How did you decide where to retire?

Where you want to live in retirement is such a personal choice, but good suggestions here. We would love to move to West Cornwall because of its wonderful community feeling, and coast, but are dissuaded because of the relative distance from a major hospital. Even if in good health now you never know what lies ahead. I would compile a short list of places and visit them by train (you mentioned not keen to drive), and spend a few days checking them out. Then try renting in a chosen place for 6 months before taking the plunge.

Why move? Your question is 'where'... What accommodation do you want/need, afford? Is good weather important? Are you 'outdoorsy'? Without 'ties' we have moved to a house with a better layout and insulation in an area with FAB weather and low prices, friendly and lots going on. The price is poor transport, no city shops, no archery club to join. - You will have your own equivalent. Some long lists to sift and edit!

If I had the money needed I would retire to the Lake District. We are going for our 3rd holiday there at the end of August and find it so beautiful with so much to see and do. There always seems to be something going on in the villages.

When we were in our forties we down sized from a four bed house to a two bed bungalow. Our reasoning being, a bungalow in case our knees go. We moved from the city to a village in Devon, we chose our village because there is a train station for travel to Plymouth with plenty of further trains to all over the country, there is also a bus service to our local market town. We may one day get to the point where we can't drive so this was important. In the village we have a doctor, chemist, post office, food shops, hairdresser, pub etc. The community is great, always something going on. People are always happy to stop for a chat, and lovely country walks with our dog.

evianers - bonne chance. Meet up before you go?

We bought a caravan and put it on a site in north Devon then after a few years moved it to South Devon. We both fell in love with the area but to make sure we spent hours driving around villages, visited parks, beaches etc. Then we stayed in the caravan in all weathers hail, rain, frost, sun, etc at all times of the year including winter months. Found which shopping areas were best, nearest hospital etc. Took about a year deciding which area to go for. Looked at local crime figures also for roads we liked. Now just put an offer in on a house after a year!

Spend some time visiting various places to get a feel for them. Definitely do not move to the country, you will be very isolated. Why not choose a market town with good rail connections ?

If I could it would be suffolk, near southwold lots of lovely places to visit never changes,

Bluebelle.
Not everyone wants to move on retirement and who can afford to retire at a younger age when it is far easier adapting to change. I don't blame anyone who wants to stay put. 'Better the _ you know'

I retired in 2012 and it took me 4 years to persuade my husband to move (I wanted to go to Scotland) then two years to sell the house. We moved last November and are happy where we are. HOWEVER! We moved from an area where everything was on the doorstep with huge supermarkets and state of the art shopping centres. Now we live in a lovely little market town with a very limited Tesco. Bus services are good but there is the walk to the bus stop to consider. I can get into Edinburgh in 40 minutes on the bus. We have a lot of artisan and independent shops but not a single greengrocer which is odd in such an agricultural area. You will also need to put yourself out there to make friends as they won’t come knocking on the door. I recommend the local U3A for this. Do your research. Go on a mini break to your potential destination but go with a mind to living there rather than a tourist. It will give you a feel. Even look at a few houses that are for sale. Nothing focuses the mind like the thought of spending thousands of pounds! Good luck.

My husband and I were not in a position to choose where to retire. We didn't have the luxury of having enough money to move! BUT we had the good fortune to live in glorious Devon so staying put suited us fine.

Cornwall and Cumbria are my favourite places,very hilly, when thinking of the future, but beautiful.
Think of access to Doctors etc,bus routes, bus services, nearby shops. A lively Market Town Kendal would be lovely for you.
Do you not want to stay where you are, knowing everyone and the location etc.

It was easy: we looked at the amount of money we would get through selling our flat and the size of our pensions, which are not generous, and looked at what houses, insurance etc. cost in different parts of the country.

We chose the cheapest place where we felt we could feel at home.

It has worked out really well.

Decide what you want to spend money on in your retirement. Do you want to be able to travel a lot? If so choose a relatively cheap place to live.

If you intend to stay at home and want to be able to go to theatres, concerts, art exhibitions, then that should influence your choice.

Whatever you do, make sure there are shops within walking distance and good public transport. The day might come when you have to stop driving.

Staying put. We live in a small village and the public transport is very poor but the community makes up for that. People without cars manage with the buses that we do get or we help each other out.

If I had to move I'd go further out, not into town. Can't stand the noise and traffic any more (not that the countryside is that quiet!). Orkney is my current favourite destination. Have already told DS that I don't want to end my days in the south east even though I was born in Surrey.

Thei do say that once you’ve lived in Norwich you never move. I arrived there for a six month ‘trial’ - 35 years later, I’m still there!
Theatres, cinemas, restaurants, cafes, incredible coast and countryside, all the shops you could want, and a fantastic mixture of age groups, young families, singletons, elderly, all in the same street in my case.
Consider it!

Consider the fact that some time you may not be able to drive so move somewhere there is good public transport. I am stuck in a Norfolk village where there is one bus a day. Nearest hospital twenty miles away. Have to wait weeks to see your GP. Etc.

We chose a town in East Sussex to be close to the sea, with good transport links, good shopping facilities, restaurants and a seafront in walking distance. The family is 85 miles away and they visit regularly, as do we.

We built this house ourselves (with help from friends in building trades) fifty-odd years ago. Lived in caravan on site while building going on, moved in when our first baby was six months old. I just can't imagine moving now. The house seems to be part of me. A bit like a shell!

I feel we should move. But just can't imagine myself doing it. Or DH for that matter.

I've probably missed out a lot, staying in one place. Perhaps one day....

Lots of sound advice here birchermuesli. It is important to think about not only what you want now but what your future needs may be. Villages can seem idyllic but not if you live in one where the shop or pub closes down (which they do frequently) and public transport is limited. In or near a Market Town with facilities would be a good choice and you would still have the lovely villages and surrounding countryside to visit. Best of luck in finding what you want.

Good luck with your own search @Willow500, it's not easy is it! Think you're right, renting before buying may be the way to go.

Good point @Lazigirl about the hospital - you're the second person this week who has mentioned this to me in relation to Cornwall.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Well, we have recently bought our retirement home in Cornwall, it's a total refurb. project and some but in the area we know and love.
I think it a good idea each of you make a list of "must have" and "no way" as a start - you may surprise each other !
Then research, research and more research !!
It's an adventure - good luck !

I lived for a while in Norfolk, it is so cold in Winter. Going back on holiday I see that in some of the lovely little towns facilities are closing, banks, there are fewér buses, and the main hospitals are kings Lynn, norwich and Yarmouth. Well to do people are pushing up house prices too. If you're too near the coast in places there is a lot if erosion. I think you really need to be near a good railway line so Norwich or roundabout there would be good
My children don't want me to move far away, so if in the future I have problems they don't have to spend a lot of time travelling to help me, one lives about an hour and a half away, the other about 29 mins away, and I can get into London easily. V tempted to move back to York's, when my parents were Ill the medical and social care was so much better than it is here. I'd be a long way away from my children though. Someone suggested Skipton, it is surprisingly ac feasible, Ilkley too, or even Parts of Shipley, public transport is good and there is a lot going on and you are very near lovely countryside, and a v shirt trip to Leeds in the train.

In answer to the OP- when dh retired we didn't think of going anywhere else. The children and grandchildren are all with in striking distance as are our friends!

Boring or what!