To all you North Devon & Cornwall dwellers

[Roger440]

Looking forward into the future, id like to move to a cheaper part of the country, for obvious financial reasons, but also, because, ulitmately, my hobbies and interest are best served by way of large outbuildings. 

 

Thats simply not possible here (noth bucks). Any remotely decent sized building in a residential settings is immediately turned into another house. Unles i spend into 7 digit territory, which i dont have. Plus its just to overcrowoded here (worth a seperate thread)

 

Looking at it, there are clearly lots of suitable properties in north devon and cornwall, often old farms etc. Which also means not too many neighbours.

 

Being a dweller of the south easts "arc of prosperity" as Nick Clegg called it, these often look good value, (more so over the last year or so) and fit the bill, usually with some or lots of work.Which im quite happy to do.

 

The question i guess, is whats it really like down there? The north devon area round the "worthys" seems to have a lot of those properties for sale despite the very low population density. There must be a reason? Or is it just lack of employment?

 

I know its a rather open ended question, just wondered how those who made the move feel it has gone looking back?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Barney12]

One of the reasons North Devon remains cheap(er) is the pretty poor communication links. The North Devon Link Road is slow and accident prone. 

 

Of course the the other reason is that South Devon is much nicer and it’s always bloody raining in North Devon  

[joe90]

Yes, it does rain here a lot (just outside Bude) but there is also a lot of sunny intervals (got one now, so digging the drive). Unemployment and transport links are a reason for cheaper prices but since moving down from Bristol 2 years ago, and being retired (but working full time on my build), I love it, I describe where we live as “the middle of nowhere”. Yes you have to travel greater distances to “do things” but an hour travelling here gets you a lot farther than an hour in traffic in Bristol. It would not suit everyone (thank goodness or it would be overcrowded.)

[ProDave]

I "escaped" (from Oxfordshire) for much the same reasons but went the other way to the Highlands.

 

So I can't comment on the SW, but can definitely recommend leaving the over crowded over priced SE

[Jeremy Harris]

We looked for plots and development opportunities in Devon and Cornwall, and found that much of Cornwall is still damned expensive ( I lived there for years - my late mother's farm is down there).  Devon is a mix, with South Devon being both expensive and having pretty restrictive planning regulations.  The North Cornwall/Devon border area can be a bit cheaper, but, as above, you need to get up into North Devon for prices to get more sensible.  There were a few places we looked at in North Cornwall that were affordable, but they tended to be in slightly odd areas.  We found a nice plot overlooking the Tamar, near Calstock, and I have a cousin who lives in the town, but I think it's mandatory that you have an "alternative lifestyle" in order to live there...

[joe90]

I did wonder if I would miss having places to buy stuff but so much is available on line and I now get a delivery nearly every day ?,

sit rep.......screwfix just opened in Bude, house prices due to rise !!!!?

[Roger440]

1 hour ago, Barney12 said:

One of the reasons North Devon remains cheap(er) is the pretty poor communication links. The North Devon Link Road is slow and accident prone. 

 

Of course the the other reason is that South Devon is much nicer and it’s always bloody raining in North Devon  

 

Agreed, the south is nicer - and more expensive. Put simply, cant afford that.

 

56 minutes ago, joe90 said:

Yes, it does rain here a lot (just outside Bude) but there is also a lot of sunny intervals (got one now, so digging the drive). Unemployment and transport links are a reason for cheaper prices but since moving down from Bristol 2 years ago, and being retired (but working full time on my build), I love it, I describe where we live as “the middle of nowhere”. Yes you have to travel greater distances to “do things” but an hour travelling here gets you a lot farther than an hour in traffic in Bristol. It would not suit everyone (thank goodness or it would be overcrowded.)

 

I like the middle of nowhere. Do people really dislike rural that much to push prices down as far as they are?

 

49 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I "escaped" (from Oxfordshire) for much the same reasons but went the other way to the Highlands.

 

So I can't comment on the SW, but can definitely recommend leaving the over crowded over priced SE

 

Indeed. We have discussed before. Cant do cold or midges!

 

19 minutes ago, JSHarris said:

We looked for plots and development opportunities in Devon and Cornwall, and found that much of Cornwall is still damned expensive ( I lived there for years - my late mother's farm is down there).  Devon is a mix, with South Devon being both expensive and having pretty restrictive planning regulations.  The North Cornwall/Devon border area can be a bit cheaper, but, as above, you need to get up into North Devon for prices to get more sensible.  There were a few places we looked at in North Cornwall that were affordable, but they tended to be in slightly odd areas.  We found a nice plot overlooking the Tamar, near Calstock, and I have a cousin who lives in the town, but I think it's mandatory that you have an "alternative lifestyle" in order to live there...

 

Indeed. North cornwall doesnt seem that cheap considering that its a good chunk further from anywhere.

 

18 minutes ago, joe90 said:

I did wonder if I would miss having places to buy stuff but so much is available on line and I now get a delivery nearly every day ?,

sit rep.......screwfix just opened in Bude, house prices due to rise !!!!?

 

Having monitored prices (by surfing rightmove every week) my take is that the sort of property id be looking at seems to be taking a significant hit on prices, with many being re-listed as reduced and more available for the money than a year or two ago. As above, this surprises me. It seems a pleasant enough part of the world, not ludicrously isolated, not far from the M5. But stil cheap. (cheap being releative)

[joe90]

Our plot (my wife inherited a virtually derelict bungalow from her Dad years ago) has not gone up In Value much in the last 10 years yet our other house in Bristol, a three bed semi has gone up a fair % in the last three years. Down here I don’t think that prices are pushed down, they simply have not gone up.

[Roger440]

5 hours ago, joe90 said:

Our plot (my wife inherited a virtually derelict bungalow from her Dad years ago) has not gone up In Value much in the last 10 years yet our other house in Bristol, a three bed semi has gone up a fair % in the last three years. Down here I don’t think that prices are pushed down, they simply have not gone up.

 

You could well be right, and ive not really noticed any change on "normal" houses. Just the sort of stuff im interested in. Which is great for me, not so good for those selling!