UKH

Hi,

Regular user but wanted a throwaway account for this post.

Partner and I keep go back and forth about moving to the Lake District area.

We visit 3-4x per year, it has the lifestyle that we want and ultimately it will be the place that we will retire in many years to come but we are unsure whether to make the move sooner.

We currently live in the Midlands, in our thirties, no kids. We go on multiple holidays a year and do lots of hobbies. Moving now would allow us to be in the mountains more; running, hiking etc. We do those things now all the time but the local area isn’t mountainous, travelling to the Lakes/Wales is 3+hrs, and the Peak District just isn’t the same.

But moving comes with a cost. We currently have a very cheap mortgage (less than £600 a month with 4 years left) and the ability to clear the balance now if we wanted to. Our finances currently are very healthy, our outgoings are low and we can save every month. If we move now, the mortgage repayments are going to be much higher (probably 2-3x what we currently pay and for 20 years), we will save much less. Psychologically having a bigger mortgage over a longer term and knowing we are saving less would be difficult. Our current house is such good value for money. But this area doesn’t ultimately have the ideal lifestyle that we want, but it is pretty close. As we want the lifestyle, we would need to be close to the Lake District and we were looking at the areas around Kendal, Penrith and Cockermouth but the prices are a lot more than what we are paying now. We also have very good, secure, enjoyable, and well-paid jobs with lots of benefits which we’d have to leave – another big risk.

We are both very risk averse and we are content and very comfortable where we are (where we live, our jobs, our finances) but it feels like the Lake District will be where we will eventually end up. Do we make the jump now or do we wait? It would be different if we hated our current house/area and our jobs but we don’t. The house prices are only going to get more expensive so do we move now and sacrifice the savings and their ability to compound or do we move when we reach retirement? Has anyone moved and regretted it? How has your lifestyle changed? Has anyone moved and were very happy with the decision? What are the areas like to live in (Kendal, Cockermouth, Penrith etc.)?

Ultimately the equation is finances & jobs Vs lifestyle.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

I’ll keep this brief. Move to Kendal. You won’t look back. 

A third option would be to split the difference. There are lots of areas that are significantly closer to the Lakes and/or North Wales but still have cheaper house prices and more choice of jobs. The details of which places would suit probably depend on what else you want from your home area and what kind of jobs you'd be after, but it doesn't necessarily have to be as binary as you're making it.

Some would argue that if you want to buy a house in the Lakes on your retirement, then the easiest way to get it is to to buy it now while you still have 20+ years to pay for it. It's hard to imagine a saving scheme that would give you the returns needed to keep up with house price inflation we're seen over the last 20 years in the Lakes.

I think all towns have their ups and downs. Especially places that haven't seen some catastrophic changes in their circumstances. Kendal's main street is looking quite run down at the moment and I know this has put off several people who were looking to buy in the town. Perhaps this is the moment to buy before someone instigates the solution to this prevalent highstreet malaise.

Kendal is a pretty good place to live. 'Everyone' is here for the same reasons; transport links are good/great; there's plenty going on. Yes houses are more expensive than say the Midlands, but they're not going to get cheaper.

I find Kendal quite depressing. It has nothing like the friendly, upbeat vibe of the town where I live, just north of Derby (Belper. There is so much going on here, culturally, and it has a superb cross-mix of people – mostly working.) The other big snag with Kendal is the rain. It’s OK if you like wet weather. Yet another snag: the tedious semi-traffic jams to get to it in the summer. Ambleside a much nicer place to live; but because of the tourism, you just about have to abandon your car in the summer, or have some special parking place in some hidden alleyway.

P.S. I think Keswick has a better vibe, and better access. Also, a really nice place to live is Hesket Newmarket, but it’s so nice that i scarcely dare talk about it.

I don't know if this is a real option for you but from what you have said you are very happy with your current situation -

you like your house, the mortgage is low, you can save, you like your jobs,

the only thing you don't like is you don't live in the Lake District, but what you have is a lot to give up.

As your mortgage has only four years to run could you

(a) pay it off early and be mortgage free now, or

(b) wait until the mortgage is cleared and again be free of a mortgage?

When you have no mortgage how about buying a second home in the Lakes with a view to moving there permanently in the very near future? If that is possible you might be better able to afford a higher mortgage from you current jobs than you would be from the uncertainty of moving to the Lakes and finding new employment.

I don't know the housing market in the Lakes but I assume anything in, or close the National Park, is expensive. Has it got to be the Lakes? If not have you looked at Scotland? Again I don't know the market, expect in one very small area, but some areas might be cheaper than the Lakes.

Dave 

I don't know Kendal that well although some friends have moved there from Sheff and love it. I moved from Sheff back to my beautiful Scotland 2.5 years ago after 9 years down there, mainly because Scotland is home but also because I wanted to be near the mountains, and I wonder why it took me so long to move back! I love being near mountains, I can see a Munro from bedroom window and could run from my house up one and barely touch tarmac (I haven't yet but that is on the to do list...). It's been a great move.

Life's too short. If it's what you want, then move. Easier said than done though,I appreciate, and I understand your concerns re finances/jobs. Would you be able to get a similar (and similarly well paid) job in the Lakes? Could you try living where you are for a few months as if paying 2-3 times more for a mortgage and see how you feel? Any option to WFH (Kendal) for a week/month to see what it's like living there? You're only young once though and being able to run around the hills without a much of a drive is pretty awesome. That being said, life does get in the way and we don't get out as much as we'd like. 

​​​​Good luck with your decision.

B***dy he'll Gordon, I disagree with just about every word you've written! Ah well, we wouldn't want everyone to move here, so I'll let it be🙂

OK, (I was a bit heavy about it. But I did stay several months there when I was doing my Lakes book back in 1991. And later, when I had a big photographic exhibition there in the mid-90s) As long as we’re both happy with our respective abodes, all is well. I should add that Belper has changed almost out of all recognition - for the better - in the 24 years I’ve been here.

How about cheaper areas that are still close to the hills?

Milnthorpe, Dalton, Milliom, Barrow, Flookburgh.

Could they not have changed the name? 'Belper' does sound like a gassy condition that perhaps cattle might get.

It's a beautiful village when you drive through it, and if village living is what you want then it must be one of the prettiest near the lakes. But if village living isn't what you want...

It's a question of employment, could you get secure work there that easily, you'll likely know the answers already. 

Overall it depends what you want, west coast is fine, but you've added an hour plus to reach anywhere else in the country compared to Penrith/kendal/Carlisle/Lancaster belt. Also it's light on an evening now, what would you dash out and do, climb run mtb orienteer? On a weekend you can afford that hour to drive across the lakes, on an evening less so. 

Yes, truth is it would be far too small a place for me to live as a singel person. Lovely to visit though. I like to live in a small town where there’s a lot going and communications are very good (I don’t have a car). Belper ticks all the boxes. Nicest place I’ve ever lived in UK - and I’ve lived in Scotland/Dundee area; Glencoe/Highlands; Lakes: Coniston/Ambleside; Knebworth/Hertfordshire; Greater London: Hampton, Kensington, Chelsea, Fulham, Ealing; Kent and Sussex - Tunbridge Wells area; South Wales/Cardiff area; Swansea/Gower area; North Wales - Llanberis area. Tunbridge Wells area is really lovely, but astronomically expensive.

Yes, the name is awful. The extreme irony is that it's a contraction of the old Anglo-Norman name Bel-repaire, meaning ‘Beautiful retreat’ … which is very apt.

Another huge advantage is the fantastically good communication network - I don’t have a car. Belper train station and bus station are 5 and 7 minutes walk from my house. Frequent trains and 5 buses an hour to Derby, whence one can get easily to any part of the country. Return trip to London St Pancras in a day is very easy.

I would say yes, do it so long as you have more than climbing to focus on. Do not underestimate the weather, this year it started to rain in July and is only just stopping now.

All the destinations you suggest are good places to live. For convenience if escaping the above mentioned weather, Kendal and Penrith have the edge. Cock is a lovely town and it has the advantage of being closer to a large, well paying employer of professionals. Sellafield are currently short of staff and recruiting, keep an eye on their website. Penrith and Cock have the edge for evening cragging, I think. 

It is worth noting that the total time to get to the base of Scafell and Swanage from Kendal is broadly equal.

Of course that should read Stanage. Fat fingers or ambitious autocorrect.

Guess your going Kendal to Scafell via Sunderland ?  

Think it through, adding together the drive and the approach gives a very similar time.

Scafell is quicker, but you need to leave at 6am before the punters get out and drive a hire car! But then, ulpha moor or the passes? Decisions to make. 

Being able to go over Wrynose and Hardknott at your own pace on a sunny morning before the punters are around is a journey of joy.

Having said that, Ulpha and over Birker Fell can also be a great drive, quick check on the peregrines at Stonestar and that glorious view into upper Eskdale.

Can't really go wrong on an early sunny morning 😁, I just have to put in the 80 miles from Manchester first.

Can you do your current jobs remotely?

If not then what is the job market like for your skillset in Cumbria?

Eskdale is like a well kept secret, lots of punter traffic through it, must drive the passes and obviously the only hill worth walking is the highest in England, so once off away from your car in Eskdale it's often quiet even in summer. 

Personally I would prioritise getting the lifestyle you want (your 'lifestyle' is your actual life in the end) over saving for some distant future that may or may not happen. This has always been my general approach but has certainly been reinforced by the early death of a very fit and active friend who died just a couple of months after a cancer diagnosis before they even reached retirement age. 

I am not sure where you are in the Midlands. But we have ended up in Costa Del Cannock, although not the most inspiring of places to live for us its been great - not many places in the country are more than 2-2.5 hours away. Lakes, North Wales, Peaks, Yorkshire Dales. Even places like Fort William & Glencoe - although quite far away (6/7 hours) they are really easy journeys straight up the motorway. 

But honestly.... if I had the money (and the job), I would be moving to the Lakes tomorrow!  

great question, and one I find myself constantly pondering. A few thoughts that come to mind.

You don't know this. You could die before then, get seriously ill, or a hundred different other issues. Is sounds like you don't know, but if you knew it would make you happier then you should move, as you don't know how kind the future is going to be for you. You only get one life, and if you save everything for retirement you may be disappointed.

Will this ever change. Obviously your age will. If you think finances are tight moving to an area without kids, wait until you do have kids. Kids cost a lot less when they are all in school, this may be the right time for you to move. Paying nursery fees in order to work is an absolute killer. Obviously if definitely not having kids, no issue.

This may just be me, but I've discovered a major flaw with myself. If something is difficult, I want it and I make it happen. If it's easy (for example my big climbing wall in my back garden) I think, I can always use it tomorrow and before I know it, 6 months have gone past.

In a nutshell, are you sure that knowing what you want is right on your doorstep, you'll stop appreciating it and therefore won't take advantage of it. I don't know if this applies to me based on what's around me. I run often, so assume I still would somewhere like the lakes, and I'd just enjoy it more. But the more adventurous stuff that you do on your holidays there may be a constant "tomorrow's activity". I need to work on this.

Can you do this work in the lakes? What do you do for a living? Would it require a complete career change and would that pay your new pricey mortgage?

I just realised I read the original as Stanage. My brain somehow knew what you meant!

I replied to your post saying Swanage. 

I had this chat with my parents 5 years ago. They were in your situation (older! Late 50s early 60s), living in Wiltshire and wanted to move back North "eventually". My argument to them, why wait? If you move back to the Lakes when you're retired then you'll be older and maybe not able to enjoy the reasons you want to move back for to their fullest.

They sold up, moved to just outside Ulverston and are about to complete the Wainwrights (again!). So ye, as someone above said, if you can do it, want to do it and can afford it just go. I think there's some great places to live that aren't the obvious (Kendal, Ambleside, Keswick) just depends what you want to do work wise. If you can work remotely that's a total win. Or I hear Barrow needs people in the shipyard!!

Kendal resident so obviously biased. I moved here after living in London for about 8 years. This year it has rained loads, but this seems to be true for most of the UK. 

I'm quite curious on your job points, can they be made a remote role, if they aren't already? This seems to be a big sticking point. I can't really comment on your mortgage point, although Kendal is cheaper than Ambleside/Windermere etc. 

Im fortunate to have a good remote job, for nice employers, that are flexible. I appreciate not everyone has this though. You may or may not be able to have this flexibility with your current employers. This enables me to be out of the door at 5pm, when the sun is shining this can mean climbing by 5.30, swimming in the lakes. When its raining, I can go running from the door or go to a very good climbing wall. I can't emphasise enough how good this feels when its during the week, as its like having an extra weekend.

I'd politely disagree with Gordon's comments on a not friendly and upbeat, I find it the opposite. Also, on the traffic, it is bad but only if you live on one side of the town. Again I'm fortunate but I can be out of Kendal in 4 mins during rush hour.

Joker in the pack. Move to the Western Peak District.

Gives you Peak on your doorstep (obviously...) but also reasonably easy access to N Wales, Dales and Lakes

I moved from the south coast of England to the Furness Peninsular over thirty years ago and am still very happy with my decision. I'm about to retire and will probably live the rest of my life here.

My circumstances were somewhat different to yours as I was a single person at the time and I already had a job lined up, but being near the mountains was the primary attraction for me. I didn't want to be in the national park though and have always appreciated the fact that I can steer clear of the crowds on bank holiday weekends and during school holidays.

When I first moved here I was out on the hills at every opportunity but now I am often just as happy to walk to the end of the road where there is a view looking up the Duddon estuary to the south western fells which rivals anything in Scotland.

The downsides? It still takes me over an hour to drive to Wasdale Head and longer if it's icy in winter. Also when driving any distance the A590 is the only reasonable means of a quick escape and if there are major roadworks or a bad accident it can take forever. It's also a long way to any decent shopping if you or your partner like that sort of thing. And it's windy a lot of the time although the sun often shines on the coast when the fells are in cloud.

Other upsides beside being near the mountains? The roads are still reasonably quiet, the people are friendly and despite the ravages of heavy industry the local landscape is still very attractive and there are some great beaches with few people on them.

I'm not necessarily suggesting you look at the Furness Peninsular as it's a bit of a left field option but just felt I'd add my own experience to the mix.

(Below is the south western fells and Duddon Estuary just before sunrise)

Listen. Can you hear it? 

That's the clock ticking. 

Don't tell people about the amazing beaches!!

Stay to the eastern Lakes. you'll love it 😛😛

Yes, sorry. I meant the beaches are truly awful. Go and live in Shap or Tebay instead. Access to the M6 is great.

Same but different, we sacked off Coventry to live in the South West, no regrets whatsoever other than the time it takes to get to Font! This was off the back of my dad passing and us getting a small chunk of cash for a deposit on a house. 

You say with a mortgage 2-3x your current outgoings will reduce your monthly savings, not eliminate them, so you're already in a way better position than a significant of the population who barely break even. 

It sounds like you've got the cash to experiment a bit. See if you can get 6 months off work or work remote, move there for temporarily over the end of summer to beginning of winter in a few long term Airbnbs in different places and see how it goes. 

Just don’t underestimate the weather. I was born in Eskdale and lived all over the Lakes for 40 years. 100 consecutive days of rain tipped the balance and I wouldn’t move back there. The orienteering and fell running scene is great but for a climber it can be frustrating.

I also find Kendal grey, depressing and traffic ridden..

Clearly the OP needs a Green Card…

https://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/ukc/sales_-_needle_sports-770220

We made a retirement move to here over 20 years ago. We decided there were three reasons not to live within the Lake District.  In no particular order these are the traffic, the house prices and the weather. We settled on the area between Kendal and Milnthorpe. The weather is important. We have about 1,000mm of rain per year, which compares to Ambleside which has about 2,000mm. Staveley, which Gordon S would probably find has a similar vibe to Belper, is a bit drier than Ambleside, but still too wet for our liking. Kendal, only 10 minutes drive from home is also noticeably (if anecdotally) wetter than our spot. Ten minutes the other way takes you into the Arnside & Silverdale AONB which is not the Lakes but is one of the North’s best kept secrets, and which apart from a wonderful microclimate also has Trowbarrow etc.

Another plus is it’s 10 minutes to the M6. There are cheaper houses and drier/sunnier climate on the West Cumbria coast, but travelling anywhere else if you live in Broughton or Millom starts with a slow tedious journey to a motoway. A compromise might be Ulverston, whose vibe Gordon would probably rate quite highly (May sees the week-long International Music Festival, which this year starts with Jennifer Pike and Martin Roscoe.)

Kendal is a great little town with loads of facilities, lots of like minded folk and an excellent climbing wall. Compared with Derby, which has roughly ten times the population, where we used to live, Kendal has an infinitely better cultural scene. 

Noticed a few comments about the traffic in Kendal which, if you’re local, can be a bit frustrating. However, given you’re in the Midlands, suspect you’ll wonder what the fuss is all about; it’s hardly Bombay…

Edit: You’ll also notice lots of comments about the rain, which are entirely accurate. It pisses down, a lot. But when it’s nice, it’s bloody great.

It's over a decade since I lived in Kendal and worked in the lakes so any advice on the finances and the social side would be well out of date. I left as it was pretty grim being in your early 20s and single in Kendal at the time and ended up moving north of the wall.

I enjoyed it, the A591 was a belter of a commute to Keswick at 7am in the morning, Kendal wall is amazing and seems to be getting better and I'd imagine you're well aware of the outdoor life you can have there. 

I still like the Lakes, I spend plenty of time there visiting friends and family but Scotland wipes the floor with it in just about every way (Including career wise in my case)  so I don't think I'd ever move back.

As others have said don't underestimate the weather in certain parts of the Lakes. It can be downright miserable when it gets to washout weekend number 14 on the trot......

If I were to move back I'd consider south of Kendal or the Eden Valley/Penrith area. Better weather and the hordes tend to drive past them to get to the Lakes so they're fairly quiet.

Thank you ever so much to everyone that has replied, we really appreciate it. There it lots to think about and it is always good to get other people’s perspectives. We are very grateful to everyone that has responded.

I may be able to keep my job but I doubt my partner will be able to keep theirs so factors surrounding job and location would definitely come in to it. We would also want a job lined up before we moved; we wouldn’t feel comfortable handing in our notice and moving with no job offer.

A few have mentioned about only living once, and may not make it to retirement, things can change etc, that is something that we have considered. It ultimately boils down risking what we have now for a lifestyle that may potentially be better. If we could pick up our house and move it to the Lake District and have our current jobs change to permanent remote working, I feel like it would be a no brainer 😊

Another good point for living in either the Kendal/Penrith/Carlisle is that you're not just restricted to the lakes, you have the Yorkshire Dale's (superb caving) and Northumberland within a reasonable driving time - based in Carlisle, we often climb in the Dale's or Northumberland as and where the better weather dictates. 

If north of the lakes ie Penrith/Carlisle, the Galloway hills and sea cliffs are also within a day trip time wise.

For winter climbing Glen Coe and Fort William can be as little as 3.5hrs on a good run.

Just to add as a couple of people have mentioned moving elsewhere. For us it would be the Lake District or stay where we are. If we moved to the Lake District we would need to be very near to the hills as when 5pm arrives Monday-Friday we want to be outside. So for us we would need to be within a 15 min drive max of the hills so we can get an activity in every evening (we do that now, we just live in a flatter area). We are happier to travel longer on the weekend but ultimately weekdays evenings we want easy access to the outdoors so we would need the Lake District on our doorstep for this to happen.

Location wise - we don't have any interest in shopping, restaurants, takeaways, going out Friday evening into town etc so we don't really need to be anywhere that fits that criteria as it would be very wasted on us. What we would like though is an outdoor community that share the same passions as us and we can make friends with.

Thanks again to everyone that has responded 😊

We moved near Arnside from the Peak about a year ago. The dogs love it here (see this morning’s pictures below), and if you love limestone bouldering in damp woodland then this is the place to be. It’s great for transport links for work, and there are three brilliant climbing walls within a reasonable drive.

However, what I’ve realised is that we took the Peak for granted, tourists lockdown the central Lakes for 6 months of the year, and I’ve literally been homesick ever since we got here, to such an extent that we’ve started looking at houses near Froggatt! Kendal is scruffy, but I’ve got a soft spot for it. What we really wanted to do was buy a place in the central lakes, but transit times for work and getting to the wall are no go. I might have to change my username back!

If you want to live nearer the Lakes but a load cheaper, how about Lancaster?  A very easy day trip from there and tons of relatively low cost terraced housing.  And reasonably easily commutable to the likes of Preston and Manchester if you needed that for work.

Somebody may have already said this but if you relocate near the M6 somewhere south of Preston you have amazing reach and easy journeys for Lakes/Wales/Peak/Yorkshire more affordable housing and good employment opportunities. Lakes can be quite depressing mid winter and mid summer holidays!

A couple of foods for thought:

Does it need to be the Lake District? If you are abandoning your current jobs and looking for an outdoor lifestyle, there are loads of places in Scotland that offer what you are looking for and where property costs a lot less than in the Lake District. Though most places that come to mind are a lot wilder and quieter than the Lake District which is something of a bustling metropolis, so not sure if that would suit you or not.

Do you really need a big fancy house if you move? I took a 2 minute gander at properties for sale in Kendal and there are more than a handful at about £100k (though I don't know what your current property costs, £100k is pretty low for a house/flat these days). Buy a cheap place, avoid mortgage stress and get the lifestyle you want? If you've no kids, normally sleep together and do a big spring clean of lifes accumulated junk, you might find you can live happily in a small place.

It might be an idea to book yourselves in to sit down with a proper financial planner and look long and hard about what you want to do, what it will cost and how that will impact other things in your life (early retirement, foreign holidays, etc. etc.). You might know a lot about your own lives but a professional should be able to model a lot of the unknowns for you and give some useful conclusions.

I've lived in and now close to Cockermouth in the North Lakes. It's not a bad area to live in, much cheaper than Keswick etc but only 20 minutes away at most. It gives you access to all the same stuff but it's much cheaper than within the national park and you don't have to cope with all the mass tourism. 

As far as your mortgage goes, you'll have to check, but a lot of mortgage providers allow you to port an existing mortgage to a new property if you want to move during the fixed term so you may still be able to keep your cheaper rate if the mortgage isn't massively more. 




 

Also, one caution:

I read a few replies where people said stuff like "buy now, it'll never be cheaper" and "it's not like house prices will go down". This is a dangerous assumption to make and I'd strongly recommend against it - there are many reasons to decide to buy a house but speculating on its increased future value always carries some risk and currently probably represents a very risky proposition - the economy is stagnant, houses are already more unaffordable than any time since the stone age and the current isolationist political agenda offers slim to no probability that this is going to change any time soon.

(Your stated reasons for wanting to buy a place in the Lakes are on much firmer ground).

If you want to live nearer Lancaster but a load cheaper, how about Nelson?

For the price of a couple of pints in Keswick, you could get a 2 up 2 down, and still have change for a bag of chips!

My personal view is that Lancaster is a fair bit nicer than the not otherwise dissimilar east Lancashire towns (the uni brings a lot of prosperity and youth to the place despite the constant whinging about it).  However if that doesn't bother you there are indeed bargains in east Lancs.

Chorley (further south) is pretty cheap too, as is Preston but it's hardly what you would call nice.

Best way is of course to go there and get a proper feel for the place.  What one person likes another might hate.

Just heading out of the door, so will reply in more detail. Cockermouth is very nice, but a lot of new build going on. This is a bit odd, as the main source of employment (Cockermouth is a dormitory town for Sellafield managers to an extent) is contracting, and the T&Cs for new starters aren't as good. House prices haven't really changed around Cockermouth in the 17 years we've been here. I'm not sure if that particular house bubble might burst.

We're about 10 miles west, (even cheaper house prices), and love it here. However public transport is dire, hospitals aren't much better, and the Lakes is getting very crowded. We're always struck we visit friends back in Yorkshire, (Wakefield, Halifax, Huddersfield, even Keighley), how easy it is to get a taxi, bus, train to go places.

As I said, we do love it here, but once I retire we're seriously thinking of moving back, as you're completely reliant on having a car, and wouldn't want to be infirm and living miles from health services. If you want to move, do it while you're young.

A lot of the damage to the TS and C's has been recently reversed. Things look a lot more attractive now.

I fully agree with your thoughts about services and living west of the town. When we first moved to the area, the village property we bought would have cost 50k more in the town. That sums covers a lot of taxis to the pub.

Slight words of warning. We moved from just north of Manchester to just north of Glasgow (where I’m from) for better access to hills. First few years were great but niggles started to creep in. We spent a lot of time driving up and down the M74 visiting friends and family. Add in drives for work, conferences etc. and I’m not sure the overall time saving was that great. Glasgow and Edinburgh airports are well connected but if you had be be in a specific location at a specific time there were still quite a few late night/early morning drives to Manchester or connecting flights to London airports. From the Midlands you may not appreciate how pretty much everything is on your doorstep apart from hills.

Our eldest started primary school and we realised it was now or never so we moved to south Peak District 11 years ago and haven’t regretted it for a minute. Lots on the doorstep for evening’s activities and <2.5 hours gets me to the Lakes, Dales, Wales and central London (which the now teenagers really appreciate). We can more easily get to friends north and south, I can travel to conferences in an evening rather than taking a day off to travel and with a 2am start I can be climbing in Skye by 10am.
 

Sounds daft saying Glasgow was a bit isolated (lots of great friends there) but it might not be so easy to leave your previous life behind.

A 2am start, is that your best sales pitch?!

How close are your families and how important are they to you and vice versa. Never underestimate how important your family is in your social network. Especially when you deciede its time to have a family.

I moved from Sheffield to Kendal. For days out, I find the Lakes way more interesting that the Peak, I like big crags, walking and all that. I love the after work climbing/scrambling/hills up here but I do miss soloing on Stanage, the highball circuit on Curbar, etc. Bouldering around Kendal is quite crap, that limestone nonsense is not for me, and there's only so many times a week you can do the Brant Fell traverse.

err? I work 'til 5 and I'm soloing on Gimmer, pottering along Striding Edge, bouldering at Wrynose, etc every sunny evening through the summer. I tend to go elsewhere at the weekends rather than drive through Ambleside, and that's fine since the whole of the Dales, Bowland, Eden Valley etc is just as accessible.

Have you ever lived anywhere with poor people? Kendal is affluent but not to the point of being a twee tourist spot, it's a well-to-do small town (which does have a small scruffy estate right on the river) where almost everyone is rich (and white, most with white hair too). It doesn't feel like living in a National Park, it isn't, but it it has a nice arts cinema, good places to drink, plenty of music and comedy gigs on, people are friendly, pretty much no crime, mega climbing wall (now with decent bouldering).

As for the traffic/one way system. I live in the middle of it. It takes me 10 minutes max to get out that way at rush hour (but I'm usually driving out to the Lakes which isn't that way, no traffic on that route). It's worth not living the wrong side of it if you drive to work, but since it's a loop you can get out of town easily from most points without sitting in it. Definitely not something I'd factor into a decision.

I wouldn't say Kendal was scruffy at all.  It's lovely.  The bus station is, but is there a single town anywhere that doesn't have a slightly scruffy bus station (if it has one at all)?

I wonder if your homesickness is clouding your judgement on it.

Bedford is scruffy.  Aylesbury is scruffy.  Northampton is beyond scruffy.  But Kendal?  Nah.

That's why we moved back from Scotland. It's an amazing place but when your family are down south and you start a family it doesn't make much sense being up there. We opted for North Wales over the lakes as we wanted the kid to learn a second language, pretty good compromise.

Why would you say Preston is not nice? (I recall ages ago you said similar about Wigan).  All towns have a mix of areas, some towns have higher levels of poverty, but there’s a shed load of snobbery evident on this thread (not just you). 

Ive seen more wildlife this morning on my dog walk than I would see in the central lakes. Hardly saw a sole. North Wigan. 

Handy map helps here:

https://services.meteored.com/img/article/where-is-the-sunniest-place-in-th...

Good point. And then there’s the caring aspect when relatives get older. My mum is in hospital again, but she has two sons (inc me) who live 30 mins away. This is good for both my mum and us. 

The lack of job prospects has gradually forced my family out of the Lakes, the few that are left have few/no close relatives, and even though they are financially OK, have been forced out of their villages due to over inflated house prices and the desire to be closer to amenities. 

I wouldn't expect to see a fish in Wigan. It's been touch and go here in the Lakes though over the last few weeks.

I knew someone would  Interestingly, there was an otter road kill the other day, about a mile from the town centre. 

Preston has some nice bits (mostly to the extreme north and south) but it does seem to have far more less nice bits than say Lancaster.  Given a choice between the two I'd definitely go for the latter.  Wigan is largely similar, as is Chorley - they're OK but I wouldn't call them *nice*.  The villages just outside these places are quite nice and remarkably affordable, though.

I also think Preston city centre has suffered a lot (though new developments are coming) - it's not the place it was when I was a kid when I'd choose to go there shopping over Liverpool city centre (which really was massively scruffy in the mid to late 90s but has had a massive resurgence and is now a lot nicer).

For a while I've been on and off considering a return north, and so I've done a fair bit of research.  Pretty much everywhere has nice bits and not so nice bits, of course, but the distribution and balance of those varies rather a lot, and some places have a nice centre and some don't.  (To be fair Bletchley town centre is an abject dump, but I just don't go there often - one criterion for anywhere I'd choose to move is a nice town centre, though, as I don't like that it's like that).

I was just rather taken aback at suggestions that Kendal was scruffy!  I have it down as really a rather nice place.

Otter drug violence is terrible in Wigan I've heard

It’s usually skunk related. 

Hi Neil, I think you might be right about homesickness clouding everything. It’s come as a bit of a surprise to me. in context I grew up in poor inner city Birmingham, and Kendal definitely isn’t scruffy by comparison. My rose tinted glasses go on as soon as I’m out in Sheffield and I surprisingly can’t shake them off. 😂

If your feeling is that strong, then perhaps Sheffield is indeed where you should be.  The Lakes isn't that far a drive from there!

Stop dithering and just do it!

....Remember what Dori said in finding Nemo!

Carlisle not too far away for cheaper housing..

Carlisle is a nice little city.  Downside is being further away from the North West cities for work purposes (but commutable-ish to Newcastle).  Depends what your work is of course.

How's about Haltwhistle? 'Centre of Britain' so easy to get to everywhere else (or awkward to get everywhere else if you're pessimistic).

So your curent situation offers you financial stability, and the ability to save money, but to what end?

What do you do with all this extra money that you wouldn't be able to do if all of that was no longer an option if you did move to the Lakes, and neither of you could find the type of work that you currently do?

Clear your mortgage now, save up and take a leap of faith and move, by hook or by crook you'll make it work.

Port the mortgage and move to Kendal. That's what we did two years ago and we couldn't be happier. 

If it all goes tits up, just move again. Nobody is keeping score, and your debts and mistakes don't count when you cross the big finish line in the sky... 

I was think about this when driving up to Scotland from home just south of Sheffield two weeks ago. If you can get to Fort William in 3.5 hours, presumably you are at Bridge of Orchy in under 3 and Arrochar in just over 2? When I lived in Glasgow and didn't have a car, those areas were where we got most of our winter climbing done. It now takes me about 3 hrs to get from home to say Glenridding or Bethesda for the occasional in condition winter climb. It definitely made me think living in Carlisle or Penrith areas would have advantages! 

ive lived in lancaster many years now and it is an excellent spot,handy,good amenities reasonable house prices,good transport lnks,good indoor climbing,give it a try

also when too old to climb great walking territory

And don't forget - Morecambe is right next door!