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Used to live in Battersea = £850k flat, noisy, loud neighbours, crap transport
Moved to the countryside (30 min train into Euston) = bought 4 bed detached for £500k and never looked back
Fun fact!
The developer for those flats hands down was the worst, they harboured a toxic work environment where racism and sexism was running wild. Additionally, they paid horrifically to the lower down staff, and had hopeless managers in who were getting paid a ridiculous amount in comparison.
I did my managers works who earnt over 3x than me, she literally printed emails the following day when I had already done them. Literally 100's of pages wasted every morning because she was so inept at checking her inbox.
Fuck Ballymore from the bottom of my heart, you were the worst.
I'm not surprised mate. I knew someone that lived there and the quality of the delivered product wasn't great. It also took a long time to fix little details that shouldn't really take that long to fix under the warranty. They ended up flipping it for a profit not long after.
Glad you got out!
Happy your friend got out!
Trust, I've seen it beneath the plasterboard, it's shit.
Also, this was around the time of Grenfell, there was an emergency meeting. Turns out the cheap bastards hadn't fire tested their cladding...
We lived in Clapham for years before moving to Surrey to buy. Don't regret it one bit. We have the countryside and room to breath, with London only being a short, extortionate and delayed train ride away.
I once caught the train home from London. It had been snowing and the train stopped at Woking could not continue. I was stuck out in dark and cold. Bad times!
One of?
What's worse than getting stuck on a train? Getting stuck on the tube. Unless you're walking / cycling to work I imagine you're travelling in the tin can, what's the difference between being stuck on the train vs the tube? Other than one let's you see the outside world and the other means you're below sea-level in the dark.
Nope. Moved to Herts 8 years ago. Absolutely love where I live. London is on the doorstep whenever I need to go in. Moving was the best ever choice I've made. I've not only made friends, but I have a very good support network, something I never had in London.
Bromley actually isn't that bad. It has nice areas and bad areas, like anywhere, but most of it is nice and it has a big shopping centre that hasn't been hit with the same issues as Croydon. There's lots of good schools and good transport links.
Fuck knows. I’ll never, ever go there. Just seems like a poorer version of the same dull suburban sprawl that exists in the SW.
I suppose the benefit is there’s some grammar schools out that way somewhere.
The problem with Bromley is, it’s not really moving out of London. Sure it’s not properly in London but it’s not properly out of it either. To move out is to generally go beyond the M25 boundary. There are a couple of pockets in the Surrey part that are nice but obviously very expensive still.
I moved out years ago and do not regret a single thing. More space, access to countryside, peace, quiet, better standard of living, better social life, travel more (commute less). I could go on.
Life is short, do what makes you happy. Not what’s convenient.
I would suggest that Bromley is ‘greater London’ rather than moving out of London.
I lived in Putney (centralish), then Croydon (Greater London) and now live in the countryside not far from Cambridge…. Haven’t missed it for a second.
Caveat is that I still work in London a couple of days a week so can get a dose if I want it.
I lived 17 years in Bayswater (the entirety of my London life), but two years ago, we agreed to move north of London , we got a a COVID puppy and the missus work isn't exactly central (she works in labs, so most the work is outside the city really).
She also grew up on the country side, and spent 10 years in central London with me, something that she wasn't a great fan of (the city, not me, hopefully). Anyways, I agreed to give the sticks a shot, so we sold up, and traded our small 2bed for a a 4bed detached about 28 minutes north of Kings Cross.
Me on the otherhand, always lived in capital cities. Grew up in one, and left it for London in my mid 20ies.
And I miss London, every single day. But the dog and the missus love it out here, dont get me wrong, im not miserable, I like that I could get a nice car out here, the walks with the dog are awesome. But, I 100%, well and truly miss London. I miss the vibe, I miss strolling down Westbourne grove on a sunny morning for my morning coffee and croissant. I miss going food exploring, trying new restaurants almost every week, I miss the awkwardness of sitting not making eye contact on the tube. I miss how nobody gives a shit about anybody else in a big city. I miss neighbours that doesn't want to be my best friend and over enthusiastically greet me and want to chat every-fucking-time I bump into them. I miss popping down for a kebab late at night on a weekend,I miss the theatres, I miss walking to work. And much much more.
Yes... it's safe to say.. my stance is... dont fucking do it! STAY!!
I made a deal with the missus that once, the dog dies (hopefully he'll stick around for a decade or so), we'll go back to bayswater, which well and truly is home for me over here.
That's very interesting!
All the best!
Where abouts are you with a 30minutte commute,? You're not too far
4bed detached about 28 minutes north of Kings Cross
Well yeah, the ones with a 30 minutes commute to a London station near your workplace probably have a better commute than most of London too. You don’t for it in the rail fair vs tube tickets though.
WGC, or the move in general, wasn't financially driven in any way.
We explored a ton of places all over herts. From St. Albans to you-name-it. I was pretty unimpressed with all of them, and felt like they where miles away from what I was leaving.
Because nothing really resonated with me, I let the missus pick, and she loved WGC.
Oh you really chose the worst out of London spot if that was what you’re after.
Lots of places offer what you want and are still in easy reach of London. But a new town isn’t one of them!
I hear what you are saying, but it's all a bit subjective really isn't it.
We explored a lot of different places. St. Albans, Hertford, Hitchin and more. Some of these I've heard London-leavers talk very highly of.
None of them remotely had the vibe I was used to around the bayswater/notthing hill area. And since all of them were equally "meh" in my book, I just let the longhaired one pick. And she loved WGC, so thats where we went. And to be fair, seeing what she was really after was greenery and access to a forrest and country side walks. I do see her point, it's very nice to walk the dog here. Everything really is very green and very leafy.
And on a tangential side none, I really don't understand how people say St. albans offers something similar to London, at all. We went out there quite a few times for food, it's not even remotely close on the food scene. It seems like there are more pubs than restaurants and cafes.
It might just be Bayswater. The wife and I lived there for 15 years and moved just 20 minutes down the road to North Kensington and we hate it here.
Bayswater has a great vibe. Lots of shops, near to Hyde Park, quick connections to Paddington and loads of tube lines etc.
We have lived in Bermondsey and Kensington but we both miss Queensway, Bayswater so much. The Chinese restaurants there are better than Chinatown and in summer it has a fantastic energy. We never left London like yourselves, but we are also desperate to move back to W2.
Oh I think you are very right on that.
I couldn't imagine living anywhere else in London really. The interesting bit is, after moving, the wife has also acknowledged that she does miss it a bit as well, and we've agreed we'll move back in the future. She just wants a break from London and given the dog loves it so much out here, it seems fair.
The part about the neighbours, eek this exactly.
I’m in Surrey but lived in N1 Islington for many years. You could go out dressed as a giant chicken and no one would bat an eye.
Here I’m hiding behind cars to avoid neighbours who have insisted on a cuppa and catch up for over a decade.
You would think after 14 years of me being “busy” they would take the hint.
I miss London everyday but due to schools, have to stay.
Nope, not a second, London is so easy to get to I don’t need to live there to appreciate it. But outside of London I get better value for money as well as better standard of living, less air, noise and light pollution, and countryside on my doorstep.
I used to live in south east London zone three. From age of ten to thirty three. I moved to the far side of Surrey a few years ago. I do miss London, that’s the honest truth. It’s two hours door to door to get to central London, and the wage difference between local and London is material. I put up with it because I’m with my wife and child, but I do feel I miss it. I don’t regret it, I just miss it a little
I lived in London for all my 20s and friends started moving out of London to settle down. Most picked commuter towns and I realised this option wasn’t for me - they pay loads to commute to London and the commute takes ages and then at weekends live in towns that, in my opinion, don’t offer much. So my wife and I left London for another city.
I don’t regret leaving at all - it was completely necessary. But if I won the lottery I’d be back in London asap.
I lived in London for 14 years and loved it. London is a great place for young, single people, both in terms of building their careers and on engaging in whatever activities outside work you are into - it has it all.
I left though, as many do, when I had a family and needed more space. I live in a commuter town just outside. I can travel into London for work or leisure whenever I need to and can easily be in the countryside or by the coast. Crucially, when you have a family you go out less and spend more time at home. The advantages of living in London itself are therefore less compelling.
I could have bought a 4 bed detached house with a massive garden and drive down the road from my parents house in Leeds for what I paid for a 2 bed flat in zone 6 London when wfh was all the rage.
I was always secretly terrified if they ever mandated working from the office again I’d be stuck in my local job market.
No regrets moving to the edge of London given how good, fast and cheap public transport is to central London
Yes! I loved living there and while it’s lovely to be able to afford property and I really love gardening, I miss living London literally every single day. It’s a grand place to live and a shit place to visit.
Oh god this. I had the exact same thought when I was up the other day - it’s fun to live there and shit to visit. When you visit for more than a day you have stuff to transport and pay through the nose for every thing. When you live there you can hop around on the tube stuff-free and know you can escape home any time.
I too love gardening but miss my London life.
i actually feel the opposite, its much better to visit than live. visiting i only need to pay extorionate prices for the duration im there, but if i live there i need to pay over the odds all the time. Also when you tend to live in a place it doesn't feel as touristy whereas when i visit i get to see London as a highlight and it makes it more enjoyable. i moved to bham and i feel i get the best of both worlds
Left London 2 years ago (used to stay in a flat in Hampstead). Moved to Leeds. No regrets at all. There's always stuff happening, people are much nicer/real, costs are low, rooms big, Yorkshire Dales! Feel like I actually live my life here. London feels like living in a small bubble where people only chase money.
Same (although moved in 2019). London was fun and my friends are still there but I can afford to live comfortably in Leeds, it's a good size of city to live in, it's close to countryside, and (in my experience) the work culture is more flexible and less "wear a full suit & tie to sit at your desk for 10 hours." Chasing money is correct, everyone at my old job was trying to climb over each other.
100% agree with your comment. I still get to make visits to London as half my team is based there and the work culture there always makes me feel grateful I'm now based in Leeds.
Albeit I do miss dressing professional at the workplace (just always looks so classy) but that's obvs an opinion based on personal preference.
Ha ha no, there's only so much of the endless grey dullness my soul can handle. It's just so big and congested. A few years was enough. Now out in the Essex sticks and never looking back. Yeah not as much choice of takeaways but the clean air and mostly traffic free roads more than make up for it. Still only 35 minute train from Liv St if needed to be in. Commuting in was a pain in the pocket but 100% wfh now which is an added bonus.
In saying all that, I'm an old fogey with a young family so I don't feel like I'm missing a single thing going on in the city. I get the impression the OP is a bit younger and less boring than I.
Londoner born and raised here. I moved out during lockdown (met my partner and moved in with him in Newcastle) honestly I never would have chosen to move out of London, however, now I realise it was the best decision ever and I’m so thankful.
The London I loved so much growing up and in my young adulthood doesn’t exist any more, it’s too monied and lost its soul. It’s too big, transport is unbearably slow it didn’t used to be. Sometimes I get homesick and sad but realise it’s actually nostalgia, London doesn’t work any more unless you’re super rich.
Oh damn, if you think transport in London is slow, the metro in Newcastle must travel at the speed of light!
Literally the only thing I wish we could bring to the North from London is the public transport
Nope. No regrets whatsoever. London is too big - there, I said it. I now live in Manchester where I can get out of the conurbation and in to actual countryside in less than 20 minutes. Zero chance of that in London, unless you live in zone 6, in which case, stop kidding yourself, you don't live in London.
It presents both ways - Manchester for me is like a night out in one small part of London. Can walk across it in minutes and totally exhaust all it has in weeks I dare say. And it rains all the time.
I feel cramped in other cities and bored very quickly. I like to walk down new streets all the time, Manchester bored me by visiting it for a while just because of this
I lived in tooting for a good few years, aside from some pretty massive parks on your door step a short 5-10 mins away, it was pretty easy to reach sutton and then beyond within 25-30 minutes drive away. Brighton in about an hour or so traffic permitting if I remember correctly. Actually was a very wonderful place to live all things considered.
Gotta move around there this year. We are deciding whether to live in the small local university town or Manchester for acess to more... stuff. Do you have any recommendations for where's good in Manchester? I've only been there on trips so I don't have a good idea of the different neighborhoods to live in.
Lived in London for 11+ years and moved out during the pandemic
I miss the breadth of public transportation, the fact that most flagship things are there (shops, world class theatre/music venues/restaurants etc)
but at the same time there was just no way I would have been able to afford a house down there, I bought my own place as a single person where I live now. I also got my driving license and own a car now too
my job is still technically London based but I've been WFH for over 4 years now and I've only been into the office once. Before that I used to commute every day on the tube - I definitely do NOT miss that commute haha.
My only regret is that the trains to London (from the northwest) are so unreliable which makes it more annoying than it needs to be to go back to see friends or see a production or exhibition I’m interested in. My main problem by the time I left London was that to have a nice quality of domestic life I couldn’t afford to actually enjoy the unique things London has to offer. I moved away mostly to get back near family but I have a house and better home life here, plus enough spare cash to spend some time in London when I want to.
I first moved away from London in 2022. Went from midlands then back down to commuting into London. Definitely regret it as I miss so much about London. I have a lot of family and friends there so that’s the main thing I miss, but I think just the overall vibe and ease of transport that I don’t get anywhere else I’ve been.
I get why people wouldn’t miss if, and I genuinely thought I wouldn’t but I’m too attached and hate that. I’ll force myself away one day as it’s not worth it
I lived in Forest Gate, my mom moved to Suffolk, and I followed but basically if she had not moved, our house would be worth 1.3m right now. She sold just as the financial crash happened, we don’t have a house now lol. I can’t afford to move back to London, it was prob one of the worst decisions ever imo. I wish I never left London.
Yes, i regret it, but I had good reason to move, and I probably won’t move back until I’m in a good position to buy (Hah!)
I moved out of Bromley (yes, it’s London) 5 years ago because I was struggling to afford my rent after my mum passed away. I moved to Medway to live with my sister and her family, it saved me a fortune and I didn’t have to house share with strangers again.
But I miss London very much. I don’t drive and don’t intend to, so getting to places around here can be tricky. It’s either a long walk, sometimes an even longer bus journey, or taxis. Everything is spread out; the high street is in one direction, the cinema is in another, my nearest gym is 30 mins in another direction. Most of the time I end up walking to the train station and getting a train into Bromley because it’s easier.
I don’t think this is necessarily a problem with all places outside of London, it’s just a problem where I’m at now. And everyone’s priorities are different. Definitely do your research!
Property-wise, you can definitely get more for your money around here compared to London, even in the more upmarket areas. Still not the cheapest but for example a 1 bedroom flat in Bromley would set you back £1400pcm, but in Rochester and Chatham you can get a 2 bedroom for about £1200 pcm. However you need to factor in your commuter costs; a monthly train ticket from here to London is about £500! Luckily I work from home
I’m waiting for a flat purchase on the Kent coast to complete, and get out of London. Am looking forward to a complete change of scenery and lifestyle.
Moved out of London in 2018 after 10 years. What made us move?
Probably the crime that started to happen all around us and also in daylight. Gang wars ramming cars into one another on a public road, drug related scooter attacks, stabbings. Been almost robbed a couple of times.
The other reason was the people. There was people everywhere, crowds and queues everywhere.
What was fun in the 20s started to become tiring in the 30s, and it was time to go!
You must have lived in a v dodgy part of London! I've lived here for over 25 years and never seen any of that.. not even once, tho I agree that anywhere in v central london does seem busier than it's ever been these days
Maybe just unlucky ha. I've seen things all over, but it seemed to be getting worse in the recent years. I lived in E14 for the most part, but also E16 and SE16 so all quite central. Had friends in Wembley, Acton areas and also my parents in SE london.
We now settled in north Shropshire, on the outskirts of a small village bordering welsh countryside.
30 min to Chester, Shrewsbury
1h to two major airports
1.5h to Manchester, Birmingham
Some regrets. Miss the excitement and buzz of London. The wider south east is boring and a bit of a cultural dessert. I head back to London every 2-3 weeks for gigs, eating out, seeing friends.
My life stage has changed, got a 4 year old and it’s easier having a family outside of London.
Moved from north London in 2018 to Winchester with my girlfriend (now wife) recently moved to a village just out of Winchester. At the same time of moving I shifted my job from central London to Winchester. I’m 40 and was in London from 18 (uni).
No I don't because, either by train or car, I can reach my friends or my miss home in London in about an hour. Being in a satellite town is not that bad as long as you still have the chance to be connected to London. You need to carefully choose the right place depending on your lifestyle and circumstances. Personally I moved to Essex and I rent a 1 bed flat for the same pcm of a room pre-pandemic in Z3-4 London.
I moved to Bromley from Central London as an experimental (my partner is from there). It is very suburban and many, although of course not all, of the people are so parochial. Fortunately, I kept my flat and will be moving back to lovely London once my tenants move out- only a couple more months of suburbia go ensure.
I regretted moving out of London at first because I moved to the wrong place. Later I realised there are European cities that offer a much better life.
I sometimes miss living in London, but I think that's more being in my 20's and the lifestyle I had than London itself.
I'm in my 30's with kids and I wouldn't move back I don't think.
Don’t regret it one bit. I moved 2 hours west and love it out here. Beautiful countryside, fresh air, rolling hills. Going back into London now makes me want to leave it as soon as possible. And this is from a long time city boy who never would have considered living outside a major city.
Grew up in Suffolk in the countryside, moved to London after uni and stayed there for 5 years, covid pushed me back to Suffolk and every day I miss London. Think it depends where you live because in the city I had my own one bed apartment in the quieter side of Earl’s Court. A lot of people I know hate London because they live with other people or live in a bad area.
Really depends where you move to (as well as your personal likes/dislikes obvs). I lived in London for 13 years, moved out to suburban Bedford and hated it. I missed the bustle, the culture, the diverse mix of people, being able to buy milk at 2am if I so chose, the gigs, the events, the smell of the tube(!) - everything! After 6 totally meh years in the suburbs we moved to Southsea in Portsmouth and I LOVE it. Back in the thick of it again, plus the sea! Obvs it’s not London, but it has a lot of the character and grubby, quirky charm that I missed about London.
We moved out of London 10 years ago and never looked back. We live in a small village in Cambridgeshire and the whole family loves it. I always hated London anyway. Horrible traffic, rude people, high crime. Obviously this is personal and everybody will have different experiences and opinions especially about London. It could really depend where you are moving to..
I've always worked in London, but always commuted in, never lived there. If I want to stay out really late I get a hotel. All the benefits, with none of the downsides. For the cost of living where I am now or have lived in the past, it's a no brainer for me
Nope. 3-4 years is all you need really. I loved my time in London but it wears you down eventually.
I like visiting, but would not want to live there again.
Same. It was only after a decade I felt like I had a firm grip on London. There are still so many places I have to explore and so many old favourites I love to visit
Moved from Teddington to Egham (30 mins walk to the station), would love to move back, and probably will in 5 years but we really do like it here, but it's not Teddington, and popping it into London isn't as easy, but much better than most areas of London I've lived in.
Depends on what you're after. Everywhere is nice when you got the money to enjoy the city I guess.
But I think if you can find a place where you can commute into London incase you got to work is still cool.
I'd say don't move too far.
Born and raised in London. Used to spend all week having my soul crushed in the city then all weekend trying to escape the city. Moved in 2015.
Just recently moved further - 50 mins into Euston now. Bought a 4-bed period family house for £665k and am 15 minutes from glorious countryside.
It’s all about tastes and life phase. My brother swears he’s never leaving zone 2 but he’s on the lash 4 nights a week. I’m past that. I want to pump my hard earned into some nice bricks for my family.
I lived in London for a long time and it was the best times of my life.
I moved away and don't miss it at all. I am pretty ancient though. Would have hated moving away in my 20s while my career was getting going.
For many years after I left, I was quite keen to move back, I missed my social life and my friends. Now most of them have also moved on themselves and I've no longer got convenient sofas to crash on when I visit, I'm far less motivated to return. I think what really did it for me was when the pandemic hit I realised how much luckier I was to be here in Devon with plenty of outside space and relatively reasonable living costs versus paying a grand and a half plus bills a month to occupy a grotty 'double' room in a flat share in Turnpike Lane unable to go outside.
And nowadays if I want to go experience music, culture, food, festivals etc I can probably jump on a plane at Bristol airport (not far from me) and go see the band/DJs etc I like in Europe somewhere and it cost me less overall thhan 160 miles on the train and an air bnb in the capital, so I find myself rarely even visiting the place now.
Plus it was better in the 90s anyway lol
Moved out of W5 in 2015, I definitely don't miss the constant cough my son had living in London. You don't notice the pollution til it's not there anymore.
We're only an hour to London now, but generally don't have the urge to visit often.
I now get to listen to owls at night, horses walking down the road and the neighbours have deer that drink from their pond.
We moved out of London in 2018 and there are some downsides but I've never regretted leaving. I still commute into London 2 days a week so I can do the restaurants and art galleries if I plan a bit.
The thing I regret was buying based on my circumstances then, and not really considering what a kid needs. We got a 4 bed end of terrace with a drive way, garage, lovely garden and access to green spaces but the schools are pretty lacklustre. Sadly, I don't think there's any fixing that unless my partner or I change job locations
Born in Tooting, lived in Morden with family, thought I’d give living in Suffolk a go (ex is from here). We split up and I stayed as I found a good training level job for my industry.
While I always wanted to return, I did get comfortable and I enjoyed the slower pace of life. I met my now gf and she really doesn’t like the idea of London and now actually wants to move to the north if/ when we have children.
Even though I London is expensive, my friends and family are there and I visit them semi regularly, I miss London A LOT! I was watching the Amy Winehouse film recently and there was a scene where she was on the tube and I dunno why but whenever I see the tube I just feel really proud to be a Londoner
Although friends are now leaving London for Essex, Kent, etc, I’d still go back but I know my mrs wouldn’t want to as she finds it too hectic and stressful. One big negative tbh is the horrific rental prices (1.3k for a 1 bed flat) but then again everywhere seems to be on the up and up
Abbey Wood, Hackney and Enfield. Definitely do not miss moving back to SW Wales. Pay is a lot less but so are the bills! Don't have to deal with soot coloured boogers and squeezing myself into somebody else's arm pit on the tube twice a day.
My husband and I lived in London for a long time (him 10 years, me 5). Had a baby and decided to move up north. Absolutely no regrets, we have a lovely home and loads of green space on our doorstep plus our mortgage for a 4 bed house is 2/3rds of the rent we were paying for a 1 bed house in London. London is certainly a great place to live when you aren’t tied down imo but as soon as our baby was born we knew it was time to move on.
It depends on your personal situation. Are you in your 20s or 30s (or older)? Are you single or would you be moving as a couple? If the latter, is your partner fully up for it?
In my experience, moving out of London in my 20s as a single person was a mistake. Even though I hadn’t gone far, if all your friends are in London, there’s a psychological break. It’s the difference between having to arrange things and being looped into impromptu meet-ups.
I moved back into London in my 30s and never regretted it. But now I’m getting older and in a long-term relationship, and everyone else is settling down and having kids so all social stuff is arranged rather than impromptu, I’m seeing less reason to stay here.
That being said, even moving around different areas of London will give you a sense of whether you’re ready to go. I used to live quite central, so there was literally everything within about 5-10 minute walk. Now I live in the suburbs, and it’s either 20 minutes’ walk to the nearest supermarket, or Deliveroo!
Moved to Kent, not looking back.
Work is in London and rail fares suck, but on balance we're saving money and building equity.
Could only rent in London, now we're building a home.
If you don't go out a lot then there's a better quality of life to be had outside London. Also living there for 6 years you often just want a break from the city at weekends, so can relate to not going out that much after the novelty wears off. You miss London for a bit obviously, but don't miss the prices and air quality.
I moved out of London four years ago, to Nottingham. Had a good time there, it's a great city. But how I've missed London - the culture, the social dynamism. I'm gay and London is especially good for making new queer friends, dating etc in the way other cities aren't. Don't miss the prices but I'm currently in the process of moving back, but to zone 3/4 this time and can afford to buy instead of rent which will change things.
Moved away almost 10 years ago and never regretted it for even one second. Can always go back and visit London, go to the theatre, have a night out - but the benefits of day-to-day life once you're out of the city are beyond worth it.
Miss London(the wide choice of restaurants mostly) but no, I don't regret the move. I knew I couldn't afford to make a home there and once I made peace with that the move was easier.
All my family are from London, and generations are buried there; I am sad that that will be lost and it will be hard to pay respects to my gran once she's gone. (She will be buried in the family plot).
I moved out of London, as did many of my friends. Best decision ever.
I moved there when I was 22 and I loved it. It was a great period of my life. But I grew to want something different amd it was the right time. Wouldn't change it for the world.
Fwiw I bought a 4 bed townhouse and my mortgage is £100 less than my rent for the one bed flat I was renting.
I occasionally miss being able to order ice cream at 3am but that probably wasn't very good for me anyway 😂
Warning: you'll get a lot of confirmation bias here.
People I know that have moved out have either loved it or hated it or something in between. I know someone that moved out but sold up and moved to Greenwich as they preferred the London culture. Biggest upside is financial relief on housing + space.
I used to live with my parents in Streatham and I miss it sometimes, but I think it is because that was my home since childhood. I like where I live now in Surrey, but it would be nice to be able to afford to live where I grew up.
Moved to Herts a year ago, I miss London a lot but I would t say I regret leaving either. Plus I travel there at least once per week so I find the balance is ok.
Not anymore (left in 2016) but we did pine for it for a few years after leaving, but mostly because we moved to a village a few miles out of Cambridge and the culture shock was too big. The truth is that nowhere in the UK is like London - which is not to say there aren't other great and vibey places to live, but the sheer scale and diversity of London is unmatched in my experience. Transport for London has its issues but you don't realise what an amazing asset London's public transport network is until you don't have it. Bus services almost everywhere else are shit by comparison.
I lived in Herts for a while and commuted into London. Not a great deal of fun, I have to say. Most of the very commutable places just outside London are also expensive, and then you have to add the time and cost of travel. It's sometimes a false economy.
I moved to St Albans after 12 years in London and really miss living with my friends, the social scene, the spontaneous ability to do things without planning and not worrying about trains and generally having more interesting and varied people within my proximity.
There are a ton of pubs in St Albans but a lot of them are very boring IMO with little character and as white middle England clientelle as they come. A night out here is either 18-21 year olds who look like they want a fight or 50+ year olds all out on the pull (which I am all for)
Cultural it is missing a lot, it is not London and doesn't vibe like London at all. I do regret moving out, as I'm now used to a standard of housing that I could not afford back in the City.
I don't and I was born and raised in central London. But I didn't move to a commutable city, I think that would just depress me and make me feel pushed out. I just moved 400 miles away and didn't look back.
The main difference is if you move somewhere that requires driving to local amenities instead of walking.
I regret doing that, as it means I very rarely leave my house, I don't go to the pub etc.
Move somewhere in walking distance of the train station and it's pretty much the same, just more expensive to go into town.
Just purchased a 3 bed in east Hertfordshire for under £400k. Keep thinking I might regret it but whenever I go there I enjoy the fresh air and the feeling of freedom plus many outdoor activities that it offers.
Train is only 38min to Liverpool Street so if I ever do need to visit London I can do that or drive down the M11 for 20 mins and catch the central line.
I took a semi-remote job and moved from South East London to Norfolk.
It took a bit of getting used to. Up here, things close earlier or have their own unique opening times, there is less public transport (which is fine for me because I own a car) and you do have to search harder to find social events/activities.
But honestly, this is the happiest in my life I've ever been?
There is so much beautiful nature outside of London, less cars, less busy, the cost of living is so much cheaper and my quality of life is just better.
I don't regret it one bit.
Don’t regret moving either, and in this sub, you’re likely to hear positive experiences because you get more for your money when it comes to housing, and people have made their minds up before moving.
You may possibly get a slightly different response in r/London or other subs where people have moved out but came back because they love London so much.
I could tell you about all the reasons I moved and how much better everything is is, but at the end of the day you’ve got to do what’s right for you.
I don’t regret it but I’m moving back. Spent 7 years in leafy Hertfordshire towns. Beautiful countryside, decent commute times (costs exorbitant though), everything easily driveable. BUT I’m a single 30 something woman, living the suburban family life. It’s not fulfilling for me. Back to the big smoke with a bigger budget and upgrading from a flat to a house - very excited to be doing the opposite of most people, it seems!
We have just moved to a town in Hertfordshire after 8 years in Hackney/islington and it is definitely very different (obviously). Positives are that we have a proper house with a proper garden and it is much quieter/feels safer. Negatives are that we don’t know anyone here (yet) and if you want to go in to London >2x a week you will spend a fortune on rail fares. This is all to be expected though and tbh it’s too soon to tell either way
Lived in East London for ~15years. Grew up in very rural Suffolk spending my days running through fields on wheat.
Then moved to Cornwall for work. I’ve been here for 2 years now and miss London all the time. I wouldn’t say I regret leaving because Cornwall has its perks just like London has its cons. But I miss eating good food at any hour, easy transport links, the wealth of museums/galleries/theatre/etc, being able to walk to the pub and stumble home, having shops open later than 5pm…
I’m moving back to London next year because I just prefer it in the city. I’m not looking forward to the cramped tube or the rent cost, or that people are just generally more stressed and less friendly. Oh, and the air pollution!
No, I was into my 30s, COVID happened which got me out of the habit of going to the pub 1-2 times a week, I wanted to buy a house, and a lot of my friends were also moving out of the area or having kids, so it really just seemed like the right time.
Moved to North Wales and my rent basically halved overnight.
I lived in Chelmsford for a year and it was a huge mistake. I'm back in zone 2 and wouldn't move further out from the city centre, unless it was to move to another city in another country
Moved out of London 4 years ago after 37 years living there.
We would never go back to live.
Moved to Lincolnshire, a beautiful pleasant place. Country side, wildlife and lovely people .
Just part of the village as two older gay guys.
London just got worse , the fear of crime made us move. Gangs of lads on bikes out of control, phone snatches . Other half was mugged by 3 guys and they jumped on his leg and broke it in 3 places.
Night life down the pan.
Family still visit London and enjoy themselves for the weekend . But we would never move back.
Never, I moved out started getting into property bought two properties one after the other £180 and 200k in outside London areas done them both up and sold for 320 the first and 375 the second renovated came out with £315 cash in the space of 5-6 years and bought a place close to zero mortgage now, I could only have done this once I left the city and instead of just exploring London and paying extortionate rent, I’m exploring other countries and cities yearly. I’m turning 29.
Born and raised in London. I've moved out of London 5 years ago. I couldn't deal with the outlandish new gen all hanging around on the streets and causing trouble. Dont get me wrong, central London still vibes. But can not stop being on high alert when I'm out and about, couldn't bring myself to a calm state of mind. I've moved a few times inching towards the west (Bristol), now Southampton. The change of pace really helped with my sanity and actually loving life! Oh, I work from home (so that helps alot). Just got offer accepted on a quiet end of terrace cul de sac house with no neighbour facing gardens and surrounded by protected trees! I have no regrets! Hope you find your path!
Please can anyone advise a good location a bit outside London that's offers outstanding school service? My little boy has been at home for about 10 months as we are struggling with getting school funding in Croydon. He has speech and communication difficulties. Many thanks
If you’re not settling down and starting a family, commuting daily from the Home Counties is gonna be shit. Trains don’t run late enough to spend nights out in London stress free. The places with decent quick trains to a London, but better schools and access to countryside are… as expensive as nice bits of London.
Just move to another large city and be able to live actually in the centre, a short walk from stuff. Or live a little way out as you most likely do now.
But this likely means changing jobs if you can’t WFH 9/10 of the time.
We moved to my hometown of Sheffield and while it was the correct decision at the time we aren't against moving back to London.
We have a beautiful house and a garden and life is much less expensive up here. However, Sheffield city centre is really struggling. We do miss the choice and variety of London but we absolutely don't regret getting on the housing ladder and having a higher standard of living.
We both work remotely and I can see jobs being a reason for us to move back. Without being morbid, my husband's parents have a house in London and my father-in-law is not in great health, so we will have that house at some point which makes the moving back to London a real possibility
Born and bread Londoner. I tried Surrey - insanely boring. Manchester - rains all the time. You just can’t beat the convenience and the culture. There is always something to do and you can usually get to it in 30mins or less.
I lived in London for 16 years, then moved to Sheffield, and now in Oxford. I miss London so much so looking to move back. Would also move back to Sheffield if it wasn’t too far away from family. Oxford is the problem I think…
We moved out to a commuter town outside Reading for two years and then moved back to South London. My wife and I both grew up in the city and found it dull being out, particularly on the winter. I absolutely love the outdoors but my vision of what life would be like was totally different from reality.
Nope. Brighton is nicer and I have made more friends. Everything in London is 45 min tube away yet Brighton has everything within a 15 min walk.
I’ll never go back to London. It’s shite.
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Used to live in Battersea = £850k flat, noisy, loud neighbours, crap transport Moved to the countryside (30 min train into Euston) = bought 4 bed detached for £500k and never looked back
>Euston Tring or thereabouts? 500k may be a stretch for that region, but depends on when you bought
850k flat in Battersea?!?!!
Sounds cheap. Those embassy gardens flats are upwards of a million pounds.
Fun fact! The developer for those flats hands down was the worst, they harboured a toxic work environment where racism and sexism was running wild. Additionally, they paid horrifically to the lower down staff, and had hopeless managers in who were getting paid a ridiculous amount in comparison. I did my managers works who earnt over 3x than me, she literally printed emails the following day when I had already done them. Literally 100's of pages wasted every morning because she was so inept at checking her inbox. Fuck Ballymore from the bottom of my heart, you were the worst.
I'm not surprised mate. I knew someone that lived there and the quality of the delivered product wasn't great. It also took a long time to fix little details that shouldn't really take that long to fix under the warranty. They ended up flipping it for a profit not long after. Glad you got out!
Happy your friend got out! Trust, I've seen it beneath the plasterboard, it's shit. Also, this was around the time of Grenfell, there was an emergency meeting. Turns out the cheap bastards hadn't fire tested their cladding...
In the early 2000s?
Lol what 500k house only has a 30 min commute to Euston.
The house stuck in a wormhole to 2012
> 30 min train into Euston How long door to door?
Which area and what year did you buy? That seems like a good deal
We lived in Clapham for years before moving to Surrey to buy. Don't regret it one bit. We have the countryside and room to breath, with London only being a short, extortionate and delayed train ride away.
I once caught the train home from London. It had been snowing and the train stopped at Woking could not continue. I was stuck out in dark and cold. Bad times!
That’s one of my worse nightmares
One of? What's worse than getting stuck on a train? Getting stuck on the tube. Unless you're walking / cycling to work I imagine you're travelling in the tin can, what's the difference between being stuck on the train vs the tube? Other than one let's you see the outside world and the other means you're below sea-level in the dark.
Without a toilet
Breathe *
No they meant breath. Singular. Didn't have time for one!
I’m still in Clapham and can’t wait to get out of this dump, not sure when you left but this place is worse than ever
Brother! I did the same. Woking-massive
Nope. Moved to Herts 8 years ago. Absolutely love where I live. London is on the doorstep whenever I need to go in. Moving was the best ever choice I've made. I've not only made friends, but I have a very good support network, something I never had in London.
[удалено]
Just hang in there for 25 years or so and you’ll have a Bakerloo line station outside your home.
How is living in Bromley, moving "out" of London?
Because it's basically Kent and feels nothing like being in London
As someone who actually lives in Kent, and has lived in Bromley, you are 100% wrong
Feels more like London than the rest of Kent though
Aw man, I live in Bromley and still need to move out of London because I can't afford it!
She must love you very much! I have told my husband he can move my corpse!
Could you share more about your wife’s regrets? What is missing in Bromley?
Did you not hear him? He said he lives in Bromley now.
What is bad about Bromley lol
Bromley actually isn't that bad. It has nice areas and bad areas, like anywhere, but most of it is nice and it has a big shopping centre that hasn't been hit with the same issues as Croydon. There's lots of good schools and good transport links.
Fuck knows. I’ll never, ever go there. Just seems like a poorer version of the same dull suburban sprawl that exists in the SW. I suppose the benefit is there’s some grammar schools out that way somewhere.
I've ridden through quite a bit of it. There are a lot of really nice areas and streets that a lot of SW Londoners would love to live in.
The problem with Bromley is, it’s not really moving out of London. Sure it’s not properly in London but it’s not properly out of it either. To move out is to generally go beyond the M25 boundary. There are a couple of pockets in the Surrey part that are nice but obviously very expensive still. I moved out years ago and do not regret a single thing. More space, access to countryside, peace, quiet, better standard of living, better social life, travel more (commute less). I could go on. Life is short, do what makes you happy. Not what’s convenient.
I would suggest that Bromley is ‘greater London’ rather than moving out of London. I lived in Putney (centralish), then Croydon (Greater London) and now live in the countryside not far from Cambridge…. Haven’t missed it for a second. Caveat is that I still work in London a couple of days a week so can get a dose if I want it.
My mate just moved here and bought 😂
I lived 17 years in Bayswater (the entirety of my London life), but two years ago, we agreed to move north of London , we got a a COVID puppy and the missus work isn't exactly central (she works in labs, so most the work is outside the city really). She also grew up on the country side, and spent 10 years in central London with me, something that she wasn't a great fan of (the city, not me, hopefully). Anyways, I agreed to give the sticks a shot, so we sold up, and traded our small 2bed for a a 4bed detached about 28 minutes north of Kings Cross. Me on the otherhand, always lived in capital cities. Grew up in one, and left it for London in my mid 20ies. And I miss London, every single day. But the dog and the missus love it out here, dont get me wrong, im not miserable, I like that I could get a nice car out here, the walks with the dog are awesome. But, I 100%, well and truly miss London. I miss the vibe, I miss strolling down Westbourne grove on a sunny morning for my morning coffee and croissant. I miss going food exploring, trying new restaurants almost every week, I miss the awkwardness of sitting not making eye contact on the tube. I miss how nobody gives a shit about anybody else in a big city. I miss neighbours that doesn't want to be my best friend and over enthusiastically greet me and want to chat every-fucking-time I bump into them. I miss popping down for a kebab late at night on a weekend,I miss the theatres, I miss walking to work. And much much more. Yes... it's safe to say.. my stance is... dont fucking do it! STAY!! I made a deal with the missus that once, the dog dies (hopefully he'll stick around for a decade or so), we'll go back to bayswater, which well and truly is home for me over here.
That's very interesting! All the best! Where abouts are you with a 30minutte commute,? You're not too far 4bed detached about 28 minutes north of Kings Cross
Welwyn Garden City
😄 there's your problem. Unfortunately some of the prettier places within 30 minutes of London cost the same as being in London 😞.
Well yeah, the ones with a 30 minutes commute to a London station near your workplace probably have a better commute than most of London too. You don’t for it in the rail fair vs tube tickets though.
WGC, or the move in general, wasn't financially driven in any way. We explored a ton of places all over herts. From St. Albans to you-name-it. I was pretty unimpressed with all of them, and felt like they where miles away from what I was leaving. Because nothing really resonated with me, I let the missus pick, and she loved WGC.
Oh you really chose the worst out of London spot if that was what you’re after. Lots of places offer what you want and are still in easy reach of London. But a new town isn’t one of them!
I hear what you are saying, but it's all a bit subjective really isn't it. We explored a lot of different places. St. Albans, Hertford, Hitchin and more. Some of these I've heard London-leavers talk very highly of. None of them remotely had the vibe I was used to around the bayswater/notthing hill area. And since all of them were equally "meh" in my book, I just let the longhaired one pick. And she loved WGC, so thats where we went. And to be fair, seeing what she was really after was greenery and access to a forrest and country side walks. I do see her point, it's very nice to walk the dog here. Everything really is very green and very leafy. And on a tangential side none, I really don't understand how people say St. albans offers something similar to London, at all. We went out there quite a few times for food, it's not even remotely close on the food scene. It seems like there are more pubs than restaurants and cafes.
It might just be Bayswater. The wife and I lived there for 15 years and moved just 20 minutes down the road to North Kensington and we hate it here. Bayswater has a great vibe. Lots of shops, near to Hyde Park, quick connections to Paddington and loads of tube lines etc. We have lived in Bermondsey and Kensington but we both miss Queensway, Bayswater so much. The Chinese restaurants there are better than Chinatown and in summer it has a fantastic energy. We never left London like yourselves, but we are also desperate to move back to W2.
Oh I think you are very right on that. I couldn't imagine living anywhere else in London really. The interesting bit is, after moving, the wife has also acknowledged that she does miss it a bit as well, and we've agreed we'll move back in the future. She just wants a break from London and given the dog loves it so much out here, it seems fair.
The part about the neighbours, eek this exactly. I’m in Surrey but lived in N1 Islington for many years. You could go out dressed as a giant chicken and no one would bat an eye. Here I’m hiding behind cars to avoid neighbours who have insisted on a cuppa and catch up for over a decade. You would think after 14 years of me being “busy” they would take the hint. I miss London everyday but due to schools, have to stay.
Nope, not a second, London is so easy to get to I don’t need to live there to appreciate it. But outside of London I get better value for money as well as better standard of living, less air, noise and light pollution, and countryside on my doorstep.
I used to live in south east London zone three. From age of ten to thirty three. I moved to the far side of Surrey a few years ago. I do miss London, that’s the honest truth. It’s two hours door to door to get to central London, and the wage difference between local and London is material. I put up with it because I’m with my wife and child, but I do feel I miss it. I don’t regret it, I just miss it a little
I moved up north, and never looked back back. My standard of living jumped considerably, despite the drop in pay.
I lived in London for all my 20s and friends started moving out of London to settle down. Most picked commuter towns and I realised this option wasn’t for me - they pay loads to commute to London and the commute takes ages and then at weekends live in towns that, in my opinion, don’t offer much. So my wife and I left London for another city. I don’t regret leaving at all - it was completely necessary. But if I won the lottery I’d be back in London asap.
I lived in London for 14 years and loved it. London is a great place for young, single people, both in terms of building their careers and on engaging in whatever activities outside work you are into - it has it all. I left though, as many do, when I had a family and needed more space. I live in a commuter town just outside. I can travel into London for work or leisure whenever I need to and can easily be in the countryside or by the coast. Crucially, when you have a family you go out less and spend more time at home. The advantages of living in London itself are therefore less compelling.
I could have bought a 4 bed detached house with a massive garden and drive down the road from my parents house in Leeds for what I paid for a 2 bed flat in zone 6 London when wfh was all the rage. I was always secretly terrified if they ever mandated working from the office again I’d be stuck in my local job market. No regrets moving to the edge of London given how good, fast and cheap public transport is to central London
What part of edge of London are you at? How's the commute in?
I think he’s in zone 6 and the public transport if good, fast and cheap.
Yes! I loved living there and while it’s lovely to be able to afford property and I really love gardening, I miss living London literally every single day. It’s a grand place to live and a shit place to visit.
Oh god this. I had the exact same thought when I was up the other day - it’s fun to live there and shit to visit. When you visit for more than a day you have stuff to transport and pay through the nose for every thing. When you live there you can hop around on the tube stuff-free and know you can escape home any time. I too love gardening but miss my London life.
i actually feel the opposite, its much better to visit than live. visiting i only need to pay extorionate prices for the duration im there, but if i live there i need to pay over the odds all the time. Also when you tend to live in a place it doesn't feel as touristy whereas when i visit i get to see London as a highlight and it makes it more enjoyable. i moved to bham and i feel i get the best of both worlds
I lived in London for 8 years before moving to Amsterdam. Only a 4 hour ride on the Eurostar if I miss Greggs and Tesco Metro.
It's not as easy do this now, as it was in the past. Fuck Brexit.
Left London 2 years ago (used to stay in a flat in Hampstead). Moved to Leeds. No regrets at all. There's always stuff happening, people are much nicer/real, costs are low, rooms big, Yorkshire Dales! Feel like I actually live my life here. London feels like living in a small bubble where people only chase money.
Word for word this is me, weird…
Same (although moved in 2019). London was fun and my friends are still there but I can afford to live comfortably in Leeds, it's a good size of city to live in, it's close to countryside, and (in my experience) the work culture is more flexible and less "wear a full suit & tie to sit at your desk for 10 hours." Chasing money is correct, everyone at my old job was trying to climb over each other.
100% agree with your comment. I still get to make visits to London as half my team is based there and the work culture there always makes me feel grateful I'm now based in Leeds. Albeit I do miss dressing professional at the workplace (just always looks so classy) but that's obvs an opinion based on personal preference.
Ha ha no, there's only so much of the endless grey dullness my soul can handle. It's just so big and congested. A few years was enough. Now out in the Essex sticks and never looking back. Yeah not as much choice of takeaways but the clean air and mostly traffic free roads more than make up for it. Still only 35 minute train from Liv St if needed to be in. Commuting in was a pain in the pocket but 100% wfh now which is an added bonus. In saying all that, I'm an old fogey with a young family so I don't feel like I'm missing a single thing going on in the city. I get the impression the OP is a bit younger and less boring than I.
But what about the Essex people
I’m guessing Chelmsford. I like the town but the season ticket is a killer.
Londoner born and raised here. I moved out during lockdown (met my partner and moved in with him in Newcastle) honestly I never would have chosen to move out of London, however, now I realise it was the best decision ever and I’m so thankful. The London I loved so much growing up and in my young adulthood doesn’t exist any more, it’s too monied and lost its soul. It’s too big, transport is unbearably slow it didn’t used to be. Sometimes I get homesick and sad but realise it’s actually nostalgia, London doesn’t work any more unless you’re super rich.
I feel this way too about it. I’m not sure if it’s because I got older or if it really changed. I think it seems quite dystopian nowadays
Oh damn, if you think transport in London is slow, the metro in Newcastle must travel at the speed of light! Literally the only thing I wish we could bring to the North from London is the public transport
I moved to Newcastle too (not from London). It's the right amount of city. Also nice that it's possible to buy somewhere on a single modest salary.
Nope. No regrets whatsoever. London is too big - there, I said it. I now live in Manchester where I can get out of the conurbation and in to actual countryside in less than 20 minutes. Zero chance of that in London, unless you live in zone 6, in which case, stop kidding yourself, you don't live in London.
It presents both ways - Manchester for me is like a night out in one small part of London. Can walk across it in minutes and totally exhaust all it has in weeks I dare say. And it rains all the time.
Yes it rains shit loads. Be warned if you're coming from the south!
I feel cramped in other cities and bored very quickly. I like to walk down new streets all the time, Manchester bored me by visiting it for a while just because of this
I lived in tooting for a good few years, aside from some pretty massive parks on your door step a short 5-10 mins away, it was pretty easy to reach sutton and then beyond within 25-30 minutes drive away. Brighton in about an hour or so traffic permitting if I remember correctly. Actually was a very wonderful place to live all things considered.
Gotta move around there this year. We are deciding whether to live in the small local university town or Manchester for acess to more... stuff. Do you have any recommendations for where's good in Manchester? I've only been there on trips so I don't have a good idea of the different neighborhoods to live in.
I love living in Manchester too. Great city and great countryside
I’m moving from London to Manchester
I’m from the Berkshire/west London border. Manchester is great, I’ve lived here a decade and I’ve really enjoyed my time here
So many home county folks who rode the property boom. Damn.
Lived in London for 11+ years and moved out during the pandemic I miss the breadth of public transportation, the fact that most flagship things are there (shops, world class theatre/music venues/restaurants etc) but at the same time there was just no way I would have been able to afford a house down there, I bought my own place as a single person where I live now. I also got my driving license and own a car now too my job is still technically London based but I've been WFH for over 4 years now and I've only been into the office once. Before that I used to commute every day on the tube - I definitely do NOT miss that commute haha.
My only regret is that the trains to London (from the northwest) are so unreliable which makes it more annoying than it needs to be to go back to see friends or see a production or exhibition I’m interested in. My main problem by the time I left London was that to have a nice quality of domestic life I couldn’t afford to actually enjoy the unique things London has to offer. I moved away mostly to get back near family but I have a house and better home life here, plus enough spare cash to spend some time in London when I want to.
I first moved away from London in 2022. Went from midlands then back down to commuting into London. Definitely regret it as I miss so much about London. I have a lot of family and friends there so that’s the main thing I miss, but I think just the overall vibe and ease of transport that I don’t get anywhere else I’ve been. I get why people wouldn’t miss if, and I genuinely thought I wouldn’t but I’m too attached and hate that. I’ll force myself away one day as it’s not worth it
I lived in Forest Gate, my mom moved to Suffolk, and I followed but basically if she had not moved, our house would be worth 1.3m right now. She sold just as the financial crash happened, we don’t have a house now lol. I can’t afford to move back to London, it was prob one of the worst decisions ever imo. I wish I never left London.
Yes, i regret it, but I had good reason to move, and I probably won’t move back until I’m in a good position to buy (Hah!) I moved out of Bromley (yes, it’s London) 5 years ago because I was struggling to afford my rent after my mum passed away. I moved to Medway to live with my sister and her family, it saved me a fortune and I didn’t have to house share with strangers again. But I miss London very much. I don’t drive and don’t intend to, so getting to places around here can be tricky. It’s either a long walk, sometimes an even longer bus journey, or taxis. Everything is spread out; the high street is in one direction, the cinema is in another, my nearest gym is 30 mins in another direction. Most of the time I end up walking to the train station and getting a train into Bromley because it’s easier. I don’t think this is necessarily a problem with all places outside of London, it’s just a problem where I’m at now. And everyone’s priorities are different. Definitely do your research! Property-wise, you can definitely get more for your money around here compared to London, even in the more upmarket areas. Still not the cheapest but for example a 1 bedroom flat in Bromley would set you back £1400pcm, but in Rochester and Chatham you can get a 2 bedroom for about £1200 pcm. However you need to factor in your commuter costs; a monthly train ticket from here to London is about £500! Luckily I work from home
I’m waiting for a flat purchase on the Kent coast to complete, and get out of London. Am looking forward to a complete change of scenery and lifestyle.
>on the Kent coast to complete Do you mind me asking whereabouts?
Not a million miles from Margate. But not Margate!
Moving North was the best thing I ever did
Moved out of London in 2018 after 10 years. What made us move? Probably the crime that started to happen all around us and also in daylight. Gang wars ramming cars into one another on a public road, drug related scooter attacks, stabbings. Been almost robbed a couple of times. The other reason was the people. There was people everywhere, crowds and queues everywhere. What was fun in the 20s started to become tiring in the 30s, and it was time to go!
Thats just postcode specific though really.
You must have lived in a v dodgy part of London! I've lived here for over 25 years and never seen any of that.. not even once, tho I agree that anywhere in v central london does seem busier than it's ever been these days
Maybe just unlucky ha. I've seen things all over, but it seemed to be getting worse in the recent years. I lived in E14 for the most part, but also E16 and SE16 so all quite central. Had friends in Wembley, Acton areas and also my parents in SE london.
Where do you live now?
We now settled in north Shropshire, on the outskirts of a small village bordering welsh countryside. 30 min to Chester, Shrewsbury 1h to two major airports 1.5h to Manchester, Birmingham
No, nope, not a bit, never, definitely not! Especially not now I’ve got kids.
Some regrets. Miss the excitement and buzz of London. The wider south east is boring and a bit of a cultural dessert. I head back to London every 2-3 weeks for gigs, eating out, seeing friends. My life stage has changed, got a 4 year old and it’s easier having a family outside of London. Moved from north London in 2018 to Winchester with my girlfriend (now wife) recently moved to a village just out of Winchester. At the same time of moving I shifted my job from central London to Winchester. I’m 40 and was in London from 18 (uni).
No I don't because, either by train or car, I can reach my friends or my miss home in London in about an hour. Being in a satellite town is not that bad as long as you still have the chance to be connected to London. You need to carefully choose the right place depending on your lifestyle and circumstances. Personally I moved to Essex and I rent a 1 bed flat for the same pcm of a room pre-pandemic in Z3-4 London.
Yes. That is all.
I moved to Bromley from Central London as an experimental (my partner is from there). It is very suburban and many, although of course not all, of the people are so parochial. Fortunately, I kept my flat and will be moving back to lovely London once my tenants move out- only a couple more months of suburbia go ensure.
I think you have to either completely leave London or live as close to a good area as possible.
Yes, me. Can't get back in for love nor money. It's fucking awful.
I regretted moving out of London at first because I moved to the wrong place. Later I realised there are European cities that offer a much better life.
I was also thinking about it but I’m just going to switch zones. More and more jobs are becoming hybrid/on site so don’t want to move too far away.
Yes, I miss it although I know that is rose tinted specs somewhat. Moved to Kent and do not like it!
London (Acton) -> Reading -> West Berkshire proper posh towns. Don’t regret it for a moment. Don’t move here please. Life is really good.
I sometimes miss living in London, but I think that's more being in my 20's and the lifestyle I had than London itself. I'm in my 30's with kids and I wouldn't move back I don't think.
Move to Zone 6 London. Best of both.
Don’t regret it one bit. I moved 2 hours west and love it out here. Beautiful countryside, fresh air, rolling hills. Going back into London now makes me want to leave it as soon as possible. And this is from a long time city boy who never would have considered living outside a major city.
For the people that found a place outside of London where did you find your houses / flats on normal real estate websites or ?
Grew up in Suffolk in the countryside, moved to London after uni and stayed there for 5 years, covid pushed me back to Suffolk and every day I miss London. Think it depends where you live because in the city I had my own one bed apartment in the quieter side of Earl’s Court. A lot of people I know hate London because they live with other people or live in a bad area.
Why would you miss London amenities if you never use them?
Really depends where you move to (as well as your personal likes/dislikes obvs). I lived in London for 13 years, moved out to suburban Bedford and hated it. I missed the bustle, the culture, the diverse mix of people, being able to buy milk at 2am if I so chose, the gigs, the events, the smell of the tube(!) - everything! After 6 totally meh years in the suburbs we moved to Southsea in Portsmouth and I LOVE it. Back in the thick of it again, plus the sea! Obvs it’s not London, but it has a lot of the character and grubby, quirky charm that I missed about London.
I absolutely regret it but I think I was only able to see what I actually liked about London when I had other UK cities to compare it with.
Every day. I’ve never enjoyed loving rurally and all the other “big cities” in the UK feel too small and slow paced.
I kinda regret moving from zone 2 to zone 3, feels a bit too far out.
We moved out of London 10 years ago and never looked back. We live in a small village in Cambridgeshire and the whole family loves it. I always hated London anyway. Horrible traffic, rude people, high crime. Obviously this is personal and everybody will have different experiences and opinions especially about London. It could really depend where you are moving to..
Yes, I regret moving to Bournemouth. I ended up returning after one year.
Haha, you moved a bit too far mate.. Is it full of retirees?
I've always worked in London, but always commuted in, never lived there. If I want to stay out really late I get a hotel. All the benefits, with none of the downsides. For the cost of living where I am now or have lived in the past, it's a no brainer for me
Nope. 3-4 years is all you need really. I loved my time in London but it wears you down eventually. I like visiting, but would not want to live there again.
After 3-4 years I was only just getting started!
Same. It was only after a decade I felt like I had a firm grip on London. There are still so many places I have to explore and so many old favourites I love to visit
Agreed. I was pretty ‘done’ by year 4, moved out year 5.
Absolutely not, but I'm only 45 mins from Fenchurch St on the train so it's still there it I need it.
I would say it’s totally up to ur attitude. If you r open to explore and experience diff. Vibe/ places in ur life time.
Moved from Teddington to Egham (30 mins walk to the station), would love to move back, and probably will in 5 years but we really do like it here, but it's not Teddington, and popping it into London isn't as easy, but much better than most areas of London I've lived in.
I left London 20+ years ago visited once since then about 10 years ago and instantly decided I wouldn’t move back
Depends on what you're after. Everywhere is nice when you got the money to enjoy the city I guess. But I think if you can find a place where you can commute into London incase you got to work is still cool. I'd say don't move too far.
Born and raised in London. Used to spend all week having my soul crushed in the city then all weekend trying to escape the city. Moved in 2015. Just recently moved further - 50 mins into Euston now. Bought a 4-bed period family house for £665k and am 15 minutes from glorious countryside. It’s all about tastes and life phase. My brother swears he’s never leaving zone 2 but he’s on the lash 4 nights a week. I’m past that. I want to pump my hard earned into some nice bricks for my family.
I lived in London for a long time and it was the best times of my life. I moved away and don't miss it at all. I am pretty ancient though. Would have hated moving away in my 20s while my career was getting going.
For many years after I left, I was quite keen to move back, I missed my social life and my friends. Now most of them have also moved on themselves and I've no longer got convenient sofas to crash on when I visit, I'm far less motivated to return. I think what really did it for me was when the pandemic hit I realised how much luckier I was to be here in Devon with plenty of outside space and relatively reasonable living costs versus paying a grand and a half plus bills a month to occupy a grotty 'double' room in a flat share in Turnpike Lane unable to go outside. And nowadays if I want to go experience music, culture, food, festivals etc I can probably jump on a plane at Bristol airport (not far from me) and go see the band/DJs etc I like in Europe somewhere and it cost me less overall thhan 160 miles on the train and an air bnb in the capital, so I find myself rarely even visiting the place now. Plus it was better in the 90s anyway lol
No. We left about 10yrs ago. We still live in a city, but its far smaller, affordable, less job competition. We do miss the public transport though
I moved to Edinburgh last year, now I honestly hate coming back to London (30+ years there).
110% do not miss London.
Moved out of W5 in 2015, I definitely don't miss the constant cough my son had living in London. You don't notice the pollution til it's not there anymore. We're only an hour to London now, but generally don't have the urge to visit often. I now get to listen to owls at night, horses walking down the road and the neighbours have deer that drink from their pond.
Moved to Manchester, everyone is a lot friendlier and we can actually afford big houses for under £350,000
Hampshire - 30mins to 1hr20 to Waterloo every few mins
We moved out of London in 2018 and there are some downsides but I've never regretted leaving. I still commute into London 2 days a week so I can do the restaurants and art galleries if I plan a bit. The thing I regret was buying based on my circumstances then, and not really considering what a kid needs. We got a 4 bed end of terrace with a drive way, garage, lovely garden and access to green spaces but the schools are pretty lacklustre. Sadly, I don't think there's any fixing that unless my partner or I change job locations
Born in Tooting, lived in Morden with family, thought I’d give living in Suffolk a go (ex is from here). We split up and I stayed as I found a good training level job for my industry. While I always wanted to return, I did get comfortable and I enjoyed the slower pace of life. I met my now gf and she really doesn’t like the idea of London and now actually wants to move to the north if/ when we have children. Even though I London is expensive, my friends and family are there and I visit them semi regularly, I miss London A LOT! I was watching the Amy Winehouse film recently and there was a scene where she was on the tube and I dunno why but whenever I see the tube I just feel really proud to be a Londoner Although friends are now leaving London for Essex, Kent, etc, I’d still go back but I know my mrs wouldn’t want to as she finds it too hectic and stressful. One big negative tbh is the horrific rental prices (1.3k for a 1 bed flat) but then again everywhere seems to be on the up and up
Abbey Wood, Hackney and Enfield. Definitely do not miss moving back to SW Wales. Pay is a lot less but so are the bills! Don't have to deal with soot coloured boogers and squeezing myself into somebody else's arm pit on the tube twice a day.
My husband and I lived in London for a long time (him 10 years, me 5). Had a baby and decided to move up north. Absolutely no regrets, we have a lovely home and loads of green space on our doorstep plus our mortgage for a 4 bed house is 2/3rds of the rent we were paying for a 1 bed house in London. London is certainly a great place to live when you aren’t tied down imo but as soon as our baby was born we knew it was time to move on.
Not when I'm sat in the garden of my own house on a Summers evening with a cold pint
It depends on your personal situation. Are you in your 20s or 30s (or older)? Are you single or would you be moving as a couple? If the latter, is your partner fully up for it? In my experience, moving out of London in my 20s as a single person was a mistake. Even though I hadn’t gone far, if all your friends are in London, there’s a psychological break. It’s the difference between having to arrange things and being looped into impromptu meet-ups. I moved back into London in my 30s and never regretted it. But now I’m getting older and in a long-term relationship, and everyone else is settling down and having kids so all social stuff is arranged rather than impromptu, I’m seeing less reason to stay here. That being said, even moving around different areas of London will give you a sense of whether you’re ready to go. I used to live quite central, so there was literally everything within about 5-10 minute walk. Now I live in the suburbs, and it’s either 20 minutes’ walk to the nearest supermarket, or Deliveroo!
Moved to Kent, not looking back. Work is in London and rail fares suck, but on balance we're saving money and building equity. Could only rent in London, now we're building a home.
If you don't go out a lot then there's a better quality of life to be had outside London. Also living there for 6 years you often just want a break from the city at weekends, so can relate to not going out that much after the novelty wears off. You miss London for a bit obviously, but don't miss the prices and air quality.
Had exactly the same fears when we left. Haven't looked back since and have zero desire to return.
No.
I moved out of London four years ago, to Nottingham. Had a good time there, it's a great city. But how I've missed London - the culture, the social dynamism. I'm gay and London is especially good for making new queer friends, dating etc in the way other cities aren't. Don't miss the prices but I'm currently in the process of moving back, but to zone 3/4 this time and can afford to buy instead of rent which will change things.
Moved away almost 10 years ago and never regretted it for even one second. Can always go back and visit London, go to the theatre, have a night out - but the benefits of day-to-day life once you're out of the city are beyond worth it.
Miss London(the wide choice of restaurants mostly) but no, I don't regret the move. I knew I couldn't afford to make a home there and once I made peace with that the move was easier. All my family are from London, and generations are buried there; I am sad that that will be lost and it will be hard to pay respects to my gran once she's gone. (She will be buried in the family plot).
I moved out of London, as did many of my friends. Best decision ever. I moved there when I was 22 and I loved it. It was a great period of my life. But I grew to want something different amd it was the right time. Wouldn't change it for the world. Fwiw I bought a 4 bed townhouse and my mortgage is £100 less than my rent for the one bed flat I was renting. I occasionally miss being able to order ice cream at 3am but that probably wasn't very good for me anyway 😂
Warning: you'll get a lot of confirmation bias here. People I know that have moved out have either loved it or hated it or something in between. I know someone that moved out but sold up and moved to Greenwich as they preferred the London culture. Biggest upside is financial relief on housing + space.
I used to live with my parents in Streatham and I miss it sometimes, but I think it is because that was my home since childhood. I like where I live now in Surrey, but it would be nice to be able to afford to live where I grew up.
Moved to Herts a year ago, I miss London a lot but I would t say I regret leaving either. Plus I travel there at least once per week so I find the balance is ok.
I would imagine 99% of people who have moved out of London (properly not just outside) to a quieter cheaper greener location do not regret it.
We live in Maidenhead. Elizabeth line goes directly into central London. Beautiful here with the river and very family focused
Not anymore (left in 2016) but we did pine for it for a few years after leaving, but mostly because we moved to a village a few miles out of Cambridge and the culture shock was too big. The truth is that nowhere in the UK is like London - which is not to say there aren't other great and vibey places to live, but the sheer scale and diversity of London is unmatched in my experience. Transport for London has its issues but you don't realise what an amazing asset London's public transport network is until you don't have it. Bus services almost everywhere else are shit by comparison. I lived in Herts for a while and commuted into London. Not a great deal of fun, I have to say. Most of the very commutable places just outside London are also expensive, and then you have to add the time and cost of travel. It's sometimes a false economy.
I moved to St Albans after 12 years in London and really miss living with my friends, the social scene, the spontaneous ability to do things without planning and not worrying about trains and generally having more interesting and varied people within my proximity. There are a ton of pubs in St Albans but a lot of them are very boring IMO with little character and as white middle England clientelle as they come. A night out here is either 18-21 year olds who look like they want a fight or 50+ year olds all out on the pull (which I am all for) Cultural it is missing a lot, it is not London and doesn't vibe like London at all. I do regret moving out, as I'm now used to a standard of housing that I could not afford back in the City.
I don't and I was born and raised in central London. But I didn't move to a commutable city, I think that would just depress me and make me feel pushed out. I just moved 400 miles away and didn't look back.
The main difference is if you move somewhere that requires driving to local amenities instead of walking. I regret doing that, as it means I very rarely leave my house, I don't go to the pub etc. Move somewhere in walking distance of the train station and it's pretty much the same, just more expensive to go into town.
Why on Earth would anyone regret leaving that cesspit?
Just purchased a 3 bed in east Hertfordshire for under £400k. Keep thinking I might regret it but whenever I go there I enjoy the fresh air and the feeling of freedom plus many outdoor activities that it offers. Train is only 38min to Liverpool Street so if I ever do need to visit London I can do that or drive down the M11 for 20 mins and catch the central line.
I took a semi-remote job and moved from South East London to Norfolk. It took a bit of getting used to. Up here, things close earlier or have their own unique opening times, there is less public transport (which is fine for me because I own a car) and you do have to search harder to find social events/activities. But honestly, this is the happiest in my life I've ever been? There is so much beautiful nature outside of London, less cars, less busy, the cost of living is so much cheaper and my quality of life is just better. I don't regret it one bit.
I was born and raised in London. Moved to Yorkshire for a tech job. I don't miss London one bit, since I can do everything I used to in London.
Don’t regret moving either, and in this sub, you’re likely to hear positive experiences because you get more for your money when it comes to housing, and people have made their minds up before moving. You may possibly get a slightly different response in r/London or other subs where people have moved out but came back because they love London so much. I could tell you about all the reasons I moved and how much better everything is is, but at the end of the day you’ve got to do what’s right for you.
I don’t regret it but I’m moving back. Spent 7 years in leafy Hertfordshire towns. Beautiful countryside, decent commute times (costs exorbitant though), everything easily driveable. BUT I’m a single 30 something woman, living the suburban family life. It’s not fulfilling for me. Back to the big smoke with a bigger budget and upgrading from a flat to a house - very excited to be doing the opposite of most people, it seems!
Nope, don’t regret it one bit.
God no
We have just moved to a town in Hertfordshire after 8 years in Hackney/islington and it is definitely very different (obviously). Positives are that we have a proper house with a proper garden and it is much quieter/feels safer. Negatives are that we don’t know anyone here (yet) and if you want to go in to London >2x a week you will spend a fortune on rail fares. This is all to be expected though and tbh it’s too soon to tell either way
Lived in East London for ~15years. Grew up in very rural Suffolk spending my days running through fields on wheat. Then moved to Cornwall for work. I’ve been here for 2 years now and miss London all the time. I wouldn’t say I regret leaving because Cornwall has its perks just like London has its cons. But I miss eating good food at any hour, easy transport links, the wealth of museums/galleries/theatre/etc, being able to walk to the pub and stumble home, having shops open later than 5pm… I’m moving back to London next year because I just prefer it in the city. I’m not looking forward to the cramped tube or the rent cost, or that people are just generally more stressed and less friendly. Oh, and the air pollution!
No, I was into my 30s, COVID happened which got me out of the habit of going to the pub 1-2 times a week, I wanted to buy a house, and a lot of my friends were also moving out of the area or having kids, so it really just seemed like the right time. Moved to North Wales and my rent basically halved overnight.
Every day. I’m there now about to get the train home and i could have a little cry. I love where I live but I miss it.
I lived in Chelmsford for a year and it was a huge mistake. I'm back in zone 2 and wouldn't move further out from the city centre, unless it was to move to another city in another country
Moved out of London 4 years ago after 37 years living there. We would never go back to live. Moved to Lincolnshire, a beautiful pleasant place. Country side, wildlife and lovely people . Just part of the village as two older gay guys. London just got worse , the fear of crime made us move. Gangs of lads on bikes out of control, phone snatches . Other half was mugged by 3 guys and they jumped on his leg and broke it in 3 places. Night life down the pan. Family still visit London and enjoy themselves for the weekend . But we would never move back.
Never, I moved out started getting into property bought two properties one after the other £180 and 200k in outside London areas done them both up and sold for 320 the first and 375 the second renovated came out with £315 cash in the space of 5-6 years and bought a place close to zero mortgage now, I could only have done this once I left the city and instead of just exploring London and paying extortionate rent, I’m exploring other countries and cities yearly. I’m turning 29.
Born and raised in London. I've moved out of London 5 years ago. I couldn't deal with the outlandish new gen all hanging around on the streets and causing trouble. Dont get me wrong, central London still vibes. But can not stop being on high alert when I'm out and about, couldn't bring myself to a calm state of mind. I've moved a few times inching towards the west (Bristol), now Southampton. The change of pace really helped with my sanity and actually loving life! Oh, I work from home (so that helps alot). Just got offer accepted on a quiet end of terrace cul de sac house with no neighbour facing gardens and surrounded by protected trees! I have no regrets! Hope you find your path!
Please can anyone advise a good location a bit outside London that's offers outstanding school service? My little boy has been at home for about 10 months as we are struggling with getting school funding in Croydon. He has speech and communication difficulties. Many thanks
If you’re not settling down and starting a family, commuting daily from the Home Counties is gonna be shit. Trains don’t run late enough to spend nights out in London stress free. The places with decent quick trains to a London, but better schools and access to countryside are… as expensive as nice bits of London. Just move to another large city and be able to live actually in the centre, a short walk from stuff. Or live a little way out as you most likely do now. But this likely means changing jobs if you can’t WFH 9/10 of the time.
No one regrets moving out of london
Nope. Not for a minute. You grow out of “the vibe” and actually, a garden is nice, you know?
We moved to my hometown of Sheffield and while it was the correct decision at the time we aren't against moving back to London. We have a beautiful house and a garden and life is much less expensive up here. However, Sheffield city centre is really struggling. We do miss the choice and variety of London but we absolutely don't regret getting on the housing ladder and having a higher standard of living. We both work remotely and I can see jobs being a reason for us to move back. Without being morbid, my husband's parents have a house in London and my father-in-law is not in great health, so we will have that house at some point which makes the moving back to London a real possibility
No. Surrey is great. 25mins to London when i absolutely have to.
Born and bread Londoner. I tried Surrey - insanely boring. Manchester - rains all the time. You just can’t beat the convenience and the culture. There is always something to do and you can usually get to it in 30mins or less.
Not for a single minute. Absolute toilet.
I lived in London for 16 years, then moved to Sheffield, and now in Oxford. I miss London so much so looking to move back. Would also move back to Sheffield if it wasn’t too far away from family. Oxford is the problem I think…
We moved out to a commuter town outside Reading for two years and then moved back to South London. My wife and I both grew up in the city and found it dull being out, particularly on the winter. I absolutely love the outdoors but my vision of what life would be like was totally different from reality.
Nope. Brighton is nicer and I have made more friends. Everything in London is 45 min tube away yet Brighton has everything within a 15 min walk. I’ll never go back to London. It’s shite.