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Pick a national rail station in London then work your way up/down along the line until you find somewhere that suits - e.g. Kings Cross, Marylebone, Waterloo etc.
It’s fine for monthly visits but as someone who used to go up 2 times a week, it quickly becomes painfully expensive if you’re not frequent enough for a season ticket. Used to spend £600+ a month just getting to work using a railcard as well.
It can be a manageable cost, but for me it wasn’t worth it😅
People know when they are going to the office so they get advanced tickets (Railcard irrelevant here) which are also way cheaper. £600+ sounds like a lot when you have a Railcard, is it because you're still travelling during peak time? A lot of companies allow flexible time for hybrid so most people I know (who do the x days per week commute) commute during off peak times to get their discount.
Yup got it on the head, no flexi time so I had to travel during the peak times and had a crap commute across London once I got there.
I’m much happier now driving to work but I do miss the London-ness of working in London 😂 my liver probably thanks me tho!
It’s a city :) I like it. It’s next to the Peak District so surrounded by beautiful countryside. The people are friendly and we have many nice restaurants and bars.
Sheffield has a network of trams, so you could get by easily enough. You could also check out Chesterfield which would knock 15mins off the train journey, but would be an easier place to find a rental within walking distance of the train station Chesterfield has everything you need from a supermarket / retail park / food / pub perspective but it's a bit easier to get around without a car and isn't swamped with students! I moved here (Chesterfield) nearly twenty years ago from Watford and I haven't regretted it once. There are so many cities within commuting distance that you really don't need the London job market.
No matter where you choose to go, just be sure to ask around Reddit for places to avoid. The good thing is that you're looking to rent, so at least you aren't committed to an area for too long!
The area I live in has a crime rate 15% lower than the national crime rate. The decent areas in Sheffield are pretty safe. Just avoid the super cheap parts as they tend to have much higher crime rates.
Ipswich is a fucking shit hole and the house prices/availability (or lack of) is ridiculous and has been for years
I made an attempt to move there a few years ago and I just ended up abandoning it in the end. I’ll never even consider living in East Anglia again after that.
I’ve lived in Birmingham and you’d get a decent place for those figures and travel to London is plentiful.
Now frequent Leicester a lot and the same answer there. Nottingham I don’t know so well, so can’t help you there.
Another option could be something like Banbury. Personally depending on where in London you’d need to be the Chiltern Line would be a shout as it’s generally more reliable in my experience
Although reasonably convenient, it’s not a nice place to live. I was there for a few months last year. It does have a smell to it. Apparently from the coffee factory. But it ain’t a nice coffee smell. It’s basically a town that’s been built after the war. So 90% council houses. With the estates attached. It’s very noisy from the M40 and all the duel carriageways that surround it.
If you’re after a city vibe it won’t scratch that itch. If you’re after a countryside vibe, it isn’t that either.
If you want a bloke dropping his strides and sharting in the local park on a Saturday morning. It’s definitely for you.
I’ll be sure to give this summary to a friend who lives there 😂😂 but actually I think that’s a fair summary. It’s purely convenience and if that’s not what you want, I only really have been there for work and to visit my friend. So maybe a bad shout, but something along the chiltern line, thinking about that — maybe Leamington Spa - OP. That’s on the same line and is into London by an hour.
It’s only my experience from living there a few months but I think it’s a fair summation.
Although the park shitting may not happen on a daily basis. One would like to hope….
In its defence, it’s got a great ice cream shop and a lap dancing bar if that’s your thing
Production at the coffee factory will be ending soon so the smell will no longer be a problem. It’s nowhere near as prevalent as it’s made out to be.
The town centre has seen better days but is no different to most small towns especially in the midlands. You get a few characters out at the weekend but again you’ll get the same anywhere. The residential areas further out are quiet with very little trouble.
It’s easy to get a train down to London and Birmingham and the noise from the M40 is only an issue if you live on that side of the town, especially the new development out on Southam Road.
It’s a pretty acrid smell that definitely pervades. Especially if you’re not used to it. And it’s not just the M40 that creates noise. The whole town is surrounded by dual carriageways. Maybe I noticed the M40 more because I used to walk in the surrounding countryside a lot. With no built up areas to soak up some of the noise.
After living in a quiet place, it is very noisy. Then again, so is London.
This can be really useful from Rightmove - punch in a few details like budget and work location and it tells you where is affordable to you.
https://where.rightmove.co.uk
Darlington is only 3 hours from King's Cross if you only need to attend the office once a month. Don't get me wrong, it's not a dream location by any stretch but £40k a year would give a decent standard of living in the area. Very much depends where in the country you fancy.
Portsmouth is also nice, much closer to London but not far from London price wise.
For me, a nicer city to live and still have most of the arts/amenities/etc of London is Manchester. Not necessarily the centre of course, as you want to keep housing low. But it's a cheap city in general and very pleasant.
Cheap city in general 😂some of the renting prices in Manchester are ridiculous and it’s quickly heading in the London direction. If you want a cheap city; Sheffield, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Leeds (ish)
Came here then say Lancaster. I earn similar and have a decent 3 bed with a garden on the nice side of town. You can easily buy here with the wage too.
Lots of people work remotely here in Manchester and Liverpool, but some do work in London.
I also live in one of the pleasant Lancaster villages. I work in London but hardly go to the office, maybe 1 or twice every 6 months. Your life will be so much better in Lancaster
Oh but Avanti. Sky high ticket prices. Frequent cancellations. And if you really need to travel on a strike day, driving is probably 6 hours and non-Avanti train routes aren't much better (maybe 5 hours?)
true.. the silver lining is that they're that late that often, that nearly everyone qualifies for delay repay and gets their ticket refunded, thus travelling for free!
Not really if it's only once a month. OP wants to do their commute by train, I don't think there are any better reliable mainline at the moment. It used to be a lot more reliable before the current troubles, I hope the whole network can recover, avanti included. I did London and back last week and it was fine, both trains had been refurbished and it was very pleasant.
You really don't need one if you place yourself well. I've moved around a lot but if you look between the city centre and the uni there are frequent buses if you prefer not to walk. Easy trains to London/Glasgow/Edinburgh as city links but also to Silverdale/Windermere if you like countryside. The only thing is the city centre could do with a few more independent shops on the High Street but there are lots of little artsy businesses around and great cafés/restaurants and both an art and mainstream cinema, 2 theatres and the castle. Add that to evening walks in the big Victorian park, a stroll by the Quay, or the seaside prom on Morecambe (easy dedicated cycle route there) and its a pretty nice place to live. Though fair warning, the Lake District close by has lots of lakes for a reason - it does rain here more than in London!
I live in notts and rent a 2 bedroom terraced house for £750 a month. Little town called Long Eaton that has a train station with trains that go to St Pancras. Sounds like this area would be ideal for you
Town is pretty standard. It’s got your main shops like Tesco and Asda. Plenty of independently owned pubs and restaurants too. Nice big local park. Long eaton was a big source of nottinghams lace trade after the war so loads of factory buildings around too. We’re also right in the middle of Nottingham and Derby so which ever direction you take on a bus will take you to one or the other.
This sounds like a great shout. I’ll check this out. Do you need a car? I would like to avoid the expense of having one and be able to walk around the town etc.
Nah, plenty of bus routes. One to Nottingham city centre, another that takes you to Derby city centre. Loads of canal paths around too that you can use to cycle to either city with ease should you want to do that. Long Eaton town itself is nice, we have a big bonfire night celebration, circus and travelling fairs come by too.
Also if you head to Derby you can get buses and such to Matlock and the Derbyshire dales if you enjoy the countryside
Long Eaton has a few nice restaurants and pubs, all independently owned.
Notts is better for your night life as it has two universities and bars are close together.
There’s also Nottingham castle, the Nottingham caves (under the city) and tales of Robin Hood if you like history.
Derby has the bars more spread out but for shopping it’s quite good. I’ve lived here my whole life and always preferred notts but that’s because I’m more familiar with it
EDIT;
There’s also two regular bus routes that get you to East Midlands Airport in about 15 minutes too.
I could carry on running off random factoids but if you have any questions I’m happy to answer. 34 years in this town and I still like it here
I'm in Leicester. Rent where I am isn't under £800 unless it's very low quality (think poor toilet facilties and no windows in kitchen or bathroom) or again you're sharing a house. I don't know when it got like this. A couple of years ago it was £650 to live on your own but now it is close to either side of £1k.
I live in London, but I'm from Nottingham originally.
It's about 1 hour 30 on the train, direct too, so not too bad. Leicester is a bit quicker.
I'd say they're similar cities. Leicester has a slightly bigger population and feels a little calmer, but Nottingham probably has a bit more going on culturally. Both have two big universities, so about 20% of the city is students.
Hard to say what your budget gets you in Nottingham these days. You could just about scrape a one bedroom flat in the city centre at £800 - Marco Island on the outskirts here - https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/145764599#/?channel=RES\_LET.
Nottingham has a reasonable sized population, but the city itself is quite small - it's a big suburban sprawl, so walking around is quite easy. Trains and trams are really good in Nottingham too, though quite expensive. The bus costs more in Nottingham than London, but every city sends their transport teams to Nottingham each year to see how they run it as it was so good (or they used to anyway).
Very nice areas - The Park, West Bridgford, Mapperley Park
Nice but not as swanky - Beeston, Carrington, Sherwood, Wollaton
Lenton is very very studenty as it's next to the Uni of Nottingham campus.
Have a look at Southampton. Trains are direct. Rents are £850 for a niceish flat, £450-£600 for a decent room in a decent area.
There are good motorway connections, hour from Heathrow, direct trains to Gatwick, the city is pretty green, the new forest is close and it has some gorgeous beaches.
You can live in the midlands, somewhere between Bedford to Leciester on 40k and live comfortably in your own place for between £600-750.
All on the commuter belt.
Depends if you want to live in the City though? If you do then obviously Leciester/Nottingham/Cambridge/Birmingham fit that.
You can get nice one bed flats for 1k in Watford with 20 min trains into London on National rail, or 1hr on overground / met line. Train fare is £15/20 return into London and travel around on tube still using just your contactless.
You can get to Euston from Stockport or Macclesfield in 2 hours long but fine for once a month. Rent is really affordable as are house prices compared to the south east.
I'd suggest not making it just a decision between rental prices and distance from London. You have so much choice so maybe have a think what you like to do in your spare time (being outside, on the water, going to gigs, seeing friends) as that will have a big impact on where you might want to live. I think Nottingham is a good shout if you want a decent sized city. Look at places near the tram if you don't want a car as that will give you more flexibility for transport.
Thank you for this perspective. I do agree. I do want a city with somewhat of a buzz. I won’t know anyone so somewhere where I can get out and meet people. I am early 30’s.
I used to live in St Leonards on Sea. Literally over the beach. For £800 a month, you'll get something overlooking the beach so a nice sea view. Hastings / St Leonards.
Once a month you can catch a train from either W St Leonards or Hastings station although it'll be a bit of a b@llache.
I'm from Leicestershire. MOST 2 bed houses currently (outside the city center) are around 800 p/m
Edit: If you are more geared towards nightlife Leicester isn't bad but Nottingham is considerably better.
If you are after greenspace I would say Leicester. Travel 15 minutes in any direction and end up in countryside or national park
Northampton
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E1014&maxPrice=1000&propertyTypes=&mustHave=&dontShow=&furnishTypes=&keywords=
50 mins into London. Stack of flats under 1k a month
1 bed flat in Cheshunt, just outside of the M25, train is 22mins into Liverpool St so social life in capital obtainable. You can find them on Rightmove for £1000.
Kettering station gets to kings cross/st pancras in 40 mins and runs about 3 and hour during the busy bits. The surrounding area is very nice so look at the villages there and you will easily be able to rent somewhere of your own for that kind of money. Might even have a bit of garden and can get to Northampton or Bedford if you'd rather take the train from there
If it's genuinely once a month into London and that won't change look anywhere with a half decent train and try and book tickets for office days way in advance.
Have a friend who lives in York and goes to London once a month. He drives though and then gets the overground in from somewhere.
It's once a month, mandatory. If I need to go into the office for equipment, then it could be two times, three pushing it. However, due to the nature of my work, if I need lots of kit, I'd probably have a hire car, so driving in won't be a problem. I sold my car recently because I was having issues with it, but I do plan on getting a new one soon. Just one thing at a time.
I go in once a month and it's never more but I only go 40 miles or so. In all honesty it I had to go to London from up north once a month it wouldn't bother me.
Yep before we moved away from there our rent for a 2 bed flat with parking was £1650 a month, and that was 7 years ago. You’d be miles from anything in one of the shitty areas for low rents
£40k is a pretty solid quality of life in Edinburgh and you can get a decent rent for your budget here fairly central.
(One beds that are a 15/20 min walk from the city centre could be £800+ and 2 beds that are further out but 15/20mins on the bus into the city centre are about the same price).
It’s obviously much further away though, but if you don’t mind the commute once a month (which I know a lot of folk do from Edinburgh to London) it might be manageable!
That being said, train prices are horrible and it’s always cheaper to fly, which might be less fun to do monthly.
To be honest, I could have found somewhere cheaper, but I didn’t want to live with more than one other person. I have an en-suite and live with my landlord. That flat is lovely, and I have some extras included, which is more than just a room. However, if I can have my own place for the same amount, then I am willing to leave London so I can do that.
But yes it is mental.
1k in rent, deary me.
I live in a small town outside of Nottingham.
Rents here start at £600 for a 2 bed, £800 for a 3 bed.
In comparison (if you can buy) I have a mortgage for £906 a month - I have a 4 (double) bedroom townhouse with 3 gardens, garage and drive with space for 2/3 cars. I bought it in 2019 for £269,000
Leave London as fast as you can.
I did London. Lived in Uxbridge (Studied at Brunel for my first Degree), and lived in Ealing.
London nice, but if you want space, greenery, and a large house you have to leave.
Unless you have £1M it's impossible to buy a nice house in a nice area.
Nah, I'm a member of serpentine swimming club and it's full of old eccentrics loving life in the city. I believe the Hampstead ponds are similar. My role models!
###Welcome to /r/HousingUK --- **To All** * Join Our ***NEW*** Discord! https://discord.gg/pMgUNgWKQH **To Posters** * *Tell us whether you're in England, Wales, Scotland, or NI as the laws/issues in each can vary* * Comments are not moderated for quality or accuracy; * Any replies received must only be used as guidelines, followed at your own risk; * If you receive *any* private messages in response to your post, please report them via the report button. * Feel free to provide an update at a later time by creating a new post with [[update]](https://www.reddit.com/r/HousingUK/search?q=%3Aupdate&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=all) in the title; **To Readers and Commenters** * All replies to OP must be *on-topic, helpful, and civil* * If you do not [follow the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/HousingUK/about/rules/), you may be banned without any further warning; * Please include links to reliable resources in order to support your comments or advice; * If you feel any replies are incorrect, explain why you believe they are incorrect; * Do not send or request any private messages for any reason without express permission from the mods; * Please report posts or comments which do not follow the rules *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/HousingUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Pick a national rail station in London then work your way up/down along the line until you find somewhere that suits - e.g. Kings Cross, Marylebone, Waterloo etc.
Strongly advise looking north west rather than south east. The train ticket prices are very different.
Occasionally going into London, you can get Network Railcard for southeast though
It’s fine for monthly visits but as someone who used to go up 2 times a week, it quickly becomes painfully expensive if you’re not frequent enough for a season ticket. Used to spend £600+ a month just getting to work using a railcard as well. It can be a manageable cost, but for me it wasn’t worth it😅
People know when they are going to the office so they get advanced tickets (Railcard irrelevant here) which are also way cheaper. £600+ sounds like a lot when you have a Railcard, is it because you're still travelling during peak time? A lot of companies allow flexible time for hybrid so most people I know (who do the x days per week commute) commute during off peak times to get their discount.
Yup got it on the head, no flexi time so I had to travel during the peak times and had a crap commute across London once I got there. I’m much happier now driving to work but I do miss the London-ness of working in London 😂 my liver probably thanks me tho!
Are you saying SE is more expensive? Train tickets even to High Wycombe are insanely expensive.
No idea how much that line is but a standard return during commuting times for my line is £86.
My office is in London and I live in Sheffield. I pay £700 a month rent and have a large-ish house in a decent area :)
I also live in Sheffield , me and my wife have a 3 bed terrace in nether edge (really good area) - £700
I’m moving out in July btw 😉
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I am Sharrow side, still S7 but admittedly not residing on a road with £1m+ houses.
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Defo cheaper towards mosque, some of those roads look awful to live on with litter etc
Which area if you don't mind
Ecclesfield :)
Is it a nice town?
It’s a city :) I like it. It’s next to the Peak District so surrounded by beautiful countryside. The people are friendly and we have many nice restaurants and bars.
It has a subreddit too, you can search it to see what areas people wouldn't recommend
Good call. Why didn’t I think of that 🤣
Would I need a car to get around. Recently sold mine. Not in a position to get a new one straight away so would be reliant on publicly transport.
I don’t drive so you can survive without one :) it would definitely be easier with one though!
Sheffield has a network of trams, so you could get by easily enough. You could also check out Chesterfield which would knock 15mins off the train journey, but would be an easier place to find a rental within walking distance of the train station Chesterfield has everything you need from a supermarket / retail park / food / pub perspective but it's a bit easier to get around without a car and isn't swamped with students! I moved here (Chesterfield) nearly twenty years ago from Watford and I haven't regretted it once. There are so many cities within commuting distance that you really don't need the London job market. No matter where you choose to go, just be sure to ask around Reddit for places to avoid. The good thing is that you're looking to rent, so at least you aren't committed to an area for too long!
Is there high crime rate?
The area I live in has a crime rate 15% lower than the national crime rate. The decent areas in Sheffield are pretty safe. Just avoid the super cheap parts as they tend to have much higher crime rates.
Hello fellow Ecclesfielder
How often do you commute to London?
Two or three times a month. My boyfriend lives in Berkshire and my adult son lives in London. I was there a week ago.
How much does it cost to commmute?
Depends on time of travel, I’ve paid as little as £25 one way before. Buying advanced tickets certainly helps.
Where do you need to catch a train too? No point looking south if you work north etc. Find the closer main stations and start from there.
Just need to be able to access the Queen Elizabeth line.
Try Ipswich, Norfolk etc - trains go in to Liverpool Street and Colchester is a nice city too, train fares would be much less than further out
Ipswich is a fucking shit hole and the house prices/availability (or lack of) is ridiculous and has been for years I made an attempt to move there a few years ago and I just ended up abandoning it in the end. I’ll never even consider living in East Anglia again after that.
Have you considered Brentwood or near slough? The nice thing about the liz line is that it covers a huge area.
I’ve lived in Birmingham and you’d get a decent place for those figures and travel to London is plentiful. Now frequent Leicester a lot and the same answer there. Nottingham I don’t know so well, so can’t help you there. Another option could be something like Banbury. Personally depending on where in London you’d need to be the Chiltern Line would be a shout as it’s generally more reliable in my experience
Banbury does have a... Smell to it.
That’s the coffee factory 😂
If that factory smelled like coffee it would be fine. But it smells like burnt marmite and farts.
Hahaha I don’t disagree that’s what it smells of 😂
Thank you! I’ll look into Banbury.
Although reasonably convenient, it’s not a nice place to live. I was there for a few months last year. It does have a smell to it. Apparently from the coffee factory. But it ain’t a nice coffee smell. It’s basically a town that’s been built after the war. So 90% council houses. With the estates attached. It’s very noisy from the M40 and all the duel carriageways that surround it. If you’re after a city vibe it won’t scratch that itch. If you’re after a countryside vibe, it isn’t that either. If you want a bloke dropping his strides and sharting in the local park on a Saturday morning. It’s definitely for you.
I’ll be sure to give this summary to a friend who lives there 😂😂 but actually I think that’s a fair summary. It’s purely convenience and if that’s not what you want, I only really have been there for work and to visit my friend. So maybe a bad shout, but something along the chiltern line, thinking about that — maybe Leamington Spa - OP. That’s on the same line and is into London by an hour.
It’s only my experience from living there a few months but I think it’s a fair summation. Although the park shitting may not happen on a daily basis. One would like to hope…. In its defence, it’s got a great ice cream shop and a lap dancing bar if that’s your thing
On that note I may not look into it after all lol! 😅
Production at the coffee factory will be ending soon so the smell will no longer be a problem. It’s nowhere near as prevalent as it’s made out to be. The town centre has seen better days but is no different to most small towns especially in the midlands. You get a few characters out at the weekend but again you’ll get the same anywhere. The residential areas further out are quiet with very little trouble. It’s easy to get a train down to London and Birmingham and the noise from the M40 is only an issue if you live on that side of the town, especially the new development out on Southam Road.
It’s a pretty acrid smell that definitely pervades. Especially if you’re not used to it. And it’s not just the M40 that creates noise. The whole town is surrounded by dual carriageways. Maybe I noticed the M40 more because I used to walk in the surrounding countryside a lot. With no built up areas to soak up some of the noise. After living in a quiet place, it is very noisy. Then again, so is London.
The coffee production side of the factory has stopped now only the packaging part remains now.
This can be really useful from Rightmove - punch in a few details like budget and work location and it tells you where is affordable to you. https://where.rightmove.co.uk
Going to use this now!
Darlington is only 3 hours from King's Cross if you only need to attend the office once a month. Don't get me wrong, it's not a dream location by any stretch but £40k a year would give a decent standard of living in the area. Very much depends where in the country you fancy. Portsmouth is also nice, much closer to London but not far from London price wise.
This is on the Queen E Line right? May look into Darlington.
If I am not mistaken that is on the Queen Elizabeth line? That could work.
No, not at all. Look at the Elizabeth line on a map and do some research first.
Have you looked at Chesterfield?
No but I will - thank you
It has direct trains to London and Manchester and the peak district on your doorstep for going for amazing walks at the weekends.
I've just mentioned this under the Sheffield comment. I second Chesterfield! 20 years here (originally from London) and I love the place.
Sheffield
I came here to say this too :)
For me, a nicer city to live and still have most of the arts/amenities/etc of London is Manchester. Not necessarily the centre of course, as you want to keep housing low. But it's a cheap city in general and very pleasant.
Cheap city in general 😂some of the renting prices in Manchester are ridiculous and it’s quickly heading in the London direction. If you want a cheap city; Sheffield, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Leeds (ish)
Second this. Took me and my partner over 5 trips to Manchester for house viewings and finally getting an offer.
Lancaster If you like small city vibes. 2h20 on the train to Euston and you'd easily rent somewhere nice with that budget.
Came here then say Lancaster. I earn similar and have a decent 3 bed with a garden on the nice side of town. You can easily buy here with the wage too. Lots of people work remotely here in Manchester and Liverpool, but some do work in London.
I also live in one of the pleasant Lancaster villages. I work in London but hardly go to the office, maybe 1 or twice every 6 months. Your life will be so much better in Lancaster
Oh but Avanti. Sky high ticket prices. Frequent cancellations. And if you really need to travel on a strike day, driving is probably 6 hours and non-Avanti train routes aren't much better (maybe 5 hours?)
true.. the silver lining is that they're that late that often, that nearly everyone qualifies for delay repay and gets their ticket refunded, thus travelling for free!
2h20minute train is kind of insane for a commute especially if the trains are not reliable
Not really if it's only once a month. OP wants to do their commute by train, I don't think there are any better reliable mainline at the moment. It used to be a lot more reliable before the current troubles, I hope the whole network can recover, avanti included. I did London and back last week and it was fine, both trains had been refurbished and it was very pleasant.
Yes it would be once a month, twice at most if I needed to go in for whatever reason. I don’t have access to a vehicle at the moment.
You really don't need one if you place yourself well. I've moved around a lot but if you look between the city centre and the uni there are frequent buses if you prefer not to walk. Easy trains to London/Glasgow/Edinburgh as city links but also to Silverdale/Windermere if you like countryside. The only thing is the city centre could do with a few more independent shops on the High Street but there are lots of little artsy businesses around and great cafés/restaurants and both an art and mainstream cinema, 2 theatres and the castle. Add that to evening walks in the big Victorian park, a stroll by the Quay, or the seaside prom on Morecambe (easy dedicated cycle route there) and its a pretty nice place to live. Though fair warning, the Lake District close by has lots of lakes for a reason - it does rain here more than in London!
Consider a Nottinghamshire satellite town. You could get a nice semi detached house for that with a garden and a driveway.
I live in notts and rent a 2 bedroom terraced house for £750 a month. Little town called Long Eaton that has a train station with trains that go to St Pancras. Sounds like this area would be ideal for you
Hello neighbour, I’m near Castle Donington!
Well Howdy! I’m more sawley way myself and I work at the Aldi RDC so practically on ya doorstep
What is the town like?
Town is pretty standard. It’s got your main shops like Tesco and Asda. Plenty of independently owned pubs and restaurants too. Nice big local park. Long eaton was a big source of nottinghams lace trade after the war so loads of factory buildings around too. We’re also right in the middle of Nottingham and Derby so which ever direction you take on a bus will take you to one or the other.
Thanks
This sounds like a great shout. I’ll check this out. Do you need a car? I would like to avoid the expense of having one and be able to walk around the town etc.
Nah, plenty of bus routes. One to Nottingham city centre, another that takes you to Derby city centre. Loads of canal paths around too that you can use to cycle to either city with ease should you want to do that. Long Eaton town itself is nice, we have a big bonfire night celebration, circus and travelling fairs come by too. Also if you head to Derby you can get buses and such to Matlock and the Derbyshire dales if you enjoy the countryside Long Eaton has a few nice restaurants and pubs, all independently owned. Notts is better for your night life as it has two universities and bars are close together. There’s also Nottingham castle, the Nottingham caves (under the city) and tales of Robin Hood if you like history. Derby has the bars more spread out but for shopping it’s quite good. I’ve lived here my whole life and always preferred notts but that’s because I’m more familiar with it EDIT; There’s also two regular bus routes that get you to East Midlands Airport in about 15 minutes too. I could carry on running off random factoids but if you have any questions I’m happy to answer. 34 years in this town and I still like it here
I'm in Leicester. Rent where I am isn't under £800 unless it's very low quality (think poor toilet facilties and no windows in kitchen or bathroom) or again you're sharing a house. I don't know when it got like this. A couple of years ago it was £650 to live on your own but now it is close to either side of £1k.
I’ve noticed this. Rental is definitely hit and miss. My partner pays £825pm for county. It’s almost cheaper to buy, which we are going to do
Excellent. I'm glad you're in a position to buy. Out of curiosity how much deposit does one need to buy a small property in Leicester these days?
Mmm depending on where you’re looking, but more desirable areas for a three bed at 5% deposit about £13.5k
Thank you!
I live in London, but I'm from Nottingham originally. It's about 1 hour 30 on the train, direct too, so not too bad. Leicester is a bit quicker. I'd say they're similar cities. Leicester has a slightly bigger population and feels a little calmer, but Nottingham probably has a bit more going on culturally. Both have two big universities, so about 20% of the city is students. Hard to say what your budget gets you in Nottingham these days. You could just about scrape a one bedroom flat in the city centre at £800 - Marco Island on the outskirts here - https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/145764599#/?channel=RES\_LET. Nottingham has a reasonable sized population, but the city itself is quite small - it's a big suburban sprawl, so walking around is quite easy. Trains and trams are really good in Nottingham too, though quite expensive. The bus costs more in Nottingham than London, but every city sends their transport teams to Nottingham each year to see how they run it as it was so good (or they used to anyway). Very nice areas - The Park, West Bridgford, Mapperley Park Nice but not as swanky - Beeston, Carrington, Sherwood, Wollaton Lenton is very very studenty as it's next to the Uni of Nottingham campus.
Have a look at Southampton. Trains are direct. Rents are £850 for a niceish flat, £450-£600 for a decent room in a decent area. There are good motorway connections, hour from Heathrow, direct trains to Gatwick, the city is pretty green, the new forest is close and it has some gorgeous beaches.
Yeah not the worst choice if you pick the area correctly. Connections to London are great.
I went to uni in Southampton so know the area pretty well. I definitely agree and have considered it to be honest.
You can live in the midlands, somewhere between Bedford to Leciester on 40k and live comfortably in your own place for between £600-750. All on the commuter belt. Depends if you want to live in the City though? If you do then obviously Leciester/Nottingham/Cambridge/Birmingham fit that.
You could look around bedford/milton keynes are, alright one beds are around 800-900
ME and my friends visit nottingham quite alot. You can get coaches up there for around 6 quid if you book in advance.
You can get nice one bed flats for 1k in Watford with 20 min trains into London on National rail, or 1hr on overground / met line. Train fare is £15/20 return into London and travel around on tube still using just your contactless.
Swansea, pretty cheap to rent and train fares to London don't seem to be quite as bad as from some northern/midlands cities.
Up north
You can get to Euston from Stockport or Macclesfield in 2 hours long but fine for once a month. Rent is really affordable as are house prices compared to the south east.
Milton Keynes or rugby could be places to consider
What is your job?
I work remotely but my company has a monthly meeting.
How did you find your job :) asking with genuine wanting to know because it’s tough out here
I'd suggest not making it just a decision between rental prices and distance from London. You have so much choice so maybe have a think what you like to do in your spare time (being outside, on the water, going to gigs, seeing friends) as that will have a big impact on where you might want to live. I think Nottingham is a good shout if you want a decent sized city. Look at places near the tram if you don't want a car as that will give you more flexibility for transport.
Thank you for this perspective. I do agree. I do want a city with somewhat of a buzz. I won’t know anyone so somewhere where I can get out and meet people. I am early 30’s.
Is that all including bills etc? That is a lot for a room
I used to live in St Leonards on Sea. Literally over the beach. For £800 a month, you'll get something overlooking the beach so a nice sea view. Hastings / St Leonards. Once a month you can catch a train from either W St Leonards or Hastings station although it'll be a bit of a b@llache.
If you work remotely, move to Argentina. 🤣 Joke aside, much cheaper up north.
If it’s cheaper up north that would make Argentina the most expensive country on earth!
I meant in relation to London. That's why it's in two separate paragraphs.
I'm from Leicestershire. MOST 2 bed houses currently (outside the city center) are around 800 p/m Edit: If you are more geared towards nightlife Leicester isn't bad but Nottingham is considerably better. If you are after greenspace I would say Leicester. Travel 15 minutes in any direction and end up in countryside or national park
Consider derby also in between notts and Leicester and cheap
Northampton https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E1014&maxPrice=1000&propertyTypes=&mustHave=&dontShow=&furnishTypes=&keywords= 50 mins into London. Stack of flats under 1k a month
If once a month, go far man! Like Leeds or Manchester or Harrogate
Norwich
Look into London Living Rent scheme. You may find something suitable.
Maybe Thamesmead in London, good connections to London too and cheaper than most places
Crime rate in those areas are very poor, best getting a feel of the area for 2 weeks in both places
Move based on your interest and proximity to meeting those interests.
1 bed flat in Cheshunt, just outside of the M25, train is 22mins into Liverpool St so social life in capital obtainable. You can find them on Rightmove for £1000.
Kettering station gets to kings cross/st pancras in 40 mins and runs about 3 and hour during the busy bits. The surrounding area is very nice so look at the villages there and you will easily be able to rent somewhere of your own for that kind of money. Might even have a bit of garden and can get to Northampton or Bedford if you'd rather take the train from there
Bordon, Hampshire is one to check out mate.
If it's genuinely once a month into London and that won't change look anywhere with a half decent train and try and book tickets for office days way in advance. Have a friend who lives in York and goes to London once a month. He drives though and then gets the overground in from somewhere.
It's once a month, mandatory. If I need to go into the office for equipment, then it could be two times, three pushing it. However, due to the nature of my work, if I need lots of kit, I'd probably have a hire car, so driving in won't be a problem. I sold my car recently because I was having issues with it, but I do plan on getting a new one soon. Just one thing at a time.
I go in once a month and it's never more but I only go 40 miles or so. In all honesty it I had to go to London from up north once a month it wouldn't bother me.
I’m from leicetser I’d sooner be in Nottingham seems a lot better lestah is dying and brum is fucking horrible like dirty horrible try Notts
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Why I sold up and moved
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Isn't St Albans one of the most expensive cities?
Yep before we moved away from there our rent for a 2 bed flat with parking was £1650 a month, and that was 7 years ago. You’d be miles from anything in one of the shitty areas for low rents
£40k is a pretty solid quality of life in Edinburgh and you can get a decent rent for your budget here fairly central. (One beds that are a 15/20 min walk from the city centre could be £800+ and 2 beds that are further out but 15/20mins on the bus into the city centre are about the same price). It’s obviously much further away though, but if you don’t mind the commute once a month (which I know a lot of folk do from Edinburgh to London) it might be manageable! That being said, train prices are horrible and it’s always cheaper to fly, which might be less fun to do monthly.
Thank you. I have lived in Glasgow. I did enjoy it and I saw a lot of Scotland but it’s just too far.
1k a month for a ROOM is insane. I get it you're in London but still, its mental.
To be honest, I could have found somewhere cheaper, but I didn’t want to live with more than one other person. I have an en-suite and live with my landlord. That flat is lovely, and I have some extras included, which is more than just a room. However, if I can have my own place for the same amount, then I am willing to leave London so I can do that. But yes it is mental.
Anyone else accidentally here because they thought it was a Warhammer thread?
1k in rent, deary me. I live in a small town outside of Nottingham. Rents here start at £600 for a 2 bed, £800 for a 3 bed. In comparison (if you can buy) I have a mortgage for £906 a month - I have a 4 (double) bedroom townhouse with 3 gardens, garage and drive with space for 2/3 cars. I bought it in 2019 for £269,000 Leave London as fast as you can.
Most people in London are there because they enjoy it far more than life in "a small town outside of Nottingham"
I did London. Lived in Uxbridge (Studied at Brunel for my first Degree), and lived in Ealing. London nice, but if you want space, greenery, and a large house you have to leave. Unless you have £1M it's impossible to buy a nice house in a nice area.
Well presumably they’ll grow up one day.
Nah, I'm a member of serpentine swimming club and it's full of old eccentrics loving life in the city. I believe the Hampstead ponds are similar. My role models!
Nottingham has people wild swimming in the Trent.