Need to brainstorm

tigerfeet2006

Thanks guys and keep posting. I will catch up with your replies when I get home from in laws. We're taking them to have a look and do some brainstorming to.

skylight

Some more thoughts...

As the estate is new, just how empty is it? The problem with looking at an empty estate is that you simply do not know or can look at the sort of neighbours you are going to get (OKAY - I know, I am a snob at heart). You may find that there will be equally as many great families like yours and there may be many that side with your dysfunctional current neighbour.


As someone mentioned, 50mins in the wind, rain and snow is hard going. Are there any actual bus routes in this scenario? With the walking bus, do you drop them off and they walk on with the "bus"?? (Do not know how this works!). Bear in mind that its 50mins walk back for you. And again at home time. And again one day a week halfway through the day.

What is going to happen then on those days when you are unwell and cannot walk with them? Can someone else take them?

I suppose at the end of the day the most important things are the kids.
1. School and getting there and back - how?? In all weather and circumstances.
2. Type of people they are going to be meeting. (Snobbery here.......)
3. Their education. If the closest school is not great then thats it. However, bear in mind that schools lower on ofstead lists and new heads etc tend to get better funding - its accepted they need help and it sounds like help is on its way. Also bear in mind that it doesn't always work!
4. Can you see them being happy in both the house/walking to current school/new school if that path is chosen????


Being that close to town also means shopping trips, train to anywhere and easy walk to pub crawls..........

tigerfeet2006

Quick post before I get yelled at by DH, here are some more thoughts.

At the moment we have electric night storage heaters. In mid winter it was costing us £50 a week just to keep the meter fed. We are looking at about £10 a week in summer. This house has all new gas cental heating and proper insulation. Not double glazing that could fall out if you push it right. So the bill will be cheaper.

Also there is parking right at the front door, where as here we have to walk 500 yards to a communal car park and quite often have to park on the other side of.

I will be able to put the pushchair in the hall if the baby is asleep and not disturb him and not have to put him in the communal hall way where everyone bangs and shouts and wakes him up.

Gotta go irrate DH whhhoooops!!

skylight

Right - had lunch (no-one turned up! Where were you guys??? I had to eat it all myself) and thought of some positive ones now. (And spotted the other post Tiger!)

That is a substantial saving on your heating bills. With proper insulation in the new place then you can combat those price increases (I hope you have looked at Ebico if you are on a pre-payment meters?????) Do you pay an IPA? Will cost savings affect it???? (I dont think so.........)

Car parking - Great, not so far to walk and can keep an eye on the car!
Smaller garden - less to keep tidy!
Hallway - baby is out of the way and safe!
Kitchen/Diner - I would KILL for a dining room or kitchen/diner! Family meals on a real table!
En suite - Your very own loo! No more hopping when waiting for someone else to shift!
New - Good excuse to redecorate to your own eclectic style! Bright pinks, reds, greens.....
A front door that opens onto a bright road!

What are the kids facilities nearby like? I know its a short trip into town, so library etc, but what about playgrounds and parks?

Have you checked out the bills? Council tax band? Car insurance? House insurance? These will probably change and not always in the desired direction.


Personally (very much so) as we would be looking to still move again anyway I would jump at it. But I can drive. The biggest issue is getting the kids to school and your doctors. As long as you think the kids are happy and you can sort this issue out, I would take it. (As I would kill for a diner and give my right arm for a third bedroom!)

Buffythedebtslayer

First i thought yes, then I thought no!

right, new house new start, clean no more damp or windows that fall out?

near most things except the School.

that is the biggest problem, 50 minutes to school - fit kids i guess but crikey, how reliable is the bus? Are there any kids you get lifts with? guess as its a new estate you won't know yet. hmmmm.

At my school if the kids are late six times in a 1/2 term they get fined a 100 pounds. Does that happen yours?

how much longer are the kids in school for? any chance they could/would move?

and is the problem neighbour being six doors down far enough? I 'd probably say no on that count to be honest.


sorry this hasn't been much help. a new house must be very tempting tho. the whole idea of new start with cheaper bills and opportunity to really sort stuff out and have space.........

God i really am no help !

Good luck hon hope some one more decisive comes along!

xx

fiveyearplan

Hi Tiger, what are your DH's thoughts on the new house? It sounds wonderful apart from the long distance to school. Consider changing their school. I wouldn't take any notice of an Ofsted inspection. Have you actually read one through? I have and the school they were describing was definitely the ones my children atteded! Could you also change your doctor? I just changed mine (moved 7 years ago and was still travelling to see her because I didn't want 'to let go'). AFter shopping around I have found a wonderful doctor and it is good to get fresh medical opinions on my daughter's health problems.

Hope this hasn't confused your decision even further!

wherediditallgo

I think I'd wait to see what your nightmare neighbour does. If they accept the new property, then you've already got a big problem solved. I used to have a horrible neighbour, & 6 streets wouldn't have been enough for me, never mind 6 doors. I'd then turn down this property without declaring an interest in it, as that won't affect your future eligibility. As your children get older, they will need more room not less. Also, you have to bear in mind your disability - I have mobility problems, & two of the reasons for me moving to where I am are now were that I have less stairs to deal with (I used to have 5 flights of stairs to contend with just to get to my own front door), and I'm nearer to work. Believe me, being able to get on a bus literally across the road from my office for a 10-minute journey & get off it 2 minutes from my door is great at the best of times, & an absolute godsend when I'm not feeling at my best or the weather's rotten.

Don't let the location of the college influence you - courses change, colleges move sites, & even if your children wanted to study there, by then they'll be old enough to get there under their own steam from wherever you're living. Also, open space is important - whether you're growing veg or sunning yourself in the nuddy, everyone needs somewhere to escape to when the house gets claustrophobic (noisy children etc), & you'll miss the space you have now. I realise the storage heaters are costing you a lot in winter, but summer's coming so that will drop soon.

I've always believed that a house/flat becomes a home when you first get that "Ooh" & a little tingle about it & can't resist a smile. I don't think you've felt anything like that about this one, so I'd say stay put. And if you turn down this one, plague your housing officer like I did mine until they offer you something else.

rog2

Always a difficult decision to 'downsize' although you would be getting a 'house' rather than a flat.
Your 'neighbour' will be six doors away - that's still further away than upstairs.
Do the school run any buses, and would your children qualify for free transport?
I deliver to a lot of these 'newbuild' houses, in our area - I didn't even know that they were not private houses, till one of my customers told me that her house was rented through the Guinness Trust. My eldest daughter purchased a house, two years ago, on the next estate, and it is much smaller, has a tiny garden, and fewer amenities.
I think I'd go for an 'unofficial' look - just to walk around the estate - if you know someone who is already living there, perhaps they'd let you look around their house - maybe, if the builders are still there, they would show you around one of the houses?
Lots of maybes, I know, but a look wouldn't hurt.

beanielou

If you are disabled you may be able to get help wth transport to school ie escorted transport.

in_need_of_help_2

New houses are always good, every thing sounds great with the new house, even if your neighbour from hell is going to be six doors away, like the others have said better than upstairs.
think it all boils down to the school being so far a way, 50 mins is a long old trek. You could do a dry run in the hols with the kids and see how it fairs and how they feel about it?

Good luck.