Locations to retire to and why?
Discussion
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I know Coggeshall well I’m not far. The train line into London is still not back to a full service and it’s packed each day plus the A12 has widening plans scheduled for 2024 so it clearly is already a problem.
The school run to new hall each morning is horrendous .
Anywhere close to Chelmsford is gridlocked , we won’t miss it.
Wife is still set on retiring to Frinton . I’ve tried to get her to look further afield but she’s having none of it .
GT3Manthey said:
Thought worth revisiting this thread given we’ve been through covid ( hopefully now out the other side) & now have the horrid Ukraine situation.
What’s peoples thoughts now on moving out, or have you indeed been one that legged it over covid ?
If it's moving out in part because of the risk of a nuclear exchange, then it's worth reading up. You might well be better being incinerated in a second in central London than be murdered or starve to death in what follows. Sorry to be so cheery! What’s peoples thoughts now on moving out, or have you indeed been one that legged it over covid ?
anonymous said:
[redacted]
All agreed . Prices got pushed up during covid but seems like more now coming to market again .
That drive out to the A12 does grate but if there permanently I guess we’d do the journey less frequently and there is always the train . We currently own a flat for weekends.
Had a good look round at south Suffolk coast and you’re right it’s a different price point plus too many Gucci loafers around in Aldeburgh getting the paper on a Saturday morning !
Guess Frinton’s neighbouring towns keep the prices under Suffolk .
The bit I like the most is that there is nowhere to build inside the gates. The avenues are where we’d like to be
Ntv said:
If it's moving out in part because of the risk of a nuclear exchange, then it's worth reading up. You might well be better being incinerated in a second in central London than be murdered or starve to death in what follows. Sorry to be so cheery!
Just had a read up . Not ideal ! TwigtheWonderkid said:
Have a 4 bed detached family home in West London suburbs. Really want to sell up in due course, and retire to.......a flat in Central London. Somewhere with a W1 postcode, Marylebone High St area maybe. Get rid of the car.(not very PH).
Wife not so keen on the idea!!!
Absolutely perfect.Wife not so keen on the idea!!!
Spend your days strolling the parks, enjoying the buzz of the city, thousands of bars and restaurants to eat and drink in, museums, exhibitions, theatres, shows, shopping, all the other quirky stuff London as to offer. No car to worry about, never have to turn down the offer of a drink. No garden to have to maintain.
One of our Directors did exactly the same. He lived in the countryside near Oxford, and when he was 69 (still working in the business as he enjoys it) moved to central London. Him and his wife absolutely love it. They spend their days enjoying themselves in bars, going out to restaurants, browsing the shops, going to the theatre regularly, he goes to watch the football at West Ham/Chelsea etc, they enjoy walking along the Thames. He has zero regrets.
I used to manage housing sectors that covered older peoples housing, and one mistake we used to see people make all the time was 'retire to the countryside'. It's fine for a few years, but can become a bit quiet, and when driving becomes more difficult, you quickly begin to feel very isolated and will stop going places. Living out in the sticks means few visitors, few local amenities, and few people to talk to out on the street. Once that happens, it can accelerate the mental and physical health decline. The house and garden will rapidly become too much to manage, and so on.
Lord Marylebone said:
Absolutely perfect.
Spend your days strolling the parks, enjoying the buzz of the city, thousands of bars and restaurants to eat and drink in, museums, exhibitions, theatres, shows, shopping, all the other quirky stuff London as to offer. No car to worry about, never have to turn down the offer of a drink. No garden to have to maintain.
One of our Directors did exactly the same. He lived in the countryside near Oxford, and when he was 69 (still working in the business as he enjoys it) moved to central London. Him and his wife absolutely love it. They spend their days enjoying themselves in bars, going out to restaurants, browsing the shops, going to the theatre regularly, he goes to watch the football at West Ham/Chelsea etc, they enjoy walking along the Thames. He has zero regrets.
I used to manage housing sectors that covered older peoples housing, and one mistake we used to see people make all the time was 'retire to the countryside'. It's fine for a few years, but can become a bit quiet, and when driving becomes more difficult, you quickly begin to feel very isolated and will stop going places. Living out in the sticks means few visitors, few local amenities, and few people to talk to out on the street. Once that happens, it can accelerate the mental and physical health decline. The house and garden will rapidly become too much to manage, and so on.
Good post . Spend your days strolling the parks, enjoying the buzz of the city, thousands of bars and restaurants to eat and drink in, museums, exhibitions, theatres, shows, shopping, all the other quirky stuff London as to offer. No car to worry about, never have to turn down the offer of a drink. No garden to have to maintain.
One of our Directors did exactly the same. He lived in the countryside near Oxford, and when he was 69 (still working in the business as he enjoys it) moved to central London. Him and his wife absolutely love it. They spend their days enjoying themselves in bars, going out to restaurants, browsing the shops, going to the theatre regularly, he goes to watch the football at West Ham/Chelsea etc, they enjoy walking along the Thames. He has zero regrets.
I used to manage housing sectors that covered older peoples housing, and one mistake we used to see people make all the time was 'retire to the countryside'. It's fine for a few years, but can become a bit quiet, and when driving becomes more difficult, you quickly begin to feel very isolated and will stop going places. Living out in the sticks means few visitors, few local amenities, and few people to talk to out on the street. Once that happens, it can accelerate the mental and physical health decline. The house and garden will rapidly become too much to manage, and so on.
You do need enough going on around you and a fairly lively community with lots to do .
I think once you end up being bored you start thinking you’ve messed it all up .
I’m not so much into shopping , restaurants & bars personally but more into outdoor life playing sports and walking
Horses for courses
A nice idea but I think also it would become tiresome, and most people haven't got even close to enough money to do it properly. Unless you want to live in a below ground dump pon Egeware road you're going to want the thick end of a million for a 1 bed. Then the noise, the busyness, the cost of everywhere apart from grim places will quickly munch cash unless you've loads of it.
okgo said:
A nice idea but I think also it would become tiresome, and most people haven't got even close to enough money to do it properly. Unless you want to live in a below ground dump pon Egeware road you're going to want the thick end of a million for a 1 bed. Then the noise, the busyness, the cost of everywhere apart from grim places will quickly munch cash unless you've loads of it.
The services charges on mansion block flats in z1 tend to be punchy too, to say the least. okgo said:
A nice idea but I think also it would become tiresome, and most people haven't got even close to enough money to do it properly. Unless you want to live in a below ground dump pon Egeware road you're going to want the thick end of a million for a 1 bed. Then the noise, the busyness, the cost of everywhere apart from grim places will quickly munch cash unless you've loads of it.
That is true for London, but I would suggest that we have many town and cities around the country which would be both affordable and enjoyable for retirees.The wider point being: Many people will be perfectly happy retiring to the country, but I think a significant number of those people do not think beyond the next couple of years, and really would be better off moving somewhere more lively, rather than someone quieter and more isolated.
Lord Marylebone said:
That is true for London, but I would suggest that we have many town and cities around the country which would be both affordable and enjoyable for retirees.
The wider point being: Many people will be perfectly happy retiring to the country, but I think a significant number of those people do not think beyond the next couple of years, and really would be better off moving somewhere more lively, rather than someone quieter and more isolated.
I see this side of it too in that most have lived close to a city for work and want to escape the busyness of major towns plus no longer need to use main line stations etc. The wider point being: Many people will be perfectly happy retiring to the country, but I think a significant number of those people do not think beyond the next couple of years, and really would be better off moving somewhere more lively, rather than someone quieter and more isolated.
Talking personally ( and being hopefully close to leaving full time work) I very much want to leave the busy areas.
Not all feel the same of course and a move might be dictated by wider family
Lord Marylebone said:
okgo said:
A nice idea but I think also it would become tiresome, and most people haven't got even close to enough money to do it properly. Unless you want to live in a below ground dump pon Egeware road you're going to want the thick end of a million for a 1 bed. Then the noise, the busyness, the cost of everywhere apart from grim places will quickly munch cash unless you've loads of it.
That is true for London, but I would suggest that we have many town and cities around the country which would be both affordable and enjoyable for retirees.The wider point being: Many people will be perfectly happy retiring to the country, but I think a significant number of those people do not think beyond the next couple of years, and really would be better off moving somewhere more lively, rather than someone quieter and more isolated.
As you get older, you will need hospitals and doctors nearby....& there is a buzz about being near a lively area.
We are on the outskirts of Leicester - a wealth of very decent City pubs/bars/restaurants that we can bus too if we want to drink. We sometimes walk in (3 miles) and taxi back.....but our area has 3 pubs in walking distance from home..
I love walking & cycling, but living "in the country" full time would be too remote for our liking. Added to which we have a huge number of friends in the area we are in - I doubt we will move for a good few years.
Each to their own!
London/Birmingham/Liverpool/Manchester/Edinburgh/Leeds/Etc etc all of those big towns/cities would just kill me, I could think of nothing worse. That said being in the centre of 5 acres or 3 miles from my nearest neighbour would be a close second! Towns like Nantwhich/Frinton/(or even) Ingatestone would be fine for us
GT3Manthey said:
DodgyGeezer said:
London/Birmingham/Liverpool/Manchester/Edinburgh/Leeds/Etc etc all of those big towns/cities would just kill me, I could think of nothing worse. That said being in the centre of 5 acres or 3 miles from my nearest neighbour would be a close second! Towns like Nantwhich/Frinton/(or even) Ingatestone would be fine for us
Odd you mention those as I live in ingatestone and have a place in Frinton ! The goal is to sell ingatestone and go to Frinton full time .
mikeiow said:
I tend to agree with this. There is a strong element of rose-tinted glasses about living in the country. Sure, if you lived there all your life, then it IS your life - that makes sense. For those of us with more 'metropolitan' lifestyles.....perhaps not!
As you get older, you will need hospitals and doctors nearby....& there is a buzz about being near a lively area.
We are on the outskirts of Leicester - a wealth of very decent City pubs/bars/restaurants that we can bus too if we want to drink. We sometimes walk in (3 miles) and taxi back.....but our area has 3 pubs in walking distance from home..
I love walking & cycling, but living "in the country" full time would be too remote for our liking. Added to which we have a huge number of friends in the area we are in - I doubt we will move for a good few years.
Each to their own!
I was like that until I actually did it and it took a while to get used to it but I wouldn't move back for all the money in the world, the country grows on you, it gets in your bones.As you get older, you will need hospitals and doctors nearby....& there is a buzz about being near a lively area.
We are on the outskirts of Leicester - a wealth of very decent City pubs/bars/restaurants that we can bus too if we want to drink. We sometimes walk in (3 miles) and taxi back.....but our area has 3 pubs in walking distance from home..
I love walking & cycling, but living "in the country" full time would be too remote for our liking. Added to which we have a huge number of friends in the area we are in - I doubt we will move for a good few years.
Each to their own!
Sheets Tabuer said:
mikeiow said:
I tend to agree with this. There is a strong element of rose-tinted glasses about living in the country. Sure, if you lived there all your life, then it IS your life - that makes sense. For those of us with more 'metropolitan' lifestyles.....perhaps not!
As you get older, you will need hospitals and doctors nearby....& there is a buzz about being near a lively area.
We are on the outskirts of Leicester - a wealth of very decent City pubs/bars/restaurants that we can bus too if we want to drink. We sometimes walk in (3 miles) and taxi back.....but our area has 3 pubs in walking distance from home..
I love walking & cycling, but living "in the country" full time would be too remote for our liking. Added to which we have a huge number of friends in the area we are in - I doubt we will move for a good few years.
Each to their own!
I was like that until I actually did it and it took a while to get used to it but I wouldn't move back for all the money in the world, the country grows on you, it gets in your bones.As you get older, you will need hospitals and doctors nearby....& there is a buzz about being near a lively area.
We are on the outskirts of Leicester - a wealth of very decent City pubs/bars/restaurants that we can bus too if we want to drink. We sometimes walk in (3 miles) and taxi back.....but our area has 3 pubs in walking distance from home..
I love walking & cycling, but living "in the country" full time would be too remote for our liking. Added to which we have a huge number of friends in the area we are in - I doubt we will move for a good few years.
Each to their own!
As I say: each to their own!
Sheets Tabuer said:
mikeiow said:
I tend to agree with this. There is a strong element of rose-tinted glasses about living in the country. Sure, if you lived there all your life, then it IS your life - that makes sense. For those of us with more 'metropolitan' lifestyles.....perhaps not!
As you get older, you will need hospitals and doctors nearby....& there is a buzz about being near a lively area.
We are on the outskirts of Leicester - a wealth of very decent City pubs/bars/restaurants that we can bus too if we want to drink. We sometimes walk in (3 miles) and taxi back.....but our area has 3 pubs in walking distance from home..
I love walking & cycling, but living "in the country" full time would be too remote for our liking. Added to which we have a huge number of friends in the area we are in - I doubt we will move for a good few years.
Each to their own!
I was like that until I actually did it and it took a while to get used to it but I wouldn't move back for all the money in the world, the country grows on you, it gets in your bones.As you get older, you will need hospitals and doctors nearby....& there is a buzz about being near a lively area.
We are on the outskirts of Leicester - a wealth of very decent City pubs/bars/restaurants that we can bus too if we want to drink. We sometimes walk in (3 miles) and taxi back.....but our area has 3 pubs in walking distance from home..
I love walking & cycling, but living "in the country" full time would be too remote for our liking. Added to which we have a huge number of friends in the area we are in - I doubt we will move for a good few years.
Each to their own!
I can't think of anything worse in my autumn years than the noise and crowding of a major city.
I live surrounded by fields on the very periphery of a small town. I can't see why I'd want anything more urban than somewhere in the middle of same town really.
Despite both being northern ‘townies’, we’ve lived in rural North Yorkshire for many years and wouldn’t change a thing. We previously lived in an awful town in Wiltshire which was losing what character it had due to massive expansion. We couldn’t afford to buy in one of the pretty outlying villages, so opted to move back north where rural properties were far more affordable. Locationally our village is ideal - three miles from a nice market town, close to the North York Moors National Park, 20 miles from York, a similar distance to the coast and the Yorkshire Dales are within easy striking distance. We’ve no desire to live in a town or city even though the nearby ones are nice; it’s just not for us and our way of life.
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff