NC for this as it is identifying. Here for traffic. Thanks for your patience reading all this.
We live in Watford at the moment, we are currently renting a three bedroom property and pay rent of £1400 per month. We have finally got a deposit together and we can afford the following in Watford;
(a) A really shitty fixer-upper house (think the type a hoarder lived before and has been gutted) or one in a ‘rough’ area. We do not have any DIY skills.
(b) A normal 2 bed flat. We have a lot of stuff so it would be a real squeeze and DC has decided she doesn't want to live in a flat, partly because some of her friends at school live in mansions. We have been TTC for a long time with nothing happening but we may need a third bedroom at some point...
My husband works in London. I work in Watford (but may be moving). My parents and sister live in Birmingham, so we were thinking of moving to either Leighton Buzzard or Milton Keynes as DH will still be able to commute so we can get;
(c)A house in Leighton Buzzard
(d) A bigger house in Milton Keynes.
Which would you choose?
DC is 13 and in year 8, doing OK. The school she’s in is not one of the four ‘Best’ schools and is not one of the three ‘Worst’ schools. She is in a selective stream (the admission is a bit odd, it is part by siblings, part by a feeder primary school with guaranteed places, part by distance and partly selective) however this year they are getting rid of the selective part so new intake will not be selected for academic performance. My point is that it’s not the best school, but its not the worst. At the moment she gets herself to school on the public busses leaving the house at 7.30.
Option A: We move to Leighton Buzzard and she stays at the school she’s in and settled in commuting from Leighton Buzzard (not Milton Keynes, that would be a bit too far). The drive is 50 minutes each way (but I know motorway can take longer) or by train also about 50 minutes including a change (we would take the hit financially). She would probably have to leave the house at 7 am to make it for 8.30.
We would maybe get an au pair to drive her there? Or pick her up. She does gymnastics here so she could stay at her club as she can get the bus.
Option B: We move to Leighton Buzzard and she goes to a local school. The advantage of Leighton Buzzard is that they have a Middle School system so everyone will be at a new and she won’t be the only ‘new girl’. They may well know each other, but they will all be starting afresh. The disadvantage is that she may get a shitty school.
Option C: We move to Milton Keynes, we can afford a bigger house but she will be ‘the new girl’ as there will not be a completely new year 9 intake, she will possibly be the only new child in the class and it may be a shitty school.
I would be grateful for your thoughts.