Buying a House Next to a School

whatmichaelsays

partialycloudy wrote: »

BUT....there are constant social/school events, parents evenings etc. They also hire out the hall for Gym/weight loss classes and for PARTIES!

People having fun? Can't be having any of that. Down with PARTIES!

J_i_m

Yes well Nearly no one wants to be a misery guts.. Yet we probably all appreciate quiet enjoyment of our homes.

I live near a middle school, not in the same street but within about a mile distance.. And even then with open windows I can hear the break time hustle & bustle.

As a person who is easily agitated by children noise, I'd definitely struggle living next door to a primary school.

lou72

Hi
We live in the same road as a primary school, our garden backs on to the school field. We have never had any problems with parking as we all have driveways and never been blocked in. Admittedly I'm at working during school hours but hubby works shifts and hasn't had a problem sleeping. Depends how close the playground is to your house. Maybe ask a couple of people that live in the road to get their opinion.

phoebe1989seb

Our last-but-one house was next door to a nursery school that took 45 children from 6 months to school age. Both ours and the nursery properties were detached and they were only allowed to have around 20 (if I remember correctly) children in the garden at break times, but even so as I was at home most of the time I found the noise these kids made terribly loud - so goodness knows what a proper school would be like! Luckily it was only for a short period several times a day and we did have double-glazing at the rear so only heard the noise if out in the garden.

Parking was a bit of a nightmare during the busy times as we had no drives or garaging (conservation area with permit parking) but DH usually left for work at around the time the parents started dropping off and arrived home after the nursery was closed for the day.

A few years after we bought our house the nursery owners bought a second property in the road (opposite our house ) and expanded their business to take 90 kids in total, which we thought a bit much tbh, but as the houses in the road were all minimum of 6 beds and many were already flats or care homes, the council had no objections. After this though the noise nd volume of traffic was much much worse a you would imagine - but again nothing in comparison to a primary school

If the house was really perfect in every other way and I was going to be away from home when the school was open I would definitely consider it, but the extra-curricular activities/parents' evenings and other functions out of hours would possibly be a deal-breaker at the end of the day.....

[Deleted User]

I would also not recommend buying a house next to a school. We used to rent a property which backed onto a school and the main gates were accessed via the private street with ours and other properties on. Parents were not meant to park there but they always did, they would always block our drive and you were never sure as to whose can belonged to whom, they weren't the regular cars if you see what I mean, and having kids and being nosey, if a car parks near our house I like to have an idea as to who is on our street lol!
The nursery playground backed onto our house - cue lots of squealing, crying, singing and plastic cars being drove up and down, but we could hear the main school just as loud. There was always late meetings, staff car parking there too, evening classes such as zumba and slimming world and then the dreaded holiday club!!! So just when you thought your holidays were safe...
Needless to say it was a factor in us moving house in the end.
And then I went and got a job in the nursery/school club lol!
But no, I wouldn't want to live next to a school again, and if you work nights then I would seriously think twice, or consider your offer if it means putting in double/triple glazing or other measure.
Good luck whatever you decide x

Better_Days

Funnily enough my brother was talking about this with me today as he lives near a school. It is the inconsiderate parking of parents which causes most problems. Their attitude is that they 'will only be a few minutes' (although in reality it is likely to be more like 20 mins esp in the evening) but they block up the private car park allocated to his house where he parks his car twice a day every school day. In addition they park across drives and on the pavements and across the pavements so people with buggies or in wheelchairs can't use the pavement. The school aren't interested at all and he has now been invited to a meeting with the school, police and local council to try and sort it all out.

I used to use a small local library, but parents would clog up the carpark twice a day so there was no room for anyone else. It seems they will do anything rather than get off their backsides and walk a couple of hundred yards. Very frustrating for me as I am unable to walk any distance and the library is only open part time.

So OP, if your drive is near to the school expect to get blocked in.

hcb42

I live a few doors from a primary school, a very good one in fact, lots of activities and community involvement, in fact the dinner lady that inspired Mr Oliver is from here originally.

It is absolutely no problem whatsoever. Yes at busy times there is a little bit of traffic, but that is hardly a hardship, especially as 90% of the time we are gone to work before kids go to school. At end of term there might be a little bit of evening traffic etc, but that it is it. Nothing wrong with hearing a little bit of playground chatter on the rare occasions I am home.

I dont even have kids and I am fine with it.

BargainJunky

My eldest sons infant school was at the top of a small avenue the council put parking restrictions in place, the headteacher threatened parents with parking fines and still some parents drove up to the gates. They would double park over drives, one even parked on my friends drive and complained when my friend parked behind her!

The house next to the school was for sale for ages and I believe is now rented out. Most other houses in the road do sell quite quickly as the school is extremely good and parents want their children to get into it.

Personally I would see where the playground of the school you would have next to you is - perhaps if it is still on the market when the children go back in September go and sit outside and see how noisy it actually is.

Mojisola

hcb42 wrote: »

Nothing wrong with hearing a little bit of playground chatter on the rare occasions I am home.

They must be exceptional children if all you hear at breaktimes is "chatter"!

hcb42

Mojisola wrote: »

They must be exceptional children if all you hear at breaktimes is "chatter"!

Well I certainly dont hear anything bad, chatter, sports noise etc, that's it!