Thinking of moving to Devon - any advice?

Domo

Domo

Domo

Soldato
Joined
11 Feb 2004
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Location
Surrey, UK
We've recently started thinking about moving to the West Country, now we have a child. Getting away from the fast lane aka the South East!!
We haven't much of a clue as to where to start looking. Dawlish looks nice + its reasonably close to Exeter where I should find work.

Some advice from any Devon inhabitants would be most welcome. Budget is around £170,000 - £180,000. Good schools and community are primary concerns.
 
Domo said:
Some advice from any Devon inhabitants would be most welcome. Budget is around £170,000 - £180,000. Good schools and community are primary concerns.
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It's expensive down here. It's good if you want to retire, because 99.7% of the population are over 80. I personally hate it, but being young in a county full of OAPs then that's pretty obvious.
 
Bucket said:
North Devon > anywhere else

/thread
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We have stayed in and around Bude. Trouble is the Atlantic seems to play havoc with the weather.
Last year we stayed in Week St Mary. We had blue skies there but could see the persistently cloudy coastline just a few miles away! Seemed bizarre.
I'd love to go surfing again, so North Devon/Cornwall has its benefits. Surf on tap? Yes please..
South coast just seems to have more sunshine! Plus realistically I'm too old and fat to start surfing again :o
 
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el_dazza said:
It's expensive down here. It's good if you want to retire, because 99.7% of the population are over 80. I personally hate it, but being young in a county full of OAPs then that's pretty obvious.
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That's one of the few things which worries me. The last thing I want to do is take my daughter somewhere you're more likely to see OAPs sat on the beach than kids playing.
Not sure what crime is like down there. In fact the more I type the more I realise I might be expecting a bit too much from the west country!
 
Domo said:
That's one of the few things which worries me. The last thing I want to do is take my daughter somewhere you're more likely to see OAPs sat on the beach than kids playing.
Not sure what crime is like down there. In fact the more I type the more I realise I might be expecting a bit too much from the west country!
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Stay away!, high living costs, low average salaries, loads of moaning old grannies etc etc :P

It is a lovely scenic place to live if you can find the right location though. I live in paignton, looking out my bedroom window i can see the coast line which is a lovely sight.
 
Your kid will hate you later in life for it, as it is fairly out of the way. When I was at uni in Plymouth I found going anywhere to do anything meant going east... which made me wish I lived further east in the first place.

It is, as said, not the cheapest place to live.

The 'West Country' is bigger than just Devon though. I live in west Wiltshire and theres pleanty of big cities about for work, while still being basically a load of fields. If you live near the M4 you can easily work in either Bristol, Bath or Swindon without much effort, yet still live somewhere very rural. If you want sea then the south coast is always a good shout. Anywhere from Bournmouth downwards could sort of be considered West Country.
 
Domo said:
That's one of the few things which worries me. The last thing I want to do is take my daughter somewhere you're more likely to see OAPs sat on the beach than kids playing.
Not sure what crime is like down there. In fact the more I type the more I realise I might be expecting a bit too much from the west country!
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I would say Plymouth/Torquay are worst for crime.

As Skeeter said, it's not great for kids. I've hated living here and would move if it was possible. It's not all sand and sunshine down here, the weather isn't that much different from the rest of the country.

If you were to move I'd have a job to walk into as well. There really is NOTHING in the way of jobs being advertised unless you want to wipe old people's backsides or be a cleaner.
 
I was brought up in North Devon, Bideford/Northam to be specific. Absolutely lovely place to be and a great place to bring up kids according to my parents :p

Good schools and none of that city noise and nonsense :)
 
For an adolescent or young single person it probably aint the best but for a young child I think would be really good, getting outdoors plenty and because it is a bit isolated have to learn to be more pro-active and travel in life for your concerts and that.
 
el_dazza said:
It's expensive down here. It's good if you want to retire, because 99.7% of the population are over 80. I personally hate it, but being young in a county full of OAPs then that's pretty obvious.
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Hah what?

There are loads and loads of young people, lots of them moving down to escape the 'fast lane'.

Exeter isn't big and doesn't have lots of jobs available to be quite honest.
 
InvaderGIR said:
Hah what?

There are loads and loads of young people, lots of them moving down to escape the 'fast lane'.

Exeter isn't big and doesn't have lots of jobs available to be quite honest.
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The whole county doesn't.

Int - an hour isn't exactly ideal if you've got kids and are planning a day out tbh. Ok, you've got beaches at Westward Ho!, Saunton, etc but that could become tedious after a while.
 
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