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Serious question: Exeter and its environs

Jason H

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The Missus and I have finally had enough of the Big Smoke - the place is full to bursting point now, we're fed up of the costs and having to put up with hordes of scum walking the streets - especially as we are hoping to start a family in the near future. There's just no quality of life up here any more.

So, we've come to a decision in the last week or so. In the near future we'll be looking at moving down to God's Own County.

Most of you know me as someone who has never lived in Exeter (or nearby) bar the first couple of weeks of my life - indeed have rarely been to the city except for Football, so:

We need some advice!

First of all we need to know whereabouts we need to look - i.e. which areas of the City (and surrounds) are nice (i.e. quiet!), which areas are best avoided, transport links (the Missus doesn't drive so needs access to public transport). Depending on what we get for our place here, we'd look to spend round about £160-170K on a place - I've seen on websites that this ought to get us a 3-bed house (ideally!), but of course not sure if the areas are OK!

Also an update on the employment situation would be ideal - in the worst case scenario I can continue working (remotely) for my current employer, but I hate this job so would love to tell them to shove it! My Missus too needs to find work, preferably Secretarial / Admin.

Any help that you can give would be greatly appreciated! Either reply on here, or PM / Email me.
 

Antony Moxey

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Rather like the 'name your own club' threads on Confguide, I'd like to put forward Exmouth as a potential residence. I have to say that since we moved here two and a bit years ago I'm not sure I'd want to move back to Exeter - I hate the congestion and hate the pace. Exmouth, to me, has a much more leisurely approach to life, and me and the family love it here.

Transport isn't a problem with frequent trains and buses into Exeter (including trains to SJP, I believe), and arriving at work between 7.00 and 7.30am each morning means I've usually done the trip to my office in Pinhoe somewhere between 12 and 20 minutes. Also, again on transport, we are within a 20 minute cycle ride to the beach or around half an hour to Woodbury Common.

I'm not sure on how prices are these days, but we sold our house in Gloucester Road in Exwick for not much more than you're looking to pay and that was a three bed semi with garage and drive, front and rear garden and loft conversion too.

Jobs: dunno to be honest (and it's enough employing one Exewebber!!), but surely you should both be able to find something to suit.

Places to avoid: not sure on that either, although without wishing to dis fellow Exewebbers' areas, I'd steer clear of St. Thomas and Clyst Heath, purely and solely for the amount of houses being built there (especially now the CG has officially closed its doors, this affects St Thomas with possibly 150+ new homes being built, and Clyst Heath as the Chiefs are moving next door and you just know that people will be parking in CH to avoid horrendous problems trying to exit Sandy Park's car park) and given the traffic both areas have already.

Anyway, best of luck to you both and hopefully welcome to paradise!
 
E

EXEfactor

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Jobs should not be a problem. Plenty of head offices. Would suggest your good lady tries a temp agency first to get her feel for different employers and give her time to choose. Plenty of nice areas in and outside the City. Park & ride at Sowton and Marsh Barton make getting in easier.

Alphington, Pinhoe, ST Leonards, Pensylvannia are worth a look as are nearly all the villages surrounding. Areas to avoid...wouldn't like to say. No no go areas just some people to avoid. Try some estate agents on line to get a better feel. Normally if you drive through an area you will get a good feel for what is good or bad.
 

Jason H

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Nice one - cheers!

Right, I'm orf now, thanks to all those who have replied to me so far. Real food for thought.
 

Oldsmobile-88

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In RaWZ we trust....Amen.
You will get more for your money Jason,if you look just outside of Exeter.As Moxers stated,Exmouth is worth a look also Dawlish as well.Both have excellent travel links to Exeter.
Cullompton also offers good "value for money"in the housing stakes.but no rail link to Exeter.
Heavitee where i reside,is good for a different mix of housing.Broadfields on the eastern side of the city is also a good area.
I think that the job market is boyant down here the moment(fancy a job managing a local footie team possibly?)
 

Red Box

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Mar 9, 2004
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Exeter
In reply to A.Moxey and for the attention of Jason H.

Clyst Heath is in fact one of the most desireable places in Exeter to live at present, reflected in the current healthy prices achieved for houses in this development. It has the beautiful renovated Digby Hospital building adjacent to newer houses and nice grounds for leisurely and safe walks. No more building is permitted in the enclave of Clyst Heath.

Kings Heath, I would avoid as the builders have amassed many houses, flats and apartments in this development. Again prices are healthy £320,000 is the average price for a 4 bed detached house with a garage. However, profits have come before a sympathetic and appealing housing area. It does boast a brand new primary school.

The two developments, although close to one another are poles apart.

Both developments have probably the best transportation links in the city, with a train station serving both and excellent road links to the motorway and A roads. Oh and a nice corner shop nearby, a Tesco superstore !

St Leonards is nice, but would be out of your price range and personally I'd avoid anywhere south of the river Exe due to horrendous road infrastructure and congestion.

Exmouth is a nice town. However, with only one major road into the town from Exeter, unless you start work early I'd avoid taking a car during rush hour. The summer months are always congested with half of Exeter visiting the coast at weekends along with many grockles. It can get fairly violent of a night time in my experience, but I suppose that could apply to any town these days.
 
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Antony Moxey

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Red Box said:
Clyst Heath and Kings Heath stuff
By and large I'd go along with that, although I'm not so sure the areas outside the immediate Digby area I'd describe as 'one of the most desireable places in Exeter to live'. I do worry about the effect the Chiefs' stadium will have on the area though. It would appear that there is only one entrance and exit to the ground, and if this is true then trying to get potentially a thousand or so cars out of there at the end of a match could be horrendous, and this is why I think many of the supporters will try and park in and around Clyst Heath and walk into the ground instead.
Red Box said:
Exmouth is a nice town. However, with only one major road into the town from Exeter, unless you start work early I'd avoid taking a car during rush hour. The summer months are always congested with half of Exeter visiting the coast at weekends along with many grockles. It can get fairly violent of a night time in my experience, but I suppose that could apply to any town these days.
Not sure I'd agree with you about the congestion - I find the traffic moves pretty well almost any time of day although the bottlenecks appear to be the George and Dragon roundabout and Clyst St Mary roundabout. You can avoid the former by going via Woodbury and there are a few other routes that don't greatly add to the mileage. The only time I get really stuck is when the County Show is on at Westpoint, and even then I generally get through OK as I'm usually going against the traffic.
 

Snakebite

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Campaigning for free speech
I would say move to Kenton but there's enough Exeter supporting riff raff here as it is. ;)

Plus the price of housing is fairly ridiculous, however the transport if you can put up with buses is pretty good and no matter what people say it isn't that bad commuting each morning to into town via Countess wear.

Still a damn site nicer here than Hertfordshire, gotta go back there on wednesday for a fecking exam. :(
 

spick

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Watching Tit's nibbling me nuts!
My current abode is on the market for £169.750 in the "lower Heavitree" area of the City, go to the local Fufords website and have a butchers mate.
My House here.
 

Antony Moxey

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spick said:
My current abode is on the market for £169.750
I'll give you a hundred and sixty five quid for it, or did you mean to use a comma instead of a full stop?
 
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