Moving Compared is launching its Empty Nester Moving Guide, a new regional series exploring locations that could appeal to parents whose priorities are beginning to shift once children leave home.
The Midlands edition highlights five places for homeowners ready to look beyond school catchments, commuting around family life and the need for extra bedrooms, and instead think about what they want from the years ahead.
1. Great Malvern, Worcestershire: For countryside without isolation
Sitting at the foot of the Malvern Hills, Great Malvern combines immediate access to walking and green space with the amenities of an established town. Independent shops and Malvern Theatres make it well suited to homeowners who want a more outdoors-focused lifestyle without moving somewhere completely rural. For anyone considering one of the area’s older or more characterful properties, guides to the different types of home survey and common problems found during house surveys are useful places to start.
2. Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire: For culture and an active social life
Stratford-upon-Avon could appeal to empty nesters looking to make more of their newly freed-up time. Its theatre scene, historic centre, riverside setting, and year-round events offer plenty to do, making it a strong option for those who want their next move to be driven by leisure rather than family logistics. Its period housing also makes it worth understanding surveys for older properties and the difference between a Level 2 and Level 3 survey.
3. Lichfield, Staffordshire: For manageable city living
Lichfield offers a middle ground between a large city and a quieter market town. Its compact centre provides plenty of amenities while retaining a smaller-scale feel, appealing to those who still want activity and convenience close by. Homeowners thinking about changing property type as part of the move may also find guides to freehold and leasehold ownership and how long conveyancing takes useful.
4. Market Harborough, Leicestershire: For the market-town reset
With its historic centre and established local market, Market Harborough offers a more compact way of life for homeowners who no longer need to prioritise school routes or space for children at home. The surrounding Leicestershire countryside also provides easy access to green space without sacrificing a lively town centre. Those working out what a move might cost can also look at the hidden costs of buying a house and this guide to conveyancing fees.
5. Bakewell, Derbyshire: For putting the outdoors first
For those who have spent years talking about walking more, getting outdoors or embracing a slower pace of life, Bakewell puts the Peak District on the doorstep. Its shops, cafés and market provide everyday amenities, while the surrounding countryside, Monsal Trail and proximity to Chatsworth make it particularly attractive for an active next chapter. With older properties forming part of the appeal in this part of Derbyshire, guides to structural surveys for older homes and common house survey problems could be worth reading.
