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Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

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Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Property/DIY

Would you buy a house opposite a primary school?

54 replies

sikanetter · 27/10/2013 06:47

Saw this lovely house which is opposite a primary school and which hopefully my two kids will be going to in a few years time.

Does anyone live opposite a school? What is it like at school times?

OP posts:

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GoingToBedfordshire · 27/10/2013 06:49

Personally, no. I don't live opposite a primary school, but the traffic congestion, inconsiderate parking and noise in front of the one that my dc go to would put me right off.

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desperateforaholiday · 27/10/2013 06:51

If its like my ds primary school, it'll be rammed with parents parking everywhere, I would view it at hometime and decide if I could put up with all the cars

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Bakingtins · 27/10/2013 06:53

We lived just round the corner. 2 issues, noise at playtimes, which didn't bother me at all, and traffic/parking which was a nightmare. We had no off street parking and had to plan all trips so we didn't get back at school times or we couldn't get within streets of our house. We live in a built up area with several primary schools all with small catchments but you would not believe how many parents drive or how thoughtless they are to pedestrians and residents.
I would make a point of going at 8.30 and 3.30 and see how bad it is.
On the plus side you'll be pretty sure of getting a place!

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JumpingJackSprat · 27/10/2013 06:53

It's bloody awful at pick up and drop off times. The parents Park like absolute twats and it can be very noisy during the day. We are normally out all day at work but if we have the day off you can't normally get back and Park on the Road which can be very inconvenient at times. Even though they are meant to nor Park down our Road they still do. If we didn't have private parking it would be a bloody nightmare. If there is no driveway/private parking then I would think very long and hard.

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TheNumberfaker · 27/10/2013 06:53

If it's the only way to ensure they get in then yes.

Otherwise absolutely not!!

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redcaryellowcar · 27/10/2013 06:54

We live about 100 yards down the road from one, the pqrking, especially at collection times can be inconsidrate, but its only for a short time at the beginning and end of each school day, our house is also short wlk to the train station, which was a key factor a my dh uses the train daily, this was more important, we do have off road parking and regularly see traffic wardens moving in or ticketing cars who are parked on yellow lines etc. The school is a really good one and i hope our proximity to it pretty much guarantees ds a place.

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RedPencils · 27/10/2013 06:55

Not unless the school had a car park the size of asda's. the congestion on the road by my DCs school is horrendous. Despite there being a car park at a pub very close by people still park on the pavements as close as they can get to school, parking over people's paths.

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JumpingJackSprat · 27/10/2013 06:56

Even then sometimes the parents Park in such a way that they block the entrance to our private car park. I'veseen some try and drive into it before but there is a knack to it. .. They can get in but they can't get out mwahaha

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olivo · 27/10/2013 06:57

I would, and nearly did. I am. A teacher so traffic wouldn't bother me as I'd be long gone in the mornings etc, it would be nice and quiet when I was off in the holidays,providing it had a locked gate.

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NellysKnickers · 27/10/2013 07:00

No, again because of the parking. It's unfuckingbelievable at ds1s school. The sheer arrogance and selfishness of parents parking would send me into a rage everyday. The noise wouldn't bother me at all.

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Sparrowfarts · 27/10/2013 07:01

Directly opposite. It's very busy for 15 minutes twice a day, otherwise perfectly quiet as far as traffic is concerned. The playground noise is insignificant. Agree that you should check it out at 8.30 & 3.30, possibly lunchtime.

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SoupDragon · 27/10/2013 07:04

I think that if you have children, it's less of a problem. It won't be long until they are at the school at which point parking and congestion won't be an issue as you'll be there picking them up (or at work, in which case you won't be there at all!). Also, life with children isn't quiet so the noise shouldn't be much of an issue.

I can see it being horrendous for people with no children at home though.

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17leftfeet · 27/10/2013 07:15

My parents live opposite our old primary

20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the afternoon is busy, the rest of the time it's quiet, no issues at all during holidays and the playground is on the far side of the school -they say the only time they hear anything is sports day when they have a PA system but it doesn't bother them at all

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Oblomov · 27/10/2013 07:16

Never. The parking and the noise would be a killer for me.

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readysteady · 27/10/2013 07:19

Depends on what sort Of the area you are in if the majority of the children walk to school then parking won't be an issue but if everyone drives obviously it will be. We live on estate and the school is opposite. Most people walk so no traffic really. I never have trouble. You need to do strategic viewing at 8.30 and 3.15

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sikanetter · 27/10/2013 07:21

Thanks everyone for your views. Something which i failed to mention...the school and therefore the house, are in a close (right at the end of it) so you can only go in or out of this road (no through traffic).

I'm guessing that would make it harder for me to leave (by car) the house at school times. But on the other hand it might put parents off driving all the way down to the end of this close because then the only way out is to reverse back. Or not. I will have a look at the house during school times and take it from there i guess.

Compromise, compromise....

OP posts:

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Hulababy · 27/10/2013 07:21

No probably not - due to parking. I work in a school so sometimes coming home around same time as school rush. Wouldn't want to be fighting parents for getting down the road and parking.

Wouldn't bother DH though as he would never be around at school run times so traffic would t affect him.

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Dwinhofficoffi · 27/10/2013 07:25

The flip side of that OP is that the weekends and school holidays the road etc will be clear.

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Mogz · 27/10/2013 07:30

I lived in the old school house for 10years, right next to the village primary. Was great for my brother and I as kids. Mum liked it for the convenience and as it had a huge drive way parking wasn't a problem. Plus most people attending the school came from the village and so walked in. It was also a very small school so very little noise when she had to work from home.
I think you'll need to go see the area at a few different times of day to get a good idea of traffic, noise and how liveable all that would make it. Also enquire as to whether the school hall is let out for other events, like Scouting or bingo or discos as that might get a bit disruptive.

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ChippingInNeedsANYFUCKER · 27/10/2013 07:31

I would if I had private off street parking - otherwise no, having to avoid getting home at a certain time of day would really piss me off.

The noise - I love it :) I love that you can faintly hear the children playing out.

Definitely view it at pick up time before you buy it. I wouldn't worry about drop off time - you'll already have your car parked :)

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ConcreteElephant · 27/10/2013 07:36

We looked at a house in exactly that kind of location OP, just this summer. We've got 2 toddlers and were moving for school reasons. There are 2 good primaries in this area and the house was just a couple of doors down from one of them. It's entrance is at the top of the cul-de-sac.

Traffic in the mornings and afternoons is dreadful, some parents seem to arrive about half an hour before school finishes and just sit in their cars, lining the road.

We decided that the convenience of the proximity of the school would be countered by the traffic / parking situation and that as we were planning on staying in the house till the children pretty much leave home (good secondaries here too), then once they finished primary it would just be annoying.

We luckily found another property, still well within likely catchment for both schools, but not so close as to be affected by the traffic. We've no regrets at all.

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Edinbugger · 27/10/2013 07:36

Yes - and did. If your kids are going to the school the handyness of being on the doorstep to collect/drop off from school, clubs, events etc etc trumps the irritation of stupid parking for ten minutes twice a day. Was also brilliant when dcs for dinner money, gym kits etc etc.

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ConcreteElephant · 27/10/2013 07:46

I'd agree with ChippingIn about the off-street parking. However, this house had that but cars were parked in all available road space at pick-up and it looked like you might struggle just to manoeuvre into your own drive!

There's a third school nearby which is on a through road (residential so not very wide) and trying to get down there at pick-up time is like a giant slalom puzzle, not helped by parents gradually filling up all the holidays and weekends must feel like a dream on that road!

The local secondary has rules about which side of the road you're allowed to park on at certain times, just to keep traffic flowing for residents.

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Rubberstamp · 27/10/2013 07:54

Yes, I live opposite a primary school. 400 kids. It's a cul de sac and we have private parking. No problem at all. Most days I see nothing as I leave for work before school and return afterwards, but even the one day a week I don't work and drop my son off the convenience outweighs any 10mins of traffic. Really not a problem at all. It really is only 10mins a day at each end.

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WhoKnowsWhereTheSlimeGoes · 27/10/2013 08:06

Depends on the school a bit I think, if you are going to check it out bear in mind that depending where you are it is likely to be half term this week, you might have to wait.

I agree about it being lovely hearing the children playing, but I can hear that from my garden 1/4 mile away. At my DCs school there are one or two houses that get their drives blocked regularly but otherwise not too much problem. Those homeowners regularly complain to the school though, so they must get angry about it. There are people who arrive half an hour early regularly and sit there with their engines and radios on throwing cigarette ends out the windows. Also a lot of people tend to get there a bit early to get a space close to the school, then have to pick up DCs from different classes, plus chatting (very sociable playground), I would say the least time anyone is parked for is 20 mins in the afternoon, mornings are much quicker as most are on their way to work. However it is on a through road with quite a lot of available parking, there are two entrances, so a split of the parking and the catchment is small so most people walk. I have friends who live in the street where the school is and have no problems, it is incredibly handy if your DCs go to a school close to home, I love living 5 mins walk from ours.