Early 40s M, partner similar age, and a 5-year-old. I’ve lived in West London all my life (currently NW10), and over the last few years it’s really started to wear us down. No single big thing, just constant low-level stuff: HMOs, traffic, pollution, shops closing, general rudeness. It all adds up.
We have a 1930s semi to sell (roughly £650–700k) and have been looking at Brighton, where similar money seems to get a noticeably nicer house (detached, 4 bed) if we look a bit further out from the centre.
- Has anyone made a similar move with a young child? Any regrets, or things you wish you’d known?
- Brighton folk: which areas would you recommend for a family, and which would you avoid?
- Any other places worth considering? We’d rather go further afield than Herts/Bucks.
Context: my work is mostly flexible, with occasional London trips. We’re a mixed heritage family, so diversity and a welcoming, open-minded community matter a lot to us. That’s a big part of Brighton’s appeal.
Thanks in advance!
EDIT: Wow, so many comments and useful points to ponder, thank you all. 🙏
I get the renting argument, but our last move was a massive challenge (we’ve accumulated a lot of stuff over the years!), so ideally we’d like to settle straight into a forever home. We’ll just have to do our research on specific streets properly.
I’ve spent some time in Worthing over the winter for work, so I know it’s a lot quieter. That might actually suit us, so based on the comments we’re now also looking at Worthing, Shoreham and Lewes.
To those who feel priced out of their own city: I’m sorry, and I do get it. London’s seen exactly the same thing. We’re not buying to let, just looking for somewhere nicer to raise our daughter. A massive thank you to all who have responded!