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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

Calling all York-folk!

145 replies

Dottoressa · 12/04/2009 19:56

I've posted before that we're moving to York; however, we are now getting to the looking-at-houses stage. We are seeing this house tomorrow - but would love opinions, good or bad, on the general area/road/anything at all! On the face of it, there is nothing not to like - but we don't know York well, so there may be all kinds of things wrong with it that we know nothing about (like the nearest children are ten miles away, or there are students in the back garden...)

Any advice would be very gratefully received!

OP posts:

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MuffinBaker · 12/04/2009 19:58

Bloody hell! I wasn't expecting that.

Lovely house.

Dottoressa · 12/04/2009 20:00

Yes, it looks fabulous - my dream house, in fact. Which makes me wonder what's wrong with it in real life...

OP posts:

Northernlurker · 12/04/2009 20:03

You know it's right by the university campus don't you?

Habbibu · 12/04/2009 20:04

Heslington nice - right by the University campus, and I don't know if any students live there, or if they all move into town once they get out of halls - ditto pubs,etc, so might be worth checking out. I suspect they mostly ignore Heslington and head into town, tbh.

I think I'd live there, actually - it's very pretty and reasonably quiet. York is a really lovely place to live, though does get mobbed in the summer with tourists. Still great, though.

Lovely house!

Habbibu · 12/04/2009 20:06

Just looked at map - it really does border the campus, so you'd be as well trying to visit in term time, and wandering on to the campus just to see how busy the bit you'd be near is. IIRC that bit has lots of admin buildings in, but I couldn't swear to it. The uni did a fairly big expansion a few years back, and I don't know if there's more building work to come - also worth checking.

Grumpyoldcaaaaaaaa · 12/04/2009 20:10

Heslington is still very popular with the students - The Deramore Arms and Charles the Something are both usually full of students. Lunchtimes are super-busy there too.

It is lovely though. Still has a good 'villagey' feel to it and it's own distinct pesonality. And the house is arright s'pose

Northernlurker · 12/04/2009 20:12

Ok - so it's close to the university and the university is expanding - new campus is called Heslington East - so you can guess where it is. Heslington itself is dominated by the university - good points include therefore a decent bus service and lots of amenities. The primary is Lord Deramores and the secondary is Fulford I think. Looking at the map it looks like the house is on the edge of campus - the vice chancellors house will be virtually on your back garden! Noise is going to be an issue I fear - talk to the neighbours about how they find it. The street running past the front is very busty - particularly in rush hour. BUT the uni is only in session for thirty weeks of the year and you get the lovely campus (with plenty of ducks to feed) on your door step.

treedelivery · 12/04/2009 20:12

TBh if I could have that house I'd live in between a cess pit and a bus depot.

But I digress.

Go in term time - there are students about. So public transpost will be stuffed etc.
The locals are mostly HATING the uni, and the few students who use the pubs etc. In fairness they have seen the village go from total Miss Marple type thig to changing because of the uni alone.

If you were to arrive there now, with no sense of 'how it used to be' - you would probably love it. Plus it looks secluded and in grounds, so people walking past your windows etc isn't a problem.

Grumpyoldcaaaaaaaa · 12/04/2009 20:15

NorthernLurker

I like the thought of the street being busty.

Ooer Missus!!!

treedelivery · 12/04/2009 20:16

House ok. sniff. Nowt special.

p.s. I base my knowlesge on local news article when the uni expanded. I don't live there obviously, 'cos I'm a pauper, but if you need any cleaning done................

Its a stunning family home, hope you love where ever you land.

norkmaiden · 12/04/2009 20:16

You are virtually IN the campus with that house. Main St is a very busy road, with ridiculous 'traffic calming' measures that are anything but. But Heslington is a pretty village, with a couple of shops/pubs, a good primary school - university impossible to escape, ever, IMO. But that can have its good points, too.

What are you looking for in your new place?

treedelivery · 12/04/2009 20:19

I miss students where I am - they add a feeling of life and I like to remember when I was young and finding a £1 a pint night was important.

Northernlurker · 12/04/2009 20:21

Yes I was distracted by memories of my student days!

OP - have you seen this? Location is lovely - very handy for town. Secondary cathcment area is fine, not sure about the primary though. The house needs a bit of work though (and no it isn't mine!)

Habbibu · 12/04/2009 20:25

Goodness me! suspect inside Not Good as no interior photos.

Northernlurker · 12/04/2009 20:33

Habbibu - I've linked to that one before on a 'property porn' thread saying exactly the same as you about the interior! It is near a good primary and a good secondary but it's right opposite the working men's club (as another local mnetter told me) and is on a busy road. Gorgeous on the outside though isn't it?

Habbibu · 12/04/2009 20:35

It really is. It's quite fun, vicariously shopping for quite expensive houses! Sorry, dottoressa.

There are some lovely townhouses on Monkgate...

Grumpyoldcaaaaaaaa · 12/04/2009 20:45

Oh Northern it was me that mentioned about the Rectory being opposite the Working Men's Club - it's up the road from my mum's house (I drove past it yesterday on my way to drop my kids off at Granny's).

It is lovely, but I think it's been vacant/woefully underused for a while? I wonder about the state of the interior...

I wish I could move back to York, maybe when all my kids are grown up

Northernlurker · 12/04/2009 20:45

They back on to Sainsburys though - and it is a busy road too. Have you seen the 1, 750 000 one with the gertrude jekyll garden?

Donk · 12/04/2009 20:48

There is a bus stop right outside the house - good or bad, up to you really. The house is right opposite Eden's Court which is student flats owned by the university. As other posters have said - could be noisy.

Holmfield lane also goes down to student accomodation - small houses, so not vast numbers of undergraduates. It was mainly mature/overseas/postgrads when I was there far too many moons ago.

It does get VERY busy down the road at the start and end of the day - could be a problem if you need to go out in the car at those times.

Dottoressa · 12/04/2009 21:10

Wow - what a heap of replies. Thank you.

Going in term-time is probably a good idea. We live among students at the moment, and are not great fans; however, we also love our current house and its proximity to all the things that students also like, so it's a trade-off. But I shall go tomorrow with my 'I am suspicious of students' hat on!

Habbibu and NL - yes, I have seen both houses (virtually). The rectory looks very nice, but I don't know that area at all. Schools aren't a particular issue as the DCs are going to the Minster and the Mount, but that does leave us with the issue of access to those schools at rush-hour - plus DS will be a chorister, so we'll have two lots of drop-offs and pick-ups, his at odd times. We're spoilt at the moment, as we're a ten-minute walk from their current school, but I don't think our budget will buy that in York (the one I really like is on Bishopthorpe Road, and is 1.2million!!)

I am very grateful to you all for your comments - and for your kind wishes!

OP posts:

Dottoressa · 12/04/2009 21:12

PS Norkmaiden - I think I'm looking for some local children for the DCs to play with, and a house/an area that gives me a sense of well-being and a nice community. As DH and I are both at home, we have to like our house and community an awful lot!!

OP posts:

norkmaiden · 12/04/2009 21:18

Dott, the area around the university (from Heslington to town particularly) is brutal at busy times (quicker to walk than drive kind of stuff). I think I'd be looking to live slightly nearer town/schools. But the Hes house is pretty!

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norkmaiden · 12/04/2009 21:31

The Scarcroft Rd area is full of families, if that's any use (mostly largeish period terraces), with Rowntree's park nearby, which is normally a hub of activity for York kids/parents.

Northernlurker · 12/04/2009 21:35

Hmm - you like studenty areas and you want to be close to the Minster and the Mount - you need to be looking in the South Bank area then. very family friendly. Have you seen this? Great area but not much garden

or this?

or this

I'd be tempted by this though - busy road but set back and look at the garden!

Northernlurker · 12/04/2009 21:40

this isn't bad either

Right - I'm STEPPING AWAY from rightmove now!

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