Choosing a Smaller Town Without Visiting Twelve Times
Decide on paper first, shortlist three places, research them from home, then make one well-planned visit to each finalist. A calmer way to pick where to live next.
In this article 6 sections
Moving to a smaller town is one of the most common hopes among people who are downsizing. Quieter streets, a slower pace, perhaps somewhere you have loved on holiday. The trouble is that holiday towns and everyday towns can be two different places, and it is easy to spend months driving between possibilities without getting closer to a decision. The answer is to do most of the work at home, on paper, and save your energy for a few visits that really count.
Start with your non-negotiables
Before you look at a map, sit down and list what your next home town must give you. Not what would be pleasant, but what you would struggle without. For most people in their fifties and sixties, the list includes some version of the following.
Healthcare access. How far is the nearest doctor's surgery, pharmacy and hospital, and how easy is it to register as a new patient? Transport. Is there a railway station or a regular bus, and could you manage if you stopped driving? Distance to family. How long would it take to reach children, grandchildren or parents, and how easily could they reach you? Walkability. Can you walk to a shop, a café and a green space? Cost of living. Housing, local taxes, heating and food can vary more than people expect. Climate. Winters, summers and flood risk all affect daily life.
Give each item a weight from one to three, where three means it truly matters. Be honest. If seeing grandchildren every week is the point of the move, distance to family deserves a three, even if the coastal town further away is prettier.
A holiday town and an everyday town can be two very different places.
Shortlist three, and only three
With your list in hand, look for towns that clearly meet your top-weighted needs. You may start with eight or ten names, which is fine. Rule out any that fail a non-negotiable, then keep going until you have three. Three is enough to compare and few enough to visit properly. If you are moving a long way, our guide on how to plan a long-distance move covers timing and logistics once the decision is made.
Research remotely before you travel
Much of what you need to know can be found from home. Look at bus and train timetables, not just whether a route exists but how often it runs in the evening and on Sundays. Check opening hours for the surgery, pharmacy and library. Use online maps and street-level imagery to look at the walk from a typical home to the high street, including hills and pavements. The idea of walkability is a useful lens here: can daily errands be done on foot, safely and comfortably?
Read local newspapers and community noticeboards online to get a feel for what people talk about. Look at what homes of the size you want are listed for, and at local property tax bands where they apply. If you are thinking of renting first, look at the rental listings too, and our guide to the real costs of renting after owning will help you budget.
A simple scoring sheet
Use one sheet for all three towns. Score each factor from one to five, multiply by your weight, then add up. The numbers below are only an example to show how it works. Your weights and scores will be different.
| Factor | Weight (1–3) | Town A score (1–5) | Town B score (1–5) | Town C score (1–5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare access | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Transport without a car | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Distance to family | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Walkability to shops and services | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Cost of living and housing | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Climate and flood risk | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Your notes |
Let the scores start the conversation, not end it
If the highest-scoring town leaves you cold, that is useful information. Ask what is missing from your list, add it, and score again. The sheet is a tool for thinking clearly, not a verdict.
One well-planned visit per finalist
Now you can visit, but with a plan. Try to stay at least two nights, covering a weekday and a weekend, because towns can feel completely different on a Tuesday morning and a Saturday afternoon. If the town is busy with visitors in summer, go in the quieter months if you can. That is the town you will live in for most of the year.
Spend your time living a normal day rather than sightseeing. Do a food shop. Walk to the pharmacy. Take the bus to the next town and back. Find the doctor's surgery and see how you would get there without a car. Sit in a café and listen. Notice whether the pavements are even, whether there are benches, and how it feels after dark.
Pros
- Quieter streets and often a stronger sense of community
- Housing may cost less than in larger towns and cities
- Easier access to countryside or coast
Cons
- Fewer specialist health services and longer journeys to hospital
- Public transport can be thin, especially in the evening
- Fewer shops and services, and some may close seasonally
Consider renting there first
If you can, renting for six months to a year before you buy is one of the kindest things you can do for your future self. It lets you see a full turn of the seasons, find out which streets you prefer and build a routine before committing. It also means you are not trying to sell, buy and move all on the same day. Before you sign, read our checklist of what to check before signing a lease.
Renting has costs and limits of its own, and whether it makes sense depends on your circumstances. If selling and buying at different times affects tax or your finances, check the official guidance where you live, such as the UK government's pages on buying and selling your home or the moving resources on USA.gov, and talk to a qualified adviser.
How many towns should I shortlist?
When is the best time to visit a town I might move to?
Is it a good idea to rent before buying in a new town?
What if my partner and I score towns differently?
This guide is part of our Relocation series. One small job a week arrives in Sunday Notes, with nothing to sell you.
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