Leaving London: ‘We swapped Crystal Palace for a Surrey village we knew very little about’

Many of us took the time to reflect on our lives during the first lockdown. Neil Robbins and Nisha Patel were both able to do this by taking a hard look at their lives. The area was a favorite of theirs and the flat was a great place to live. However, the lack of a garden made the first few weeks of house arrest difficult. Nisha explained that neither of us are from London and that they had the idea that you don’t want your child growing in a city center. It is a feeling of having more space and perhaps a little more safety. Our goal was to live a more peaceful life. They “prevaricated” for a time before putting their flat up for sale. They did some DIY and redecorating, but it wasn’t listed until November 2020. In May 2021, they accepted an offer from a first-time buyer. They had also been house hunting in a large area of Hampshire, Sussex, and Surrey but had not found anything they loved. “Fortunately, we received the offer on the weekend. Neil found details about a house in his junk folder. Nisha said that they went to the house and loved it. It is much larger than their London flat and has a large garden, parking, and the potential to extend into the loft if they need an additional bedroom. Their new house cost them?705,000. Nisha said that they were okay with the decision because it was their last move. Nisha, 43 years old, is a data analyst. Nisha, 43, is a data analyst. Although her offices are in central London she works partly from home. Bertie was relieved to see the garden and forget his fears about leaving home. He is now happy at the village school. Although it is only a 20-minute walk from the local pub, there is no local shop, and it is a simple reality that you live off the beaten path, Nisha is enjoying her new community and making friends with other school parents. Nisha said, “We have moved to a place we didn’t know much about.” “It has been hard for me to accept the idea that country roads are dangerous and without lights. I miss my little corner shop. “One thing that I have learned is that you need to be a little more prepared when you live out there.”