To ask here about moving to Sheffield

[MindDisco]

I posted on the Sheffield local board but didn't get any responses so I'm hoping you can all help me out (even if it's to tell my IABU for posting here).

Hi

I was born in Sheffield and grew up close by but have lived in London now for over ten years. I know the areas I grew up in but that was a very long time ago and I'm sure a lot has changed.

I've recently got a much more flexible job with the idea to buy our first house in Sheffield and commute to London for 1-2 days a week, and the remainder working from home. My partner will do similar

We've got a budget of up to £350k and are first time buyers that like old houses instead of new builds. Looking for a minimum of 3/4 bedrooms (we need office space for working at home). Looking to start a family within 1-2 years of moving.

Does anyone have any areas they would recommend within that price range and also that would enable a quick journey to the train station? I don't drive, so was thinking being on the tram route would make getting to a 7am train a bit quicker. I'm worried about relying on buses, but maybe I've been in London traffic too long.

Any recommendations gratefully received. I'm really looking forward to coming home and being closer to my family.

No advice as I’m. It from there, but my sons at Hallam Uni and I love Sheffield, it’s such a fab place. We live in Manchester but I could see myself there. The bit just as you come into Sheffield from our side seems very pretty and leafy.

I mean I’m not from there !

The best plan would be to go there and do a recce. You'd really need to check out areas. Plus go on Rightmove and put in the filters.

£350 k would get you a nice house in a good area. Not huge, but decent. I have a 3 bed, victorian terrace in the catchment for some of the best schools - it's pretty small but worth £100k less than that. Sheffield is a fabulous city with the countryside on the doorstep, very freindly and plenty to do. I love it.

350k will get you a lot in Sheffield (where I live). Beauchief is lovely and 20 mins to town and also the countryside. The best areas are S10 and S11 for commute and good schools. Dore is one of the nicest areas and has a train that goes straight into town but more expensive.

Not much has changed in ten years apart from the developments around Kelham Island and the spreading of the Lentil Belt from Nether Edge into Meersbrook and Heeley. The buses are still crap. The traffic's probably worse than you remember.

The issue with the tram is that it avoids the leafy, well-to-do areas in the SW of Sheffield - Crosspool, Totley, Dore, Bradway, Beauchief, Millhouses, Norton - the kinds of areas you'd be looking at with that sort of budget. Broomhill and Whirlow are lovely but probably nearer £400k+.

This might be an interesting read too: www.citymetric.com/business/sheffields-dividing-line-runs-berlin-wall-inequality-two-cities4213

Interesting article, and 100% accurate (I grew up there). I thought everywhere was like that until I moved away. And it’s not completely a good thing, even in the naice side of town. I find attitudes there are significantly more conservative than elsewhere. Much more what you’d expect in a small town than a large-ish city.

North sheffield ie bradfield, Loxley os fabulous and leafy not too far away from everything but if you need to be close to tram then wisewood and loxley are in walking distance.upper stannington has a link bus to tram as does oughtibridge

There is Retford which is more affordable and has a train directly to London. Also a nice place to bring children up.

Article's a load of bunk. There are both rich and poor communities in Sheffield (and quite a few in between) but the city doesnt divide out neatly on an north-south axis unless you are very selective about the communities you name (like this author).

Broomhill, crookes, millhouses, all nice areas where you could get a decent 3 bed for that amount. Chapeltown is nice too but a bit further out, it has a train station within 15 minutes walk of most of the area. There are some beautiful properties there on two main estates in particular (I’ve lived in all of the areas I mentioned!).

I moved a bit further out though because you get more for your money but I was born and raised in Sheffield.

Haven’t lived there but I hear greystone, fulwood and Loxley are also good.

I used to work in Sheffield and nearly moved there but didn't in the end. Colleagues said to be that Broomhill and Crookes were a bit studenty. I'd started looking at the Millhouses area.

Agree that Beauchief and Dore are lovely but a train from there to Sheffield and then to London might be a pita?

You need to check what time the trams start in the morning as don't think they're 24hours.

Some of the tram journeys are surprisingly long as well. I remember I parked at a park and ride at I think crystal peaks and it took 45 mins to the city centre/Sheffield uni.

We recently moved to Sheffield after being in London for 15 years.

I would look at Greystones, Nether Edge and from there towards the centre with your budget. You should be able to get a lovely house near Endcliffe Park for less than £350k.

My husband regularly commutes to London and either cycles or gets an Uber. Buses are fairly reliable but an Uber actually doesn't cost much more and takes half the time in rush hour. Cycle routes are great and there is parking at the station.

It's an amazing city love it the night life's amazing the shopping is good, plenty of good restaurants. Dore is my favourite part but very pricey

If you need to be in the central train station by 7am then seriously look at train times from Dore as you can get in directly from there.

We live in a 5 bed house in Hillsborough, bought 3 years ago for £220k. The tram stop is a few minutes away and they start at about 5.45am. The blue lines run straight to station.

Thanks everyone! Lots to think about.

Dore trains don't seem to start until 6:50 which would mean I miss the 7am and need to get the 7:29 waiting for 33 minutes at the station and arrive at 9:41 into London. I then have a 30 minute walk or 20 minute bus ride once I get to London. I might check the uber cost from Dore to the station to see if it's viable.

Cycling - I currently do in London every now and again. Don't know why I didn't think of cycling to the station in Sheffield but actually could save a lot of time and I only need to take a rucksack to work with laptop and papers etc.

Does anyone know what the bus traffic is like at about 6:30 in the morning? Some of these areas I think would need a bus (around Endcliffe, or Nether Edge) but I can look into how long it's supposed to take online.

Hillsbrough - my dad lived there when I was very little and the area didn't have a good reputation but that was 25 years ago now. Has it improved a lot?

Looking forward, are all of these places good for primary schools? Good communities?

I'm going to get a big map and plot them all out and see what my money can get. Thank you everyone.

6.30 there is barely any traffic in Sheffield. Might be a bit manic around 7.3p onwards. Lots of hills remember for the cycling however.

We moved to Sheffield from London (had been in Sheffield for uni and loved it so moved back when the opportunity arose).

We bought our house here last year for less than £200k and it's a 4 bed, semi detached with off road parking. Peaceful area and lovely neighbors.

We live in Birley Carr, not far from Kilner Way retail park, and chose it because the schools nearby are good, we are right by Halifax Road (which is good for commuting to Leeds or Manchester) and we can walk in massive fields nearby. Buses from here can be a bit hit and miss but I've found that all over Sheffield.

There are some lovely big houses at a bigger price around here too, which are still in your lovely budget, but give you the amazing views of fields too.

Hillsborough probably has changed, some parts are quite studenty. I have several friends who've moved there in the last year or so - three academics and a social worker.

The Nether Edge bus does run as early as you need it, depending where you get on it takes around 15 minutes. Traffic tends to be pretty minimal at that time - the peak is between 8 and 9.

PS: I agree about the article, I read it a few weeks ago. It really is selective about the areas it discusses. But, I'm pretty sure I read something by the same chap describing how he had a view of Park Hill flats while walking down West Street - I actually checked the next time I was there, and nope, you can't see them.

I personally wouldn't choose to live in Hillsborough (traffic, air pollution, flooding and schools) although I did once live there. We live Beauchief way and when dh goes to London (couple of times a week) he uses Chesterfield Station - but then he drives.

Roads are clear at 6.30am but buses are fewer. You could look at somewhere along the A61 corridor which has frequent buses to the town/station - something should be running.

I wouldn't want to live in Hillsborough either, sorry. Whereabouts in London do you live OP?

We moved here from a pretty grimy bit of London to be closer to family and have a better quality of life us and our two children and it has certainly given us that so far. There are lots of young families near us and the schools are good.

From where we are the cycle to the station is downhill for a minute or so then flat down Ecclesall Road. Of course that means there's a bit of uphill on the way back but at least you can jump straight in the shower when you get home!

There is almost no traffic around at 6:30! There seems to be a very definitive rush hour in Sheffield (8-9 and 5-6) and it gets busy around the end of the school day but nothing like London.

Another post to say if you're in South Sheffield, Chesterfield is not bad at all for getting the train to London.

I would say that traffic is pretty bad from 7am onwards though.. I drive right through the centre of town and Bramall Lane is always busy Tues, Weds, Thurs mornings

Wrt cycling, several of my colleagues have electric bikes to help w hills.

Singed I'm currently in Holloway so I can get the bus to work easily (Soho).

Glad to hear that the traffic situation might not be as bad as I thought. It's a long enough commute as it is, and I wouldn't want to set off 20 minutes earlier 'just in case' the traffic is horrendous because if I miss my London train, my ticket won't be valid and it will be a pain.

Also glad to hear other Londoners have made the move and are enjoying it! It's a bit of a leap of faith as I haven't lived fulltime in Sheffield since I was very small but I have family nearby and friends and I'm really looking forward to having more than a 1 bed flat. London buying will forever be a pipe dream so this is the chance to get a better life.

Do you think I need to learn how to drive to move to Sheffield?