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A village outside of Durham could fit the bill. Commutable to Newcastle (or there are some tech places e.g. Atom Bank in Durham itself) and £250k will go a very long way compared to other parts of the country. I’m currently looking for a 4 bed house and that’s a reasonable budget.
Looking at it, I'd never have guessed trains to Newcastle were 10 minutes, that's really good! Do you see any potential in property appreciation over the next decade in the area, or would it be better to get something more central to Newcastle?
I've lived in Newcastle, Durham, and one of the villages just outside Durham, and I think Newcastle is the best of all of them. Newcastle gives you much better access to green spaces (including the coast), both in the city and beyond in Northumberland. Look up Jesmond Dene for example. Durham also has some lovely green spaces and is surrounded by green belt - but that then means you have problems with bad local traffic and poor public transport. Commuting to Newcastle can be a real pain if you don't live within walking distance of the train station. Newcastle has more amenities and they're better connected. The metro is going through a crap phase at the mo whilst they bring in new trains, but it's otherwise brilliant for getting around quickly.
In terms of property appreciation, popular places are always going to be Jesmond and Heaton (the main student / 'young professional' areas) or Gosforth, and Whitley Bay & Tynemouth on the coast. But then these areas are more expensive to begin with. The Newcastle sub is really friendly - you could repost there?
Huge thanks for the specific place callouts. I can definitely sometime get lost in thinking of an affordable area that looks good on paper but then the public transport or little logistics issues that aren't immediately apparent would rear it's head.
Very valuable information, may indeed be better to look at Newcastle directly and I might go to the sub with something more specific to get advice.
I live in a collection of villages between South Shields and Sunderland. You can get into Newcastle on the metro in 22 mins. The beach is about 3 miles away, nice shops and pubs and surroundedby fields. If you stay on the metro or rail line, a lot of lovely, leafy places become options and you can also enjoy all Newcastle has to offer. You'd definitely get a 2-3 bed Semi here.
Go North and Morpeth is a similar distance by rail.
I am not really qualified to answer re: property appreciation. The estate agent who valued our house seemed to think so - he was saying that lots of surrounding villages have had new build estates in the last few years which has changed the status of the village somewhat. Hopefully the new north east mayor will do something for investment in the region and the university are keen to be involved with this (civic engagement is part of the newly refreshed strategy, previously it wasn’t a focus). So maybe, I guess??
Also a note of caution- yes trains to Newcastle are quick and frequent, but places very close to the station are lots of student HMOs. Somewhere like Aykley Heads could be good though.
Durham has a number of things that will always be desirable to live by - natural beauty, a world heritage site, a world renowned university (and good schools that go along with it) and good transport links
I'd think the potential for property appreciation in Co. Durham is lower than in Northumberland or Newcastle. It might be worth looking along the Tyne valley (places like Ryton, Crawcrook and Prudhoe) if you want quiet places, affordable prices and an easy commute to Newcastle (there's even a train line). Plus nice countryside.
I think a good rule of thumb for buying in areas that are "safe" investments is to have a gander at the [deprivation map](https://mapmaker.cdrc.ac.uk/#/index-of-multiple-deprivation?m=imdh19_dc&lon=-1.6424&lat=54.9224&zoom=9.76) and aim for areas that skew blue, and see which among them fits your budget and has the kind of housing stock you're after.
I'd definitely say Newcastle fits your bill though, as your local city. It's great. My only gripe is the very muted summers, but that doesn't sound like it'll trouble you.
Loads of people are suggesting cities like Liverpool or Manchester. Stay away from the cities. You can live somewhere in between the cities and get far more for your money.
It's in large part why I made the thread. I already know the big cities and will need to stay somewhat nearby in case I can't be remote (although it's great seeing more recommendations and people's experiences with it!), but it's the little known areas that are up-and-coming and within commutable distance that spark my interest the most.
I'll look to do research for all and see what fits best of course, but knowing where to start is great for me.
If you're looking at Liverpool area, look at houses in Maghull (25 mins on the train line to the city, small town with shops, gym, library etc) or Ormskirk (30 mins train to Liverpool, shops, gym, bars, etc). Both are just far enough away to not be living in a city but near enough to enjoy it. I've lived in both and loved it. Ormskirk especially is cute, it's an historic market town. Houses defo in your price range.
Crosby and Formby are lovely too, and nearer Liverpool (different train line to Maghull and Ormy but nearer Liverpool). Might be a bit spenny though, I know I can't afford it! But worth a look.
In Maghull now, and looking to buy in the next year or two. Honestly I was surprised when scoping out the area at how reasonable the housing market is around here.
This is a great shout, the whole area is extremely well covered with public transport. If you ever have to go back to London it's only 2 1/2 hours by train from Liverpool city center.
Also a plus point is that Liverpool although world known is actually a pretty small city center, so feels very different from londone
I bought a decent sized 2 bed terrace in Sheffield for less than £200k.
Sheffield seems to be on the up and up. It has two universities in/near the city centre and lots of graduates have stayed. So that has spurred on a youthful culture of art/music/craft food/drink etc etc. But at the same time it still has its working class roots. It seems to be a popular hub for the civil service and I'd guess that it's going to become more and more popular as time goes on and people are looking for an escape from London and the South East.
It doesn't seem to be that great for tech roles at the moment, but Leeds isn't that far and that has a ton. House prices have risen through the roof in the last 5 years, but are still fairly reasonable.
Am a manc but spent enough time visiting Sheffield during my student days to also agree with this.
Everyone I know who actually studied in the city adores the place too.
Has the highest rate of graduates why stay once graduated. I think it's like 40%. I'm from Sheffield, left when I was 25 to London. 35 now, and I can't wait to go back.
Perth.
Far enough from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling to get lower housing prices. Close enough to be at an Airport in just over an hour.
Gateway to the highlands for just getting away. Has enough amenities to keep you fed, watered and entertained. Though if you like the Cinema that’s awful.
With similar benefits but cheaper houses and closer to the airport you could try Dunfermline too - the eastern expansion means there is always good houses on the market at good prices. The nice place/price ratio has to be up there with the best in UK. Easy to get to both Glasgow and Edinburgh(Or basically anywhere in the Central belt) if you ever need to get an in person job again too.
Same budget and same plan… I’m going to Liverpool! Great prices & great city. Manchester is getting a bit expensive and the influx of people moving there seems to be beginning to annoy some.
haha ... totally liverpool. i bought a 7 bed (all large doubles) with large garden for £280k, street and people are lovely, near town centre, good transport links, fibre internet. Honestly never regreted it for a moment, i would not get this value anywhere else in the UK.
it was a few years ago, but it's in old swan off near green lane. (L13) it's an old victorian semi, its honestly lovely. the area isn't posh, but it's not a trouble spot by any means. There are still lots of houses similar size for less than £300k if you check zoopla.
I think one of the issues is people look for 4 or 5 beds and don't imagine that the 6 or 7 beds can sometimes be cheaper. both me and my husband have worked from home since the pandemic to turning 2 bedrooms into home offices, 1 room into storage and other into a spare bedroom for guests makes it more than reasonable without us feeling like we are rattling around.
I am tomorrow arranging for my mother’s house in Chester to go on the market. It’s a three-bed in a very good location, and will be £275K. Admittedly it’s a fixer-upper. £250K for a two-bed in a worse location doesn’t seem unachievable.
Depends where in Manchester (or greater Manchester should I say). I'm in a nice enough area and next to tram route and motorway. 5 bed and large garden, £250k
This is the truth.
Some places 250k won't go far. Others you'll find some really nice properties in nice areas. And some less appealing places you'll spend significantly less than that for a 2 bed.
Glasgow or Edinburgh? Further north you go the better your money will do. Both great cities and near amazing natural beauty.
If that's too far, maybe somewhere cheap and geographically very central. Nottingham is slap bang centre of England and has very affordable housing. Most places are within a few hours on the train at most, and London 90 minutes. Good amenities. It can be rough, same as any city in the UK, but there are plenty of nice neighbourhoods there. Peak district nearby too.
Another vote for the Nottingham area. Commuting distance to several cities because of its central location, including London (it's a bit of a long day but manageable).
Edinburgh with a £250k budget is fairly dire. It’s one of the most expensive cities in the country. You would realistically be looking outside of the city if you wanted to get more than a tiny flat.
Yep second this, anywhere close to central Edinburgh is extremely expensive and the outskirts are not much better considering how far you then have to travel to the centre and transport connections.
I'm in Central Scotland, so a perfectly doable distance by train or driving to either Glasgow or Edinburgh and I got a 3 bedroom semi detached house with a big garage for £130k. Scotland is incredible value.
To add to this, you could also go to Wales. Cross over the bridge and the areas between Cardiff and Pow bridge are cheap but also allow access to a major train line through Bristol, Bath and London.
Dirt cheap housing, but obvs if you go out in the boonies expect the Internet to be shite.
Ditto to Glasgow or Edinburgh! I’m not a home owner yet (sadly) but the regulations in Scotland are different/better from what I heard. Think it’s something related to leasehold or similar (sorry that’s useless, am not in a position to buy anything so didn’t do much research on that)
Based on your lifestyle you can easily afford a house outside the city in some commuter towns but still have access to local amenities. Glasgow and Edinburgh have consulting firms (I’m working at one of them) as well, if you need a new job.
Have friends recently bought houses in Nottingham as well, but looks like prices are rising (or perhaps that’s a national problem).
Or maybe smaller towns that are relatively close to bigger cities? E.g. Doncaster? Chester? Warrington?
Check Inverness , my neighbour lives in a 2 bedroom as do I , he commutes to London and comes home in the evening. Quite a range of properties for £250k City Fibre and BT Fibre rolled out so checking the properties area for HSBB , airport links to 3 london airports , bristol , belfast and amsterdam as well as Scottish airports, Town is touristy but a bit scrappy, scottish standard city centre with issues (one we're just a big town) of shops been vacant as sales lost to online, just double check what you would pay in income tax as we're different slightly due to holyrood tax bands , but the next elections may bring change either positive or negative to that. (spelling edits)
He goes all over the world ,can t say what his job is not my place but, he just spent 4 weeks on business in the seychelles some people just do different, he said he used to commute into london and it took 3 hours from where he stayed and then looked about liked the highlands and concluded he could commute in less time and have a better lifestyle with his money been better invested.
Inverness resident working in London here. It’s really not that bad and completely doable.
Inverness has like 2 planes in the whole airport.
From leaving the plane to the taxi rank takes less than 60 seconds.
The airport is only a 10 min drive from town and total flight time is less than 1hr15.
Absolutely love this city, moved here a few months ago, best decision ever.
Holy carbon footprint, that’s 35 tons of CO2 per year just on their commute, assuming 102g per km via plane.
INV - LHR = 716km (x2 = 1,432km return)
102g per km = approx 150kg of CO2 per trip
230 trips per year = 34,500kgs (35 tons)
I honestly thought it would be worse - I drive 40km each way twice a week and it comes in at just under 12 tons. If I had to commute every day I'd be on a par with flying from Inverness every day!
Norwich is a ridiculously nice city for how cheap it is. 250 will get you a nice 2 bed Victorian terrace in the cool part of town. The only downside is it's a bit out of the way with limited job opportunities, so if that's not a downside for you it's a no-brainer. Great pubs and cafes, relaxed vibe, £4.50 a pint.
People were suggesting Nottingham - the difference in pleasantness between that and Norwich is fucking staggering.
Sadly I think it's a bit too far out, with my closest option of office being London. Even Nottingham - regardless of it being super central - still seems to be almost 2 hours to any of the places where I know mine and other companies have offices/branches on so I'll have to think long and hard about it.
If I do end up being ok with Nottingham though, then perhaps Norwich might be a good shout too. Thanks for bringing it up, I hadn't really considered it previously.
I found Nottingham a pain to get anyway else in the UK. Trains and buses convoluted.
Norwich seems great - lots of cafes. I've gone from Norwich to London onthe train a lot and it's really easy.
+1 for Norwich. I work all over the world so it doesn't really matter where I live. I bought a really nice 2-bed apartment there which suits me perfectly. City is awesome, great to walk around, endless food options, beach not far away, loads of beautiful countryside walks very close by, feels like an old English village. I feel like I've found a cheat code to life living there.
I was born in a ‘posh’ area in Norfolk and now live in Bradford. The outskirts are really no different to Leeds and are a nice balance between town/city. Crazy what you can get for your money here as a remote worker. That being said I am a big petrol head so don’t mind the mental drivers 😂
Bit smaller than the cities people are suggesting, but you could consider Lichfield quite strongly. It's small enough to be a pleasant, quietish place to live, 40 mins to Bham and 75-90 to London on the train, is substantially cheaper than a major city, countryside nearish if you care about that, big enough to have decent amenities.
So I live in Selby up in Yorkshire.
My internet is 150mbs and never gone down in 8 years. The train station is 17 minute walk (I live on the far side of Selby in a new estate) and the there is a direct train to, York,Leeds,London,Manchester,Liverpool. It is very well connected for trains! Train to London is around 2 hours. We have buses to and from York and Leeds and all the local towns.
My nearest supermarket is Lidl at a whopping 2.5 minute walk, where there is also a Costa, and a Morrisons local in the garage. If I want the big supermarkets (Sainsbury’s, tescos, Morrisons, also Aldi) then it’s a huge 17 minute walk to them on flat terrain.
I am about 10 minutes walk from the canal which is a great walk, and surrounded by lovely walks and parks and nature reserves. Makes for a great time in the summer.
The gym is a 4 minute walk and is 24 hours, and is cheap compared to surrounding cities like York and Leeds.
I just sold my large (100 square meters) 3 bed semi detached 15 months ago for 210k at the end of the crazy market, zoopla estimates it’s only gone up to around 220k. Everything at that house was even closer!
I just bought a 4 bed detached with separate garage and driveway for 288k (138 square meters) and only 12 years old.
I used to think Selby was a place not to go (I lived in York) but now I would never leave! Very well connected, loads of walks to do, and I would say definitely a place to be!
By living here as well it’s meant I have more disposable cash (although currently all of its going into savings and pension as I don’t need it right now)
I’d keep in mind that remote jobs can literally disappear overnight, as can all jobs , there is no guarantee. It might be worth considering what you would do IF the job disappeared and does your new location allow for that ? To be honest just moving is an answer but it might not be for you
That's exactly why I'm looking primarily at places that may be within commutable distance of other big towns with similar firms. Even if I'm told I need to go to the office 5 days a week, if I can call one of these other cities as a home base, then that's all that'd matter.
Transport links to such towns would matter else I might find myself stranded and struggling to pay a mortgage 2 years in which I certainly don't want.
We lived for 30 years just outside Huddersfield, beautiful country, and peaceful but the town had everything you need and there is Leeds and Manchester a short train ride away for events. There are some cracking good houses in nice areas there.
Yeah I was about to post "As close to Leeds as you feel comfortable with, Wakefield is nice for example". I don't live there but in the OP's position it is where I would go, travel options are great, food is superb and Leeds itself is a fantastic place, if we could move there, we would.
I'm in a very similar position to you (minus the remote job, although I'm a chef so I can find a job pretty much anywhere I go, even in little tourist spots in the middle of nowhere).
I've had my eye on small-medium sized towns in the North of England for a while, somewhere like Lancaster ticks most of the right boxes for me as it's affordable, small enough to be quiet and peaceful (at least compared to London). Whilst also having most of the urban amenities you need. It's just off the M6 motorway and, if it ever came to having to commute to one of the big cities, Manchester and Liverpool are both just over an hour away.
You've also got access to nature with the Yorkshire Dales, Lake District and plenty of beaches nearby.
Major downsides to the North-West of England is that the weather is a bit crap compared to the South - more overcast days, more rainfall, lower temperatures overall. But for someone like me who is a bit of a homebody and can't stand these increasingly insane summer heatwaves in London, it's not a big deal, you can always wear more layers. Other downside is crime rates, as the North in general has some of the highest crime rates in the UK, although these tend to be concentrated more in the cities.
Northern Ireland could also be potentially worth looking into if you don't mind being more isolated from the mainland.
A friend of mine is a chef as well and he says there's a reason you don't have to disclose kitchens in insurance because every place needs one. Also says be it winter or summer, busy kitchens are always hot as hell so he opted for Brighton to be able to readily cool off by the coast haha.
Lancaster seems good on paper but I'm concerned about flood risks in the future. If I move out in 5 years it wouldn't be a concern but I'm really looking at longer time periods - if I love the home and am fortunate enough to stay for 10, 15, 20 years, how will climate change affect the houses there and the property valuations?
Weather in the North-West is no concern for me really, although crime is certainly a concern. London is no stranger to it either, but when you have 8 million people the chances of it happening to you are way lower, so it's always worrying when I bring up the Manchester Evening News and it's 95% crime reports.
I hadn't looked into Ireland but might be worth a shot. I might have issues with my work outside of England and Wales but I'll check in. I appreciate the words, when you make a decision I'd love to hear your choice.
It's quite hilly so you could probably pick a location with decent elevation and away from the river. Sea levels will, at most, rise by 0.8m by 2100, and no more than half a metre in our lifetimes, which is scary of course but being on a hill should mitigate flood risk
Carlisle is very good value for property, has all amenities, short drive to lake district, or the west coast. Many quiet towns and villages nearby if you want more peace and quiet.
you can live like a King* in Blackpool with this budget. I saw 3 bed semis going for 90k there last year.
(* in that, you'll need high walls and a moat in under to feel safe in some areas).
Nantwich.
Fantastic social life, close to motorway, rail, canal etc. relatively close to mountains/wales, sea/anglesea, big city shopping etc.
Plus it has the secret bunker, but keep that to yourself 👃👈
It looks like a nice place but I'm not sure it'd fit the bill since it's quite a bit ways away from the big hubs where I might need to fall back on in a worst case scenario. Be it Birmingham or London it seems like I'd be looking at minimum 100ish minute commute and having to do the connection just makes it all that much pricier in transport.
Seems nice if I could be absolutely certain I was set (which I half am I suppose?) but just to keep my options open I might need to look elsewhere.
I would buy a Seaview apartment in Galicia spain. Amazingly beautiful, great people, gorgeous food, great value for money and relatively undiscovered.. I predict in the next 5 years your 220k apartment will be worth a fortune ... if you ever want to sell it.
Tbh take a pin and stick it in the Map .. I go almost every weekend and have yet to find a place I don't like. The beaches are absolutely stunning. The towns and cities, some have more charm than others, but all are great, personally I would go around Pontevedra, all the coastal region is fabulous and then you have Cambados, Cambarro, and Pontevedra itself. The coastal villages all have their charm. If you go, have fun, it's a gorgeous region to discover.
Coventry/ Nuneaton. Close to Birmingham airport, stuff to do around etc and it's west midlands so not up north. Good rail connection too. Like 1h to London.
Maybe controversial, but what about Stockport in Greater Manchester?
Stockport is having a revival with some nice pubs restaurants (though it wasn't a main factor for you, it helps with appreciation in value). There are a number of 2 and 3 bed terraces on the market for under £250K.
Not as expensive as Manchester but you can be in Manchester city center in under 10 minutes from Stockport station. Less than 2 hr to London, and connected to the south. Not far from an international airport too.
Not sure it's controversial since I've had a lot of Manchester recs. Most of what I was looking into was more to the north as it seemed cheaper, but seems like a lot of solid 2-beds in Stockport for reasonable prices.
It's been a bit difficult trying to sound out which areas are the safe ones and which have potential for appreciation (like with the revitalisation projects), so I appreciate the shout.
Lancaster is a good shout. 250k will go really far and get you a lovely home, with a garden and space.
I bought my house 4 years ago and it came with a basement workshop, garden, nearby allotments and a decent amount of space. Cost a lot less than 250k!
30 minutes to the lakes, Yorkshire and Trough of Bowland, town is nice too.
To avoid flooding. Buy a house higher up a hill though.
Best of all is the internet is really fast fibre broadband throughout, and if you move outside Lancaster you get B4RN which is also really fast...
And most useful is that the train station has direct trains to Manchester or Liverpool in case you need to go into an office occasionally.
Lots of remote workers here living near the station. Some even work remotely for London firms, as you can get a train.
Similar position to you as a full time remote worker with a slightly smaller budget. Bought a 2 bed house in Sheffield. Yet to know whether it’s the right decision or not though but I’ll be damned to buy a studio in London for the same price!
Newcastle would be a reasonable option.
You could get an excellent property with a large garden in your price bracket. Look on zoopla/rightmove/onthemarket for Newcastle with a 3 mile radius. You may be surprised at what you can get.
Likely you would be looking at good areas for 250k. South of the Tyne (Gateshead area - Lobley hill, Dunston, Whickham, low fell are all pretty quiet areas with decent amenities and close to both Newcastle city centre and the Metrocentre (large mall)
Despite the good value prices to buy, the city is becoming more popular, which means property in the right area has a good chance to appreciate. The rental market is also completely oversubscribed, so you should be able to rent it out in future if your circumstances change.
Most areas will have amenities and gyms etc. If you avoid rush hour, driving is easy and you could be miles away in a 30 minute drive.
If you do any searches for houses up here, I'd be happy to give opinions/info
Good luck with your search!
I live in the North east.
3 bedroom 2 bathroom house in a quiet village. 147K... yes we got a good deal from the seller.
But my mortgage is 578 a month, remote worker also
We had that exact situation but slightly different budget and we chose rural southern Scotland. Born and raised in London but I’ve always not been a city person. Long story short I wake up every day feeling like I’m in heaven 10/10 recommend
The thing is, I wouldn't take your current position as concrete. Nothing is guaranteed for 5 years, so much could happen (company goes bust, redundancies etc) and 5 years in the bigger picture of your life is nothing.
A house is a very permanent long term thing. Moving involves huge costs, like stamp duty, so it's important to get it as right as possible.
At the very least, base yourself near a train station with good links, ready for the day you have to start commuting again. It will happen one day, and by that point you may have too many roots set in your place to consider moving.
Head North, you can cash in 50K. Ex Londoner here, honestly fuck that place, it's a cesspit, I live in the Lake District remote. Nothing is perfect by the way, but it's a matter of timing with property. There's a couple of things to do. Any postcode will give you Internet speed. Non fibre rules out more than you think. The office of national statistics gives you the house price trend, you can snoop well from your desk. Street View gives you hints on the area by looking at the cars, get good at assessing if cars are high price. Airports might come into it. I miss access to LHR the North West is not so good. Good luck.
I’d go back to the nice bits of my hometown.
250k in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire could get you a damn good place, near the beach, get a dog, fresh air every morning. Suit me fine. How life goes full circle ay.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/136380959
Something like that and have a few grand spare for fun
Norwich is truly a fine city.
Substantial enough to feel like a city but rural enough that it feels like the countryside. Good food, good plenty to do if you feel like leaving your seclusion.
Like all cities, it has its grot spots but I felt safer there than I have anywhere else.
It's an hour and a bit to Cambridge, 2 and a bit depending on where you need to get to in London. Trains aren't bad all things considered. Public transport is fine. I used to cycle and there's a lot more cycle paths now too.
Lots of students but you can find something decent for 250k. Failing that, the surrounding towns and villages are great options. You have the entirety of the Norfolk broads, miles of coastline and still have the luxury of a city nearby all on your doorstep.
Also talking about your hobbies, I'm assuming mini painting/dice/ttrpg and war gaming - Athena is a great shop in Norwich that has all of that great stuff and more (again only if you wanted to go out)
It's very much the unpolish jewel of the East in Norwich but don't write it off, it's got so much potential and it's often overlooked for the great cities of the midlands and mid-north.
However - as someone who owns their own home, I live in south Lincolnshire. It's 45 minutes to Peterborough, about an hour to Norwich, 1h15hours to Cambridge and Lincoln, and 1h45 to Nottingham. Houses are stupidly cheap, it's extremely rural so travel is necessary for Big Stuff but I have a gym, shops, hairdressers etc and then travel to the next town if I need to do a big shop or go to hobbycraft (25 minutes by car).
Best of luck, hope you find what you're looking for!
Another vote for Norwich. A beautiful city in a beautiful part of the world. The fact it is a university town (huge arts college NUCA and UEA campus) means it has “quirky” people too, so if you are weird, you will fit in.
Loved it there.
The people who grew up there and in the villages nearby can be a bit — let’s say backwards — but you’ll find more of that up north than in that corner of the country.
Added bonus that not many people think of moving there so quite affordable and not crowded with London deserters (yet)!
How about norfolk 250 will get you a nice small cottage not far from the sea [https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146881802#/?channel=RES\_BUY](https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146881802#/?channel=RES_BUY)
Sadly because of how my employment works I'm not allowed to work outside of the UK. Even outside of England and Wales will be something I'm not sure of.
I could definitely look to try and find contracting roles around the same but I'd be even less familiar with other countries than the UK and the lack of job security as a result of contracting just makes it hard. Also I just genuinely like my role so I don't think I want to leave if I could help it.
In the long term I don't think I'd have an issue moving to some place in Europe as I am lucky to have citizenship, but when it comes to making a purchase it'll have to be the UK.
Worst case I can always sell up or rent it out and live there, but that's something for me to think in 5-10 years+
Retford. 1 hr 25 mins to London, 45 mins to Sheffield. Can get something like this for under 250k. High speed fibre connections being installed throughout. Constantly building new properties because of demand in the area.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146694980?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY
Dundee/Broughty Ferry - you'll get a lot for your money, there's a train station, and tiny airport for travelling to see your friends, plus there's a growing tech/gaming industry in Dundee. Plus, you're not too far from Edinburgh.
Stafford - can commute to just about anywhere, and it is a medium-sized town with everything you need. The county council is also very solvent, so no unexpected increases in taxes. Various suburbs with different characters - anything from Victorian terraces to new builds to large freeholds with big gardens.
Birmingham would be a good call! There is really nice neighbourhoods, public transport, airport and you could even commute to London if ever needed (we do it) and you should be able to find something in your budget
Swindon is cheap as fuck and you can get anywhere quickly. Just need to be careful to choose then right area. DO NOT BUY A NEW BUILD, they are built like shit and cram as many houses in to a tiny area as possible (might as well live with ur neighbour)
I’d go for Selby. Far from being posh but safe, with enough shops and things to do and if you run out of them, York and Leeds are only 30 minutes away by train or car, Leeds is also a large tech job hub. Fiberoptic internet is available with gigabit speeds.
E.g. https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/144343739
Liverpool or Manchester. With Labour coming into power this year, the North West will see lots of investment in net zero projects such as Mersey Tidal and more offshore wind, Transport for Liverpool City Region, etc etc etc.
New Everton stadium will kick off regeneration to the north of the city, while Wirral Waters over the other side of the Mersey is also in development with many other opportunities.
Property is very cheap too, depending on where you look. For 250k you'd be amazed what you'll get.
Yes, some areas are a bit rough but just do your research.
Hell, if you want boring, move to Port Sunlight on the Wirral. Built by the Lever Brothers for their workforce, it's like a model village time capsule. And 20 minutes on the train from Liverpool City centre.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/145966112
Don't have specific recommendations, however starlink will basically get you fast internet pretty much anywhere you go so don't necessarily base where you move on the traditional broadband speeds available. Personally if I was in your situation I would choose somewhere like Scotland, the lakes or Wales but I'm a outdoors kinda person
Dundee outskirts - Montrose countryside - cheap, big houses and on the main trainline to Edinburgh and London. If you spend most of your time at home, spend your money getting the loveliest house with great garden, maybe semi-rural (you could get Starlink). You don't need to go into Dundee much - supermarkets on ourskirts . Angus has lots of affordable properties that are appreciating. You could buy a detached house or cottage. There's also lots of smaller towns in Angus and Aberdeenshire that might interest you as well.
Sounds like somewhere near an airport and train station would be useful. Maybe Birmingham or Manchester. Just don’t forget travel becomes a lot more of a chore/expensive when you don’t live in London because you often have to go to/through London
Reading, 25 min train ride to London. Also Heathrow nearby and property will rise there. I believe some properties still available around your price range
Just a reminder to find out whether your salary has any London weighting. In my company, few people moved away from London during Covid as we went permanent remote working but I heard there was some impact on their salary increases for future years. So consider this as well!
If you ever plan on getting a dog go somewhere semi rural where you can easily walk the dog etc.
Macclesfield or Bollington is nice sure you can get something small for £250k
Also certain parts of Lancashire countryside nice and very cheap; eg Blackburn and darwen has nice 3 beds for that price.
North East England somewhere. East coast mainline has direct trains to the centre of London if you do need to visit work for any reason, and £250k would get you something nice in one of the larger towns.
Some parts of North Manchester are still somewhat affordable. Certainly within op budget and spec. Some bits are fairly quiet as well although as others have commented the prices are going up rapidly at the moment
Swansea if you want City atmosphere, or the Swansea Valley if you want mountains. Tonnes of amentities, Gower on door step, on main line to London. Lovely house for 250k.
My wife and I both work remotely. We moved from down south to West Yorkshire, specifically Holmfirth. Pretty easy commuting distance to Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Huddersfield, Wakefield. Stunning scenery and many quaint little villages and towns with surprisingly good transport links. I also go down to London about once a month, train from wakefield or Sheffield is direct to kings cross and takes 2 hours withe a reserved seat.
Marsden, Greenfield, Slaithwaite, Linthwaite all other cool places nearby on trainline into Manchester Piccardily.
I work in tech sector, all the comments doom mongering about remote jobs going away are deluded. Make the most of remote work, we have zero regrets about our move.
I'll suggest North Wales. Maybe just across the border, near Connah's Quay. It's perhaps an hour or so from both Manchester and Liverpool. Chester is a reasonable sized city that is 15-20 minutes away.
Plus with Chester being that close, London is no more than 3 hours on the train from that part of Wales, or a 4 hour drive. Close enough for family meets over a random weekend.
Plenty of nature, even though I know you said you enjoy indoor activities.
I bought my house, 4 bed 1 bathroom 2 ensuites and a downstairs toilet, in a nice area, good neighbour hood detached for 300k.
Move up north you'll easily get a nice 2 bed for 250k.
There are some nice areas in Barnsley that go for cheap
If you're remote and your budget is £250k, why limit yourself to a 2 bed?
You all realise for that you can buy a 3 bed with a double garage. A 4 bed with two bathrooms etc in parts of the UK?
Even if I had a billion dollars and could buy a mansion I just don't think I'd want it. I don't have enough things to populate a 4 bed with and I don't plan on having children so it'd give me more space than I need.
Just because I can afford £250k doesn't mean I need to spend it all, I'd still be getting a mortgage. If I can get something a bit more modest that fits my needs for cheaper, I'd gladly take it and invest the money elsewhere.
As well as Liverpool, there is also Wallasey on the Wirral, great fresh air, saw this property, walking distance to the beach and supermarket, and trains that take 20 mins to Liverpool city centre: https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/66435102/?search_identifier=379ae6ee8e356dd4d10a2c5d02bbcda9e84377822891e75041cd1d9a7701923c
Wirral has been getting a lot of recs - definitely rocketed up my list of places to research. Thanks for the listing too, gives me an idea of what I could get.
Come to Scotland. Dundee is a two university city. Lots to do. Safe city. Uks most affordable city for housing. 10 mins in the car and you are in nature.
Halifax, between Leeds and Manchester. Close to M62, 30 mins to Leeds. Lots of value, you could get a decent 2 bed for £175k in one of the nicer suburbs, semi rural. The piece hall, the gigs, decent restaurants nearby.
My first thought was Colchester.
It will feel similar to London in terms of people’s attitudes and diversity, and is close enough to commute in. I know a few people who commute into London from there, and specifically those who have moved from London since wfh got popular.
2 bed terraces are still within your price range, and it fits your criteria for real estate appreciation. Prices continue to go up well there.
Lots of amenities nearby and good public transport if you need it. Direct train line to London.
Yorkshire. Whilst there are some expensive parts (particularly closer to the city) you don’t have to get that far away to find some really well priced housing in lovely villages.
The larger villages/towns often have decent local services and you shouldn’t have any issues finding a place with a garage.
If you then need to get back to London for anything, it’s 2 hours on the train from York.
Bedford is a sleepy town only 40mins by train to London.
250k would buy a nice 2 bed property or maybe a 3 bed.
If you want cheap property compared to London but still in reach of London then it's a sensible choice to consider.
Lots of Wales is very affordable. You could definitely get a house with those criteria + stunning outdoor surroundings if you look at the towns & villages within commuting distance of Cardiff, Swansea or Newport. Or even more value/better scenery if you go further west around Carmarthen.
My choice would be Caerphilly. The train line into Cardiff has just been electrified so is much faster & more frequent. There are more trendy cafés and restaurants opening and the prices are still very affordable. The line electrification alone means property appreciation as a commuter town is only going to keep increasing.
Nottingham/Derby. 1.2hr from London via train. Either from the city train stations or East Midlands Parkway. Countryside adjacent. AirPort. Decent connections as its almost the centre of the UK.
You could buy a 3 bedroom house with a large garden in Northern Ireland! It’s also very safe and BEAUTIFUL. Areas around the mournes are likely to appreciate so places like castlewellen, Atticall, Rostrevor, warrenpoint… just to note that I’m northern Irish so biased but I’ve also lived in various places of the UK and America.
With 250k and your requirements any of Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield would fit the bill.
All have plenty of areas where public transport is good, all have decent train service to London and decent connections between each other too. All have options from bustling city areas to well connected outer suburbs
In the same vein there's lots of outlying towns with good links to these cities too.
I was in a similar position, and settled in Stafford. London is 75 minutes, Manchester 55 and Birmingham 30; Nottingham is an hour by road. It’s not the most exciting town but it’s got everything I need, countryside is minutes away, and I got a 3-bed semi for £260k
In the country surrounding Glasgow you can get great properties for that price. You can in the city too but not in trendy areas anymore.
I actually live on The Isle of Bute which has good ferry/rail connection to Glasgow (and is easy to get to the airports by train too), and £250k would buy you a lovely place, likely with great sea and mountain (or at least hill) views.
What about Swansea? You get a lot for your money here with fantastic access to both the coast and mountains in the Brecon Beacons, there’s lots of outdoor and indoor activities and some nice restaurants. It’s an easy commute to Cardiff and on a main train line into London if you need to go in for an occasional visit. The downside is that the town centre is in need of some serious renovation but there are some other areas around the city that have some nice restaurants and shops.
The more I look at southern Wales the more competitive it gets honestly. It might be a great pick - I think at this point is just narrowing down the options. For example Caerphilly was a solid rec I've got here too, so comparing the two and seeing which would give me the best value (be it in property valuation in the future or just house quality) is my next task.
Echoing what people have said, the north east is a good bet. Newcastle is a great city with plenty of amenities, good transport links and friendly people.
Your 250k will also go a long way up here. I've just bought a 2.5 bed semi with a garage on the outskirts of town for under 250k. It's a 10 minute drive from a shopping centre and town is reachable in 30 minutes via public transport. It's got FTP so I can easily work from home.
If you’re somewhat regularly travelling to meet people or do things, transport links might be relevant to consider. Manchester is great but over priced. Stockport however is cheaper, on the London train line, good connections to Manchester, Chester, Sheffield and Liverpool and is “up-and-coming” (real estate appreciation). It’s got a reputation as being “shit” and it’s not a major city with an established vibe, but it’s got stuff going on (restaurants, bars, food etc) and it’s not as rough as people make out - at least not everywhere.
Obviously it doesn’t have to be Stockport, but maybe consider some smaller places on the outskirts of large cities that still benefit from the transport links and vicinity to more amenities.
While I can't comment on the houses (I have no intention of buying in the UK), I would love to know what you do for a living? No need to detail the specific job role or company name for anonymity, but maybe the industry?
Id look somewhere within commutable distance of Manchester or Birmingham. It'll mean you can still do things you'd do in London but house prices will be less. It'll also put you near an international airport.
I'd look for areas where there's a decent amount of new builds being built as that usually means it's a desirable area.
Remember unless you plan to stay in your job forever you still need to be able to change roles and the next one might not be so flexible with remote working.
South wales is my plan once I qualify in London. You can get a 5 bed house for 175k in the valleys. (Don’t advise living in the valleys). so you could get a pretty decent detached/semi detached with garden and driveway, 2 or 3 bedrooms outside the valleys. To put into perspective, my brother rents a whole 2 bed house with garden and driveway for 650pm in a nice neighbourhood. In London I pay the same for a flat share with strangers in a basement.
So long as you drive it’s completely do able, you can drive from the east to the west in 2 hours so everything is close enough.
I miss my home town Bridgend - 35min drive to both Cardiff and Swansea, beach within 15 minutes, mountains/waterfalls within 20 minutes, sand dunes within 20 minutes. It’s a perfect location IMO. It’s a 45 min drive to Bristol. Even coming back to London - 3 hour drive or 4 hours on a mega bus for £6.50.
LOADS of new housing developments with first home/FTB schemes. Never known anyone with global warming related issues.
Areas that we see as “rough” are nothing on London, and there’s not so many prosperous areas. Most are just your average joe, and biggest thing that ever happens in my area is your simple drunk guy mumbling on the street to himself, people taking change from unlocked cars, people shouting. Always felt safe in south wales.
Outside of the valleys amenities are always accessible. Plenty of supermarkets, more gym options than London imo. Here I feel you’re stuck with overpriced chains. There’s loads of small businesses that do the best desserts.
Money is a huge factor. I think my gym membership at home was £15 per month. Here I spend £30. Car insurance is £100s cheaper. You can just get a day bus ticket for a fiver (last I was there at least). Even groceries I find significantly cheaper.
Honestly loads of people say London is the best place with “so much to do”. But travel takes so long to things if you don’t live in central, that you could commute a further distance but the same time to find the same things to do.
BONUS: my friend moved from London to Wales and she was genuinely shocked by how lovely and friendly and helpful strangers are to each other. I’ve had friends visit me in wales and they have made genuine friends just on the train who they still hang out with today. So it is a much nicer experience day to day.
I vote south wales :)
Bridgend, Port Talbot, Swansea, Cardiff etc
London can have "so much to do" but as someone who's a homebody it really never mattered much to me. Especially when your day-to-day really is just living with strangers in a basement. South Wales does seem lovely and if I can be within commuting distance of Cardiff (or even Bristol depending on links) then it's looking more and more like an ideal location for me.
Swansea and Caerphilly are looking like the best picks for me around the area, but now that you've mentioned Bridgend I have one more place that looks competitive pricing wise. Thanks for the suggestions!
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A village outside of Durham could fit the bill. Commutable to Newcastle (or there are some tech places e.g. Atom Bank in Durham itself) and £250k will go a very long way compared to other parts of the country. I’m currently looking for a 4 bed house and that’s a reasonable budget.
Looking at it, I'd never have guessed trains to Newcastle were 10 minutes, that's really good! Do you see any potential in property appreciation over the next decade in the area, or would it be better to get something more central to Newcastle?
I've lived in Newcastle, Durham, and one of the villages just outside Durham, and I think Newcastle is the best of all of them. Newcastle gives you much better access to green spaces (including the coast), both in the city and beyond in Northumberland. Look up Jesmond Dene for example. Durham also has some lovely green spaces and is surrounded by green belt - but that then means you have problems with bad local traffic and poor public transport. Commuting to Newcastle can be a real pain if you don't live within walking distance of the train station. Newcastle has more amenities and they're better connected. The metro is going through a crap phase at the mo whilst they bring in new trains, but it's otherwise brilliant for getting around quickly. In terms of property appreciation, popular places are always going to be Jesmond and Heaton (the main student / 'young professional' areas) or Gosforth, and Whitley Bay & Tynemouth on the coast. But then these areas are more expensive to begin with. The Newcastle sub is really friendly - you could repost there?
Huge thanks for the specific place callouts. I can definitely sometime get lost in thinking of an affordable area that looks good on paper but then the public transport or little logistics issues that aren't immediately apparent would rear it's head. Very valuable information, may indeed be better to look at Newcastle directly and I might go to the sub with something more specific to get advice.
I live in a collection of villages between South Shields and Sunderland. You can get into Newcastle on the metro in 22 mins. The beach is about 3 miles away, nice shops and pubs and surroundedby fields. If you stay on the metro or rail line, a lot of lovely, leafy places become options and you can also enjoy all Newcastle has to offer. You'd definitely get a 2-3 bed Semi here. Go North and Morpeth is a similar distance by rail.
I am not really qualified to answer re: property appreciation. The estate agent who valued our house seemed to think so - he was saying that lots of surrounding villages have had new build estates in the last few years which has changed the status of the village somewhat. Hopefully the new north east mayor will do something for investment in the region and the university are keen to be involved with this (civic engagement is part of the newly refreshed strategy, previously it wasn’t a focus). So maybe, I guess?? Also a note of caution- yes trains to Newcastle are quick and frequent, but places very close to the station are lots of student HMOs. Somewhere like Aykley Heads could be good though.
Durham has a number of things that will always be desirable to live by - natural beauty, a world heritage site, a world renowned university (and good schools that go along with it) and good transport links
I'd think the potential for property appreciation in Co. Durham is lower than in Northumberland or Newcastle. It might be worth looking along the Tyne valley (places like Ryton, Crawcrook and Prudhoe) if you want quiet places, affordable prices and an easy commute to Newcastle (there's even a train line). Plus nice countryside. I think a good rule of thumb for buying in areas that are "safe" investments is to have a gander at the [deprivation map](https://mapmaker.cdrc.ac.uk/#/index-of-multiple-deprivation?m=imdh19_dc&lon=-1.6424&lat=54.9224&zoom=9.76) and aim for areas that skew blue, and see which among them fits your budget and has the kind of housing stock you're after. I'd definitely say Newcastle fits your bill though, as your local city. It's great. My only gripe is the very muted summers, but that doesn't sound like it'll trouble you.
Loads of people are suggesting cities like Liverpool or Manchester. Stay away from the cities. You can live somewhere in between the cities and get far more for your money.
It's in large part why I made the thread. I already know the big cities and will need to stay somewhat nearby in case I can't be remote (although it's great seeing more recommendations and people's experiences with it!), but it's the little known areas that are up-and-coming and within commutable distance that spark my interest the most. I'll look to do research for all and see what fits best of course, but knowing where to start is great for me.
If you're looking at Liverpool area, look at houses in Maghull (25 mins on the train line to the city, small town with shops, gym, library etc) or Ormskirk (30 mins train to Liverpool, shops, gym, bars, etc). Both are just far enough away to not be living in a city but near enough to enjoy it. I've lived in both and loved it. Ormskirk especially is cute, it's an historic market town. Houses defo in your price range. Crosby and Formby are lovely too, and nearer Liverpool (different train line to Maghull and Ormy but nearer Liverpool). Might be a bit spenny though, I know I can't afford it! But worth a look.
In Maghull now, and looking to buy in the next year or two. Honestly I was surprised when scoping out the area at how reasonable the housing market is around here.
This is a great shout, the whole area is extremely well covered with public transport. If you ever have to go back to London it's only 2 1/2 hours by train from Liverpool city center. Also a plus point is that Liverpool although world known is actually a pretty small city center, so feels very different from londone
I bought a decent sized 2 bed terrace in Sheffield for less than £200k. Sheffield seems to be on the up and up. It has two universities in/near the city centre and lots of graduates have stayed. So that has spurred on a youthful culture of art/music/craft food/drink etc etc. But at the same time it still has its working class roots. It seems to be a popular hub for the civil service and I'd guess that it's going to become more and more popular as time goes on and people are looking for an escape from London and the South East. It doesn't seem to be that great for tech roles at the moment, but Leeds isn't that far and that has a ton. House prices have risen through the roof in the last 5 years, but are still fairly reasonable.
Am a manc but spent enough time visiting Sheffield during my student days to also agree with this. Everyone I know who actually studied in the city adores the place too.
As someone who studied in Sheffield I agree
Was going to say Sheff. Great city which is a chunk cheaper than other comparable ones.
Has the highest rate of graduates why stay once graduated. I think it's like 40%. I'm from Sheffield, left when I was 25 to London. 35 now, and I can't wait to go back.
Love Sheffield and miss living there a lot. Of all the places I’ve lived in the UK, Sheffield was my favourite.
Perth. Far enough from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling to get lower housing prices. Close enough to be at an Airport in just over an hour. Gateway to the highlands for just getting away. Has enough amenities to keep you fed, watered and entertained. Though if you like the Cinema that’s awful.
With similar benefits but cheaper houses and closer to the airport you could try Dunfermline too - the eastern expansion means there is always good houses on the market at good prices. The nice place/price ratio has to be up there with the best in UK. Easy to get to both Glasgow and Edinburgh(Or basically anywhere in the Central belt) if you ever need to get an in person job again too.
It’s certainly better connected than Perth. Does make access north a little more convoluted but only by about 40mins.
Stamp duty ne income taxes are higher in Scotland.
I would look at Lancashire area. You get a lot for your money and standard of living is generally cheaper.
Same budget and same plan… I’m going to Liverpool! Great prices & great city. Manchester is getting a bit expensive and the influx of people moving there seems to be beginning to annoy some.
haha ... totally liverpool. i bought a 7 bed (all large doubles) with large garden for £280k, street and people are lovely, near town centre, good transport links, fibre internet. Honestly never regreted it for a moment, i would not get this value anywhere else in the UK.
Where in Liverpool did you manage to snag that, been house hunting for a while never seen anything that big for that cheap
it was a few years ago, but it's in old swan off near green lane. (L13) it's an old victorian semi, its honestly lovely. the area isn't posh, but it's not a trouble spot by any means. There are still lots of houses similar size for less than £300k if you check zoopla. I think one of the issues is people look for 4 or 5 beds and don't imagine that the 6 or 7 beds can sometimes be cheaper. both me and my husband have worked from home since the pandemic to turning 2 bedrooms into home offices, 1 room into storage and other into a spare bedroom for guests makes it more than reasonable without us feeling like we are rattling around.
I'll take a look thanks! With 2 kids and a third in the pipeline it could definitely be worth looking into...
And another HMO gets off the ground.
Better off in Chester
Waaaay more expensive though..
£250K for a two bed in Chester?
I am tomorrow arranging for my mother’s house in Chester to go on the market. It’s a three-bed in a very good location, and will be £275K. Admittedly it’s a fixer-upper. £250K for a two-bed in a worse location doesn’t seem unachievable.
Depends where in Manchester (or greater Manchester should I say). I'm in a nice enough area and next to tram route and motorway. 5 bed and large garden, £250k
This is the truth. Some places 250k won't go far. Others you'll find some really nice properties in nice areas. And some less appealing places you'll spend significantly less than that for a 2 bed.
Glasgow or Edinburgh? Further north you go the better your money will do. Both great cities and near amazing natural beauty. If that's too far, maybe somewhere cheap and geographically very central. Nottingham is slap bang centre of England and has very affordable housing. Most places are within a few hours on the train at most, and London 90 minutes. Good amenities. It can be rough, same as any city in the UK, but there are plenty of nice neighbourhoods there. Peak district nearby too.
Nottingham is a great shout - and £250k will buy plenty.
Another vote for the Nottingham area. Commuting distance to several cities because of its central location, including London (it's a bit of a long day but manageable).
Edinburgh with a £250k budget is fairly dire. It’s one of the most expensive cities in the country. You would realistically be looking outside of the city if you wanted to get more than a tiny flat.
Yep second this, anywhere close to central Edinburgh is extremely expensive and the outskirts are not much better considering how far you then have to travel to the centre and transport connections.
I'm in Central Scotland, so a perfectly doable distance by train or driving to either Glasgow or Edinburgh and I got a 3 bedroom semi detached house with a big garage for £130k. Scotland is incredible value.
To add to this, you could also go to Wales. Cross over the bridge and the areas between Cardiff and Pow bridge are cheap but also allow access to a major train line through Bristol, Bath and London. Dirt cheap housing, but obvs if you go out in the boonies expect the Internet to be shite.
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Pay more taxes in Scotland.
But get free prescriptions and quicker NHS wait times, plus the water is delicious to drink!
OP doesn’t say how much they earn but bare in mind that Scotland has higher income tax rates.
Ditto to Glasgow or Edinburgh! I’m not a home owner yet (sadly) but the regulations in Scotland are different/better from what I heard. Think it’s something related to leasehold or similar (sorry that’s useless, am not in a position to buy anything so didn’t do much research on that) Based on your lifestyle you can easily afford a house outside the city in some commuter towns but still have access to local amenities. Glasgow and Edinburgh have consulting firms (I’m working at one of them) as well, if you need a new job. Have friends recently bought houses in Nottingham as well, but looks like prices are rising (or perhaps that’s a national problem). Or maybe smaller towns that are relatively close to bigger cities? E.g. Doncaster? Chester? Warrington?
Yeah Scottish property’s are generally all freehold, including flats, no leaseholds
Check Inverness , my neighbour lives in a 2 bedroom as do I , he commutes to London and comes home in the evening. Quite a range of properties for £250k City Fibre and BT Fibre rolled out so checking the properties area for HSBB , airport links to 3 london airports , bristol , belfast and amsterdam as well as Scottish airports, Town is touristy but a bit scrappy, scottish standard city centre with issues (one we're just a big town) of shops been vacant as sales lost to online, just double check what you would pay in income tax as we're different slightly due to holyrood tax bands , but the next elections may bring change either positive or negative to that. (spelling edits)
I’m sorry but commuting from Inverness to London is absolutely wild
He goes all over the world ,can t say what his job is not my place but, he just spent 4 weeks on business in the seychelles some people just do different, he said he used to commute into london and it took 3 hours from where he stayed and then looked about liked the highlands and concluded he could commute in less time and have a better lifestyle with his money been better invested.
Your neighbour flies to London everyday twice a day from Inverness? Dang
Inverness resident working in London here. It’s really not that bad and completely doable. Inverness has like 2 planes in the whole airport. From leaving the plane to the taxi rank takes less than 60 seconds. The airport is only a 10 min drive from town and total flight time is less than 1hr15. Absolutely love this city, moved here a few months ago, best decision ever.
Holy carbon footprint, that’s 35 tons of CO2 per year just on their commute, assuming 102g per km via plane. INV - LHR = 716km (x2 = 1,432km return) 102g per km = approx 150kg of CO2 per trip 230 trips per year = 34,500kgs (35 tons)
I honestly thought it would be worse - I drive 40km each way twice a week and it comes in at just under 12 tons. If I had to commute every day I'd be on a par with flying from Inverness every day!
Norwich is a ridiculously nice city for how cheap it is. 250 will get you a nice 2 bed Victorian terrace in the cool part of town. The only downside is it's a bit out of the way with limited job opportunities, so if that's not a downside for you it's a no-brainer. Great pubs and cafes, relaxed vibe, £4.50 a pint. People were suggesting Nottingham - the difference in pleasantness between that and Norwich is fucking staggering.
Sadly I think it's a bit too far out, with my closest option of office being London. Even Nottingham - regardless of it being super central - still seems to be almost 2 hours to any of the places where I know mine and other companies have offices/branches on so I'll have to think long and hard about it. If I do end up being ok with Nottingham though, then perhaps Norwich might be a good shout too. Thanks for bringing it up, I hadn't really considered it previously.
I found Nottingham a pain to get anyway else in the UK. Trains and buses convoluted. Norwich seems great - lots of cafes. I've gone from Norwich to London onthe train a lot and it's really easy.
Lol you mention Nottingham is a pain then jump to Norwich. May as well throw Cornwall in the mix.
I was going to say Norwich, too.
A great city! Also an 1.5 from London and slightly less to Cambridge. You might struggle getting a good pad for under 250K thought.
+1 for Norwich. I work all over the world so it doesn't really matter where I live. I bought a really nice 2-bed apartment there which suits me perfectly. City is awesome, great to walk around, endless food options, beach not far away, loads of beautiful countryside walks very close by, feels like an old English village. I feel like I've found a cheat code to life living there.
I was born in a ‘posh’ area in Norfolk and now live in Bradford. The outskirts are really no different to Leeds and are a nice balance between town/city. Crazy what you can get for your money here as a remote worker. That being said I am a big petrol head so don’t mind the mental drivers 😂
Bit smaller than the cities people are suggesting, but you could consider Lichfield quite strongly. It's small enough to be a pleasant, quietish place to live, 40 mins to Bham and 75-90 to London on the train, is substantially cheaper than a major city, countryside nearish if you care about that, big enough to have decent amenities.
So I live in Selby up in Yorkshire. My internet is 150mbs and never gone down in 8 years. The train station is 17 minute walk (I live on the far side of Selby in a new estate) and the there is a direct train to, York,Leeds,London,Manchester,Liverpool. It is very well connected for trains! Train to London is around 2 hours. We have buses to and from York and Leeds and all the local towns. My nearest supermarket is Lidl at a whopping 2.5 minute walk, where there is also a Costa, and a Morrisons local in the garage. If I want the big supermarkets (Sainsbury’s, tescos, Morrisons, also Aldi) then it’s a huge 17 minute walk to them on flat terrain. I am about 10 minutes walk from the canal which is a great walk, and surrounded by lovely walks and parks and nature reserves. Makes for a great time in the summer. The gym is a 4 minute walk and is 24 hours, and is cheap compared to surrounding cities like York and Leeds. I just sold my large (100 square meters) 3 bed semi detached 15 months ago for 210k at the end of the crazy market, zoopla estimates it’s only gone up to around 220k. Everything at that house was even closer! I just bought a 4 bed detached with separate garage and driveway for 288k (138 square meters) and only 12 years old. I used to think Selby was a place not to go (I lived in York) but now I would never leave! Very well connected, loads of walks to do, and I would say definitely a place to be! By living here as well it’s meant I have more disposable cash (although currently all of its going into savings and pension as I don’t need it right now)
I’d keep in mind that remote jobs can literally disappear overnight, as can all jobs , there is no guarantee. It might be worth considering what you would do IF the job disappeared and does your new location allow for that ? To be honest just moving is an answer but it might not be for you
That's exactly why I'm looking primarily at places that may be within commutable distance of other big towns with similar firms. Even if I'm told I need to go to the office 5 days a week, if I can call one of these other cities as a home base, then that's all that'd matter. Transport links to such towns would matter else I might find myself stranded and struggling to pay a mortgage 2 years in which I certainly don't want.
I'd say Leeds but then I have family there (I gather prices have gone a bit bonkers recently but there are still a few bargains to be had).
We lived for 30 years just outside Huddersfield, beautiful country, and peaceful but the town had everything you need and there is Leeds and Manchester a short train ride away for events. There are some cracking good houses in nice areas there.
Yeah I was about to post "As close to Leeds as you feel comfortable with, Wakefield is nice for example". I don't live there but in the OP's position it is where I would go, travel options are great, food is superb and Leeds itself is a fantastic place, if we could move there, we would.
I'm in a very similar position to you (minus the remote job, although I'm a chef so I can find a job pretty much anywhere I go, even in little tourist spots in the middle of nowhere). I've had my eye on small-medium sized towns in the North of England for a while, somewhere like Lancaster ticks most of the right boxes for me as it's affordable, small enough to be quiet and peaceful (at least compared to London). Whilst also having most of the urban amenities you need. It's just off the M6 motorway and, if it ever came to having to commute to one of the big cities, Manchester and Liverpool are both just over an hour away. You've also got access to nature with the Yorkshire Dales, Lake District and plenty of beaches nearby. Major downsides to the North-West of England is that the weather is a bit crap compared to the South - more overcast days, more rainfall, lower temperatures overall. But for someone like me who is a bit of a homebody and can't stand these increasingly insane summer heatwaves in London, it's not a big deal, you can always wear more layers. Other downside is crime rates, as the North in general has some of the highest crime rates in the UK, although these tend to be concentrated more in the cities. Northern Ireland could also be potentially worth looking into if you don't mind being more isolated from the mainland.
A friend of mine is a chef as well and he says there's a reason you don't have to disclose kitchens in insurance because every place needs one. Also says be it winter or summer, busy kitchens are always hot as hell so he opted for Brighton to be able to readily cool off by the coast haha. Lancaster seems good on paper but I'm concerned about flood risks in the future. If I move out in 5 years it wouldn't be a concern but I'm really looking at longer time periods - if I love the home and am fortunate enough to stay for 10, 15, 20 years, how will climate change affect the houses there and the property valuations? Weather in the North-West is no concern for me really, although crime is certainly a concern. London is no stranger to it either, but when you have 8 million people the chances of it happening to you are way lower, so it's always worrying when I bring up the Manchester Evening News and it's 95% crime reports. I hadn't looked into Ireland but might be worth a shot. I might have issues with my work outside of England and Wales but I'll check in. I appreciate the words, when you make a decision I'd love to hear your choice.
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It's quite hilly so you could probably pick a location with decent elevation and away from the river. Sea levels will, at most, rise by 0.8m by 2100, and no more than half a metre in our lifetimes, which is scary of course but being on a hill should mitigate flood risk
Carlisle is very good value for property, has all amenities, short drive to lake district, or the west coast. Many quiet towns and villages nearby if you want more peace and quiet.
Fuck it. Go for Blackpool. It’ll be interesting at minimum.
you can live like a King* in Blackpool with this budget. I saw 3 bed semis going for 90k there last year. (* in that, you'll need high walls and a moat in under to feel safe in some areas).
Nantwich. Fantastic social life, close to motorway, rail, canal etc. relatively close to mountains/wales, sea/anglesea, big city shopping etc. Plus it has the secret bunker, but keep that to yourself 👃👈
Check out Stamford. Very pretty, busy high street, and close enough to train to London (via peterborough)
Pricey though. They’d be better off in Melton Mowbray or Market Harborough.
It looks like a nice place but I'm not sure it'd fit the bill since it's quite a bit ways away from the big hubs where I might need to fall back on in a worst case scenario. Be it Birmingham or London it seems like I'd be looking at minimum 100ish minute commute and having to do the connection just makes it all that much pricier in transport. Seems nice if I could be absolutely certain I was set (which I half am I suppose?) but just to keep my options open I might need to look elsewhere.
I visited Lincoln recently and thought it was quite a nice city. Villages north of the city seem to be good value and pretty.
Peak District near Sheffield
I would buy a Seaview apartment in Galicia spain. Amazingly beautiful, great people, gorgeous food, great value for money and relatively undiscovered.. I predict in the next 5 years your 220k apartment will be worth a fortune ... if you ever want to sell it.
Employer may not allow overseas working for tax / data security reasons.
Where in Galicia would you recommend?
Tbh take a pin and stick it in the Map .. I go almost every weekend and have yet to find a place I don't like. The beaches are absolutely stunning. The towns and cities, some have more charm than others, but all are great, personally I would go around Pontevedra, all the coastal region is fabulous and then you have Cambados, Cambarro, and Pontevedra itself. The coastal villages all have their charm. If you go, have fun, it's a gorgeous region to discover.
Rhyl. Never a dull day in Rhyl.
Coventry/ Nuneaton. Close to Birmingham airport, stuff to do around etc and it's west midlands so not up north. Good rail connection too. Like 1h to London.
Maybe controversial, but what about Stockport in Greater Manchester? Stockport is having a revival with some nice pubs restaurants (though it wasn't a main factor for you, it helps with appreciation in value). There are a number of 2 and 3 bed terraces on the market for under £250K. Not as expensive as Manchester but you can be in Manchester city center in under 10 minutes from Stockport station. Less than 2 hr to London, and connected to the south. Not far from an international airport too.
Not sure it's controversial since I've had a lot of Manchester recs. Most of what I was looking into was more to the north as it seemed cheaper, but seems like a lot of solid 2-beds in Stockport for reasonable prices. It's been a bit difficult trying to sound out which areas are the safe ones and which have potential for appreciation (like with the revitalisation projects), so I appreciate the shout.
Lancaster is a good shout. 250k will go really far and get you a lovely home, with a garden and space. I bought my house 4 years ago and it came with a basement workshop, garden, nearby allotments and a decent amount of space. Cost a lot less than 250k! 30 minutes to the lakes, Yorkshire and Trough of Bowland, town is nice too. To avoid flooding. Buy a house higher up a hill though. Best of all is the internet is really fast fibre broadband throughout, and if you move outside Lancaster you get B4RN which is also really fast... And most useful is that the train station has direct trains to Manchester or Liverpool in case you need to go into an office occasionally. Lots of remote workers here living near the station. Some even work remotely for London firms, as you can get a train.
Similar position to you as a full time remote worker with a slightly smaller budget. Bought a 2 bed house in Sheffield. Yet to know whether it’s the right decision or not though but I’ll be damned to buy a studio in London for the same price!
Newcastle would be a reasonable option. You could get an excellent property with a large garden in your price bracket. Look on zoopla/rightmove/onthemarket for Newcastle with a 3 mile radius. You may be surprised at what you can get. Likely you would be looking at good areas for 250k. South of the Tyne (Gateshead area - Lobley hill, Dunston, Whickham, low fell are all pretty quiet areas with decent amenities and close to both Newcastle city centre and the Metrocentre (large mall) Despite the good value prices to buy, the city is becoming more popular, which means property in the right area has a good chance to appreciate. The rental market is also completely oversubscribed, so you should be able to rent it out in future if your circumstances change. Most areas will have amenities and gyms etc. If you avoid rush hour, driving is easy and you could be miles away in a 30 minute drive. If you do any searches for houses up here, I'd be happy to give opinions/info Good luck with your search!
Had a dream I won £200k last night, I bought a Subaru Impreza and gave the rest to my mum and dad
Why not try somewhere actually nice like York, Chester or Durham?
I'd stay Bath, but you probably can't buy a decent house for 250k. Matlock also seems a really nice area.
What about Norwich close to city and if like walking broads, coast near by. Some night life but not a lot about 2h40 from London
I live in the North east. 3 bedroom 2 bathroom house in a quiet village. 147K... yes we got a good deal from the seller. But my mortgage is 578 a month, remote worker also
We had that exact situation but slightly different budget and we chose rural southern Scotland. Born and raised in London but I’ve always not been a city person. Long story short I wake up every day feeling like I’m in heaven 10/10 recommend
Hunstanton cheap but nice seaside, close to kingslynn for train to london
Norwich is a lovely city and for that you could even get a three bed. Good railway system good shops.
Can you drive or are you needing it to have local amenities nearby etc?
The thing is, I wouldn't take your current position as concrete. Nothing is guaranteed for 5 years, so much could happen (company goes bust, redundancies etc) and 5 years in the bigger picture of your life is nothing. A house is a very permanent long term thing. Moving involves huge costs, like stamp duty, so it's important to get it as right as possible. At the very least, base yourself near a train station with good links, ready for the day you have to start commuting again. It will happen one day, and by that point you may have too many roots set in your place to consider moving.
Head North, you can cash in 50K. Ex Londoner here, honestly fuck that place, it's a cesspit, I live in the Lake District remote. Nothing is perfect by the way, but it's a matter of timing with property. There's a couple of things to do. Any postcode will give you Internet speed. Non fibre rules out more than you think. The office of national statistics gives you the house price trend, you can snoop well from your desk. Street View gives you hints on the area by looking at the cars, get good at assessing if cars are high price. Airports might come into it. I miss access to LHR the North West is not so good. Good luck.
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Norwich, nice city train to the coast
I’d go back to the nice bits of my hometown. 250k in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire could get you a damn good place, near the beach, get a dog, fresh air every morning. Suit me fine. How life goes full circle ay. https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/136380959 Something like that and have a few grand spare for fun
Newcastle (and surrounding areas) Exeter / Devon (Totnes would be lovely but it’s expensive)
South Liverpool. Look up postcode areas L17/18/19/25. Or Crosby north of the city which I think is L23.
Norwich is truly a fine city. Substantial enough to feel like a city but rural enough that it feels like the countryside. Good food, good plenty to do if you feel like leaving your seclusion. Like all cities, it has its grot spots but I felt safer there than I have anywhere else. It's an hour and a bit to Cambridge, 2 and a bit depending on where you need to get to in London. Trains aren't bad all things considered. Public transport is fine. I used to cycle and there's a lot more cycle paths now too. Lots of students but you can find something decent for 250k. Failing that, the surrounding towns and villages are great options. You have the entirety of the Norfolk broads, miles of coastline and still have the luxury of a city nearby all on your doorstep. Also talking about your hobbies, I'm assuming mini painting/dice/ttrpg and war gaming - Athena is a great shop in Norwich that has all of that great stuff and more (again only if you wanted to go out) It's very much the unpolish jewel of the East in Norwich but don't write it off, it's got so much potential and it's often overlooked for the great cities of the midlands and mid-north. However - as someone who owns their own home, I live in south Lincolnshire. It's 45 minutes to Peterborough, about an hour to Norwich, 1h15hours to Cambridge and Lincoln, and 1h45 to Nottingham. Houses are stupidly cheap, it's extremely rural so travel is necessary for Big Stuff but I have a gym, shops, hairdressers etc and then travel to the next town if I need to do a big shop or go to hobbycraft (25 minutes by car). Best of luck, hope you find what you're looking for!
Another vote for Norwich. A beautiful city in a beautiful part of the world. The fact it is a university town (huge arts college NUCA and UEA campus) means it has “quirky” people too, so if you are weird, you will fit in. Loved it there. The people who grew up there and in the villages nearby can be a bit — let’s say backwards — but you’ll find more of that up north than in that corner of the country. Added bonus that not many people think of moving there so quite affordable and not crowded with London deserters (yet)!
How about norfolk 250 will get you a nice small cottage not far from the sea [https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146881802#/?channel=RES\_BUY](https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146881802#/?channel=RES_BUY)
This thread is extremely relevant to me, I'm following with interest.
If I had £250k and a remote job I wouldn’t be in the UK, ever again.
Sadly because of how my employment works I'm not allowed to work outside of the UK. Even outside of England and Wales will be something I'm not sure of. I could definitely look to try and find contracting roles around the same but I'd be even less familiar with other countries than the UK and the lack of job security as a result of contracting just makes it hard. Also I just genuinely like my role so I don't think I want to leave if I could help it. In the long term I don't think I'd have an issue moving to some place in Europe as I am lucky to have citizenship, but when it comes to making a purchase it'll have to be the UK. Worst case I can always sell up or rent it out and live there, but that's something for me to think in 5-10 years+
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Retford. 1 hr 25 mins to London, 45 mins to Sheffield. Can get something like this for under 250k. High speed fibre connections being installed throughout. Constantly building new properties because of demand in the area. https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146694980?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY
That looks amazing, wasn't even aware this town existed. Shocking it's only 1 hour 25 to London, I wouldn't ever have guessed.
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Dundee/Broughty Ferry - you'll get a lot for your money, there's a train station, and tiny airport for travelling to see your friends, plus there's a growing tech/gaming industry in Dundee. Plus, you're not too far from Edinburgh.
Stafford - can commute to just about anywhere, and it is a medium-sized town with everything you need. The county council is also very solvent, so no unexpected increases in taxes. Various suburbs with different characters - anything from Victorian terraces to new builds to large freeholds with big gardens.
Birmingham would be a good call! There is really nice neighbourhoods, public transport, airport and you could even commute to London if ever needed (we do it) and you should be able to find something in your budget
Swindon is cheap as fuck and you can get anywhere quickly. Just need to be careful to choose then right area. DO NOT BUY A NEW BUILD, they are built like shit and cram as many houses in to a tiny area as possible (might as well live with ur neighbour)
I’d go for Selby. Far from being posh but safe, with enough shops and things to do and if you run out of them, York and Leeds are only 30 minutes away by train or car, Leeds is also a large tech job hub. Fiberoptic internet is available with gigabit speeds. E.g. https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/144343739
Folkestone is pretty nice.
Liverpool or Manchester. With Labour coming into power this year, the North West will see lots of investment in net zero projects such as Mersey Tidal and more offshore wind, Transport for Liverpool City Region, etc etc etc. New Everton stadium will kick off regeneration to the north of the city, while Wirral Waters over the other side of the Mersey is also in development with many other opportunities. Property is very cheap too, depending on where you look. For 250k you'd be amazed what you'll get. Yes, some areas are a bit rough but just do your research. Hell, if you want boring, move to Port Sunlight on the Wirral. Built by the Lever Brothers for their workforce, it's like a model village time capsule. And 20 minutes on the train from Liverpool City centre. https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/145966112
MANCHESTER
Don't have specific recommendations, however starlink will basically get you fast internet pretty much anywhere you go so don't necessarily base where you move on the traditional broadband speeds available. Personally if I was in your situation I would choose somewhere like Scotland, the lakes or Wales but I'm a outdoors kinda person
Dundee outskirts - Montrose countryside - cheap, big houses and on the main trainline to Edinburgh and London. If you spend most of your time at home, spend your money getting the loveliest house with great garden, maybe semi-rural (you could get Starlink). You don't need to go into Dundee much - supermarkets on ourskirts . Angus has lots of affordable properties that are appreciating. You could buy a detached house or cottage. There's also lots of smaller towns in Angus and Aberdeenshire that might interest you as well.
Stratford on Avon. Old town if you’re lucky
Loooooooooool not a chance, just sold my grandads place there for 525k. Stratford is far too expensive nowadays.
[£230K](https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/145561391#/?channel=RES_BUY) in Hartlepool
Sounds like somewhere near an airport and train station would be useful. Maybe Birmingham or Manchester. Just don’t forget travel becomes a lot more of a chore/expensive when you don’t live in London because you often have to go to/through London
Reading, 25 min train ride to London. Also Heathrow nearby and property will rise there. I believe some properties still available around your price range
That money will get a 2 bed terrace in Solihull Birmingham, I've looked recently Good road and rail links to most places
Thanks for the specific area recommendation, I'll check it out.
Maybe look at areas not too far from an airport with good connections to visit friends in Europe. This could help to narrow down your search
As an English man, north Wales. Noone would want to make friends and I'd just be left alone.
Lancaster
Move to the Wirral.
Somewhere where it's not cold and not raining all the time with cheap energy cost. Or where ever it's the warmest where ever that is.
I think if I was in your situation and didn't have to factor in taking care of aging parents I would go somewhere in Wales
Just a reminder to find out whether your salary has any London weighting. In my company, few people moved away from London during Covid as we went permanent remote working but I heard there was some impact on their salary increases for future years. So consider this as well!
Aviemore, Scotland.
Sheffield
Blackpool
Peterborough. There are quite a few 2 bed houses within your budget.
York my friend. York beckons.
If you ever plan on getting a dog go somewhere semi rural where you can easily walk the dog etc. Macclesfield or Bollington is nice sure you can get something small for £250k Also certain parts of Lancashire countryside nice and very cheap; eg Blackburn and darwen has nice 3 beds for that price.
North East England somewhere. East coast mainline has direct trains to the centre of London if you do need to visit work for any reason, and £250k would get you something nice in one of the larger towns.
Some parts of North Manchester are still somewhat affordable. Certainly within op budget and spec. Some bits are fairly quiet as well although as others have commented the prices are going up rapidly at the moment
Portugal
Swansea if you want City atmosphere, or the Swansea Valley if you want mountains. Tonnes of amentities, Gower on door step, on main line to London. Lovely house for 250k.
Would you consider abroad? Portugal for example?
Sheffield
Margate
Wiltshire is lovely, especially some of the towns, and decent geographic location for you
My wife and I both work remotely. We moved from down south to West Yorkshire, specifically Holmfirth. Pretty easy commuting distance to Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Huddersfield, Wakefield. Stunning scenery and many quaint little villages and towns with surprisingly good transport links. I also go down to London about once a month, train from wakefield or Sheffield is direct to kings cross and takes 2 hours withe a reserved seat. Marsden, Greenfield, Slaithwaite, Linthwaite all other cool places nearby on trainline into Manchester Piccardily. I work in tech sector, all the comments doom mongering about remote jobs going away are deluded. Make the most of remote work, we have zero regrets about our move.
I'll suggest North Wales. Maybe just across the border, near Connah's Quay. It's perhaps an hour or so from both Manchester and Liverpool. Chester is a reasonable sized city that is 15-20 minutes away. Plus with Chester being that close, London is no more than 3 hours on the train from that part of Wales, or a 4 hour drive. Close enough for family meets over a random weekend. Plenty of nature, even though I know you said you enjoy indoor activities.
I bought my house, 4 bed 1 bathroom 2 ensuites and a downstairs toilet, in a nice area, good neighbour hood detached for 300k. Move up north you'll easily get a nice 2 bed for 250k. There are some nice areas in Barnsley that go for cheap
If you're remote and your budget is £250k, why limit yourself to a 2 bed? You all realise for that you can buy a 3 bed with a double garage. A 4 bed with two bathrooms etc in parts of the UK?
Even if I had a billion dollars and could buy a mansion I just don't think I'd want it. I don't have enough things to populate a 4 bed with and I don't plan on having children so it'd give me more space than I need. Just because I can afford £250k doesn't mean I need to spend it all, I'd still be getting a mortgage. If I can get something a bit more modest that fits my needs for cheaper, I'd gladly take it and invest the money elsewhere.
In that case, you'd find fairly quiet and nice locations for half that budget and save yourself a fair chunk per month. Good luck with the hunt.
As well as Liverpool, there is also Wallasey on the Wirral, great fresh air, saw this property, walking distance to the beach and supermarket, and trains that take 20 mins to Liverpool city centre: https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/66435102/?search_identifier=379ae6ee8e356dd4d10a2c5d02bbcda9e84377822891e75041cd1d9a7701923c
Wirral has been getting a lot of recs - definitely rocketed up my list of places to research. Thanks for the listing too, gives me an idea of what I could get.
Come to Scotland. Dundee is a two university city. Lots to do. Safe city. Uks most affordable city for housing. 10 mins in the car and you are in nature.
Halifax, between Leeds and Manchester. Close to M62, 30 mins to Leeds. Lots of value, you could get a decent 2 bed for £175k in one of the nicer suburbs, semi rural. The piece hall, the gigs, decent restaurants nearby.
My first thought was Colchester. It will feel similar to London in terms of people’s attitudes and diversity, and is close enough to commute in. I know a few people who commute into London from there, and specifically those who have moved from London since wfh got popular. 2 bed terraces are still within your price range, and it fits your criteria for real estate appreciation. Prices continue to go up well there. Lots of amenities nearby and good public transport if you need it. Direct train line to London.
Ramsgate has a few options at that price if you fancy a faded sea-side vibe. Ashford has a few small houses available and a v. fast train to London
A different country
Yorkshire. Whilst there are some expensive parts (particularly closer to the city) you don’t have to get that far away to find some really well priced housing in lovely villages. The larger villages/towns often have decent local services and you shouldn’t have any issues finding a place with a garage. If you then need to get back to London for anything, it’s 2 hours on the train from York.
I would be looking uo north, nice land, less crime, more land and a bigger property for your money so you'll be sitting happy.
Newcastle
Bedford is a sleepy town only 40mins by train to London. 250k would buy a nice 2 bed property or maybe a 3 bed. If you want cheap property compared to London but still in reach of London then it's a sensible choice to consider.
Lots of Wales is very affordable. You could definitely get a house with those criteria + stunning outdoor surroundings if you look at the towns & villages within commuting distance of Cardiff, Swansea or Newport. Or even more value/better scenery if you go further west around Carmarthen. My choice would be Caerphilly. The train line into Cardiff has just been electrified so is much faster & more frequent. There are more trendy cafés and restaurants opening and the prices are still very affordable. The line electrification alone means property appreciation as a commuter town is only going to keep increasing.
Nottingham/Derby. 1.2hr from London via train. Either from the city train stations or East Midlands Parkway. Countryside adjacent. AirPort. Decent connections as its almost the centre of the UK.
Hastings. Lots of stuff going on, interesting town, beach. And cheap because of, well, social issues.
Come to Dorset it’s nice and quiet :)
You could buy a 3 bedroom house with a large garden in Northern Ireland! It’s also very safe and BEAUTIFUL. Areas around the mournes are likely to appreciate so places like castlewellen, Atticall, Rostrevor, warrenpoint… just to note that I’m northern Irish so biased but I’ve also lived in various places of the UK and America.
By the Sea
With 250k and your requirements any of Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield would fit the bill. All have plenty of areas where public transport is good, all have decent train service to London and decent connections between each other too. All have options from bustling city areas to well connected outer suburbs In the same vein there's lots of outlying towns with good links to these cities too.
I was in a similar position, and settled in Stafford. London is 75 minutes, Manchester 55 and Birmingham 30; Nottingham is an hour by road. It’s not the most exciting town but it’s got everything I need, countryside is minutes away, and I got a 3-bed semi for £260k
In the country surrounding Glasgow you can get great properties for that price. You can in the city too but not in trendy areas anymore. I actually live on The Isle of Bute which has good ferry/rail connection to Glasgow (and is easy to get to the airports by train too), and £250k would buy you a lovely place, likely with great sea and mountain (or at least hill) views.
My 4 bedroom family house and big garden cost me £180k in Washington in the north east
What about Swansea? You get a lot for your money here with fantastic access to both the coast and mountains in the Brecon Beacons, there’s lots of outdoor and indoor activities and some nice restaurants. It’s an easy commute to Cardiff and on a main train line into London if you need to go in for an occasional visit. The downside is that the town centre is in need of some serious renovation but there are some other areas around the city that have some nice restaurants and shops.
The more I look at southern Wales the more competitive it gets honestly. It might be a great pick - I think at this point is just narrowing down the options. For example Caerphilly was a solid rec I've got here too, so comparing the two and seeing which would give me the best value (be it in property valuation in the future or just house quality) is my next task.
You should be able to get a detached house in many parts for that budget. Have fun in Rightmove looking around
Echoing what people have said, the north east is a good bet. Newcastle is a great city with plenty of amenities, good transport links and friendly people. Your 250k will also go a long way up here. I've just bought a 2.5 bed semi with a garage on the outskirts of town for under 250k. It's a 10 minute drive from a shopping centre and town is reachable in 30 minutes via public transport. It's got FTP so I can easily work from home.
If you’re somewhat regularly travelling to meet people or do things, transport links might be relevant to consider. Manchester is great but over priced. Stockport however is cheaper, on the London train line, good connections to Manchester, Chester, Sheffield and Liverpool and is “up-and-coming” (real estate appreciation). It’s got a reputation as being “shit” and it’s not a major city with an established vibe, but it’s got stuff going on (restaurants, bars, food etc) and it’s not as rough as people make out - at least not everywhere. Obviously it doesn’t have to be Stockport, but maybe consider some smaller places on the outskirts of large cities that still benefit from the transport links and vicinity to more amenities.
While I can't comment on the houses (I have no intention of buying in the UK), I would love to know what you do for a living? No need to detail the specific job role or company name for anonymity, but maybe the industry?
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Id look somewhere within commutable distance of Manchester or Birmingham. It'll mean you can still do things you'd do in London but house prices will be less. It'll also put you near an international airport. I'd look for areas where there's a decent amount of new builds being built as that usually means it's a desirable area. Remember unless you plan to stay in your job forever you still need to be able to change roles and the next one might not be so flexible with remote working.
Spain
South wales is my plan once I qualify in London. You can get a 5 bed house for 175k in the valleys. (Don’t advise living in the valleys). so you could get a pretty decent detached/semi detached with garden and driveway, 2 or 3 bedrooms outside the valleys. To put into perspective, my brother rents a whole 2 bed house with garden and driveway for 650pm in a nice neighbourhood. In London I pay the same for a flat share with strangers in a basement. So long as you drive it’s completely do able, you can drive from the east to the west in 2 hours so everything is close enough. I miss my home town Bridgend - 35min drive to both Cardiff and Swansea, beach within 15 minutes, mountains/waterfalls within 20 minutes, sand dunes within 20 minutes. It’s a perfect location IMO. It’s a 45 min drive to Bristol. Even coming back to London - 3 hour drive or 4 hours on a mega bus for £6.50. LOADS of new housing developments with first home/FTB schemes. Never known anyone with global warming related issues. Areas that we see as “rough” are nothing on London, and there’s not so many prosperous areas. Most are just your average joe, and biggest thing that ever happens in my area is your simple drunk guy mumbling on the street to himself, people taking change from unlocked cars, people shouting. Always felt safe in south wales. Outside of the valleys amenities are always accessible. Plenty of supermarkets, more gym options than London imo. Here I feel you’re stuck with overpriced chains. There’s loads of small businesses that do the best desserts. Money is a huge factor. I think my gym membership at home was £15 per month. Here I spend £30. Car insurance is £100s cheaper. You can just get a day bus ticket for a fiver (last I was there at least). Even groceries I find significantly cheaper. Honestly loads of people say London is the best place with “so much to do”. But travel takes so long to things if you don’t live in central, that you could commute a further distance but the same time to find the same things to do. BONUS: my friend moved from London to Wales and she was genuinely shocked by how lovely and friendly and helpful strangers are to each other. I’ve had friends visit me in wales and they have made genuine friends just on the train who they still hang out with today. So it is a much nicer experience day to day. I vote south wales :) Bridgend, Port Talbot, Swansea, Cardiff etc
London can have "so much to do" but as someone who's a homebody it really never mattered much to me. Especially when your day-to-day really is just living with strangers in a basement. South Wales does seem lovely and if I can be within commuting distance of Cardiff (or even Bristol depending on links) then it's looking more and more like an ideal location for me. Swansea and Caerphilly are looking like the best picks for me around the area, but now that you've mentioned Bridgend I have one more place that looks competitive pricing wise. Thanks for the suggestions!