Express & Star

Why I moved from the Black Country to London - and then came straight back six months later

Last year I packed my life up and moved to London. Now I'm explaining why I moved back to the West Midlands after just six months.

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After accepting a new job offer in 2023, I thought to make the leap and see what all the fuss was about when living in the UK’s capital city.

At the time I was excited - I was looking at areas to live in and the best options for a place to crash, while aggressively researching the best things to do when when I had time off.

But a couple of months after arriving I started to notice the reasons why I hadn't made the leap before, and why I wanted to book a single ticket straight back to the West Midlands.

Accommodation, travel, the lifestyle and the busy go-go-go vibe was a lot to take in, so here is how I realised that for me, the West Midlands is the place to be.

MONEY

Daniel Coles moved back to the West Midlands after living in London for six months

When I lived in Birmingham, I was paying £750 a month all-in for a two-bedroom flat that I shared with my housemate. It was located super central, close to everything you could need, and was a two-minute tram ride away from the city centre.

When accepting a new job in London, the office was based in London Bridge (as central London as central London gets) so I needed a decent commute, somewhere around 30 - 45 minutes via public transport.