Though Samuel Johnson (who was actually from Staffordshire) may once have quipped, “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”, modern-day statistics paint an entirely different picture – one which proves that, for many people, leaving London is actually the antidote to feeling tired of life. For these erstwhile city-dwellers, leaving the capital to forge a new life in the Home Counties means more space, less noise, more greenery and more room for children. And while the covid exodus may have peaked and even started to reverse itself (between 2019 and 2021, the city’s population fell by nearly 80,000, but it’s now back up to previous levels), the allure of life in a less hectic, less built-up setting remains just as powerful. The bulk of the people making the move fall into the 30-45-year-old age bracket, according to research by the Centre for Cities. The majority move to places that are within commuting distance of London, with 58 per cent opting for the South East and East regions. There was a slight statistical quirk during the covid “race for space” era, when it was noted that more people than usual were opting to seek a rural setting rather than a town or village, but now the migratory pattern is back to normal and, as before, the Home Counties tend to tick all the right boxes. They offer cheaper properties, reliable train journeys to London, proximity to the countryside, local job opportunities, more room and adequate-to-great shopping. They’re the obvious choice when you want out of London while still being able to sample city life when you feel like it.
1. Where Do People Move After London?
2. What Are the Home Counties?
3. What Are the Best Commuter Towns in the Home Counties?
4. RMB4 Ltd For Your Home Counties Move
5. The RMB4 Ltd Services
6. Moving and Storage by RMB4 Ltd
Where Do People Move After London?
Well over half of London escapees choose to rebuild their lives in the Greater South East which encompasses Peterborough, Norwich and Cambridge to the north, Canterbury and Ipswich to the east, Portsmouth, Eastbourne and Brighton to the south and Oxford and Southampton to the west. The counties that fall within the Greater South East are Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, West Sussex, East Sussex, Surrey, Essex, Hampshire, Bedfordshire and Kent. Centre for Cities has discovered that the pivotal age for leavers is 27 or older and it’s the areas closest to London, such as Hertfordshire, Kent and Buckinghamshire, that get the greatest influx. One more interesting statistical twist of the great covid exodus is that it was inner Londoners who moved furthest away. While outer Londoners opted for the Greater South East, Londoners from 0207 areas showed rather different migratory patterns, reestablishing their lives in rural locations across the entire country. Outer Londoners moved an average of 74.3 miles away, but their inner-city counterparts went away by an average of 86.1 miles, with some opting for Wales and the North.
What Are the Home Counties?
The Home Counties is a term that refers to the counties surrounding London in the East and South East. These are: Berkshire, Essex, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Kent and Hertfordshire. Sometimes, the notion of Home Counties is expanded to encompass Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and East/West Sussex. Though this second set of counties are sometimes excluded, the argument for their inclusion rests on their closeness to the capital and their links to London’s economy. Some of the richest, most sought-after parts of the Uk can be found within the Home Counties – places such as Weybridge, Esher and Virginia Water where average house prices are among the very highest in Britain. For reasons such as this, there’s often a stereotype Home Counties resident; comfortable-to-wealthy, solidly middle class and living in a typical commuter-land villa with a perfectly manicured lawn. But the reality is more complex. In fact, given that the Home Counties have seen considerable migration both from within the country and overseas, the idea of a typical resident is hopelessly outdated. Furthermore, there are places of significant deprivation here, particularly in some of the overlooked coastal towns and urban areas, including sections of Hastings and Margate, as well as in Slough and Hampshire.
What are the Best Commuter Towns in The Home Counties?
The reputation of the commuter-belt as a sprawl of blandness, sameness and conformity is unfair. In fact, there are plenty of distinctive, characterful places to live that are well within commuting distance of London. In a recent newspaper run-down of top Home Counties commuter towns, some of the favourites were Hungerford, Bicester, Great Missenden, Letchworth, Bray, Horley, Egham, Balcombe, Oxted, Pangbourne and Sevenoaks, singled out for qualities such as good local schools, decent train and transport connections, architecture, low crime, local arts (e.g. theatre), amenities and shopping.
RMB4 Ltd For Your Home Counties Move
If you’ve made the decision to leave London for an exciting new chapter in the Home Counties, choosing RMB4 Ltd removals will give you a smooth, efficient experience without the stress and tension so often associated with relocation. Our bright, courteous movers can take on every aspect of the work so that you don’t have to lift so much as a finger. We can supply packing materials, do all the packing, disassemble and reassemble furniture and fittings, undertake all heavy lifting, load and unload, and also arrange all your belongings in your new home so that everything’s in the right place in the right room.
The RMB4 Ltd Services
Our services comprise Small Moves; Large Removals; Business Moves, International Removals; Fine Art; Storage; Property Services; Packing Materials; Interior Design & High-End Staging. For a move from London to the Home Counties, it’s most likely that you will want Large Removals and, if you’re opting to do your own packing, Packing Materials. Although most moves from London to the Home Counties are upsizing moves, in the event that you’re downsizing and need short- or long-term storage while you decide what to do with surplus belongings, our safe, secure storage facility offers self storage and household storage. This could also be useful if you’re initially renting in the Home Counties while you look for a permanent property.
Moving And Storage By RMB4 Ltd
Though we’re known as London’s Prestige Removals Company, we have years of experience in the Home Counties, moving countless people to, from and within them. Our aim is for flawless customer service to be the bedrock of everything we do so that from the moment you contact us for a quotation, you know you’re in safe and competent hands. We will help plan your Home Counties move so that it comes in on time and within budget, while minimising the disruption to your life and keeping your possessions safe and undamaged.
