Should we continue the purchase? - need some objective opinion

gemma.zhang

This is the official link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-laws-to-extend-homes-upwards-and-revitalise-town-centres

verytired11

Sounds like a lot of work, headaches and risk for a not very desirable property that you are not sure you want to buy.  Friends of mine went through hell with tenants (couldn't get them out - cost a fortune and took a very long time) and a relative of mine was taken to court by fraudulent tenants making claims against him (he won, but again, a lot of wasted time and stress).  It wouldn't be for me.  I would wait until you actually need to move.  I would be looking to move to the next (cheaper) area along with more uniform housing (ie not overlooked, no HMO).

TripleH

Firstly, get a copy of the school admissions policy from your local education authority and read it. Check schools have set catchment areas in your district or how places are allocated.

I dealt with school appeals many years ago and many parents thought schools in the council area I worked for had a catchment area. They didn't.

Places were allocated (amongst many things) on distance to the nearest school you had expressed a preference for. This distance would change according to demand each year.

I only ask so that you aren't making significant decisions on how you think places are allocated compared to how they actually are. Different areas have different policies for school allocation.

Reginald74

There are no catchment areas any more. The order of many/most policies goes:

1) SEND/LAC

2) staff children

3) sibling at school

4) distance to the door as the crow flies

Trynsave2

Reginald74 said:

There are no catchment areas any more. The order of many/most policies goes:

1) SEND/LAC

2) staff children

3) sibling at school

4) distance to the door as the crow flies

Always annoyed with this policy -
1) Local Council cop out for not funding appropriate provision as 'the needs of your SEND child can be accommodated at your local school'.
2) Staff children should attend the local school to where they live. If the teachers can't afford to live near to where they work, tough. Lots of us are in that boat and have to pay steep housing costs to attend local good schools. Policy also usually only applies to actual school taught in, not feeder schools, so if childcare arrangements can be made for one school they can for all ages.
3) If a family has moved to a cheaper area further away once eldest is in the door, kick them out again as they no longer qualify for a place.
4) More spaces for all local kids to get a place!

Doozergirl

Trynsave2 said:

Reginald74 said:

There are no catchment areas any more. The order of many/most policies goes:

1) SEND/LAC

2) staff children

3) sibling at school

4) distance to the door as the crow flies

4) More spaces for all local kids to get a place!

All local kids or the ones whose parents you've admitted have paid to live nearest?

"If they can't afford to live near, tough". 

Whilst there is some truth in LAs not providing much needed spaces in specialist provision, you've just lumped a lot of other children in with them.    

Your post just reads like 'me first', not all local kids at all.  Good schools for those who can afford to bypass the system. 
 

Trynsave2

On topic however, if you want to be a landlord, be a landlord. Research properties that offer you a good return and will be attractive to tenants. Don't be an incidental landlord by buying a property which doesn't really fit either of those two criteria.
I also think that I would be reluctant to move into somewhere that I had previously let as the property would then come with a history. I would see the hassle, the mess, the stress ... not very conducive as a home.
Your personal circumstances will also have changed. Your children will be older for one and the space you need within the home will change. If the kids have friends in one area they may well be reluctant to move away and you will be accused of 'ruining' their lives. 
In short, buy a home for right now. If you like where you are then stay put. If you don't, then move. If you want to be a landlord, buy a house without personal attachment. You both don't sound too sure to me, so don't do it.

Trynsave2

Doozergirl said:

Trynsave2 said:

Reginald74 said:

There are no catchment areas any more. The order of many/most policies goes:

1) SEND/LAC

2) staff children

3) sibling at school

4) distance to the door as the crow flies

4) More spaces for all local kids to get a place!

All local kids or the ones whose parents you've admitted have paid to live nearest?

"If they can't afford to live near, tough". 

Whilst there is some truth in LAs not providing much needed spaces in specialist provision, you've just lumped a lot of other children in with them.    

Your post just reads like 'me first', not all local kids at all.  Good schools for those who can afford to bypass the system. 
 

Absolutely not. If you live near your local school that's where you should go to school. Now where good schools are, that's another discussion as invariably good school = high demand= higher house prices. If someone buys a home in a higher priced area to get their kids in to the school then that's a game you'll never avoid. However, only kids with EHCPs qualify for SEND status, not the ones who need a little extra support. So many kids with EHCPs have needs that increasingly can't be met by mainstream school budgets, but schools have little say on whether to accept them or not.
And the 'tough' comment related to teachers' kids getting a priority space, and therefore knocking a local kid down the list. Teachers only seem to play this card when the school they work in is better than their local.

Reginald74

And you would want the best teachers for your child able to live in the area.

Grumpy_chap

Is this the same house that already has HMO sitting tenants and you thought meant you might become an "accidental" landlord?
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6287647/advice-on-buying-buy2let-with-tenants/p1

And the neighbours are doing a lot of work?
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6288727/buying-house-with-party-wall-notice#latest

And now someone is building a tower block opposite?

And you've had two threads about mortgage queries as well?

If this is all the same property, then it seems as though you have substantial doubts that are enough to suggest another property might well be more closely matched to your wants and needs.