Lucky you moving to Bristol! Bristol is a fantastic city to live in. Every amenity that the best city has to offer, easy access to the motorway network, great train services, a world-class university, some very highly rated schools, stunning countryside, beaches right on your doorstep, and a region steeped in history and culture.
What more could you possibly want? Probably cheaper property prices because some parts of Bristol rival London. But more of that later.
In this guide to moving to Bristol, we will provide you with all the information you could need to make an informed decision as to which area of Bristol to move to. Find out how much it costs to live in Bristol and how much it costs to move to Bristol, as well as lots of practical home moving advice.
Why you Should Live in Bristol
Is Bristol a Safe Place to Live?
How much does it cost to rent a home in Bristol?
How much do homes cost in Bristol?
What is the Cost of Living in Bristol?
How Much Does it Cost to Move to Bristol?
Where is the Best Place to Live in Bristol?
Which is the Cheapest Area to Live in Bristol
Moving to Bristol Alone
Living in Bristol as a Student
Moving to Bristol with Family
Which are the Best Schools in Bristol?
Is There Much Employment in Bristol?
What are the Best Ways of Getting Around Bristol?
What is there to do in Bristol?
The Best of Bristol
Bristol is a fantastic city to make your new home in.
Why you Should Live in Bristol
It would probably be easier to list the reasons why you shouldn’t move to Bristol! There are so many great things about Bristol and what gives the residents of Bristol such a great quality of life.
Here are our top 8 reasons why you should move to Bristol (this could have been our top 80 reasons to move to Bristol but space is limited).
History. Bristol has a fascinating history and there are many places you can visit to relive times past and find out all about this amazing city. There is SS Great Britain, Bristol Cathedral, and Clifton Observatory, and the steam crane by the Mshed to name just a few of the local places that you must go.
Culture. Bristol Old Vic is a must-visit and there is a varied programme of shows year-round to see. Colston Hall will become a favourite haunt for you too. There are independent cinemas around the city, the Watershed being a local favourite. And for art lovers, the Arnolfini is a must-see.
Shopping. You will find every major high street store in Bristol, but more importantly a great range of independent and quirky stores, as well as the St Nicholas indoor market.
Food. From Michelin starred restaurants to the farmers market where you can try locally produced food, Bristol caters for every food lover. There is a truly varied and mouthwatering range of eateries in Bristol.
Countryside. The great thing about Bristol is that you are never far from some beautiful countryside or the beach. And Bristol has some great parks to visit too, especially Ashton Court.
Great Transport Links. The rail network will get you just about anywhere in the UK and there are superfast links to all the major UK cities. The M4 and M5 are on the outskirts of Bristol as is Bristol International Airport.
World Class University. The University of West England is considered one of the best in the UK but also has a growing reputation as a world-class university. There are also some top schools in Bristol including Clifton College and Bristol Grammar School.
Things to do. There are an untold number of bars and clubs in Bristol offering something for everyone, not to mention the endless festivals and events (the Balloon Fiesta is unmissable).
www.metro.co.uk has published the findings of research undertaken for a new crime TV series and found that Bristol is the 2nd safest city in the UK in which to live.
Having said that, like any city, you should always exercise caution and take care wherever you travel or live. There are good and bad areas in every city, so to see what the specific crime figures are for particular postcodes within Bristol visit www.police.uk
Having lived in Bristol myself, I would suggest that most people would avoid living in the St. Pauls, Hartcliffe, Easton, Eastville, and Stokes Croft areas of the city.
What is the Average Property Rental Cost in Bristol?
It usually makes good sense to rent a property before buying in a city that you are unfamiliar with. This avoids any costly mistakes if the area you thought was ideal turns out to be less than ideal for you.
The average rental cost of a I bedroom home in Bristol is £892 pcm
The average rental cost of a 2 Bedroom home in Bristol is £1,153 pcm
The average rental cost of a 3 Bedroom home in Bristol is £1,357 pcm
The average rental cost of a 4 Bedroom home in Bristol is £1,934 pcm
Latest average home rental costs are taken from www.home.co.uk
But to give you a rough idea, excluding packing costs, you can expect to pay on average the following home moving costs when hiring a professional removal firm to move you to Bristol.
Moving from London to Bristol costs on average £520
Moving from Birmingham to Bristol costs on average £455
Moving from Leeds to Bristol on average costs £670
Moving from Liverpool to Bristol costs about £550
Moving from York to Bristol costs about £695
Moving from Leicester to Bristol costs about £540
Moving from Glasgow to Bristol costs about £945
Moving from Edinburgh to Bristol costs about £945
Moving from Cardiff to Bristol costs about £400
Moving from Plymouth to Bristol on average costs £530
On average expect to pay about £150-£200 for a professional packing service for a 1-2 bedroom home.
You are never far from history or the countryside in Bristol.
Where are the Best Areas to Live in Bristol?
Thinking of moving to the Bristol area? Here is a Bristol neighbourhood guide with 6 of the best places to rent or buy a home in the Bristol area.
Clifton. THE place to live in Bristol if you like elegant period homes, enjoy a huge variety of shops and cafes, want loads of places to visit in your spare time such as Clifton Suspension Bridge, the zoo and the observatory. And you are just 5 minutes from the city centre. Property prices are steep here (well, it is on a hill) but it is a truly outstanding place to live. Although this is an affluent area of Bristol it is also popular with students. Homes here are generally Georgian or Victorian in style, many being listed buildings. There are some good schools in the area such as Redland Green School.
Cotham. Cotham is located near Clifton and Redland and shares many of the desirable traits of both those areas including large period homes. With easy access to the great shops on Whiteladies Road and Gloucester Road, some great schools, parks, and local transport, it is easy to see why Cotham is such a popular area to live.
Cabot. Cabot pretty much encompasses all the city centre. The vast majority of homes are rented in this area and it is popular with both students and young professionals.
Westbury-on-Trym. The river Trym runs through this part of the city, hence the name. Westbury is the home of the famous Badminton Girls School where Indira Gandhi and Princess Haya of Jordan were taught. You will be spoilt for choice when it comes to great places to eat out and although Westbury is more like a village than a city, there are plenty of good stores here.
Horfield. Horfield has plenty of amenities, a leisure centre, a library, primary school, Horfield Common with tennis courts and a bowling club, as well as a couple of GP surgeries. Gloucester Road, the longest road of independent stores in Europe runs through Horfield. Bristol Rovers home, Memorial Stadium is also in Horfield.
Hanham. Hanham is to the east of Bristol between the City and Bath, so both are easily commutable from here. Hanham has a great range of available housing from terraces, to 1930s family homes, to modern new builds. The high street offers a good range of independent stores and you have easy access to some great countryside from Hanham. A beautiful area of Bristol to raise a family due to the excellent schools, a great choice of shops and restaurants, and The Downs are right on your doorstep. Houses here are mostly large 1930-40’s homes and consequently, have large price tags to go with them.
Which are the Cheapest, and Most Expensive, Areas to Live in Bristol?
The property market has been changing rapidly in Bristol over the last couple of years but www.plumplot.co.uk has a heat map of property prices across Bristol by postcode for September 2019.
BS23.1 shows the most affordable property, with an average price of £169,000 whilst the most expensive postcode area was BS9.1 with average prices around £685,000.
The top 5 least expensive areas in Bristol are:
BS23.1 where an average property costs £169,000
BS23.3 where an average property costs £174,000
BS1.1 where an average property costs £182,000
BS1.3 where an average property costs £184,000
BS23.2 where an average property costs £187,000
The top 5 most expensive areas to live in Bristol are:
Are you thinking of moving to Bristol alone, perhaps as a student or for work? Is Bristol a good place to live for single people? Here are some essential things to know when moving to Bristol as a single person.
Consider renting a room in a shared house, or flat sharing, if you want to save some money, get to know the area, and make instant friends in Bristol. Useful websites for finding rooms to rent in Bristol include: www.gumtree.co.uk, www.spareroom.co.uk, or www.nestpick.com
Join local social media groups to find out all the best places to go and get the low down on Bristol city life.
meetup.com has plenty of local groups to join so that you quickly find new friends and get to learn all about living in Bristol.
To find out all about local events in Bristol, activities, groups, and societies by visiting www.interests.me
Consider volunteering in your spare time, it is a great way to meet new people and help the local community at the same time.
If you have been accepted as a student at Bristol or are considering becoming one, then this section is for you.
There are over 40,000 students in Bristol so you can rest assured that the city is well set up to cater to your every need with an extensive support network should you require it.
There is no shortage of culture, history, bars, clubs, live music venues, things to do and plenty to get involved within and around Bristol. And did I mention Cider? There is plenty of that too!
Here are some useful links if you are going to study in Bristol.
Is Bristol a family-friendly city? Most certainly. There are many highly rated schools, plenty for young and old children to occupy their free time, many family-friendly attractions and restaurants, as well as easy access to beautiful local countryside and coastline.
www.bristolpost.co.uk lists these as the top 5 places for families to live in Bristol:
George / Redfield
Horfield & Bishopston
St Werburgh’s
Downend
Henleaze
And as parents, you will want to know about healthcare in Bristol so to find local doctors, dentists, healthcare specialists, and hospitals visit www.nhs.uk
Read on to find out which are the best schools in Bristol.
Not only is Bristol a great place to live, but it offers some great employment opportunities.
Amongst the many accolades that Bristol has won over the years, it has been voted as one of the happiest places to work as reported by www.theguardian.co.uk
Bristol, like every major city, does get congested during peak commuter times, but there are plenty of options to get you about Bristol.
Cycle. Bristol is the cycling capital of the UK with cycle lanes on nearly every major route in the city. There is plenty of bike parking as well as free to use bike pumps all around the city. Visit www.betterbybike.info which has a wealth of information about cycling within Bristol.
Walk. Bristol is a walker-friendly city, although some parts can be hilly, to put it mildly. Bristol even holds it own walking festival in May every year.
Park and Ride. If you want an easy way to get to the centre of Bristol there is a Park and Ride service from Portway, Long Ashton, Brislington, and Lyde Green.
Bus. There is a great network of local buses in Bristol. Visit www.travelwwest.info for bus information and timetables.
Car. If you travel into Bristol by car, here is a useful list of all the car parks in Bristol.
Car Share. For those who don’t own a car but want to explore the beauty of Bristol or further afield there is the Zipcar which is a car rental scheme. Find out more at zipcar.com
Train. Bristol is a hub for the national rail network so it has great links to all the UK. For train information and information visit travelwest.info
What is there to do Bristol in for Free?
There is so much to see and do in Bristol. But it is even better when you get to experience parts of Bristol for free. So, apart from the fabulous parks such as The Downs, Oldbury Court and Snuff Mills, which are free fabulous places to visit, what else has Bristol to offer you for a free day out.
What can you do for free in Bristol?
Top 7 Free Things to Do In Bristol
M Shed. Learn all about the history of Bristol with some great interactive activities. Find out more here.
Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. From Egyptian mummies to Dinosaurs, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery is a great free place to visit again and again. Find out more here.
Bristol Balloon Fiesta. This will become a family favourite event year in year out. Be sure not to miss the night glow where the hot air balloons are fired up in time to music.
The Arnolfini art centre. Stages films, music, dance, and art exhibitions. https://arnolfini.org.uk/
The Harbourside Market. Each weekend you can explore the many stalls which sell wares from all over the South West whilst sampling some great street food.
One of the highlights of the year in Bristol, The Bristol Balloon Fiesta.
The Best of Bristol
If you are moving to Bristol you will probably be overwhelmed with the number of things to do, the great restaurants, bars, and clubs. So here is our top 5 of the best of Bristol.
Luckily there are some great removal companies that can help you with your home move to Bristol.
Finding top-rated local removal companies to move you to Bristol is an important step to experiencing a stress-free home move. It is vitally important to choose your removal company wisely as all removal firms are not equal, unfortunately.
All that remains now is to get your free home moving cost estimate and to check out the reviews of removal companies who can help you move to Bristol.
And no doubt you will have many more questions regarding your home move, so be sure to visit our resources section where you will find a wealth of useful information to make your home move to Bristol easier, cheaper and safer.
We could go on forever about just what a great place Bristol is to move to but we hope this has given you some useful information that makes your decision about moving to Bristol just a bit easier.
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