Moving to Southampton

[WaitingInTheBushesOfLove]

DH and i are looking to move around Southampton.

We don't know much about the areas and what is like living there. We have an almost one year old and a dog, so schools is something to consider and dog friendly places to walk the dog.

Houses have been coming up in our list in:

Chandler's ford
Eastleigh
Totton
Bitterne
Bitterne Park
Woolston
Hedge end
Shirley
Dibden Purlieu
Sholing
Nettley
Marchwood

Any advice of what areas to avoid and what areas to look into? Areas that might get affected by air traffic because of SH airport?Any more areas to suggest that aren't in the list?

I'm totally amazed about the amount of snobbery and nastiness that's being thrown at Eastleigh! Personally I prefer it to Shirley and Bitterne. I've lived in both these places and whilst there's nothing with them, I prefer Eastleigh as a place to raise my children.
And as for Chandlers Ford....Yawn...whilst it's unfair to generalise, there does seem to be quite a few snobs & a Waitrose

Can I also add, my children are doing VERY well at their primary & secondary schools in Eastleigh.

I quite like Eastleigh, it’s a normal town. It’s only “rough” if you compare to to Winchester (bit smug, bit twee, quite pretty though)

Wellthatsjystgreat, yes and also a very impressive 6th form college (Barton)

Hiltingbury is the expensive part of Chandlers Ford, especially round the Hocombe Road area where seven figure house prices are fairly normal. (Never liked it much personally - Hiltingbury Road is a permanent building site and a traffic nightmare at school run time). I will add that the area round Valley Park/Knightwood is pretty much a public transport desert. Eastleigh and North Baddesley aren't the prettiest areas (although they compare favourably with e.g. Sholing, Bitterne, Shirley) but they're perfectly OK.

If asked for places to avoid, I'd say Swaythling, Lordshill and the ex-industrial bit of Southampton near the ring road whose name is irritatingly slipping my memory right now but even these aren't quite the no-go areas that some parts of London are turning into.

I recommend Totton too. I moved here 15 years ago and I think it’s great. Close to New Forest, Southampton. Not far from Romsey (Paultons Park is 5 mins away) or Bournemouth. Not far from Winchester or even Salisbury.

IMO it does have a community feel and I often see the same children at clubs/leisure centre etc but not quite as close knit as a village (such as Lyndhurst which is only 15 mins away). There is so much on your doorstep here. Don’t rule it out. I’ve not experienced anything rotten!

I grew up in Netley and it's a beautiful place to live. However I would avoid Hamble due to the traffic and the fact if there is an accident by Hamble School you get physically stuck in the village.
I lived in Sholing for 4 years and really liked it, it was quiet and very little crime. Since they built up the complex by KFC everything you need is on the doorstep.
Eastleigh is fine! The only thing I would say is traffic is a bit rubbish and parking outside of houses is pants. The local GPs are good. Chandler's Ford is better.
Bitterne has definitely come on in the last few years but the dual carriage way can be a nightmare at peak times.
Don't write off Woolston, although there is a toll bridge, they've really done up the area and its lovely now.
When I was a teenager I worked for Dominos so delivered around Hedge End, West End, Botley with surrounding villages.
Hedge End is lovely, lots of estates in surrounding area and Wildern has always had a good rep. West End is very small and a bit run down, with the Ageas Bowl on the doorstep again traffic can be pants.
Botley is ok. But I don't rate it.

The airport is trying to expand and take larger planes, the flight path goes over Bitterne and Bitterne Park and is v loud. Hedge End has a fantastic family feel. Chandlers Ford is a dormitory with no real heart. Eastleigh is improving but is ex-industrial. Upper Shirley is lovely, Highfield is awesome, Highfield and Swaythling primaries are excellent.

Eastleigh’s massive, everyone saying it’s rough are forgetting it includes the other areas mentioned, Chandler’s Ford, Boyatt Wood, Fair Oak, Horton Heath etc, all nice places to live

Horton Heath is infamous for its 'luxury' massage parlour

Herondaleducks really?! I've never heard that! I've lived in Fair Oak nearly 20 years. Love living here, although getting to anywhere in rush hour can be a nightmare, which is why I cycle to work (Eastleigh town centre). Schools are good. My DC both go to Barton now

I live and work in Chandlers Ford, it's a great place to raise children- fab schools, parks, amenities etc
In your shoes I'd also consider
Netley
Bursledon
Otterbourne
Fair Oak
Bishopstoke
Romsey
Hedge End
West End
North Baddesley
Swanwick
Warsash

@dollybird well as far as I was aware in 2018 that was the case. I used to work with several people who lived that way, who knew about it.

All the places I grew up in, went to school in and have family in have been slated on this thread ☹️

Avoid Marchwood and the Waterside area - major traffic issues there on the A326 and set to get worse with hundreds of new homes planned for Fawley. Also not the friendliest area, very unwelcoming to 'outsiders' imo.

Depending on where you live, the rush hour drive to and from Southampton can be extremely slow.

Eastleigh, Chandlers Ford and Romsey might all be worth a look.

@dollybird behind the texaco garage if you’re interested!

Have seen in rightmove some houses in hedge end that we like the look of but prices are 325k. A bit over our budget, although DH believes they might accept less. I am doubtful.

Unfortunately, I don't have a job yet so a bit difficult to say where I intend to work. I have worked in pharmacy and I have a qualification for the dispensary. There seems to be a demand for dispensers (looked at job websites), but I really don't want to do that again unless I have to. What I am really looking for is laboratory related jobs (I have a bachelors in chemistry, but no working experience). So far I haven't been lucky in my search. Not sure where most companies with labs are located in the area. If there is an industrial area of some shorts.

Sorry getting off topic there.

How far is Romsey from Southampton? Looking at the map it looks very far away. DH says it looks like it's in the middle of nowhere. ( I haven't looked at it properly yet)

We will do a bit more research for houses in Romsey and netley.

I am not gonna lie, I despair! I guess will have to see what we value more because we can't have all.

Romsey isn't actually that far away from Southampton at all. It's very pretty and very chocolate-box, but, predictably, expensive, more so than Chandlers Ford. In your shoes I'd be looking at places like Bitterne or Warsash.

Romsey is fine. The town is lovely. It doesn't feel in the middle of nowhere tbh and it's close to the M27 so is pretty well connected. It's as far from Southampton as Eastleigh/Chandlers Ford is. Not sure what the traffic is like at rush hour though, but there's a train to Southampton Central.

There's a big business park at Whitely. But you'd want to live near there if you worked there as the traffic on the M27 at rush hour is soul-sapping. Hedge End might be better for that as I assume you can go on the back roads.

Romsey is nice, but there are a few areas which I don’t think are nice enough for their price tags. It’s got a lot in the town centre and definitely not in the middle of no where. Sometimes traffic can get horrendous because people will avoid the motorway. But that’s not an usual problem to have. I’d say a commute into a Southampton is completely doable. Would definitely recommend as a nice young family area. Plus... almost one year old.... super close to PP world 🐷 (I’m still voting for Tottton though which is even closer to the pig!)

Romsey, lived here for 20 years love the place, definitely not in the middle of nowhere not long to get into Southampton at all

I think there is a chemistry lab of some sort in Millbrook. But that’s all I know. Someone else might no more... I’m sure it’s close to the Harley Davidson garage

I grew up in Soton and Shirley was not nice

Hedge End is pleasant

Romsey is lovely
Thornhill is horrible

British American Tobacco have a big site in Millbrook. Lots of chemists employed in the refinery at Fawley too. There’s a surprising amount of industry in pockets around Southampton too.

Romsey is nice, not far to travel from Southampton, lovely town centre.