Moving to Devon!

The local news will always pick up on the less inspiring features of a place. I'm just off to walk the dog over the moor with views of the sea without probably bumping into more than 3 people. Devon is heaven. I'll add more later if the thread progresses.

Lucky you, Devon is beautiful, wish I could afford to move, but if I sold mine the money would be nowhere enough to buy a house in Devon. There will be crime and problems wherever you go, sometimes we can over egg things, anxiety re moving is normal. Perhaps renting in Devon for a while would give you a better perspective. Good luck.

My daughter lives in Exeter. She went to university there, fell in love with the area and has never left. She loves everything it has to offer - fabulous countryside for dog walks, beaches, etc.

I envy you,i love Devon and have always found the locals to be very pleasant.

Lincsclass a little while ago, our chain floundered, and I mentioned to our estate agent that we would consider renting and she went purple and said, 'don't be mad, there ARE no rentals anywhere!' And it's true, the rental market is red hot and very expensive anywhere in the south and south west.

The inequality and regional differences in house prices are scandalous throughout the UK. The government should do something but of course, they won't. We bought our current, fairly ordinary, house five years ago and now it has been swamped by incomers snapping up all the pretty cottages and anything else besides. We are on a relatively limited budget but you do see things in Devon if you look around, it's just that buyer beware kicks in the fevered market that seems to be surviving the disappearance of the stamp duty relaxation.

It amuses us that you now can't see a house unless yours is under offer and when they ask about finance, the first question is 'will you be purchasing from the sale of your own property or from cash'. People not involved in the housing market don't realise this! I wish we didn't have to move but circumstances are pushing us.

I’m in North Devon,and North Devon born and bred and Love it here. In the dim and distant past I did work in cities, I worked in London I worked in Leeds and I worked in Birmingham and it wasn’t until I came back here to live but I really appreciated the area…

We did your move but the other way round Jilly ? and yes,
It was an expensive way round.
Devon is lovely and we enjoyed our time there very much, but did miss certain things.
North Devon is the best part of Devon in my view, although it does rain a lot ( why it’s so green!)
You are never far from the sea there either.
There is very little crime either, compared to most other places. Be prepared to be friendly and join in and you will really enjoy it there.

Welcome, JillyJosie2. I'm in south Devon. It's wonderful here. Yes, there has been an influx of people moving here and new housing springing up all over the place. And there is of course crime, both urban and rural. As with many other places, it is maybe best to avoid some town centres at night. But we do have a far lower crime rate than many other parts of the UK. It's a slower pace of life, and the countryside, especially Dartmoor, is so beautiful. Plus the coast has so many pretty little towns and villages. There are good hospitals in Torquay, Exeter and Plymouth. And enough doctors surgeries, I think. Dentists may be a problem.
In my opinion Devon is a little bit of heaven. I do hope you will like it.

Thank you everyone for very reassuring replies. I do agree that Devon is gorgeous, the light is amazing and the countryside is beautiful. In these changing times, we were just having a panic.

If you look at Police.UK, and put in the area you are interested in, it has up to date information relating to that area. I'd check other areas which you've lived in too, to get a feel of how the figures correlate to what you know.
I had my Honeymoon (many years ago!!!) in Devon, and it was beautiful. The bed had two of its legs half chopped off, and it was up-hill to the bathroom! The cottage was full of charm, and fond memories.
Good Luck with whichever move you make.

I live in Devon, have done for over 40 years. Can't imagine living anywhere else. we have everything we need, village community, nearby town, not far to the coast, not far to Dartmoor, the M5 on our doorstep so can be with family in the north in max 5 hours. Most people in our village are incomers although they weren't when we first arrived. If you join clubs etc. you'll soon settle in.

House prices are extortionate everywhere, not only in the UK.

I don't pretend to understand the ins and outs of it, To me the prices seem fictive as no-one ever gets the valuation price of a property when they sell it, and for many years haven't even been able to pay of their mortgages when they are forced to sell.

Travelling outside Denmark, where we live, I can see that high as our property prices are we get more for our money than the Dutch, Germans or Belgians do.

Nevertheless, no young couple here on two average incomes can afford a home near the cities they work in, but are forced to face two hours' travelling each way daily to live in affordable homes.

Obviously, someone - mortgage companies, the taxman or the government is making money out of this, as otherwise they would lower the national survey valuations of property giving people a fair chance of buying their own homes.

Can we do anything about it?

Some of those reading this thread must know enough about national economy to make a qualified guess.

We moved to the coast 2 years ago and found the people very friendly. Newton Abbot has parts that have a lot of crime imo but is our main shopping center. Look on the police crime figures for the area you want as it's quite a big place and other parts are very nice.
When we moved here we had a choice of several houses to look at at very reasonable prices. Now there are only one or 2 for sale in our area and prices have shot up.
We found one with parking and a garden which was lucky here.
Buy local papers to get a feel of the area. Good luck in your search

I moved in Scotland to the East Neuk of Fife, a favourite spot with second home owners and tourists who visit for days out and holidays. There are times that I avoid certain villages especially at weekends, farm shops for the same reason, weekenders. Our houses are at a premium especially in the last year. BUT the quality of life is superb, the countryside and beaches are great and the locals are brilliant, there is so much to do and the weather is great all year round. This far out ways anything else, I used to be one of the tourists who longed to live here and now I do, so lucky.

I have just gone the other way, and moved from Devon to The Wirral. I lived in Devon for over 30 years, and did enjoy living in such a lovely place. There is always somewhere to go, moors or sea, or into Exeter. You will find people have migrated there from all over the country, it's a real mix now. However, I do feel much, much happier here in the North. (I am Scottish) The people here on Merseyside have a genuine warmth and seem to really take care of their neighbours. I always felt the Devon natives were a bit aloof and judgemental. (Even after 30 years, we were still viewed as "incomers"!)

I live in Devon and love it. Its a lovely place. You will be happy.

This was a report by Savills in the paper yesterday about Devon prices. The final paragraph explains a lot. A case of supply and demand.

^House prices in the South West are expected to grow by 13.1 per cent over the next five years – with coastal areas seeing the strongest increases, according to new research bySavills.
The predicted figures show that the average cost of a home in the region will to rise from the current average of £341,971 to £386,769 by 2026.
The price of a home at the higher end of the market, known as the prime market – broadly the top five to 10 per cent by value – will increase by an average of 19.3 per cent over the five-year period outside of London.
While there will be less urgency in the market next year, demand for property in popular Devon towns and villages looks set to keep rising.
The demand for property for sale in Devon is still incredibly strong and, given the comparative lack of supply, alongside relatively low unemployment and a robust economy, we are anticipating a strong market next year with healthy price growth of 3.5 per cent on average.
The coastal market has experienced a huge gap in supply and demand which has resulted in average annual growth of 14.8 per cent. With no sign that the supply issue will resolve, and with the level of unfulfilled demand I am seeing, I would expect the prime coastal markets to see the strongest growth, which could well exceed the county average of four per cent.
Devon has seen a significant rise in popularity over the last five years and experienced a particularly notable surge on the back of the lifestyle changes that resulted from the pandemic.^

I retired to Torquay 10 years ago, got divorced, remarried and wouldn’t live anywhere else in the UK. The weather is generally milder than elsewhere in this country and I find people friendly. You have countryside (Dartmoor), coast, a thriving arts scene and various activities geared towards retirees so there is plenty to enjoy.

If you’ve been reading Devon Live then it will be full of bad news (and poor spelling!) Newton Abbot is ideally placed for transport links to the rest of the country by road or rail.

Good luck and PM me if you’d like to know more.

Good luck and best wishes JillyJosie2. The news, whether local or National will only print sensational stories. That’s what sells apparently!
Don’t believe all you read or hear. Have a lovely time in your new home. Make the most of every day?.

My ex husband moved to Chudleigh in between Exeter and Newton Abbot around 10 years ago from Buckinghamshire. He loves it, the slower pace of life, less populated. The dog walks the scenery, we’ve had no negatives from him in 10 years.

I’m a Devon girl adrift in Wiltshire, it’s my dream to move back home but my adult children live here and I must continue to do so too. Maybe one day.

I live in Devon not far from Newton abbot. The health service here is wonderful and the royal Devon and Exeter hospital saved my daughters life when she contracted malaria years ago whilst an air hostess. The doctors in Brighton had missed it! The police down here are a bit dozy and the beaches get covered in litter in the summer, but that’s the holidaymakers . I have lived in Derbyshire and Cornwall in the can past. I think Devon is the safest place I have lived

I love Devon and would like to move there but the downside would be not seeing family regularly so will stay near London.

Devon is absolutely gorgeous and we love spending time there. But some of the most beautiful parts are also quite remote- and travelling to go and visit 'civilisation', culture, family and friends can become a real chore. I know people who tried, but then just could not take the long journey there and back anymore and missed 'culture' and returned. So just depends.

One thing to consider seriously for our age group, if the availability of public transport and taxis- in case you are no longer able to drive at some point, and also what would happen to the surviving spouse, as and when ...