If you’ve relocated within the UK...

[Duebabynumbertwo]

How did you find an area to move to?
I’m struggling to decide and don’t want to make a wrong decision!

I decided based on:

1. Work opportunity for me
2. Schooling for kids
3. Facilities in area
4. Transport links
5. Housing

We looked for somewhere with the following:
Good schools
Good GP
Close to work opportunities
Within visiting distance of family
Enough shopping
Housing we could afford
Small town
Facilities we could walk to - swimming, athletics, swimming etc
Feeling safe in the town on an evening

Commutable to work. Rented for a year to get kids sorted and make sure we liked the area. Bought after a year when decided we were all settled and happy.

Pretty much the same as the first poster. It was commutable to work, schools, and how much I liked the area.

We rented to start with too. It wasn't planned as out house didn't sell in time but we're glad we did as some areas we would have looked at we ruled out after we moved.

Renting beforehand is a good idea.
But how would that work with school admissions? My DS is 2 so we’ve got two years to find somewhere to settle.

Where do you want to be and why do you want to move? Do you want to be near family? City or rural?

@MyOtherProfile
We want to move closer to my family in Leicestershire for more support. I grew up there but don’t want to move back to the town I’m from but want to be close for visiting.
My DH would have to secure a job before we move so we’d have to take wherever that was based into consideration.

Lots of research on the internet on forums and on sites on facebook.
We narrowed the different areas down to a few in relatively close proximity.
We had some visits to get a feel for the places.
We looked at schools, there is alot to do where we are and in all the areas we looked at so that was also a big factor.
Less traffic was also really important for us in our move that factored in where we chose to live.
Make sure you visit, and dont buy instead rent. We ended up buying in a different place to where we rented. Although we loved where we rented we found we could borrow more so went for another 'better' area for a bigger house.
No regrets and absolutely love it.
Do lots of research. The internet is an amazing tool for this. Good luck.

Well my DH got jobs in different areas, so that pretty much decided it! We rented at first to get a better idea of what area we wanted to buy in.

I'm in the area you mentioned OP, so PM me if you want.

Narrowing it down to Leicestershire is a good start. Then do you have any other criteria? Are you planning to move soon? If so you will be established well before school applications begin.

@MyOtherProfile I don’t drive so I’d like to live somewhere with a high street/parks/facilities within say a miles walk?
Good schools and somewhere we could get a 3 bed house within our budget.

We chose a school first then moved around in the general area until we found somewhere that worked both for school and commuting.

@BogglesGoggles How did you do that? If I pick an area with an outstanding school it could go downhill by the time my son starts in 2 years hmm

We chose a prep school that has a relatively youngish headmaster (who won’t be retiring any time soon) and a longer term reputation for being very good.

I moved to somewhere I loved! It was pre DC and I secured a place at a Russel Group uni as a mature student but it is very much home. Family are about 3-4 hours either way but over the years we have built up a lovely network of friends over. I love my city and it is very much where DC are from and it is one of those parts of the UK in which people have a strong identity and are very proud. However I moved without your criteria of being close to family. I have been very lucky in that bought a house very cheaply as a student and sold it at the height of the property market to buy an underpriced semi in a more family orientated area (miss my huge victorian terrace though). DD is now attending the Oustanding secondary 5 mins walk away which is one of the few High schools in the city which has not merged/expanded and remains under 1000 pupils. We are also very lucky in that we are 2 miles from the city centre but our 'wedge' borders greenbelt and farmland.
However all of this was without any plan. I did not know the city at all and just drew a radius from the uni and looked at houses I could afford. DD was 11 months when we moved to this house and the Oustanding primary she went on to attend has received a shocking Ofsted since she left and the amazing High School she now attends was failing when she was in year three.
You have to decide what matters to you. I find the more salburious parts of our city very dull and suburban and as DD gets older I really appreciate that there is a lot for her to get herself to and she has a real mix of friends from all walks of life. I also have friends who have moved with a list of criteria who hate where they have ended up because they feel isolated within that community or because of commute times etc. It is hard without a crystal ball but unless you are happy to move again I think buying a house you feel happy in within an area you would actually like to live in is really important for your emotional health.