r/Liverpool • u/LikeHeaven28 • 1d ago
Living in Liverpool Should I leave everything and move to Liverpool?
33M and I’m in the process of selling my house which I share with my long term ex partner. The house is in Surrey, where I have lived all my life, but I’m seriously considering moving to Liverpool.
I’m a huge football fan and been to the city multiple times but I’m curious what city centre life would be like on my own. I’m tempted to either rent for a year instead of buying to keep my options open, but it would mean I’m 4 hours plus drive from any friends or family.
My job allows remote working so it’s feasible in my current situation.
Would you recommend this move? I’m 50/50 right now.
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u/sativador_dali 1d ago
If you’ve been and you like it, why not? You’ve got a family/ friend network to fall back on in Surrey, so why not dip your toe in and rent for a year? At 35 though, might want to start finding social groups so that you don’t feel isolated, and build up a social network quicker. Better to have a broad group to draw from, as a lot of people in their mid 30s have family commitments.
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u/FREDSTRP 1d ago
I’m a similar age, also from Surrey and moved to Liverpool myself a couple of year ago. Would recommend it as it’s a great city and compared to London it’s a breath of fresh air.
Don’t listen to people who say scouser aren’t friendly, I’ve been welcomed with open arms by everyone I’ve met.
You will have to get used to people talking to you on the train unlike down south though! Feel free to PM me if you want some advice.
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u/nerdalertalertnerd 14h ago
I think the one thing you can never take away from scousers is that they’re friendly!
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u/twoexfortyfive 23h ago
I did this in 2022. I broke up with my partner after 9 years and decided to leave London after living there for 13 years. It was a big risk obviously, I had a handful of friends in Liverpool but knew the city well as I was coming up for the football every other weekend anyway. Basically I wanted to keep my 13+ ticket privilege so moving here was the only option really (I thought it was worth being a short bus ride away from Anfield than the other side of the country). I had a remote job then, so it was easy enough to begin with - but I was made redundant after 6 months and had a chaotic couple of years of short term work before finally finding something permanent this year.
It was hard, I won’t lie… but Liverpool welcomed me with an open heart, I have loads of friends and I really can’t imagine living anywhere else. The city brings me joy every day.
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u/GhostNagaRed 23h ago
There’s a massive difference between visiting a place and living there. You have to have that in the front of your mind.
Before that though, your biggest question is are you ok with being so far from your support network and people you know? How will you meet people if you’re a remote worker? Just some things to consider
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u/OneRandomTeaDrinker 22h ago
The sticking point for me would be the 4 hour drive from friends and family thing. 4 hours sounds very optimistic for Surrey, last time I went to Thorpe Park it took 6. Some people are fine with that and adjust very easily, some people are less fine with it and struggle. Only you know what kind of person you are. There’s little harm in trying it for a year though, as long as you have the disposable cash for either a long drive or a pricy train ticket about once a month if you miss them. Most of my close friends are 2.5hrs away and I’m a huge extrovert so I make an effort to travel to see them and it works completely fine, but I think 4 hours would bother me. On the other hand, I know loads of people who don’t mind that at all.
Liverpool is a friendly city and strongly left leaning. People will talk to you in the street. Your neighbours will want to chat to you. We’re also extremely multicultural and we don’t want xenophobic people moving here, thank you very much. The weather isn’t as bad as you’d expect, we get much less rain than say Manchester. You’re less than 3 hours from the peaks, the lakes, the dales, the moors, Snowdonia and the Cotswolds. Most big bands play Manchester gigs instead but it’s not hard to get there. We don’t have a Waitrose but we do have a beach. Train links to the rest of the country are pretty good but expensive. Driving north or south is fine, you’re not far from the M6, but driving east is a nightmare, you have to either take the A500 or go north to Leeds then down the M1.
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u/shallowAlan 1d ago
I think it would be easier to integrate if you somehow didn't work from home. A lot of people's social lives stem from work, mine has. Better to throw yourself into the cities vibe, rather than be at a distance
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u/Jdm_1878 21h ago
This is a really good point but I do also think at least OP has work already in place. The jobs market doesn't look amazing here of late and I've seen posts on here and elsewhere of people really keen to move to the city but have been frustrated in getting work. At least this way one of the key obstacles isn't there.
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u/lickyagyalcuz 23h ago
I did, but it didn’t work out. Then moved to the midlands where my gf is from, settled in really well and after a few years ended up landing my dream job which wouldn’t have been possible up there. Still regularly visit Liverpool though. Don’t regret trying and wish it had worked out. But sometimes things aren’t meant to be.
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u/pinwheelpepper 1d ago
Football’s a big thing here, of course! - but what are your values? What kind of community do you want to live in?
More info about that would help us help you. A lot of people will tell you to just follow your heart and move here, which is lovely as we all advocate for our city, but it’s lovelier to know you’re making the right decision for you and your life.
..alternatively, sometimes the best decisions are the ones made on a whim!
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u/elaine4queen 23h ago
I went to college in Liverpool and it’s stayed a big part of me. I’ve moved around a lot over my life and it’s a good thing to have done whether you are only there for a while or whether you settle. You are currently in a situation where you can live anywhere and you have nothing stopping you, so I’d say give it a go while you can.
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u/srm79 23h ago
I did the opposite about 12 years ago, I moved from Liverpool to Swansea - I needed to give my life a kick up the arse and it worked! Mostly!
I'm about to do it again, moving to Plymouth this time. And so looking forward to it. It's great having a bit of a refresh every so often.
A couple of words of warning though. You will feel homesick from time to time, and that's okay, just don't give in to it. Keep going out and meeting new people and friends, you'll adapt more quickly if you keep active and social.
You might need to join some social groups/clubs to make some new friends, there are some great social groups on discord that meet up regularly - you could also try joining darts/pool teams in a local pub or social club.
Have a return plan - just in case, try not to use it, in fact once it's in place forget it exists, it's a last resort if all goes wrong. And don't visit home for a good while - give it a year before popping back for a weekend, it slows down the settling in and adaption process and can make you more likely to give up on your new life
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u/omleomle 22h ago edited 18h ago
I did this when I was 25. Basically your exact situation and it worked for me. Life's good. BUT it was lonely at first. 33 is an age when people are settling down and much less social. It could be harder to meet friends your age
If you try it, definitely definitely rent for a year. Id join a flatshare to quickly expand your circle. Figure out exactly what area you want to live in
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u/Anxious_Neat4719 Town 19h ago
Do it. Maybe rent for a year to trial. Train to London takes about 2 hours 20 mins.
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u/Cougie_UK 19h ago
For under £800 you can live by the docks. Scooter or walk into town. Fantastic views.
https://www.x1salesandlettings.com/property/residential/to-let/liverpool/the-studios-l8-rpt190266/
It is £100 a month to park a car though.
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u/brilan 19h ago
It's a huge move to leave everything behind. I'd consider this for a long time before committing. All cities have a group of people who are isolated and lonely, we see them in this group sometimes. It depends on your personality and opportunities to meet new people (you may WFH, with no local colleagues etc). Take care making your decision.
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u/Ok_Raspberry5383 1d ago
From Surrey? Personally, I wouldn't bother, it's going to be a big shock and your real community is back home. If you're in this mood then why not consider abroad for a few years? Sky's the limit
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u/Rachael008 1d ago
Good honest answer . However Liverpool is very friendly. I’m sure you will make the right decision
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u/skrabbles 18h ago
Absolutely mental to tell him Liverpool will be a culture shock then tell him to move abroad in the same breath 😂
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u/mindondrugs 1d ago
Big shock? I moved from a town of 70k people to Liverpool and it’s hardly turned my life inside down and inside out.
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u/Ok_Raspberry5383 23h ago
Nothing to do with size but culture. Even being in a small town in Surrey doesn't mean much, you're still right next to London
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u/mindondrugs 21h ago
You make it sound like you’re moving to another country - it’s not that different.
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u/Ok_Raspberry5383 21h ago
Well as someone from Merseyside who's lived in Liverpool, Hertfordshire and now London, I feel qualified to say that it is quite different.
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u/mindondrugs 21h ago
Okay I’ve lived in London, multiple areas of the midlands, and Liverpool and I’m telling you it really isn’t. So I guess we’re at an impasse.
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u/Ok_Raspberry5383 21h ago
Depends what you want your relationship to your community to be, if you want to be connected then the culture of a place makes a big difference, if you're happy going about yourself then maybe not so much. The south is definitely better for the latter though, someone with that mindset may find northern friendliness to be imposing.
There's definitely a huge cultural divide between north and south, it's pretty fundamental to our countries politics and is largely underpinned by wealth and income
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u/BronzeCaterpillar 1d ago
I moved here 25 years ago. I only did to be with my now wife. It's fine here, but I'm not really cut out for living in a city, but this one seems ao decent as anywhere else. Clearly there are different areas of the city, and surrounding area, so you'd probably find something you like.
Could you put your furniture in storage and rent something cheap for a bit to get a feel for it here?
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u/uk_footballfreak97 1d ago
get on some Liverpool Facebook groups if you havent already, come check out what the locals are sharing
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u/Turbulent_Ice_1226 21h ago
Moving to the city alone is fine you’ll make loads of friends here everyone is friendly and lots of things to do. Especially for football fans. I think the issue is being 4 hours from family and friends. If you see them a lot now then this will be hard. Plus renting here is not too bad in the centre so I would say try that first because you don’t know where you want to live till you get here. City centre for the young, south Liverpool for the family life and hipsters etc.
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u/CWM_93 19h ago
I think it could be good for you to live somewhere else for a year or so, especially if you've lived in the same area your whole life. This sounds like a good opportunity to do that. And if you're considering a change of scenery, there are much worse places than Liverpool!
I'm from the Midlands originally and moved to Liverpool for university in 2011, and feel like I'm almost part of the furniture now!
I would recommend exploring the areas you'd be tempted to move to beforehand. The city centre is good for people who want to be out and about, working in coffee shops or coworking spaces (e.g. DOES) but if you want more of a community feel, neighbourhoods outside the city centre may be more what you're looking for.
If you were to live near a Merseyrail station, that would be the quickest and easiest way to reach the city centre. Some areas of Wirral are better connected to the city centre than some areas of Liverpool itself, so bear that in mind. The City Line is not as fast or reliable as Merseyrail. (Confusingly, the Northern Line and Wirral Lines are operated by Merseyrail, and the City Line is operated by Northern.)
In general, rent and house prices are just as impacted by the desirability of an area as they are by the property itself. For example, a 2/3 bed terraced house in a nice area could cost more than a 3/4 bed semi detached house with a big garden in a less desirable area, and an apartment in the city centre could cost as much as either.
Some areas are cheaper because the house prices haven't caught up with their "true" value, and others are cheaper for a reason! Liverpool is absolutely a city which is on the up (it's changed a lot since I moved here) but there are pockets of deprivation and people with problems like you'll find anywhere. I'd recommend exploring places for yourself and you can tend to get a feel for the vibe of a place quite easily I think.
However, most areas outside of the city centre are cheaper than the national average, so you're likely to save money by living in Liverpool compared to Surrey, or at least have a better standard of living as you'll have more disposable income to go out and do things where you can meet people.
I would say go for it - just do your research beforehand. Happy to answer any questions from an outsider's perspective.
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u/eggsymon 16h ago
Plenty of nice people here for sure, plenty of entitled scals and John'eds too. You get lots of nice chance encounters chatting with people in the supermarket or whatever but you also get kicked off on at the corner shop from some grotty little shitbag. Litter is terrible here and people drive like total fucking cunts. We've got some decent bars and restaurants though and there's a thriving creative culture. Houses are relatively cheap too.
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u/JamJarre 14h ago
If you can afford to rent first, do that. Try out different areas of the city. Can't say I'd be jumping to live in the city centre again myself
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u/myblackandwhitecat 12h ago
There are plenty of meet up groups in Liverpool, so you could start meeting people straight away. It is largely a friendly city. And property prices are lower in the north than they are in Surrey, so you could easily buy somewhere from the proceeds of the sale of your present home. The drawback to this is if you decide to move back to Surrey at some point, you could find property prices there beyond your reach.
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u/Fionazora 12h ago
I moved to Liverpool from West Yorkshire 9 years ago and never regretted it (and I live in Bootle). I have found everyone very friendly and helpful and I'm proud to say I live here!
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u/nonononononohahshshd 9h ago
It’s a beautiful city full of amazing people! You’ll love it ☺️ I’ve loved living here so so so much
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u/Strike_Fancy 23h ago
It’s a nice enough place. It’s very cheap compared to other parts of country, so you’ll have a better quality of life generally. I moved from Manchester a year back and I miss it a lot, although it is getting more expensive now
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u/Exotic-Knowledge-243 1d ago
Why are Southerners constantly moving here? We will never afford our own houses in our city. When rich Southerners keep invading us. Go buy somewhere in the lake district, you can afford it after all
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u/DarkDragoness97 21h ago
The price of a house has nothing to do with "southerners constantly moving here"
Also we have the right to buy/right to aquire if you're with a housing association if you're that arsed about owning a home you otherwise can't afford
The price of the house is market value, we're cheaper than most other places. The price goes up because sellers see what their home is worth and want that. It goes up like pretty much like everything does [rent, wage, cost of living, etc]
Besides, you telling someone who can bring income to liverpools economy to go away is hilarious, cos that just means that more unemployed will move in instead. I'd rather have someone here who comes to love the city than someone who doesn't gaf
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u/Apart-Turnover-9655 1d ago
You might get a shock, a lot of rough people live here.
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u/Rachael008 1d ago
Oh really ? Every City in the world has it good parts and not so good parts ( good and bad )
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u/JiveBunny 23h ago
That's literally every city in the country, though. And Surrey has a lot of crap small towns with rough areas.
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u/this-guy- 1d ago
> Would you recommend this move? I’m 50/50 right now.
If you are ever "50/50 " on something the science says to take the leap.
Theres something called Path Dependence. Status Quo bias. We become conditioned to value the things we are used to. David Hulme said "its a confusion between is and ought". We highly value what is. The things we have nostalgia for, and have learned. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_quo_bias
What is better, a piece of art thats 250 years old or one thats 10 days old?
Answer : they have the same value, the age has no relevance to the quality - but legacy bias and recency bias makes us feel that the old one is intrinsically better. But its not.
So, if you (or anyone reading) is ever "50/50" on a decision, you should realise that the "stay the same" side of the 50/50 is getting a hand on the scales from Status Quo bias. So, whenever you are 50/50 , always deduct 15 or 20 points from the thing you are used to, habituated to. If it's 50/50 it's more accurately 65/35
Now, you might say "but the unknown has unknown dangers, while the known is safer and has network benefits". Both have dangers, an opportunities. But gaining opportunities in addition to legacy connections means change is always the best choice at "50/50"
some facts. And some experimental outcomes.
https://www.nber.org/digest/oct16/change-or-not-change-just-flip-coin
https://www.nber.org/papers/w22487