Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Perfect house or outstanding comp? WWYD

57 replies

BennyOfTheGlen · 12/07/2017 20:15

We need to move as we've just had dc3 and need more space. The plan was to move to a different area (same County, 20 mins away) which has the best Comp for miles. Seriously top notch, and has been for years. Some of the best GCSE results in the UK, year after year. Very well to do area, very academic school, brilliant sporting facilities. Twice annual trips for dc to amazing places, which we could afford to send them on. Lots of great extra curricular opportunities run by the school. Long running history of Year 13's heading to Oxbridge. The type of school I would have loved to have the opportunity to go to.

As you'd expect house prices in the catchment are £££. We've found a house in the catchment for our budget which would be fine for us. 3 big bedrooms (we have 3 dc so 2 would share) lounge, dining room, kitchen, nice garden. It would do fine.

The area we live now is ok...nice bits bordering areas of severe deprivation/poverty. But generally a decent place to live. The comp is ok but 'just' ok. Sky high % of FSM meaning the opportunities and trips offered by the school are obviously much more limited due to cost.

Today we viewed a house in our area which we've never done before as were planning on the area with the best school. Same amount as the other house we viewed but we have had an eye opener as to just how much extra our budget will get us here.

The house here is our dream house. Huge by comparison...3 floors, 5 beds (all doubles). Two bathrooms plus ensuite and small dressing room to master. 2 receptions, plus dining room plus conservatory. Original features everywhere and set back from the road via private lane to 3 properties. Lovely gardens front and back...I'd never dreamed our budget would buy us something like it.

It's thrown a major spanner in the works and now we don't know what to do (first world problem I know). Go for the amazing house but poorer school? Or the amazing school and only adequate house.

WWYD?

OP posts:
SallyGinnamon · 12/07/2017 20:49

Smaller house in better area. You could extend, go into the loft etc as you can afford it over time. However nice you make the other place, it will still be in a less nice area.

And you can't put a price on DC being happy at school. If DC are unhappy you'll want to kick that extra room for tempting you away from the house with the good school!

Puffthemagicdragongoestobed · 12/07/2017 20:53

For me the school would be the deciding factor. Surely this would shape your DC's lives much more than an amazing house but mediocre schooling? Could you potentially extend the other house in the future?

Ropsleybunny · 12/07/2017 20:54

I would always go for the best school, always.

SaltyMyDear · 12/07/2017 20:55

Agree with everyone else. Best school.

BrieOnAnOatcake · 12/07/2017 20:56

In your case I'd go for area as you're still getting an above average house! We've got rubbish house in rubbish area and I'd move to a bigger house in our area simply as out space is too small.

TheABC · 12/07/2017 20:57

School. You can always move after they have finished A levels.

trixymalixy · 12/07/2017 20:57

School school school!!!

I went for house over school and have bitterly regretted ever since.

Floggingmolly · 12/07/2017 20:57

How sure can you be that you'd actually get a place at the school? Just being in catchment sometimes isn't a guarantee if the school is hugely over subscribed.

AntiHop · 12/07/2017 20:58

You don't need all that space for a family of 5.

Is there anywhere a bit bigger in the school catchment area?

I know nothing about school choices as I've got only 1 toddler dd. Is there a chance the school will no longer be like by the time your dc go there?

BarbarianMum · 12/07/2017 21:00

Outstanding comp every time.

exLtEveDallas · 12/07/2017 21:08

School.

3 years ago I had the chance of a very good, well paid job in the OK area we'd been living in for the previous 5 years. Housing was more expensive, but the job would have paid for it and there were a number of new estate popping up that we could have afforded.

However, the nearest school was in special measures and the 2nd school was hugely oversubscribed with catchment housing a good 20-30% more expensive.

So, we found a completely new area with a good house we could afford that was in catchment to an outstanding school. We moved there.

I found a good enough but lower paid job, the house suits us perfectly without being amazing. Belts have been tightened but most importantly DD is thriving at the outstanding school, doing better than we'd hoped and has a real chance at a great future.

I'd have liked the job and I miss my friends but I have zero regrets (and the school we left behind came out of special measures a year later - but is about to go back now if rumours are correct)

user1492287253 · 12/07/2017 21:10

we made this decision recently. 4 miles in 1 direction, 5 beds 4 baths. house we have bought is 3 and a half beds outstanding secondary

RandomUsernameHere · 12/07/2017 21:16

Smaller house near the better school definitely.

TealStar · 12/07/2017 21:17

School. Without a doubt. I'm not sure how old your dcs are but when they get to secondary age they will more than likely be heavily influenced by their peers, their aspirations, their work ethic etc. You'll be so greatful that you chose the better school.

TealStar · 12/07/2017 21:19

(Especially when the gloss of the new house wears off and real life kicks in. Just remember it's all the same shit, different house at the end of the day 😄)

MollyHuaCha · 12/07/2017 21:22

Good-school-house for me too.

Original poster
BennyOfTheGlen · 13/07/2017 11:08

Sorry for running yesterday...thanks for all the replies.

Ds1 is going into Year 6 next year so we need to move by Oct time to be ready for applications. If we went for the smaller house he's pretty much guaranteed entry as it's a more rural area with a large catchment and the house is on the next road.

House wise, both are at the top of our budget so this is likely to be 'forever' house and chances of being able to afford to extend are minimal.

We have three boys and the big house has made us think about way in the future...when we possible have three hulking teenagers living at home. The big house would give them a bedroom each plus we'd have a guest room and a lot more downstairs space. Arghh, I wish we hadn't viewed it tbh!

OP posts:
Kpo58 · 13/07/2017 11:16

School.

You can always change a house later, you can't redo your schooling or make up for lack of ambition in life given by poor quality school "friends".

Also houses in good school areas tend to go up in price quicker than ones in bad areas.

coddiwomple · 13/07/2017 11:22

School!

We all know how much overpriced properties are when they are in the right catchment, but I think it's the least we can do for our kids.

DonaldStott · 13/07/2017 11:28

What would the kids appreciate more when they are older?

For me, there would be nothing better I could give them, than the best eduction I could afford (in your case house in catchment area). That is their start in life, putting them in good stead for their futures. They might not appreciate it in their teen years, but they will when they're older.

eyebrowsonfleek · 13/07/2017 11:36

I made the choice of outstanding comp and have no regrets.

PearlyPinkNails · 13/07/2017 11:39

By the school without even giving the other one a second of consideration. Move once they are at Oxford Grin

BattyBagshot · 13/07/2017 11:44

The outstanding comp. I went to a school like that, and when people go on about how awful the "local comp" was it means nothing to me, by it's so far removed from my experiences of school. I quite honestly believe an excellent comprehensive is the best all round education available.

HeyRoly · 13/07/2017 11:46

Location is everything. Choose the school!

I did, and although I feel like a relative pauper, living in a small 3 bed semi (when everyone else I know has ££££ and lives in a big house) I've never regretted prioritising the school.

PlausibleSuit · 13/07/2017 11:49

30 years ago, my parents had a similar set of decisions to make as you.

They chose the house.

To this day, my mother says she regrets that decision more than any other she's made. Yes, they had an extra room downstairs and up. But the school my brothers and I went to wasn't very good. I did OK academically as I was studious but my brothers both had a tough time, during and after. I also got bullied a lot (gay guy in a rough school in the 90s, you can imagine).

Only you can decide. But that school sounds amazing. For them, a house is home for the next few years. But their education sets them up for life.