[pete72]

Hello!

I would like to ask you splendid people a question, it you will allow me!

I am currently living in not so sunny Iceland with my girlfriend, and am planing on moving back to my home land some time next year (England).  I was hoping to rent a wee house and plot of land to grow on when i get back, but I cant seem to find a good place to search.  I would like to goto the west country, but is it expensive in the area? is the whole of the south cost costly?

The second thing I wanted to ask might be a little harder to answer.  My girlfriend is currently working for the Icelandic government helping small to medium business and entrepreneurs trying to make a go of it in rural Iceland, and I was wondering if anything like that excises in the UK?  I ask because she wants to find work doing the same kind of thing in blighty as she is doing here.

If anyone can help with this, I will promise to be your best friend for ever and ever!

thanks
Pete

[Gunnermark]

It does depend on what you call expensive but property in the South West with land doesn't come cheap an I would go as far as to say that the majority of the south coast would be expensive from Hampshire right through to Cornwall!

[HappyHippy]

Come to Scotland  It's cheaper than the south and if you've been used to living in Iceland it won't seem that cold 
On the job front, it would be worth looking at Business Gateway, Rural Development trust, National Trust projects and DEFRA (or SEERAD in Scotland) for the farming side of things - buyt there are lots of different schemes and scope for employment but I think it would depend very much where you ended up living.
HTH
Karen 

[doganjo]

And if I can get planning permission on my plot in Aberdeenshire you can buy that and build a house on it.   700 sq m, in a small hamlet, off the beaten track but still close to amenities!

Seriously, though, the weather is what puts most folk off Scotland and if you are used to it this would certainly be a cheaper option fro you.  But it depends what money you have available  - oh and welcome to the forum,  hope we'll hear more about you and your girlfriend and what you hope to do in the future.

[pete72]

Look at that! I got some replies! How nice!  I have thought about moving to scotland.  I lived in Edinburgh for a year about 3 or 4 years ago, when my girlfriend was doing an MA at the uni.  I enjoyed it alot, but to be honest, I was looking for some sun!  I have had enough of wind and cold!  Though, some land can be got very cheap in scotland, so its still on my list of things to check out.  Same as west wales, I was looking on the net yesterday at some very sweet and not too expensive places.  BTW, how is growing stuff in Scotland?  I know where I live on the east coast of Iceland people can grow quite alot, but they just dont bother. 

Thanks for all your suggestions for my girlfriends job, I will spend time now having a look!

doganjo, I have no money, sadly!  Hence I was looking to rent whilst I try and earn some! 

Thank you for your help!

Pete

[deepinthewoods]

forget cornwall. way too expensive. west wales is where id be if i could be anywhere.

[waterhouse]

As a regular commuter for family reasons to West Wales from God's own South East over the last three decades it's worth mentioning that farming takes place mostly in Welsh which is a barrier to entry that Scotland and t'North don't have, at least not to the same level.  Since most local government jobs require familiarity with the language it can be limiting if the farming enterprise is slow to take off.

At the moment it appears that everything is for sale in Pembrokeshire from the number of For Sale boards and estate agent listings.  That would be partly because of the completely bonkers multiplication of values that followed affluent English discovering the place a decade agao - and then finding they weren't any longer quite so affluent.