@ar10642 - this is a practical suggestion and rather off-topic, but you keep poo-poohing moving up north - it's actually a bloody good idea. Why are you so anti it?
While I am fortunate to have been in the position that I *could* have bought a house down south if I really wanted to, I thought it was insane. So I moved up here and (admittedly having something of an advantage that I was born in Durham so knew where to go) I am as happy as a pig in ****.
At some risk to my anonymity, I'll detail my position to demo why I think it's a no-brainer:
(I am married but my wife is basically irrelevant to the following tale as everything financially is in my name and she has followed me - and still doesn't have a job up here - so I will use first person):
I am 35. To grossly simplify my last decade, I started a new career in roughly 2013, moved down south dunno, maybe 2016 (?) to get more money (although I didn't really at first) - moved my way up through the various opportunities there and then managed to move up north again a few months ago while keeping roughly the same job, but doing it remotely.
I've just moved in to the first house I've ever owned, in a 1960s housing estate in an ancient village. It was quite a naive purchase in hindsight because I didn't appreciate just how much work was required on it. Nevertheless was able to do it (with some CC balance transfer tricks - see MSE!) and am now paying less than 1/4 of my salary a month towards it on a 15-year mortgage on a three-bed semi. About the same on the balance transfers/new kitchen at 0% but they will be done in a couple of years.
Within 5 miles there are 3 farm shops for gorgeous food. Within under half an hour's drive (I say this as you likely appreciate this if you're on this site) are the Tanfield Railway, the Weardale Railway (been there today and got an amazing book tip!), Beamish - and at a push the Bowes Railway. Within less than a minute's walk is a field which is alternately meadow or sheep. Within a couple of minutes cycle, is a disused railway line cycle path with many miles with gorgeous views as an option in either direction. We have Ukrainian refugees here (who have been helped out by local businesses). A village magazine (how I know that). Two pubs. A butcher, a greengrocer, two Italians, a Greek, a Pizzaria/Kebab place, an Indian, a Spar, a couple of cafes... various other things. And if you stray outside of walking distance then less than 5 minutes drive away (or 20 minutes cycle on that disused railway) is the best chippy I've ever known. It's won awards. I bloody love this place.
Compare and contrast with down south where I didn't even know all the families in the poxy converted offices where I had a flat (which was actually more to rent per month - and from a very lovely landlord btw - than I'm paying on my mortgage) which had a bedroom, a bathroom, and an "everything else" room. We are already on first name terms with the entire street, we've brought each other presents, lent each other gardening tools like you're
supposed to do with neigbours (but never happens down south), and are working towards knowing as much as we can of the estate and eventually as much as we can of the village.
Cause people talk to each other up here rather than being bloody suspicious that it's a scam.
Almost everything is much cheaper. Maybe not in the previously mentioned farm shops but the quality in them is absolutely superb. It's hard to appreciate how much cheaper if used to down south but for an extreme example the Indian here - which is better than most down south (not all) is roughly 60% of the price.
There is essentially no crime. I can leave our house unlocked. And the neighbours would notice dodginess.
I'm actually in a pretty expensive part of County Durham btw. There are terraces in good nick available not that far away for £60k. Genuinely.
Admittedly public transport is poor (although better than I expected). Nevertheless up here everyone has a car and there's nowt on the roads.
Should I wish to go to big city entertainment Newcastle is nearby, and for "in between" cultural activities Durham is less than 15 mins away. Was at the oriental museum last weekend where I saw a clock where the only other one is in the Forbidden City.
And since as part of my move up here I still need to be darn sarf for my job 1 week a month, I have the option of a 3 hour train or unleashing my straight 6 on the very-quiet-up-here A1.
My story is not atypical. It's much better up here. Set aside your anti-northern bias and look into it, seriously.
Happy to explain more about why the north is better than the south if you like
Indeed - I may have to eat my hat in a bit and admit that my initial assumption there was no way on earth the RMT could win the war for public hearts and minds was... wrong.
Lynch has been doing a
smashing job and the government have been looking even more awful and duplicitous than normal.
I haven't changed my mind about the end conclusion because I still think this an argument the government want to have and are prepared for - but I look how silly they're currently looking an d ain't so sure.
