Katie and Karl Bartholomew in Hassocks with their children Finlay and Cora
(Picture: Handout)During the pandemic Katie and Karl Bartholomew came to realise that although they loved London they no longer really used or needed it.
The couple were happily settled in Crofton Park in the south-east London Borough of Lewisham, with their son Finlay, now six, and their daughter Cora, now three.
Both commuted to work, Katie, 37, with the British Council and Karl, 36, for NHS Property Services. “It had always been at the back of our minds that we might move out, maybe when the children were closer to secondary school age,” explained Kate. “Lockdown made us realise that we were already living a village lifestyle – going to local shops, seeing local friends – even though we were in London, so why not just leave.”
The family had bought their three-bedroom terraced house for just over £450,000 in 2013, and added two extra bedrooms with a loft extension. “It had really good bedroom space, but the problem was that the downstairs was very unbalanced,” said Katie. “The kitchen was small, but we didn’t want to do a side return extension because it was going to cost something like £100,000 for just a very small amount of extra space.”
In January 2021 they began house hunting. They considered, and rejected, the idea of moving closer to their respective families in the north and Midlands. Brighton was another contender, ruled out because of its high prices. “We felt we would not get any more for our money there than we had in London,” said Katie.
So they did what all smart buyers do if they are priced out of their chosen location and looked along the train line for an affordable, nearby option. This brought them to the West Sussex village of Hassocks, two stops inland from Brighton and on the fringes of the South Downs.
“We did some research and found Hassocks has brilliant, amazing schools,” said Katie. “It is only around ten minutes by train to Brighton, and less than an hour to London. It is not a beautiful, quaint Sussex village like Ditchling or Hurstpierpoint, but in a way we quite liked that it had a bit of a Londony feel to it.”
Last summer the couple sold their Crofton Park house for £806,000, and bought a four-bedroom house, with plenty of living space and a large garden, in Hassocks. It cost £840,000.
The station is close at hand, useful for when Katie and Karl are required at their respective offices, and they can also easily walk to Hassocks’ shops and cafes.
So far the move is working well although starting a new life in a new location does require some effort. Katie has made friends with other parents at the children’s school, and has also connected with other newbie Hassocks residents via the hugely popular Facebook group Life After London, a community of people considering a move.
She also uses a co-working space in Brighton one day per week, where she has made contacts, while Karl has joined a local football team.
