To ask the best places to live in Merseyside area?

Second this, also Ainsdale. Good selection of schools, Birkdale and Ainsdale both have "villages" with independent shops and events that go on. 40 mins into Liverpool City Centre on the train and buses also go there.

If you're looking closer to Liverpool then I'd say look at Waterloo, Garston, Aigburth, Allerton but you'll be at the top end of your budget.

3 bed semi with a garden would be more than 250 k in allerton unless you like a project

Mossley Hill
Allerton
Woolton
Childwall

all nice areas to the south of the city

Heswall and west Kirby are expensive plus some areas of Wirral are still 11 plus hence the existence of Wirral grammar school, West Kirby and Caldy Grammar school school plus travel through the tunnel can be expensive and trying to get back from a night out in liverpool can be a pain as you need to find a taxi prepared to take you through the tunnel remember that if you have teens x plus my family live near Heswall and it reminds of keeping up appearances 😂

Some nice areas in Halton (Runcorn/Widnes) Good rail and road links and good/outstanding schools and you should be able to get something in your budget.

Look at the leafier parts of Wavertree,bordered by Queens Drive,Childwall Road,Woolton Road and Church Road;3-bed semis with gardens in the side roads off Heathfield Road,Lance Lane,Mosspits Lane.Also consider Wavertree Garden Suburb.Plenty of buses into the city centre from Smithdown Place/Allerton Road and Woolton and Childwall Roads.

Crosby - beach on your doorstep

Maghull is an option, too. About 20 minutes into town by train. It’s a dormitory town and famous for not having much going on, but a fair selection of properties within your budget. Plenty of supermarkets, three secondary schools, a leisure centre and some really good restaurants as well as countryside on the doorstep.

I don't rate Formby all that highly tbh. Unless I'm looking in the wrong places, it's not got much going for it in terms of amenities/high street, and there's a massive housing estate going up that's going to put further pressure on the roads/GPs/shops. It's got the beach and woodland, which is nice for walks, but it's worth a short drive/train journey if you live further out too.

Formby lovely. Port Sunlight? That always used to be nice, but I have been out of the area for some time

You’ll be pushed to get a 3 bed semi in a decent area though. I’m in Childwall near King David. It’s £350k plus for a 3 bed here. If you’re nearer Belle Vale money will go further but school catchment area isn’t the best. Wavertree and parts of Allerton are more affordable. Same with Garston.

Your money will stretch further in Wallasey or Moreton/Upton area. I have family there, but don’t know the schools as well.

In Liverpool you need to remember that faith-based schools are many - and that affects admissions criteria. You won’t get into King David just by living in the area. Check the admissions criteria carefully.

South Liverpool: Childwall, Allerton, Mossley Hill, Aigburth is best but I think you’ll be priced out. A standard 3 bed semi around here starts around £300 (we sold our house for over £300 and it was a small 3 bed). You get far more for your money North I’m afraid, but it isn’t as nice and the amenities aren’t great. West Kirby, Hoylake on the Wirral are lovely but the commute isn’t great and you won’t get any more for your money.

Further out South Liverpool like Garston your money will go further.

Schools are an issue (boys secondary). Calderstones is a good school and very much on the up, but it’s catchment has narrowed considerably to a little over a mile (1.3) which is a very expensive area to buy in this part of the city.

Your budget sadly wouldn't get you much in Aigburth (think more like £400k for a three bed semi even at the St Michaels/ Dingle end) and probably rules out Allerton, Woolton, West Kirby and the more Cheshire like west Wirral.

In New Brighton (Egremont end)/Wallasey (east Wirral) your budget would stretch quite far and there are good options for girls schools - Weatherhead was mentioned and there is also Birkenhead High School Academy. I wouldn't write off the Prenton/Oxton ends of Birkenhead as it is on the up and you would get a fair whack for your money.

If you don't want to relocate to the leisure peninsula then. I would suggest Crosby/ just over the border into Waterloo, or West Derby in North Liverpool and Wavertree, Garston (top end of Aigburth) and Childwall in the South. Slightly further out is Halewood or Huyton on Roby (not Huyton proper) but good big houses in your budget.

A slightly outdated rule of thumb for Liverpool postcodes is if it is a single digit eg: L7 then it is less leafy suburb, desirable and family orientated than a double digit postcode such as L17.

Liverpool is a fantastic place to live as is East Wirral. Happy hunting

Wallasey isn't in the Grammar School system - and I wouldn't be too put off by Liscard - yes it's a typical sad, charity shop filled shopping area - like a lot of others but the areas towards New Brighton can be nice - I'd look around Earlston and Vale Parks and surrounding roads - New Brighton has a lot going for it - and they continue to develop it.

I'm in Waterloo which is north Liverpool (Sefton council) although we are almost in Crosby! I moved from London, love the area. Lots of independent shops, cafes, restaurants and bars. Beach is 10 minutes walk, Rimrose valley country park at the end of the road. Transport links are great, 15 minutes into town on the train, lots of buses.

Don't know what schools are like but there's quite a few around that are supposed to be good, also two private schools as well if that's of interest. House prices have gone up a lot since I moved here but have gone down recently and you can get a 4 bed terrace for £250k

I live near Hartford which is 30 mins from Liverpool by train (1 hour drive)

Chester and the Wirral are both commutable to Liverpool by train - all 3 areas have excellent schools

Formby, birkdale, ainsdale are all nice. Close to the beach, great for families, lots of school options.

Wirral is a grammar school area, which might have a bearing on where you want to be, if you're not keen on that. If your kids are academic that might be better for you, less so if not.

Wallasey Village is quite nice but nearby Liscard is not really, I have lived there before and wouldn't again. West Kirby and Greasby are very nice, West Kirby is more expensive generally and you'd probably struggle to get a three bed for £250K. Heswall is even more expensive really.

On the plus side, the trains and buses into Liverpool and Chester are good and relatively frequent, even though we have a car we usually go into town by bus because it saves on tunnel tolls and parking.

Childwall is nice - not sure your money would stretch to Lark Lane/Sefton Park but worth looking

I'd agree with this. OP, research secondary schools carefully before looking at specific areas as such. We're leaving Liverpool in part due to the dearth of decent secondary schools. :/

Aintree village. Plenty of trains/bus’s plus high schools within 2/3 mile radius. 20 min train ride from city centre.

Heswall is worth a look as well.

In the city, Calderstones, Mossley Hill, Grassendale, Aigburth.
On the north side, Waterloo, Ctosby.

'Good' secondary school situation pretty difficult in Liverpool unfortunately. Not sure on odds of you finding a 'good' school with spaces for in-year transfers.

L18/L19 area nice and close to Calderstones secondary. Or L16 and parts of L15 and then close to Childwall.

Most of the 'best' schools in Liverpool are Church of England and heavily oversubscribed.

I don't know about the Wirral but would recommend Childwall - decent schools, quick commute to city centre. Either that or Lark lane/Sefton Park area if house prices allow.