Suffolk, Norfolk or Essex.

Suffolk is good. Striking distance of London / Norfolk / Essex / Cambs. Driving distance toa whole range of large cities and beaches.

Stowmarket is an affordable and friendly area (can you tell I'm looking myself?).

You can live in remote areas or built up areas in every county same as poor areas or affluent areas, every county has plenty of both do you want a village, a market town, a small town or a city? Do you want countryside or seaside?
It’s what suits you wherever you re moving to and it might sound harsh but why how come you didn’t do your homework before you sold might be a rush now

I have no desire to move I have the sea and beach on my doorstep a bus stop with 20 minutes buses to town or my nearest city opposite my house, a small shopping area if I can’t get to town, a good hospital a few miles away and a doctor and dentist within walking distance (a longish walk)
only downside is I don’t have close contact with neighbours (might even be for the best eh )

Blimey each to their own franbern but being not too far off that age I certainly don’t want somewhere to sit and look at flowers !!! Goodness forbid ‘

I moved last year and wrote a list of must haves, nice to haves, and definitely don't wants.

I was considering about seven areas and eventually narrowed it down to two, I was helped by friends on Gransnet and realised a railway station within easy reach was a the deciding factor.

Unfortunately neither Devon or Kent offered suitable properties within my budget and I've ended up staying in Northumberland - which is somewhere you might like to consider, Alnwick is a good sized town with everything you need.

If you can, write your list, decide which of your three counties is preferable, sell up and rent there?

a very wise post Franbern. We all think that time will stand still, but it is our responsibility to future proof where we move to if that is the decision. Firstly, why are you thinking of moving? If the current home is too big, maybe downsize to the same area, or consider paying for help to clean the house or care for the garden. If the reason is due to some romantic notion of living by the coast (mine), or in the middle of the country, rent a house in the middle of winter before you make a permanent move; some coastal towns can be bleak in the winter, stay somewhere without using your car and see how you cope.

Not wishing to be negative, I live in one of the areas you are considering, but we have lived here for years and our current home is future proofed as best as it can be. We have a GP, excellent local shop (chain, with Post Office inside so not going to close when owners retire), hairdresser, pub with good restaurant, excellent bus service into nearest town, all these are necessary, to my mind, for a successful move. I do wonder how all these people on 'Escape to the country' are faring 15 years later, how the half an acre and a thatched cottage are working out, how resentful their adult children feel when there is an emergency.

My Brother in law and sister in law moved from their gorgeous North London house, to a smaller, but also beautiful ion in Suffolk some six years ago. They were then just into their 70's both with good physical health

They both stated they were looking forward to the peace and quiet of the countryside. My BiL still had a few private clients that he could continue to ervice, working from home.
Superb modern 4-bedroom house, (they still had my SiL's Mother living with them at the time). Very large kitchen/diner, under floor heating, etc. etc. BUT, in village, nearest bus, once a day about a mile away to the stop, No shops locally at all.
Both drove their own cars, and when I commented that it was rather cut off from facilities, they both swept this aside and said if they could not drive anytime, they always use taxis.
It all changed frighteningly quickly. Elderly Mother neve coped with the move, and after three horrendous months eventually went into a home.
House was really too far for people to visit very often - so that wonderful large kitchen/diner was rarely used for the large family gatherings my SiL had envisaged. Her very special g.son for whom one bedroom was carefully furnished, decorated and arranged became a teenager and was not interested in visiting for days at the time.

My SiL has now developed early stage dementia - can no longer drive. Hates the place she is living. Still calls London home. My BiL was most reluctant to ever admit that he could have made a mistake, but eventually last year did admit that they would be better off back in the areas they both knew so well.

So, house now on market - but vastly over-priced, so no takers. My SiL is worsening each time I talk to her. It had been hoped that a move back to 'home' would have slowed down the condition. But that is not likely to happen.

Do think we all need to so much more careful, particularly in our later years about our moves. What is lovely and ideal in your late sixties/early seventies can be a nightmare within a very few years.

So....we do need to future proof. Local and easy public transports is a must (try to work out how you would manage without a car at all), shops, social facilities (theatres cinemas), hospitals, GP surgeries. A 'view to die for', may seem brilliant, but local facilities may keep you from dying far longer!!! Beware of split levels, too many (or any ) steps both inside and outside in any garden. And, that garden - At 65 you may see yourself as a market gardener and want acres of land, By the time you are coming up to 80, all you really want is somewhere to sit in comfort and look at some lovely flowers.

Location, location is so much more important than anything else.

If you are looking for a forever home then you need to look out for good transport links, and close to buses, trains, shops, doctor, hospital. You don't want to be in a village with a bus every hour that may be discontinued. And being by the seaside is always good for older folk to take a walk on the front. Failing that, a nice leafy local area for walking.

Big counties with many varying areas, like chalk and cheese. Cities, countryside, the sea. Poverty and wealth. Some parts well served by public transport, in others it’s non-existent. And big variations in prices. I think you first need to narrow down what you’re actually looking for and what you can afford. We considered parts of these counties and ended up in a small village in north Norfolk. Close to the sea. Not close to a hospital. No facilities in the village. Need a car for everything. But we love it for now. The time will come when it’s no longer practical.