If you are fed up with the cost of living in London or just dreaming of escaping for a better quality of life. The mortgage brokers in Exeter at Barr Financial wanted to share with you why they love Exeter, and why it should be somewhere for you to consider if you are looking to escape the London rat race!
Moving to Exeter doesn’t mean you suddenly become cut off!
As a mortgage broker in Exeter it’s important for us to be well connected not just online, but physically too. Living and working here makes it easy for us to get around the South West and when needed it’s only a few hours to London. Exeter is incredibly well connected with good rail and road networks which are only moments from the city. This makes it quick and easy to jump in the car and visit clients whether they are in the South West or further afield. From a personal perspective, I like to know I can easily pop down to Cornwall or visit friends in Bristol. Moving to Devon doesn’t have to mean you are cut off from the outide world!
The train network is equally good and sometimes a nicer way to travel. From a work perspective, it’s not uncommon for people to commute to Bristol or London. Although, if you are looking to esacpe London you might want to also avoid commuting! Finally, lets not forget we also have an airport which makes it nice and easy to escape even further away!
There is no doubt as a place to live Exeter is probably a good middle ground between escaping from London, enjoying more space and yet also having some of the benefits of a city. It provides the escape you might be looking for, but at the same time, keeps you connected to the rest of the world! I have often come across people who look to escape the rat race and go to the extreme of moving to the middle of nowhere! Only then to come to the realisation that it’s not what they were expecting and too much of a culture shock. And it usually ends in disaster!
Beaches and countryside on your doorstep
Living and working in Exeter as a mortgage broker doesn’t feel much different to when I used to live in London. We work just as hard, except when it’s time to switch off we are fortunate to have lots of beutiful countryside (including Dartmoor) on our doorstep. And lets not forget we also have an abundance of coastal walks and beautiful beaches nearby. So whether you are into watersports or exploring the amazing Jurasic coastline, want to escape the city easily, but at the same time enjoy the cutural pursuits that a city has to offer, living in Exeter really is the best of both worlds and a perfect place to bring up a family.
One hidden gem we love: The village of Beer
To enjoy a great escape for the day, why not explore the little coastal village of Beer. It is off the beaten track, but eaily accessible. It is a quintessential Englih fishermans village with an incredible beach and plenty of things to do from paddle boarding to coastal walks. It also has plenty of places to enjoy food and drink with some great local pubs, cafes and restaurants. Oh and let’s not forget the Devon cream teas!
There are, of course, lots more hidden gems, but I’m not going to give all our secrets away just yet
As Mortgage Brokers in Exeter We Love Sport…and we hope you do to!
Exeter is a very sporty city, so if you love sport, you’ll love what Exeter has to offer! Whether you enjoy participating or just watching there is a lot of variety and choice and we know you’ll love what Exeter has to offer.
As a rugby fan we are very fortunate to have the Exeter Chiefs rugby team who have been doing incredibly well over the last few years. It was only a few years ago that the main rugby team in Devon was Plymouth which was not even in the first divivsion, so if you wanted to watch first class rugby the nearest top teams in the Westcountry was Bristol and Bath. Now not only do we have one of the best teams in the country but we also have one of the best stadiums.
Even if you are not a rugby fan, having a world class top professional team in the city with worldclass facilities, is a great boost to the city and it certainly helps put the city on the map! And if you ever get the chance to watch a game, you should. The Devon pasty’s you can enjoy while watching a game are as good enough reason as any to go!
Affordable property prices
As you know property prices in London are signigifacny higher than anywhere else in the UK. If you already own a property in London and planning to sell, it means you are likely to get a lot more for your money when you move out.
According to Humberts more than 3,000 people left London for Bristol and with the average property price standing at £253,999 compared to London’s average of £607,689 this all means you can get significantly more for your money.
Don’t assume just because the London market might have slowed down, that the Exeter market has too! In fact the Exeter property market is still very buoyant and good properties are selling fast. So just becuase prices maybe lower and you can get much more for your money, you still need to move quickly. As local mortgage brokers in Exeter we always advise client’s to thoroughly research their options (on the mortgge front) before even looking. This way we can help them focus their research and give them insider tips and opinions on any property they might have seen.
Of course, you don’t always have to sell to move! And this can be beneficial if speed is important. As mortgage brokers in Exeter we often help clients keep their London property by remortgaging and puling out a deposit for their onward purchase in Exeter. This is known as a let to buy which you can read more about here. In short, if your property can rent for enough money, a let to buy mortgage could be a way to keep your London property but also enable you to achieve your dream move to the country.
Don’t forget Exeter is also a great place to invest. Property prices have been very strong and continue to be so. There are some really interesting house price data you can see by visiting Property Insights which gives some great information and data about property in any area. The fact that you can get a lot more for your money in Exeter compared to London is a huge bonus and an opportunity for you to improve the quality of life and the quality of your home. But the fact that it will also continue to be a sound investment, is also a great thing!
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So that’s it, what more of a reason do you need to move to Exeter? We look forward to you joining us in this little corner of England and when you do move, don’t forget to say hello.