South Lincolnshire) and relocating to somewhere coastal (we both love the coast).

While we like the east coast (its an hours drive) we want somewhere similar to North Devon but without the expense and crowds.

Wales has the beaches, cliffs, coves etc... and prices seem to the reasonable.

Spent a lot of time in North Wales as a kid/young adult.

Friends have a place just outside Cardigan Bay which we visit twice a year and love it.

Anyone has any experience of retiring to or buying in a coastal location?
Any suggestions or thoughts?

ETA, Another idea is buy apartment in both UK and Turkey and spend 6 months in each (rent the unused property out as holiday let)

smckeown

303 posts

244 months

Monday 9th October 2017
quotequote all
I have bought a place in West Wales / Ceredigion for holiday let /retirement purposes. Lovely part of the world.

E31Shrew

5,920 posts

191 months

Monday 9th October 2017
quotequote all
Had the same thoughts and went to see this place a few weeks ago!

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Busy too but not coastal

Sway

26,070 posts

193 months

Monday 9th October 2017
quotequote all
I moved from west London to the Sussex coast just over 15 years ago as a 20yo. I normally travel for work, so realised if I wanted to live somewhere I could surf/kitesurf regularly as a youngster, prior to raising kids in a great environment, then I'd do better to get out of dodge sooner rather than later.

Don't regret it at all.

However, that's influenced by the fact I spent ten years traveling to some great (and not so great) cities for the working week - living in a central hotel and loving expenses! Not so much a factor now I'm older and have got it out of my system.

One thing I wasn't prepared for - the schizophrenic calendar - tonnes going on in summer, people everywhere enjoying life. Then pretty damned bleak in the winter. Sounds odd, but I'd now never consider a beach front house - the UK coastline really does take an utter battering ever year without comment.

Many seaside communities can also be quite insular, took three years working in the local pub before many of the fishermen who drink there would say hello in the street (great source of knowledge, gossip and cheap fish though once I'd cracked it!).

As with most things in life, pros and cons...

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 9th October 2017
quotequote all
Funny you ask OP.

I've lived on the coast in Poole for the last 15 years but moved to South Lincs 2 years ago and retired this year at 54.

We're now planning on moving to Yorkshire and enjoying the countryside in the Summer. We will then visit the South Coast in the winter/out of season and enjoy it as part of extended driving weekends.

MoelyCrio

2,457 posts

181 months

Monday 9th October 2017
quotequote all
Ive just bought in Llandudno. More for the quality of life with the kids, but did have an eye on an early retirement if finances allow. North Wales is exceedingly reasonable price wise.

BoRED S2upid

19,643 posts

239 months

Monday 9th October 2017
quotequote all
E31Shrew said:
Had the same thoughts and went to see this place a few weeks ago!

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Busy too but not coastal
Very nice and a bargain too!

Don’t forget as well if you retire to Wales you get free prescriptions in your older years. I might retire back there myself.

moorx

3,481 posts

113 months

Monday 9th October 2017
quotequote all
Pembrokeshire - like Cornwall without the crowds!

We didn't make it quite that far west, but we live close to the borders of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. It's a lovely part of the world and property costs are still very reasonable.

We're not retired yet, though, unfortunately......

Boosted LS1

21,167 posts

259 months

Monday 9th October 2017
quotequote all
I watch the tv news and it's amazing how dark Wales is when the show the night scape of Britain from above. Wales looks empty, i could see myself retiring there also. Either that or west dorset.

plasticpig

12,932 posts

224 months

Monday 9th October 2017
quotequote all
moorx said:
Pembrokeshire - like Cornwall without the crowds!

We didn't make it quite that far west, but we live close to the borders of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. It's a lovely part of the world and property costs are still very reasonable.

We're not retired yet, though, unfortunately......
A sea view adds quite a bit to the price though!

Yipper

5,964 posts

89 months

Monday 9th October 2017
quotequote all
South of France.

Perfect sunny weather, relaxed lifestyle, fantastic food, great scenery -- and close enough to Blighty if you need to rush back for a bit of NHS tourism or stock up on Marmite.

E31Shrew

5,920 posts

191 months

Monday 9th October 2017
quotequote all
BoRED S2upid said:
E31Shrew said:
Had the same thoughts and went to see this place a few weeks ago!

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Busy too but not coastal
Very nice and a bargain too!

Don’t forget as well if you retire to Wales you get free prescriptions in your older years. I might retire back there myself.


The whole cellar area was full height and would easily convert to a self contained flat. Apparently loads of walking / bicycling types around there.

GreatGranny

Original Poster:

9,097 posts

225 months

Tuesday 10th October 2017
quotequote all
Thanks for all the replies.

garyhun - where in south Lincs are you and where in Yorkshire are you locating to?

We lived in Sheffield for over 20 years and moved here to be closer to the wife's family.
I do miss the Peak District.

E31Shrew - lovely property, are you going for it?

MoelyCrio - used to go on day trips to Llandudno as a kid (brought up in Warrington). Lovely place. Very jealous.

smckeown - it's a lovely area of Wales. Always look forward to visiting our friends at their place in Gwbert.

My wife has been looking at Scotland but it's bloody cold and seems to be windy and raining most of he time :-)

Still think Wales is the best option.

I think being in a sustainable community is the most important thing, ie. not wholly reliant on tourism so there is life through the winter.

kurt535

3,559 posts

116 months

Tuesday 10th October 2017
quotequote all
where to retire? first and foremost im 50 but unlikely ever to retire following a divorce and school fees smile so......

I've been living in an alleged 'idyllic' seaside location on the east anglian coast for 10 years. never ever again.
downsides:
- small town/village mentaility
- people generally small minded, opinionated and lacking depth of conversational ability. one woman near me had nothing else in her life other than to constantly complain to the council about what her neighbours were doing to their houses
- range of services limited unless you like having your hair done every week, buy a house every week from numerous estate agents, like buying pink salmon trousers and cashmere sweaters
- food more expensive - sausages worked out at £13 a kilo IIRC)
- takes ages to get anywhere, in my case an hour to a city
- local petrol station always 10p over anywhere else, why? cos he could.
- access to culture difficult; my place was allegedly rammed full of artists, writers, etc. bol***ks. it was shipped in for several 'events' put together every year. rest of the time it was people trying t make a living selling lashed up water colours of the drab grey sea
- pub prices reflect touristy areas. we had a brewery in the town but the same beer is cheaper in a pub 35 miles away. that is taking the michael.

so, I've gone the other way and moved into a city. absolutely loving it. and the cost of living is far far cheaper than it ever was for the last 10 years. house 1/3 the price too.

so where to retire? my plan - health allowing:

6 months away from our grotty winter in asia/india/usa
6 months here in the city.

absolutely not for everyone for sure but, the idea of being parked up for 20 years surrounded by golf loving, merc driving, pink trouser wearing, bridge playing individuals isn't on my radar any time soon.

my idea of hell

GreatGranny

Original Poster:

9,097 posts

225 months

Tuesday 10th October 2017
quotequote all
So not a fan kurt? :-)

However I do know what you mean.

I'm in a small village and we do have the same issues regarding access to services, decent shops and culture.

Also some of the older residents are unbelievable petty and ignorant.
But on the flip side we have made some great friends in the 7 years since moving here.

On the flipside again a couple of families who we were friends with have now decided to ignore us after a small disagreement which I had forgotten about but evidently they hadn't and had taken great offence at!

Not sure I would choose such a small village to retire to.

brman

1,233 posts

108 months

Tuesday 10th October 2017
quotequote all
E31Shrew said:
Had the same thoughts and went to see this place a few weeks ago!

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Busy too but not coastal
I assume you like fast jets?

bad company

18,484 posts

265 months

Tuesday 10th October 2017
quotequote all
I retired in 2012 and still live in the same village on the Essex/Suffolk border. Mrs BC and I often talk about moving partly because our house is far too big for our needs now.

We really don’t get this moving to the coast thing, why? We all need to accept that as we get older we may not want or be able to drive very far so good public transport and local shops and services become more important.

We’re considering a Suffolk town or possibly moving back to London after ‘escaping’ to the country 34 years ago.

dirty boy

14,688 posts

208 months

Tuesday 10th October 2017
quotequote all
I actually pick up a fair few clients are retirees who sell up in the big smoke and buy a property down here and use excess cash to buy let properties.

One lady recently sold her 3 bed terrace in a fancy part of London for £1.5m and bought a £500k 5 bed house nearby, 3 rental houses and still had £500k in the bank - nice retirement pot with a state pension to top it up.

Price wise, well...these are two ends of the scale within 200 yards of each other...both within a minute of the beach.

Boggo 3 bed £170k
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Character home £650k
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Pakefield beach




Lowestoft beach is nice, the town centre is very unappealing unfortunately, but what generic town isn't?

Oulton broad, perhaps retire sailing a keel boat? Wander along the marshes with your dog (or along the beach for that matter)

Beccles market town 15 minutes down the road, Southwold 15 minutes the other way (if you can afford a house there and can put up with the pretentious Jack Wills/Joules/Hunter brigade then you're a better man than me)

I intend to retire just where I am, hopefully just make more use of what's available.

We have a beach hut at Lowestoft (the LA Toft) and also paddleboard on the broads (usually at Beccles where you can see the fish swim below). We walk along Pakefield Beach during the winter months and the marshes during the summer to get cracking sunsets. We swim in the sea on Christmas day.

That being said, I love St David's Pembrokeshire, that's my UK holiday destination, but that is remote to retire, oddly we have family there who holiday our way! You always want what you don't have I guess.



mikeiow

5,288 posts

129 months

Tuesday 10th October 2017
quotequote all
GreatGranny said:
We lived in Sheffield for over 20 years and moved here to be closer to the wife's family.
I do miss the Peak District.

<snip>

My wife has been looking at Scotland but it's bloody cold and seems to be windy and raining most of he time :-)

Still think Wales is the best option.

I think being in a sustainable community is the most important thing, ie. not wholly reliant on tourism so there is life through the winter.
You think Scotland is wet...."Snowdonia is the wettest area with average annual totals exceeding 3000 mm, comparable to those in the English Lake District or the western Highlands of Scotland"

I've supported a few DofE expeditions in mid-Wales: very remote, beautiful walking, and a surprising number of english accents in shops! Can be hideously wet too.....
The wifi and phone signal might kill me: I like the choice to be 'off-grid', but with kids (currently at Uni, but who knows where in 5-10-20 years), I'd want to be able to easily skype etc at the least! I guess pick and chose your location carefully (or perhaps Caerphilly!!)

Life through Winter.
Mmmm....that is the tricky bit: I grew up in the Isle of Wight (hence the moniker) - winters were DEADLY for a kid. To be fair, I quite like it there now when the crowds are gone...but having been to mid-Wales several times in April/August, it did feel.....like life would slow to a halt!

Once met an old (70'ish) fella when we were skiing....he had a small flat down the bottom of a mountain, another small one somewhere in south of France....spent a season in the mountains (picking and choosing the nice days to ski without the pressure of having to ski regardless ''cos you only have a week....giving a few 'friends of friends' lessons for some pocket money), summer in the south of France, then in between back home in Lancashire with family for a month or two.....
Now I am not a terrific skier....& doubt I would ever own somewhere in the South of France.....but I do like the ethos of a retirement where you spend time in 3-4 places. I love the IOW, have family there, but couldn't live there full time!
So....still figuring out how & where.....I'd also love a campervan to be able to tour much of the UK/Europe on a budget (although we currently still enjoy camping, so could just do that camping I guess).
I can see why the comment about City living can make sense for some - Leicester has a nice vibe about it in town these days, plenty of flats about....
Ahhh, all the dreams....just that work thing in the way, better get back to it, webex in 15 minutes!!


V8mate

45,899 posts

188 months

Tuesday 10th October 2017
quotequote all
Lots of nice places mentioned.

One (easily overlooked?) thing which means I'd never move above a line joining the Severn estuary with the Wash: rain.

I realise that not everyone would be put off by it, but I find it makes for a truly miserable existence.