Moving Out of London: Two Years On

by Evie Winter

It is hard to believe that we are coming up to our two year anniversary of moving to Winchester, Hampshire and recently I have been reading about the increasing numbers of people seeking a more rural lifestyle, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to share some of the things that have helped me settle into our new home over the past couple of years.

We moved on a cold November day, and for various reasons I didn’t even begin to settle in until the following Spring. Whilst I didn’t ever regret moving, it was a hard process to go through. So rest assured, if that is how you are feeling right now, you are not going crazy - this is a huge change in your life and thats okay, things will improve.

• Have some self care planned.

  Our moving day was stressful due to the actions of the sellers and that really affected my first few weeks in our new home, but it helped having parent and toddler groups we could visit and local coffee shops. Plan ahead some activities that give you something to look forward to.

• Consider taking a break before revisiting your old home area.

  I had to revisit London on quite a few weekends even after we moved, and although I enjoyed the experience of visiting - it did stop me settling into our new home as quickly. It is likely you and your family will miss old life and old friends but it will be hard to appreciate the new one without putting the time and effort into it.

• Think about how to get around.

  Especially if you are from London or another other city with a fantastic public transport system. Going from trains and buses every few minutes to take us all over London for a reasonable cost - to a bus every 20 minutes if you are lucky. If you don’t have a car then be sure you can deal with the change. Would you be happy to live in a village with a bus twice a week, with limited shopping options, how would you cope in an emergency?

• Consider Commuting.

  When we calculated my husbands commute from Teddington, London to Winchester, we didn’t really consider the time spent waiting for the transfer (two trains were needed) or how long it would take with delays (up to 3 hours each way) which meant that the kids hardly saw him during the week.
  In fact after 9 months, he changed job to one nearer us and work / life balance was restored, so do consider the realities of having one or both or you commuting and how that will affect family life, daily logistics and your mental health. A commute can often end up being longer than you anticipated.

• Environmental Impact

  I got to be honest, this was not even on my radar but it is one that annoys me a lot. Our local council is atrocious at recycling. I think we were here for a whole year before glass was collected, and we still can not recycle most forms of plastic. I have heard there are some recycling bins at the major supermarkets in our area, but we are already trying to do our bit for the environment by being car free - I don’t have the time to be taking all our recycling on the 2 buses needed to get over to the supermarkets.
  Also if we want to ask the council to collect large items for the dump, it is way more expensive than our previous borough. So if this is something that matters to you - do check it out first.
  On a more positive note, our city has just got it’s second zero waste shop. In fact the other one wasn’t that well publicised and I assumed it was just a cafe so have only realised its zero waste credentials recently.

• Got a niche interest? There will probably be a Facebook group for it.

  Are you a dog owner? Or you are interested in the local trees of Winchester, or maybe the life and times of Alexander the Great, maybe newborn photography in Winchester, Wild swimming in Wiltshire, or International people living in Birmingham is more your thing?

  There is a Facebook group for just about everything, a way to find likeminded people, when moving to a local area, type ‘Local area name’ in the search bar and see what comes up, what kind of group would you like to find? So even if you aren’t a social media person, joining a group like this could give you an ‘in’ where you can meet people in real life.

• Chat to the neighbours

  Honestly, just do it. If you are coming from the city to the country, people will be more welcoming if you are friendly. Having neighbours to chat to over the garden fence kept me sane through lockdown and through several self isolations so far. Some of my friends live on streets where they had zoom pub quizzes through lockdown!
  The thing about community is it isn’t just about them welcoming you in, but you also need to welcome them in to your life. If you are moving for a sense of community, be ready to do your bit.

• Support Local Businesses.

  Supporting local businesses is another great way to become part of the local community and do your bit. It is the local businesses that keep a village / town / city thriving and now more than ever they need supporting. Living in Winchester has been completely life changing and I am grateful every day we are able to be here rather than a first floor flat in London during the pandemic.

  As someone who was just beginning to set up a business as a London family photographer and now coming to be a family photographer in Hampshire - I have jumped right back to the beginning, especially with the Coronavirus struggles and I know for myself, any help along the way is not only really helpful but also a great opportunity to meet new people.

  Has this article been helpful? Do you have any other questions? Are you someone that has moved recently to a new place, what has helped you settle? Get in contact at hello@eviewinter.com

  For more information on Living in Winchester, check out this article Living in Winchester

Evie Winter is a London born Family Photographer, now living in Winchester, Hampshire with her family.