Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.
Thoughts on moving to Cornwall
Comments
-
FA. Myself and my wife moved here (Cornwall) seven years ago as my wife is from the area and all her family still live here. I will elaborate when I have more time but we hugely regret the decision to move to Cornwall.Everyone is different so will look for different things. The scenery is stunning but on the whole, for us, attitudes of people here leave a lot to be desired (I include both ‘locals’ and ‘up country folk’ in that). It is without doubt the most insular, bigoted place I’ve ever experienced.
Of course, not everyone should be tarred with that brush but too great a proportion for comfort. If you’re a Farage fan, you’ll love it.3 -
Substitute Lincolnshire for Lancashire and 18 years for 10, and my comments and feelings match Leroy's almost word for wordLeroy Ambrose said:Dunno about Cornwall, but I moved to Lancashire over ten years ago and I can't ever imagine going back to London. To be honest, London lost its lustre for me long before I left - I do miss the vibrancy and the culture, but the benefits of living somewhere more rural and quieter far outweigh those.
I found the first few times I went back it felt like coming home, as time went on it felt more like being a visitor, and now I feel like a stranger.
I think if you grow up in London (or close to it) for a lot of people you get blasé about just how huge it is. It's only when people from round here go down for a weekend to 'see the sights' that I realise it's still pretty magical for them.0 -
I'm no expert on Cornwall. My only finding is that Somerset isn't far, Devon's a fair distance (depending on where you are in the county), and Cornwall is a long way. If you're only travelling back every other weekend to see Charlton play, it's no problem
0 -
That may be how it appears on the surface, Algarve - but look a bit deeper and it's not as simplistic as that.Algarveaddick said:
Swerving off topic, so apologies, but this IS a hill I would die on.Oggy Red said:Hi Forever,
As you know, I've lived down here in Cornwall for quite a long time now.
It's a very different mentality from London and Kent, you'll need to adapt and muck in with the locals - sense of community is still strong in Cornwall.
Second home owners are despised, buying up houses that would otherwise be homes for young families.
The buying of second homes is killing villages ....the plethora of these houses empty for most of the year, are causing the village shop to close down, then the pub and school.
Cost of living can be quite high and wages low, you'll see a lot of people struggling to make ends meet - especially in towns like Bodmin, St Austell, Redruth and Camborne.
Maybe take a look around Saltash or Liskeard, 30 minutes to Plymouth (city of 250,000) many more work opportunities, facilities, shops, etc.
Truro is the capital city of Cornwall, population 20,000.
Treliske hospital in Truro is the only A & E for much of Cornwall;
Derriford hospital in Plymouth covers E and SE Cornwall.
First responder local service is good, ambulance and air ambulance helicopter covers the rest.
Doctors and dentists in Cornwall, much deteriorated since COVID. Be lucky.
Don't underestimate the distance, Cornwall is a long way from London, no motorways and the main roads are of variable quality, gridlocked on summer Saturdays.
Only one main railway line, Plymouth to Penzance, though including direct through services from Paddington, Cardiff, north of England, etc ...west of Exeter, the journey quite slow and time consuming.
Be aware that Cornwall can feel very different from England.
People here are very proud to be Cornish, proud of their heritage and culture, language even.... it's definitely not the Home Counties.
And it can rain a lot - when it starts, it never bleddy stops.
But when the sun shines, it's God's Own Country.
Me? ....Cornwall my home.
I can't ever imagine moving back up the line. To me after more than 40 years in Cornwall, Kent now seems like a foreign country, even though I still have family there.
Algarve made the very best suggestion - rent first and see how it works for you. It's great advice!
Whatever, you will be welcome to drop me a DM.
Good luck!
Natives who sell to second home owners are should be despised, buying up selling houses that would otherwise be homes for young families.
The buying of selling to second homes [owners] is killing villages ....the plethora of these houses empty for most of the year, are causing the village shop to close down, then the pub and school.
We hear the same moans here, nobody is forcing grandma to flog her cottage at top dollar to a posh couple from the city and move to the Costa Brava (in a wonderful turn of irony). But it is always the purchaser who is the baddy, not the seller.
It takes two to tango.
Right, off me soap box, back to the plot...
Houses get sold for a variety of reasons,: job moves up country; to pay for care home costs, repossessions because of job losses, landlords having to sell.......not too many grannies here moving to the Costa Brava.
Typically more often, granny passes away and the house is left to her 3 adult middle aged children - and as usual in that situation, the house has to be sold to share out the inheritance accordingly. It needs to be sold at market price, local families can't match that on local wages - so Mr & Mrs Starry-eyed from London buy it.
Now that's not so much a problem if they are actually going to live in the village, contribute to the local economy and become part of the local community. That still keeps the village alive.
It's the second home owners who don't live there, keep the house empty except for an occasional holiday - the building is just their investment vehicle to augment their pensions in years to come.
If there were only a couple of second homes or holiday houses in a village, it wouldn't be such a problem - it's the sheer high proportion of them in villages, that's destroying communities and amenities.
There was a time not so many years ago, that locals had to move away to search for work and depopulation of Cornwall meant there were once plenty of houses available - and prices were low enough that they could afford to buy or rent.
Since those days, it's always been an issue - but now the trickle has turned into a tidal wave.
Lots more situations in addition, of course ....and that's before we consider the dead hand of AirBnB
I've got things I must do now, so no more time to deal with some of the other issues.
But it's a huge problem in Cornwall2 -
Always good to understand the other side of the coin, Fen 👍fenaddick said:
Just want to provide a kids view of this from the opposite side, with the understanding it must have been really hard for your mum Oggy.Oggy Red said:
That's a good point.HastingsRed said:Assume you live close to your parents now?
The only regret I had moving to Cornwall, was that it is a long way for my Mum to see her grandchildren.
Being in my 20s at the time, married with a baby daughter, I didn't realise at first that it was such a wrench for her not to see her little grandaughter as often as she had become used to.
My son was born here, and mum would come to stay every few months and I would take the kids up to see her whenever it was possible, school holidays, etc.
Mum never complained, but now I can see it from her point of view.
Anyway, best to take into account the effects of your move with close family, etc
I had grandparents in Penzance and St Ives and grew up in Sidcup. We'd see the grandparents twice a year, in the summer and at Christmas and it made those visits extra special. I still go to St Ives every year and my memories of those grandparents are sometimes stronger and more cheerful than the more local ones. That was before the advent of things like FaceTime too which might soften the blow?1 -
I can only speak from my experience. We moved to the Tamar Valley on the Cornwall side and whilst the scenery is wonderful we found the weather hard to deal with. It rained almost every day and the summer was cold. I also felt very isolated and got very depressed as I couldn't find any work. It didn't help that it was around Covid period and I think we were unlucky that it was a particularly bad year for the weather. We have been told that the coastal areas get better weather but as others have said it also gets very busy in summer.
In summary, please make sure you consider all aspects before you commit. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.2 -
The reality is .....this is real life, not 365 days being on holiday.Uboat said:Some friends of ours moved to Cornwall with their young family in search of space, fresh air and general ‘quality of life’. It hasn’t turned out to be the rural idyll that they were hoping for. They have not been accepted by a lot of people and feel a bit isolated. They could just be unlucky with where they are, but I think the idea idea that you’ll always feel like you’re holiday is not realistic.
It has more or less the same challenges that you would face living anywhere in the UK outside of a city - but maybe the environment is more attractive, less crime, community life and on a nice day you can head to the moors, beaches or local event never far away.
3 -
Bleddy 'ell. Sounds 'orrible where you are, Charente.charente addick said:FA. Myself and my wife moved here (Cornwall) seven years ago as my wife is from the area and all her family still live here. I will elaborate when I have more time but we hugely regret the decision to move to Cornwall.Everyone is different so will look for different things. The scenery is stunning but on the whole, for us, attitudes of people here leave a lot to be desired (I include both ‘locals’ and ‘up country folk’ in that). It is without doubt the most insular, bigoted place I’ve ever experienced.
Of course, not everyone should be tarred with that brush but too great a proportion for comfort. If you’re a Farage fan, you’ll love it.
Not really my experience in more than 40 years here.
Of course you'll find people like that anywhere and everywhere in the UK these days.1 -
Second this. Jaywick is lovely in the summerAndyG said:Hi Mate.
I cant really talk about Cornwall as I dont really know the area well enough. But what I do know is that once people take the plunge and move away from London not many are clambering to return to live. It is easy to get caught up in the London is the place thought process but when you leave you realise pretty quickly that life elsewhere is pretty decent as well, but without the stress, traffic, and high costs. I love our trips back to watch Charlton and enjoy every second but you couldnt offer me enough money to live down there now3 -
Sounds very nice, we are thinking along the same lines in the not too distant future, we moved to Northamptonshire about 25 years ago knowing it wasn't our forever home, approaching sixty as we're it's now time for a change of pace and scenery, probably say goodbye to my season ticket at the same time, although still getting to selected games.0
-
Sponsored links:
-
ForeverAddickted said:
Always been a dream of ours, we love going on Holiday down there basically every summer… I'm 43 in a couple of months, my wife has just turned 38, and we've got an 8-year old Son who is Autistic, has ADHD and has a cognitive learning disorder.
House is already on the market (its a three bed for reference), as we're fed up of living somewhere without a driveway, parking after all can be a nightmare living around the houses where I am here in Strood… Started looking at houses around the Dunkirk / Canterbury area the other week, and I made the suggestion to my wife that if we're going to move away from family… Why not do it properly and just go to Cornwall
I work from home, so I wont need to change job… My wife is an experienced Veterinary Nurse so will be able to find work wherever she goes - Already started looking online at properly around St. Austell / Bodiam and you're looking at a four bed house, with a drive way which is at a ridiculous amount compared to what you'd be paying up here in the ME2 / ME1 areas, we'd even have money left over from the equity of our current home to make improvements etc.
So I thought I'd ask the question here… Why shouldn't we move…?
Has anyone made the move, regretted it, are there realities of Cornwall I'm not thinking about. Ideally dont want to go too far into the county at the same time (Camborne / Redruth / Truro). Yes there is the danger that I'll be further away from my parents (they're both in their 70's now) so be difficult to get back in a hurry if I need to… Yes we won't have the childcare, but already I only get relief once / twice a week in the School Holidays, and am used to my Son being around
Whatever you do I hope the future will be a success.1/Employment, it is a bit of an outpost down there so I would be working on the scenario if you became unemployed.2/Healthcare and access to GP's and hospitals in case of emergencies.3/Transport and ease of getting around.4/Whilst selling your property back home and almost certainly upgrading you could well end up with money in your pocket after buying something down there. Should you want to move back, would you be able to afford it?The above aside, Cornwall and Devon are beautiful parts of the country and a total lifestyle change to London and the surrounding areas. The quality of life is no doubt different and if you are wanting a more sedate time of things you will almost certainly get it down there.
1 -
Sorry old bean, but as I said a hill I would die on, nobody ever has to sell a house for the going rate, there is no gun to anyone's head. They choose to do so, whether their job is moving, they are a landlord that sells, or kids inheritance. The only one I will give you which I admit I hadn't thought of is care home costs, as I know there are rules preventing deprivation of assets. I am not convinced that takes up a huge chunk of available real estate.Oggy Red said:
That may be how it appears on the surface, Algarve - but look a bit deeper and it's not as simplistic as that.Algarveaddick said:
Swerving off topic, so apologies, but this IS a hill I would die on.Oggy Red said:Hi Forever,
As you know, I've lived down here in Cornwall for quite a long time now.
It's a very different mentality from London and Kent, you'll need to adapt and muck in with the locals - sense of community is still strong in Cornwall.
Second home owners are despised, buying up houses that would otherwise be homes for young families.
The buying of second homes is killing villages ....the plethora of these houses empty for most of the year, are causing the village shop to close down, then the pub and school.
Cost of living can be quite high and wages low, you'll see a lot of people struggling to make ends meet - especially in towns like Bodmin, St Austell, Redruth and Camborne.
Maybe take a look around Saltash or Liskeard, 30 minutes to Plymouth (city of 250,000) many more work opportunities, facilities, shops, etc.
Truro is the capital city of Cornwall, population 20,000.
Treliske hospital in Truro is the only A & E for much of Cornwall;
Derriford hospital in Plymouth covers E and SE Cornwall.
First responder local service is good, ambulance and air ambulance helicopter covers the rest.
Doctors and dentists in Cornwall, much deteriorated since COVID. Be lucky.
Don't underestimate the distance, Cornwall is a long way from London, no motorways and the main roads are of variable quality, gridlocked on summer Saturdays.
Only one main railway line, Plymouth to Penzance, though including direct through services from Paddington, Cardiff, north of England, etc ...west of Exeter, the journey quite slow and time consuming.
Be aware that Cornwall can feel very different from England.
People here are very proud to be Cornish, proud of their heritage and culture, language even.... it's definitely not the Home Counties.
And it can rain a lot - when it starts, it never bleddy stops.
But when the sun shines, it's God's Own Country.
Me? ....Cornwall my home.
I can't ever imagine moving back up the line. To me after more than 40 years in Cornwall, Kent now seems like a foreign country, even though I still have family there.
Algarve made the very best suggestion - rent first and see how it works for you. It's great advice!
Whatever, you will be welcome to drop me a DM.
Good luck!
Natives who sell to second home owners are should be despised, buying up selling houses that would otherwise be homes for young families.
The buying of selling to second homes [owners] is killing villages ....the plethora of these houses empty for most of the year, are causing the village shop to close down, then the pub and school.
We hear the same moans here, nobody is forcing grandma to flog her cottage at top dollar to a posh couple from the city and move to the Costa Brava (in a wonderful turn of irony). But it is always the purchaser who is the baddy, not the seller.
It takes two to tango.
Right, off me soap box, back to the plot...
Houses get sold for a variety of reasons,: job moves up country; to pay for care home costs, repossessions because of job losses, landlords having to sell.......not too many grannies here moving to the Costa Brava.
Typically more often, granny passes away and the house is left to her 3 adult middle aged children - and as usual in that situation, the house has to be sold to share out the inheritance accordingly. It needs to be sold at market price, local families can't match that on local wages - so Mr & Mrs Starry-eyed from London buy it.
Now that's not so much a problem if they are actually going to live in the village, contribute to the local economy and become part of the local community. That still keeps the village alive.
It's the second home owners who don't live there, keep the house empty except for an occasional holiday - the building is just their investment vehicle to augment their pensions in years to come.
If there were only a couple of second homes or holiday houses in a village, it wouldn't be such a problem - it's the sheer high proportion of them in villages, that's destroying communities and amenities.
There was a time not so many years ago, that locals had to move away to search for work and depopulation of Cornwall meant there were once plenty of houses available - and prices were low enough that they could afford to buy or rent.
Since those days, it's always been an issue - but now the trickle has turned into a tidal wave.
Lots more situations in addition, of course ....and that's before we consider the dead hand of AirBnB
I've got things I must do now, so no more time to deal with some of the other issues.
But it's a huge problem in Cornwall1 -
My wife has friends in Totnes, this is a beautiful little town, around 10 miles from Torquay. You can get a boat to Dartmouth and is around 40 mintues away.By train you are in the middle of both Plymouth and Exeter, around 40 minutes by train to both. There is a fantastic service to London with GWR, a lot of trains and around 3 hours travelling time.1
-
A big consideration I would imagine is the distance away from parents. What happens when they get elderly and need care. You will not be around the corner.3
-
I know someone who was high up on the Devon and Cornwall Fire Rescue. I could get you an introductionRylo said:
We’re going for Hayle. It’s somewhere we’ve visited for the last ten years (in all seasons, even the wet and windy ones) and have a real sense of connection to that area. We have also made a couple of friends there over the years, so it doesn’t feel like we’re starting from scratch.ForeverAddickted said:
Where are you thinking of heading to? - Agree... Finding everyone's contributions really usefulRylo said:This thread has come at a great time for me personally, so thank you to everyone for your valued contributions.Your story matches mine very closely, @ForeverAddickted. Your current age, and the challenges with the kids are extremely similar!
I say go for it mate. We are very close to doing the same!My wife is a teacher, and currently retraining in primary education after being a secondary school teacher for the past twenty years. I would continue to commute to London for my shift work and ultimately (hopefully) end up transferring to Cornwall when vacancies become available.We can’t move until next summer due to my wife’s current work contract, but that’s the plan. It’s a real mixture of excitement and also being completely terrified!2 -
Main thing to remember if you do move to Cornwall is it's jam first, then cream.5
-
There are several other factors not even touched on yet, but perhaps we'll leave it there - there's a match that needs watching!Algarveaddick said:
Sorry old bean, but as I said a hill I would die on, nobody ever has to sell a house for the going rate, there is no gun to anyone's head. They choose to do so, whether their job is moving, they are a landlord that sells, or kids inheritance. The only one I will give you which I admit I hadn't thought of is care home costs, as I know there are rules preventing deprivation of assets. I am not convinced that takes up a huge chunk of available real estate.Oggy Red said:
That may be how it appears on the surface, Algarve - but look a bit deeper and it's not as simplistic as that.Algarveaddick said:
Swerving off topic, so apologies, but this IS a hill I would die on.Oggy Red said:Hi Forever,
As you know, I've lived down here in Cornwall for quite a long time now.
It's a very different mentality from London and Kent, you'll need to adapt and muck in with the locals - sense of community is still strong in Cornwall.
Second home owners are despised, buying up houses that would otherwise be homes for young families.
The buying of second homes is killing villages ....the plethora of these houses empty for most of the year, are causing the village shop to close down, then the pub and school.
Cost of living can be quite high and wages low, you'll see a lot of people struggling to make ends meet - especially in towns like Bodmin, St Austell, Redruth and Camborne.
Maybe take a look around Saltash or Liskeard, 30 minutes to Plymouth (city of 250,000) many more work opportunities, facilities, shops, etc.
Truro is the capital city of Cornwall, population 20,000.
Treliske hospital in Truro is the only A & E for much of Cornwall;
Derriford hospital in Plymouth covers E and SE Cornwall.
First responder local service is good, ambulance and air ambulance helicopter covers the rest.
Doctors and dentists in Cornwall, much deteriorated since COVID. Be lucky.
Don't underestimate the distance, Cornwall is a long way from London, no motorways and the main roads are of variable quality, gridlocked on summer Saturdays.
Only one main railway line, Plymouth to Penzance, though including direct through services from Paddington, Cardiff, north of England, etc ...west of Exeter, the journey quite slow and time consuming.
Be aware that Cornwall can feel very different from England.
People here are very proud to be Cornish, proud of their heritage and culture, language even.... it's definitely not the Home Counties.
And it can rain a lot - when it starts, it never bleddy stops.
But when the sun shines, it's God's Own Country.
Me? ....Cornwall my home.
I can't ever imagine moving back up the line. To me after more than 40 years in Cornwall, Kent now seems like a foreign country, even though I still have family there.
Algarve made the very best suggestion - rent first and see how it works for you. It's great advice!
Whatever, you will be welcome to drop me a DM.
Good luck!
Natives who sell to second home owners are should be despised, buying up selling houses that would otherwise be homes for young families.
The buying of selling to second homes [owners] is killing villages ....the plethora of these houses empty for most of the year, are causing the village shop to close down, then the pub and school.
We hear the same moans here, nobody is forcing grandma to flog her cottage at top dollar to a posh couple from the city and move to the Costa Brava (in a wonderful turn of irony). But it is always the purchaser who is the baddy, not the seller.
It takes two to tango.
Right, off me soap box, back to the plot...
Houses get sold for a variety of reasons,: job moves up country; to pay for care home costs, repossessions because of job losses, landlords having to sell.......not too many grannies here moving to the Costa Brava.
Typically more often, granny passes away and the house is left to her 3 adult middle aged children - and as usual in that situation, the house has to be sold to share out the inheritance accordingly. It needs to be sold at market price, local families can't match that on local wages - so Mr & Mrs Starry-eyed from London buy it.
Now that's not so much a problem if they are actually going to live in the village, contribute to the local economy and become part of the local community. That still keeps the village alive.
It's the second home owners who don't live there, keep the house empty except for an occasional holiday - the building is just their investment vehicle to augment their pensions in years to come.
If there were only a couple of second homes or holiday houses in a village, it wouldn't be such a problem - it's the sheer high proportion of them in villages, that's destroying communities and amenities.
There was a time not so many years ago, that locals had to move away to search for work and depopulation of Cornwall meant there were once plenty of houses available - and prices were low enough that they could afford to buy or rent.
Since those days, it's always been an issue - but now the trickle has turned into a tidal wave.
Lots more situations in addition, of course ....and that's before we consider the dead hand of AirBnB
I've got things I must do now, so no more time to deal with some of the other issues.
But it's a huge problem in Cornwall
Enjoy the game, Argarve.
Cheers!
COYR1 -
I've had to face that one already.charltonnick said:A big consideration I would imagine is the distance away from parents. What happens when they get elderly and need care. You will not be around the corner.
Really challenging to deal with....plus all the travelling!
Completely knackering, but you do what you need to1 -
But what goes on the scones?addix said:Main thing to remember if you do move to Cornwall is it's jam first, then cream.
5 -
That would be absolutely incredible! No pressure, but if you do get the chance to have a conversation with that person I’d be hugely grateful._MrDick said:
I know someone who was high up on the Devon and Cornwall Fire Rescue. I could get you an introductionRylo said:
We’re going for Hayle. It’s somewhere we’ve visited for the last ten years (in all seasons, even the wet and windy ones) and have a real sense of connection to that area. We have also made a couple of friends there over the years, so it doesn’t feel like we’re starting from scratch.ForeverAddickted said:
Where are you thinking of heading to? - Agree... Finding everyone's contributions really usefulRylo said:This thread has come at a great time for me personally, so thank you to everyone for your valued contributions.Your story matches mine very closely, @ForeverAddickted. Your current age, and the challenges with the kids are extremely similar!
I say go for it mate. We are very close to doing the same!My wife is a teacher, and currently retraining in primary education after being a secondary school teacher for the past twenty years. I would continue to commute to London for my shift work and ultimately (hopefully) end up transferring to Cornwall when vacancies become available.We can’t move until next summer due to my wife’s current work contract, but that’s the plan. It’s a real mixture of excitement and also being completely terrified!3 -
Sponsored links:
-
If you want a total life style change, consider Ireland, especially the Wild Atlantic Way route.Real gentle country. The people are so welcoming and friendly.0
-
Sybil Fawlty of course.🤣EugenesAxe said:
Or a tree surgeon that can't stand the sight of sap.LoOkOuT said:Shame you’re not a doctor that has a fear of blood.
0 -
Trustees have a legal duty to sell a property for the best market price and can face legal action from beneficiaries if they sell it cheaply, ditto repossessions, friendly societies, charities etc. So not quite true that nobody ever......... I doubt selling cheap is top of 99.9% of people selling priority who aren't one of the above!Algarveaddick said:
Sorry old bean, but as I said a hill I would die on, nobody ever has to sell a house for the going rate, there is no gun to anyone's head. They choose to do so, whether their job is moving, they are a landlord that sells, or kids inheritance. The only one I will give you which I admit I hadn't thought of is care home costs, as I know there are rules preventing deprivation of assets. I am not convinced that takes up a huge chunk of available real estate.Oggy Red said:
That may be how it appears on the surface, Algarve - but look a bit deeper and it's not as simplistic as that.Algarveaddick said:
Swerving off topic, so apologies, but this IS a hill I would die on.Oggy Red said:Hi Forever,
As you know, I've lived down here in Cornwall for quite a long time now.
It's a very different mentality from London and Kent, you'll need to adapt and muck in with the locals - sense of community is still strong in Cornwall.
Second home owners are despised, buying up houses that would otherwise be homes for young families.
The buying of second homes is killing villages ....the plethora of these houses empty for most of the year, are causing the village shop to close down, then the pub and school.
Cost of living can be quite high and wages low, you'll see a lot of people struggling to make ends meet - especially in towns like Bodmin, St Austell, Redruth and Camborne.
Maybe take a look around Saltash or Liskeard, 30 minutes to Plymouth (city of 250,000) many more work opportunities, facilities, shops, etc.
Truro is the capital city of Cornwall, population 20,000.
Treliske hospital in Truro is the only A & E for much of Cornwall;
Derriford hospital in Plymouth covers E and SE Cornwall.
First responder local service is good, ambulance and air ambulance helicopter covers the rest.
Doctors and dentists in Cornwall, much deteriorated since COVID. Be lucky.
Don't underestimate the distance, Cornwall is a long way from London, no motorways and the main roads are of variable quality, gridlocked on summer Saturdays.
Only one main railway line, Plymouth to Penzance, though including direct through services from Paddington, Cardiff, north of England, etc ...west of Exeter, the journey quite slow and time consuming.
Be aware that Cornwall can feel very different from England.
People here are very proud to be Cornish, proud of their heritage and culture, language even.... it's definitely not the Home Counties.
And it can rain a lot - when it starts, it never bleddy stops.
But when the sun shines, it's God's Own Country.
Me? ....Cornwall my home.
I can't ever imagine moving back up the line. To me after more than 40 years in Cornwall, Kent now seems like a foreign country, even though I still have family there.
Algarve made the very best suggestion - rent first and see how it works for you. It's great advice!
Whatever, you will be welcome to drop me a DM.
Good luck!
Natives who sell to second home owners are should be despised, buying up selling houses that would otherwise be homes for young families.
The buying of selling to second homes [owners] is killing villages ....the plethora of these houses empty for most of the year, are causing the village shop to close down, then the pub and school.
We hear the same moans here, nobody is forcing grandma to flog her cottage at top dollar to a posh couple from the city and move to the Costa Brava (in a wonderful turn of irony). But it is always the purchaser who is the baddy, not the seller.
It takes two to tango.
Right, off me soap box, back to the plot...
Houses get sold for a variety of reasons,: job moves up country; to pay for care home costs, repossessions because of job losses, landlords having to sell.......not too many grannies here moving to the Costa Brava.
Typically more often, granny passes away and the house is left to her 3 adult middle aged children - and as usual in that situation, the house has to be sold to share out the inheritance accordingly. It needs to be sold at market price, local families can't match that on local wages - so Mr & Mrs Starry-eyed from London buy it.
Now that's not so much a problem if they are actually going to live in the village, contribute to the local economy and become part of the local community. That still keeps the village alive.
It's the second home owners who don't live there, keep the house empty except for an occasional holiday - the building is just their investment vehicle to augment their pensions in years to come.
If there were only a couple of second homes or holiday houses in a village, it wouldn't be such a problem - it's the sheer high proportion of them in villages, that's destroying communities and amenities.
There was a time not so many years ago, that locals had to move away to search for work and depopulation of Cornwall meant there were once plenty of houses available - and prices were low enough that they could afford to buy or rent.
Since those days, it's always been an issue - but now the trickle has turned into a tidal wave.
Lots more situations in addition, of course ....and that's before we consider the dead hand of AirBnB
I've got things I must do now, so no more time to deal with some of the other issues.
But it's a huge problem in Cornwall
How many of us have sold a house and asked for a written agreement as to what the house will be used for? A few people I know who have second homes down that way have inherited and kept rather than sell.
The Cornwall council and many others are beginning to rely on it as they receive double council tax for non main residences. It raises around £28m a year for them.
There's ways to combat the housing crisis, hoping people sell to local people is unlikely to be one of the successful one's.1 -
Not in Cornwall, you'd have to buy in Pl'muff - you may find an unmortgagable semi-derelict flat above a shop in the red light district, if you're luckyclb74 said:
Can I still get a 3 bed down that way for 100kOggy Red said:Well, tiz true I moved down 'ere backalong and I be still 'ere, m'loverrrr
1 -
Red light district?Oggy Red said:
Not in Cornwall, you'd have to buy in Pl'muff - you may find an unmortgagable semi-derelict flat above a shop in the red light district, if you're luckyclb74 said:
Can I still get a 3 bed down that way for 100kOggy Red said:Well, tiz true I moved down 'ere backalong and I be still 'ere, m'loverrrr
After 5 years that'll be more than what the flat cost.0 -
I was in Fowey last week visiting my nan and grandad who moved down there from Lewisham 20 years ago. Beautiful place.Rufisonfire said:We're on holiday at the moment in Fowey which is very close to St Austell and Bodmin and I can confirm it is indeed beautiful. I was talking to a guy this morning who said he retired here six years ago and he said it's the best thing he ever did.1 -
The film Straw Dogs was set in Cornwall.ShootersHillGuru said:Albeit 30 years ago but my in laws moved to Cornwall. Near Bude. Quite a strange insular bunch the Cornish. Didn’t really seem overly welcoming to outsiders in my experiences of them.2 -
It's funny you say that.charente addick said:FA. Myself and my wife moved here (Cornwall) seven years ago as my wife is from the area and all her family still live here. I will elaborate when I have more time but we hugely regret the decision to move to Cornwall.Everyone is different so will look for different things. The scenery is stunning but on the whole, for us, attitudes of people here leave a lot to be desired (I include both ‘locals’ and ‘up country folk’ in that). It is without doubt the most insular, bigoted place I’ve ever experienced.
Of course, not everyone should be tarred with that brush but too great a proportion for comfort. If you’re a Farage fan, you’ll love it.
My family plus my brother in law's family used to drive there every year in the 80s - probaby the most beautiful place I've been and the best memories in my old head.
However, we'd always joke that the Cornish were a 'funny old lot', suspicious and begrudging of us South Londoners. It seemed if ever we stopped the cars a man wearing a little leather pouch would run over, knock on the window and say, 'that'll be a pound'. It became our holiday joke. On another ocassion we were by a deserted tin mine entrance, cant remember where, but it had a sea view, there was a circle of stones and inside that were animal (hopefully) entrails. I naturally assumed it was some kind of offering and the Cornish were dancing naked around it at the midnight hour.
0 -
When it is the home of a deceased person being sold I would imagine that 95% of the time trustees are selling for the children of the owner, in this case, Cornish children. Those children can decide who they sell to, I can't imagine they are going to sue the trustee or executor if they sell to the people the children tell them to? I would also imagine that 95% of the time the vendors know exactly who is buying and why - they can pretty much work it out when Tarquin and Jocasta turn up in the Porsche...Rob7Lee said:
Trustees have a legal duty to sell a property for the best market price and can face legal action from beneficiaries if they sell it cheaply, ditto repossessions, friendly societies, charities etc. So not quite true that nobody ever......... I doubt selling cheap is top of 99.9% of people selling priority who aren't one of the above!Algarveaddick said:
Sorry old bean, but as I said a hill I would die on, nobody ever has to sell a house for the going rate, there is no gun to anyone's head. They choose to do so, whether their job is moving, they are a landlord that sells, or kids inheritance. The only one I will give you which I admit I hadn't thought of is care home costs, as I know there are rules preventing deprivation of assets. I am not convinced that takes up a huge chunk of available real estate.Oggy Red said:
That may be how it appears on the surface, Algarve - but look a bit deeper and it's not as simplistic as that.Algarveaddick said:
Swerving off topic, so apologies, but this IS a hill I would die on.Oggy Red said:Hi Forever,
As you know, I've lived down here in Cornwall for quite a long time now.
It's a very different mentality from London and Kent, you'll need to adapt and muck in with the locals - sense of community is still strong in Cornwall.
Second home owners are despised, buying up houses that would otherwise be homes for young families.
The buying of second homes is killing villages ....the plethora of these houses empty for most of the year, are causing the village shop to close down, then the pub and school.
Cost of living can be quite high and wages low, you'll see a lot of people struggling to make ends meet - especially in towns like Bodmin, St Austell, Redruth and Camborne.
Maybe take a look around Saltash or Liskeard, 30 minutes to Plymouth (city of 250,000) many more work opportunities, facilities, shops, etc.
Truro is the capital city of Cornwall, population 20,000.
Treliske hospital in Truro is the only A & E for much of Cornwall;
Derriford hospital in Plymouth covers E and SE Cornwall.
First responder local service is good, ambulance and air ambulance helicopter covers the rest.
Doctors and dentists in Cornwall, much deteriorated since COVID. Be lucky.
Don't underestimate the distance, Cornwall is a long way from London, no motorways and the main roads are of variable quality, gridlocked on summer Saturdays.
Only one main railway line, Plymouth to Penzance, though including direct through services from Paddington, Cardiff, north of England, etc ...west of Exeter, the journey quite slow and time consuming.
Be aware that Cornwall can feel very different from England.
People here are very proud to be Cornish, proud of their heritage and culture, language even.... it's definitely not the Home Counties.
And it can rain a lot - when it starts, it never bleddy stops.
But when the sun shines, it's God's Own Country.
Me? ....Cornwall my home.
I can't ever imagine moving back up the line. To me after more than 40 years in Cornwall, Kent now seems like a foreign country, even though I still have family there.
Algarve made the very best suggestion - rent first and see how it works for you. It's great advice!
Whatever, you will be welcome to drop me a DM.
Good luck!
Natives who sell to second home owners are should be despised, buying up selling houses that would otherwise be homes for young families.
The buying of selling to second homes [owners] is killing villages ....the plethora of these houses empty for most of the year, are causing the village shop to close down, then the pub and school.
We hear the same moans here, nobody is forcing grandma to flog her cottage at top dollar to a posh couple from the city and move to the Costa Brava (in a wonderful turn of irony). But it is always the purchaser who is the baddy, not the seller.
It takes two to tango.
Right, off me soap box, back to the plot...
Houses get sold for a variety of reasons,: job moves up country; to pay for care home costs, repossessions because of job losses, landlords having to sell.......not too many grannies here moving to the Costa Brava.
Typically more often, granny passes away and the house is left to her 3 adult middle aged children - and as usual in that situation, the house has to be sold to share out the inheritance accordingly. It needs to be sold at market price, local families can't match that on local wages - so Mr & Mrs Starry-eyed from London buy it.
Now that's not so much a problem if they are actually going to live in the village, contribute to the local economy and become part of the local community. That still keeps the village alive.
It's the second home owners who don't live there, keep the house empty except for an occasional holiday - the building is just their investment vehicle to augment their pensions in years to come.
If there were only a couple of second homes or holiday houses in a village, it wouldn't be such a problem - it's the sheer high proportion of them in villages, that's destroying communities and amenities.
There was a time not so many years ago, that locals had to move away to search for work and depopulation of Cornwall meant there were once plenty of houses available - and prices were low enough that they could afford to buy or rent.
Since those days, it's always been an issue - but now the trickle has turned into a tidal wave.
Lots more situations in addition, of course ....and that's before we consider the dead hand of AirBnB
I've got things I must do now, so no more time to deal with some of the other issues.
But it's a huge problem in Cornwall
How many of us have sold a house and asked for a written agreement as to what the house will be used for? A few people I know who have second homes down that way have inherited and kept rather than sell.
The Cornwall council and many others are beginning to rely on it as they receive double council tax for non main residences. It raises around £28m a year for them.
There's ways to combat the housing crisis, hoping people sell to local people is unlikely to be one of the successful one's.
Those that have inherited and kept it as a holiday home - sons and daughters? Mostly still Cornish aren't they? And, haven't they made a choice to do that rather than sell to a villager?
I am not saying that the purchasers are innocent little waifs in these transactions. They have to take some of the blame, but the locals always seem to put 100% of the responsibility on the incomers, and that does not seem to be the case in most scenarios.
Cornwall council cashing in on it just underlines my point. Local people benfitting from selling to townies.0
