OK guys, a bit of help here please

carolt

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

I rather suspect you will never be buying it then.;)

I can assure you I will not! It wouldn't be what I'm after, for too many reasons to list. Highest among which is that I'm not planning on moving to St Albans, as I said.

carolt

michaels wrote: »

Sandringham and Beaumont - you have to live very close to get in (currently live 1.25 miles away and this is too far)

Interesting - I have friends in St Albans who are viewing them. So are they that good?

michaels

http://www.upmystreet.com/local/schools-in-al4.html

Stags does better but is single sex and I am a believer in co-ed.

MILES AGE LA Pupils at end KS4 GCSE Results CVA APS Persistent absence National average


N/A 48% N/A 390 6.6% Sandringham School 0.60 miles 11-18 Hertfordshire 175 75% 1035.4 538.6 2% Beaumont School 1.33 miles 11-18 Hertfordshire 177 77% 1014.3 502.1 2.4% Verulam School 1.57 miles 11-18 Hertfordshire 168 59% 987.6 388.8 3.7% St Albans Girls' School 1.65 miles 11-18 Hertfordshire 176 86% 1008.1 459.2 3.9% Nicholas Breakspear Roman Catholic School 1.84 miles 11-18 Hertfordshire 168 54% 998.7 337.5 5.7% Based on results for test taken June 2008.

Show table definitions
Definitions
LA: Local Authority - the geographical area the school falls within
GCSE results: Number of pupils obtaining five or more GCSEs (including English and Maths) graded A*- C, for this institution.
CVA: Contextual Value Added score, indicating how well this institution has improved between KS2 and KS4 when external factors such as poverty and age are included.
APS: Average Point Score - average GCSE points earned by eligible pupils
Persistent absence: Percentage of half-day sessions missed by pupils.
More information on these classifications

* Denotes an independent school. Schools data supplied by Good Schools Guide. Performance results supplied by DCSF, based on tests taken in June 2008. View more secondary schools near AL4

Nearest sixth forms in AL4



MILES AGE LA Pupils 16-18 APS per student APS per entry CVA KS4-5 National average


N/A 739.8 209.4 N/A Sandringham School 0.60 miles 11-18 Hertfordshire 247 761.2 212.1 1020.4 Beaumont School 1.33 miles 11-18 Hertfordshire 298 784.8 226.3 1029.1 Oaklands College 1.36 miles 16-99 Hertfordshire 3200 592.1 205.8 1005.6 Verulam School 1.57 miles 11-18 Hertfordshire 225 735.3 205.4 991.8 St Albans Girls' School 1.65 miles 11-18 Hertfordshire 265 753.7 220.7 997.6 Based on results for test taken June 2008.

silvercar

I think its a lovely house, with a lovely back garden and plenty of room to extend if you ever need or want to.

It will also look much better when the current owners furniture is removed, as the canvas is neutral.

St Albans is expensive; you either have to accept that or look elsewhere.

Will it get you a school place and if not what is the alternative school? Having been obssessed with school places when mine moved schools, check carefully the date you need to have completed by in order to use your new address for the application. It used to be 31/Oct in Hertfordshire.

Thrugelmir

carolt wrote: »

Oh, you're near me - my MIL lives in St Albans.

Desperately overpriced for the size/location IMHO. By about 100K, at least.

Still, each to their own.

Are you looking for specific school catchments or anything?

Am in agreement with you. These are seriously overpriced houses.

I wondered why the national avarage was so high. You can buy a similar house round here for about £200,000 less.

Is the South East of England in a market of its own?

kabayiri

Are you going to put a bid in for the house?

It good do with a complete modernisation I think....kitchen, bathroom, decor, all not up to the standard people expect nowadays.

Why not try 15-20% off asking? They can only say no.

silvercar

It good do with a complete modernisation I think....kitchen, bathroom, decor, all not up to the standard people expect nowadays.

But the beauty of this house is that once the owners beige and green furniture is out the door, you have a neutral magnolia that looks in reasonable condition. No urgency to do anything immediately. Similarly the kitchen is not bang upto date but inoffensive.
Maybe people just expect too much nowadays. I'd be happy to buy a neutral house in good condition and upgrade as and when.

Why not try 15-20% off asking? They can only say no.

In St Albans, with little decent stock on the market they probably will say no....when they've stopped laughing.

There is always one feature of a property that screams buy, for this house it is the garden. A decent length garden on a wide plot is really attractive.

kabayiri

silvercar wrote: »

In St Albans, with little decent stock on the market they probably will say no....when they've stopped laughing.

The key there is 'probably'...

If you dont chance your arm, you will never know.

One can always go back and offer more if needs be.

Phirefly

michaels wrote: »

Yes, specific schools. Yes work locally and in London

This has been a real eye opener for me. I was aware that St Albans was an expensive area and anywhere commutable to London is going to command a premium but this thread has really hammered home for me the huge difference in prices there is in the UK.

I echo the thoughts of Carol and Thrugelmir, and I know it doesn't help the OP but in the interests of comparison, check out the following in the most sought after areas near me:
In one of the loveliest Leicestershire villages, not my cup of tea but still

Mr. P is drooling over this

this is on the exclusive gated complex where Mr. P's WAG Project Manager lives.

This one's in a very exclusive village

I'd consider bumping off Hyacinth and Victor for this or this

And finally a snip at 25k under, this is printed out and stuck on the wall next to the 30-Month-Plan progress chart.

I could have linked to much bigger and grander properties nearby, but I wanted to draw a fair comparison and these are all in exclusive areas with good school catchments etc. And all in or a stones throw from the up-and-coming National Forest

Again sorry OP, I know this isn't helpful but I just wanted to highlight to those interested the huge discrepancy there is.

misskool

The house is nice, in a catchment area for an excellent school, in a direct commute to London and has a wide (not just long) garden.

If you don't pay what they want, someone else will.

Have you worked out how much it'll be to pay private instead of moving for the school?