How to Move Out of London

Camden Market on a Sunday morning, Borough Market for those special ingredients, the singing bowls in Trinity Buoy Wharf, China Town, Smithfield’s, Brick Lane, Richmond Park, and the vibe and mix of cultures that make the capital live………..

Why would you want to live anywhere else, why move out of London?

Moving Out of London

Moving out of London is not just a physical move, it is a psychological move.

Having done this myself, I can tell you, the psychological move is harder than the physical move.

Many decades, and many thousands of miles later, I still crave the buzz of London.

But would I move back to London – never!

So maybe that question should be: Why NOT move out of London?

It is the journey, not the destination, that matters, some say. But in this case, the destination really does matter.

Where you move to, will answer why, or why not, moving out of London is a good idea.

Moving Out of London – The Options

There are basically three choices when moving out of London:

1. Commute – Live outside London and travel to work daily.
2. Work from home.
3. Completely fresh start – with a new job and new home, maybe even a new country.

The Commute

Many people choose this option as they retain the high London salary, but have the benefits of living outside of London.

Being the Capital, London is well connected to the rest of the UK.

There are many main road links into London, M1, M40, M4, M20, M3, M11, M2 and M23, all of which feed into the M25.

London is equally well serviced by the rail network, the main rail stations into London are Waterloo, Paddington, Kings Cross, St Pancras, Euston, Charing Cross, Victoria, London Bridge, Fenchurch Street, and Liverpool Street.

So the question is, where will you commute from, and back to, every day?

To determine the location of your new home try the Golden Hour search technique:

The Golden Hour – It is widely considered that an hour’s commute each way, every day, is tolerable. So, grab a map and a compass (the one for drawing circles, not determining your direction of travel!) Draw a circle around London that encompasses locations that take an hour, door to door, from home to work.

You now have your home hunting net spread out.

But there are some serious things to consider about your commute:

• Does the rail service run into a station that is convenient for your place of work in London?

• The price of a season rail ticket can be extortionate, £8,000 a year is not unusual.

• Is there a local taxi service or buses, for the nights you return home late from work?

• Is your London place of work likely to move in the future?

• Is there somewhere to park your car at the station? This will add costs to your commute and can be expensive. Equally, stations with free parking tend to be full by the time the first train of the day leaves the station.

• Will your spouse need a second car if your car is sat at the train station, or you are commuting by car?

• If you intend to commute by car, take into consideration the congestion of that part of the road network, fuel, and car maintenance costs, as well as parking costs and congestion zone charges in the capital.

• It is also true that homes in the Golden Hour zone are likely to attract a premium.

• Also, consider that if you currently work an 8-10 hour day that will become a 10-12 hour day.

So your family may have a better quality of life, but yours may suffer as a consequence.

Working from Home

In theory, this is great, no commuting and the family are around you, but do you have the self-discipline to not get distracted by the TV, putting the washing out, or feeding the dog?

What is the internet speed, and reliability, in the area you are considering moving to?

Is the mobile phone signal reliable in that area?

Your heating and electricity costs will rise.

Will you need a quiet and separate area away from the family to be able to work? That may mean an even bigger property, with a spare room to work from, so the rent or purchase price will be higher.

You may also like to read: How to Create a Home Office in a Small Space. With more and more of us now being able to work from home, creating a home office has become an essential feature of many homes. In this guide, we look at how to make the most of your available space to create a home office.

Completely Fresh Start

This is the big question and therefore has many more boxes that any prospective new home needs to tick.

• Do you want to live in a rural or urban area?
• Do you want to move to be nearer family?
• What are the job prospects like in the area?
• Where is the next biggest conurbation if local jobs are hard to find?
• Is public transport readily available?
• Will you be able to get onto the register of the local doctors, or will you have to travel by bus to another surgery?
• Will a lower-paid job still allow you a comfortable life?
• It will be great having more leisure time, but how will you fill it?
• What are the local roads like in winter?
• What are the school ratings? Those with higher ratings will likely have a waiting list, and properties in their catchment area will be highly sought after.
• What are secondary education schools like in the area?
• How far are the schools from the place you would like to live?
• What facilities are there for your family as they grow older?
• Do you want a flat, house, cottage, or bungalow?
• How big a garden can you comfortably manage?
• How will you make new friends?
• Will you be accepted into the local community?
• Can you easily get back to London to see friends?
• Or maybe you are considering emigrating? No matter where in the world you are, many of the considerations above will still equally apply.

You may also like to read: How to Decide Where to Live Next. In this guide, we suggest a range f questions you may like to ask yourself so that you can choose the best destination for your new home.

Moving out of London – Urban vs Rural Life

This is a big part of the selection process.

Both have pros and cons, but only you know what your aspirations are for your new way of life.

Rural life will be a total change for you and will require a complete rethink of what you may now consider normal daily activities.

You cannot just nip out your front door to a 24-hour store, buses will not be 24/7, in fact, you may be lucky to have any buses at all, and the nearest restaurant may be a good half-hour drive away.

Healthcare is unlikely to be provided in the more rural places, some villages will have no schools, and almost every out-of-home activity may involve getting in the car and driving there.

A rural home for the kids is great whilst they are young, but what happens when they become teenagers?

What facilities are there for teenagers?

Is there a local bus service to a bigger town or will you become their taxi service?

Teenagers will soon become bored with rural life.

A big house and garden in the country is a dream for many.

But what happens when the kids move out and your spouse is out at work all day?

You may effectively become an estate manager.

But rural living may be just what you need or want.

The fresh air, lack of crowds, living in a real community, making real friends rather than acquaintances or lunch companions.

No rat race, no keeping up with the Joneses, a lower crime rate, having a garden, and a bigger home for your money.

Being nearer to nature, the coast or the hills, forests, and fields all may be on your doorstep, or certainly nearer to you than they were in London.

And of course, if you live in the country, your real friends from London will likely want to come to stay with you at weekends, when you can spend quality time together rather than a quick Starbucks between appointments.

The kids can, at last, have that puppy they have always wanted, they can play safely outdoors in fresh air, family walks across the fields and through thick forests, in short, an enhanced quality of life for you and the family.

Conversely moving to an urban location may be too much like London for you, or it may be the perfect balance between amenities and nature.

Urban living will give you access to many of the benefits of living in London: restaurants, theatres, and cafes, for example, everything you are familiar with, but without the crowds and the high prices of housing.

And of course, the schooling may offer advantages over an inner city school.

Many people recommend renting a property in your chosen area before moving there so that you can get a feel for the area and see if it meets your expectations.

You may also like to read: Is Life Better in the City, Countryside, or the Suburbs? In this guide, we look at the pros and cons of living in the city, the countryside, and the suburbs.

Moving Out of London – Where to go?

Five of the Cheapest Places to Live within an Hour of London by Train

1. Basildon – 33 minutes and prices about £352,000
2. Luton – 29 minutes and prices about £318,000
3. Harlow – 34 minutes and prices about £349,000
4. Braintree – 60 minutes and prices about £420,000
5. Gravesend – 24 minutes and prices about £595,000

The full Telegraph article with more suggestions can be found here.

Five of the most beautiful places to live within an hour of London by Train

1. St Albans – Olde worlde pubs and a great cathedral.
2. Windsor – The castle, park, and river to name but a few attractions.
3. Colchester – The oldest town in Britain.
4. Brighton – Who doesn’t want to live by the sea?
5. Cambridge – The river and architecture, what more do you want?

This Metro article has further places to consider and can be found here

Hopefully the above has given you some food for thought, and some useful advice for destinations outside of London.

You may also like to read: Where to Move to Avoid Climate Change. One aspect of choosing where to move next that is becoming more and more important is the question of how climate change will affect different parts of the UK. If that is one of your concerns then this article is essential reading.

Moving out of London – Relocation Depression.

As I mentioned earlier, the physical move is far easier than the psychological move.

Of course, where you move to will affect the level of relocation depression you may experience.

Moving to an urban area may have less of an impact on your state of mind. Restaurants, cafes, theatres, sports facilities, and pretty much everything you are familiar with in London, are available outside of London.

And that familiarity is key to combating relocation depression.

Moving to a rural area will likely have far more impact on you.

Nothing will be familiar and that can be tough.

Not only will your way of life be totally different, your environment will change completely too and your friends may be a hundred miles away.

Urban vs rural living is a complicated decision to make, both offer many opportunities for a great new way of life, and both have the potential to leave you with relocation depression.

You may also like to read: How to Deal With Relocation Depression After Moving Home. In this guide, we look at this subject in more depth, from how to prevent relocation depression to how to combat it.

Moving out of London – Removal Companies.

Having made the decision to move out of London, and with a destination decided upon, you now embark upon the ‘fun’ of physically moving home.

Moving out of London is going to be a time-consuming activity, home search, school search, sorting out the logistics of commuting, job hunting, packing up your home, and then preparing for moving day.

Luckily for Londoners, you are serviced by some great removal companies to help you with your relocation.

It is easy to get a free estimate for your impending home move from a reputable removal company, which is your first step in a stress-free home move.

Using a free home moving calculation service will enable you to get up to four professional removal companies to provide you with an estimated home moving cost.

This will save you hours of trawling the internet and ringing around dozens of removal companies.

Only reputable and reviewed removal companies, with the availability and resources to ensure a smooth home move, on the date you want, will contact you.

Must read: How to Pick a Good Removal Company. The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide. Choosing the best removal company for your home move can seem totally overwhelming so in this guide, we show you step-by-step how to go about the process.

There is a great website for people considering moving out of London: Life After London. Used in conjunction with the services and advice for moving out of London our website offers, you have plenty of material for research and to help you.

Moving out of London – Final Thoughts

Samuel Johnson said, “When a man tires of London, he tires of life”.

Perhaps it would be better to say “When you tire of London, there are a million and one experiences still to be had outside the Capital, move now”.

It is better to try and fail than to spend your life thinking “What if?” By the time you have made the decision to move to the countryside, it is unlikely to still be in the countryside!

And don’t forget that there are removal companies who can move you back to London, should you really want to move back. They work both ways you know!

Good luck. There is a big world beyond the M25 just waiting to be enjoyed.