Brighton really has the best of both worlds. It’s got a beach for starters. A beach! Hooray! But, it’s also just an hour away from London. It’s basically a commuter’s haven and people lap up the seaside lifestyle alongside their busy London lives. More and more Londoners succumb to the lure of the (pebbly) beach and fish and chips each month. You’ve also got some great little boutique shops around the place as well. Brighton is cool. It’s London cool. But the rents are cheaper and those little shops thrive under it. Very clever indeed. And if you’re thinking that Brighton will be a little seaside oasis of calm, then you’re in the wrong city. The lively music venues and gay clubs mean that this isn’t a sleepy place. It’s a student town as well don’t forget. That’s not to say you can’t find somewhere away from the main drag of the pier, but lively seasidey atmosphere is what this place does best. It would be a shame to ignore it.

It seems that there’s nothing that Brighton can’t offer you. Sure, I’d rather a sandy beach than a pebbly one, but let’s face it. It’s kinda perfect, if you can drag yourself out of the hustle and bustle of the city.

So what are you looking at if you move to Brighton? Let’s have a look at some properties!

Saltdean

This property in Saltdean is a bit of a find. Not only do you get a great sea view (it would frankly be rude not to, don’t you think?), you also get yourself a great garden. That’s a pretty good mix in such a sought after area. It’s also detached and double glazed. And best of all it’s just under £400k.  For a four bedroom property, that’s very impressive indeed. I wouldn’t expect this one to be around for very long.

Regency Square

This flat is stunning. If you’re looking for a swanky, dare I say it ‘batchelor pad’ this place would suit you perfectly. It’s a stunning property, with a sea view that would get you bounding out of bed in the morning, and has just about everything you could ask for. Even if you weren’t looking for a somewhere to commute into London this place would be perfect to set up home. And as you’re out of the capital, this stunning flat is just £249,950. I’m tempted to put an offer in myself.

The whimsical idea of living a stone’s throw from London and still being able to eat fish and chips on the pier for my tea is appealing, and with the lovely properties around I can understand why people do it. That one in Regency Square might just convince me. Or maybe I’ll just book a holiday instead.

Shrewsbury is my home town, although I live in London now. It’s actually a pretty famous place in its own right. Put on the map by its yearly flower show (sure, it’s no Chelsea in the bloom stakes, but it’s still impressive) and there’s been a load of period dramas filmed here too. It’s very pretty if you get excited about black and white Tudor buildings. Shrewsbury Abbey became a household name in the 90s after fictional character Cadfael took up residency there.

The High Street is also famous historically too – the buildings encompass more of a time span from old to new than any other street in the world. Impressive huh? There’s a population of 100,000 (even though I’ve fled the coop so really it’s one less) and no less than 600 listed buildings. One of those is a mighty big castle too. Fancy.

The people who built the town were very clever indeed. Giant castle, at the top of the hill, surrounded by the river Severn. That could go some way to explaining why the old buildings are still in such good condition, in Medieval times it was pretty well defended. Of course, now that means that any way you walk through the town you seem to be walking uphill, and the bottom of the town floods every year leaving everyone stranded. It’s like a snow day, but with more damage to shops and houses. Although they’ve been lucky the last couple of years and haven’t had any major problems.

Location wise, Shrewsbury is perfect. An hour away from Birmingham and only three and a half hours to London Euston. You can also get to the beach in an hour and a half as it’s just next to the Welsh border. With its picturesque black and white buildings, countryside surroundings and easy transport routes, it’s easy to see why people want to live here. It’s convenient for both Wolverhampton and Chester Universities and there’s a good mix of private and comprehensive schools in the town and surrounding area, The Shrewsbury High School being the most renowned.

It’s a stunning town, with a really strong property market. The houses in the town itself are period buildings and they’re on the market rarely. Obviously if you want a river view you’ve got to be well prepared against flooding, but if you look in the right areas,like Wyle Cop, Belle Vue and Frankwell you could find yourself living in a rather special town.