Why do people move out of London?

Deciding to make a move out of London probably seems quite a simple decision for those who have never pounded the London pavements, writes Belinda Aspinall of Life After London, but actually it’s a decision fraught with anxiety and concern. The reason is fairly simple – while London may be expensive and busy and sometimes a hassle, it’s where people have made their base, settled in their careers, made families and created networks.

Reasons for making the move vary, more space required and schools being the usual critical factors. People reach a breaking point and suddenly want to go, but if you haven’t got a tie to work or family where do you go to? Even with a daily commute into London there are so many different places to consider. Connections into the City are improving year on year with the new Crossrail opening up many areas on the M4 corridor. So why should it be so daunting? Perhaps it’s the choice that’s hard, so many places or the unknown…everyone tells us it’ll be hard for the first year whilst we find our feet but seriously, it is really hard to move out of the City.

Those who have done it rave about it (apart from those who return, tail between their legs!) and most people know that once you make the leap it’ll all work out so mostly it’s the preparation that is so hard. Sitting in London with already busy lives can make endless property viewings near-on impossible. The internet is a godsend of course, but equally it can’t tell you the atmosphere of a house or village or the real story behind an Ofsted report, or what the local village shop is like. Research is king when people look to move, large scale maps with circles of potential areas critical to building up a picture of where you want to go but all the time with the feeling you are jumping into the unknown, leaving security of friendships behind.

In the words of a soon to be ex-Londoner ‘At the end of the day it’s a gamble – will life actually be better if we move or will it just be the same stuff in a different place, or worse still -harder because it’s the same stuff without the daily friendships and conveniences I’ve spent years having on my doorstep’.

People often tell me they wish they had an obvious sign to make it clear to them they should or shouldn’t move. For some this sign comes by not getting into local chosen primary schools, for others it’s simply children growing up and bouncing off walls. Either way it’s certainly easier if you’re certain about the decision.

From what I hear, moving to the country is all good and you don’t actually miss the coffee shop and you still find people to talk to even in the early day. Those who do it can’t wait to tell me how amazing life is, and then to question why we haven’t done it ourselves. In the meantime, if you know someone umming and aahhing about the process try to have a little sympathy – it’s just not as easy as all that and we need all the support we can get.

This is a guest post by Belinda Aspinall of Life After London which offers support, help and free advice about moving out of London, or moving to any new area.

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• julianzzz

  You must be very rich.

• julianzzz

  That’s a weird description of Liverpool.

• julianzzz

  Which is happening to your credibility as we speak..

• http://twitter.com/Eds_Benedict Benedict Edwards

  I’m sorry but I can’t read through your quaint rural accent. Could you please retype this using received pronunciation, the only valid form of the Queen’s English?

• Catherine Balavage

  I want my children to grow up in London so they have all of the opportunity I did not have. There is nothing wrong with children growing up in London, they have the world at their feet and there is plenty of green space. They will be multicultural too. Nothing could make me move back to the countryside. There are two different people: people who like living in the country, and those in the city. I am the latter, and I have no problem with people who do not share it. London has a lot of free stuff too and public transport in the countryside is non-existent. You can never get anywhere!

• Catherine Balavage

  I am not, but I do work very hard.

• serena shizzap

  You need to get out more. What are you talking about? What all white countries are you on about? This is 2013, wake the f**k up! Genocide my a**. Almost everything you have to accept is forced, you don’t get a say. You need to look to the real source of your inferiority/superiority complex, and it’s not the immigrants who are causing you to think this way. Wake the f**k up! Anti-racism is NOT a codeword for anti-White, troll.

• http://www.facebook.com/nibblerdibbler Nibbler Dibbler

  Was it Samuel Johnson who said when a man is tired of London he is tired of life? Well I never tired of London but left the city 5 years ago for more rustic parts in France. However I will always hold London and Londoners in very high regard ( friendly/helpful/generous and open minded) and always look forward to my return visits now as a tourist!

• http://www.facebook.com/nibblerdibbler Nibbler Dibbler

  Samuel Johnson said “when a man is tired of London he is tired of life”. Well I never tired of London and enjoyed living there for many years. I found the city to be terrifically exciting and the people extraordinarily friendly, engaging and open minded. I can’t wait to return as a tourist and enjoy some of the most amazing institutions you guys have particularly your National Theatre on the South Bank!