Moving to Devon!

Newton isn't brilliant but it isnt awful either. I live in Bovey Tracey 6-7 miles from there. Medical services similarly other places good on some things and bad on others but come out fairly well overall. -a great deal of new builds being put up, but it's still Devon...

Strangely my Aunt and Uncle moved from a beautiful home near Newton Abbott to the Cotswolds, albeit a very smart retirement complex. They had a very good set up there re GP, Hospitals, good supermarkets etc but into their later and being so far away from family getting to these places became a bit of a bugbear.

You only live once. Have an adventure. It’ll be fabulous. I love moving house and usually move every 6 years.

Many people have found the same when moving to rural France or Tuscany, Spain, etc- but even more so.

I would always rent a place, for a whole year, right through the seasons- before making such a huge decision.

I have just moved from Newton Abbot. I loved the town and lived there for 30 years, but my health is such that I needed to move near family here in Newcastle.

Newton Abbot is nice and central. It has a great railway station, a good bus service and some nice shops. Try the cheese scones in the Pine Room in Austins on Courtenay street.

The sea isn't far away in Torquay one way and Teignmouth in the other plus many other beautiful beaches. There are lovely National Trust properties. My favourite was Greenway - Agatha Christie's house.

Here in Newcastle I am trying to adjust to the faster, wider roads. In Devon some of the roads are quite narrow with passing places. The first morning I set out for work way back in 1990 I was delayed by a farmer moving his cows across the road from their field to the milking shed on the other side of the road.

If you have pets then Chris Hawkins at Vets for Pets in Kingsteignton is excellent and Carol on reception just loves all the animals.

I attended Devon Square medical centre. My dentist ( private) was Shiphay Dental in Torquay. Both excellent.

All the very best.

The pace of life there was very slow indeed in 1990 but things have speeded up a bit over the past ten years or so.

Oh, if you like quizzes there's a nice one from time to time in Bovey Tracy at the Bike Shed. Lovely Arts centre in Bovey too.

Another Devon resident for 40 years. I just love being near the sea!

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 ...

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

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’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.

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.

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?.

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.

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

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 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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…