To live in a 4 bed mortgage free for £250k

[ScoobyCan]

Where can I find a really good 4 bed for £250k?

Not joking - that's where we are at post divorce. The world is my oyster but ideally I need a great primary, secondary, and a flexible school hours (9-3) job (DC have medical stuff going on so can't manage wraparound childcare). Anywhere?

Another vote for the North East - Newcastle/Durham

e.g. www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-71215159.html

Newcastle has good healthcare/hospitals and there are some good schools if you choose your area

Scarborough

We have a four bed house with a stunning sea view. Cost £170k 2 yrs ago.

Haverhill in Suffolk. Cheap, some good schools and a decent amount of employment about (Though i don't know how anyone finds school hours jobs anywhere), your local hospital is addenbrookes, but it's definitely not naice!
In laws are selling in Lincs and it's super cheap there but hospitals not known to be great.

The Northwest definitely.
Areas in the commuter belts of any of the cities (Liverpool, Chester, Manchester) are fantastic value for money.
I live in the heart of Cheshire and lots of the towns and villages are having a building explosion at the moment. You can buy a new detached in my area for your budget.
Great links to the cities. I’m 20 mins on the train to Liverpool or a 20 min drive into Chester but when I look out of my window I’ve got the village green at the back and chocolate box thatched cottages at the front. Best of both worlds.
I commute to Chester for work and other half Manchester.
Used to live in Altrincham before children and sold our 2 bed semi for the same price we bought a 5 bed Georgian house for!
Look for the areas 20-30 mins drive from the city you like the best

Hampshire!

Waterlooville and surrounding areas avoiding leigh park

I can't believe only one or two people have recommended Liverpool. Alder Hay Children's Hospital is arguably second only to Great Ormond Street. Fantastic, world-renowned children's hospital. Finding a flexible job of school hours is hard anywhere but obviously easiest in large cities. Definitely shouldn't be impossible in Liverpool but I agree you might be best finding a job first and renting for a bit and then buying once job is sorted. It's difficult to find work like that anywhere. Liverpool is a friendly diverse city and much much much cheaper for property but also leisure etc than down south.

Up north or Northern Ireland I would imagine, or even Southern Ireland at a pinch.

2 years ago I bought a large Victorian semi, Huge gardens, 6 bedrooms, three reception rooms, 3 bathrooms, beautiful views of a green valley for £250k in Bradford.

Central belt of Scotland.

Edinburgh and Glasgow both within a short train journey.

I agree the north is generally cheaper than the south. However I’m north of Liverpool and you would needs bit more than 250k by me for a nice 4 bed. About 300k would get you something, might need decorating though.

I live in wallasey on the Wirral, 10 mins into town, great hospitals Arrow Park locally and alder hay across the water, house prices are amazing here as well so affordable

Small towns on the outskirts of Barnsley and Wakefield. Royston, Darton, Bargh Green, Woolley, Notton, , Sandal you would easily get a house for that amount of money.

why would you need 4 bed? definitely not in the southwest especially bath or bristol or london. Perhaps kids could share and get a smaller house near hospital if child is very sick and also job with school is best as TA or something to coincide with term time. Do you have older children? if near good schools, price is going to rocket

Liskeard in Cornwall

You could get a lot of house for your money near Alder Hey.

This one is a bit over budget but an example. I agree with the Wirral areas mentioned, but if you want to stay in Liverpool, Calderstones and Mossley Hill are nice and very easy to get to Alder Hey. There's shedloads of places really.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-66732040.html

It's nice round Crosby way!

The house is very doable- lots of areas of Midlands, wales, North etc you can get a nice house for that money. The job? Haha are you joking.... trying to work ONLY in school hours with zero childcare is extremely difficult! Even with a TA job it can be challenging, you don't necessarily drop everything as the kids leave the classroom & you need to factor in travelling to your own kids school to collect.

Is childcare truly impossible? I would be looking for alternative childcare to meet your children's needs and accepting it might cost a bit more than average, rather than trying to find a golddust job that's likely to be poorly paid with poor long term prospects. Have you googled to see if there are any specialist agencies that can provide part time nannies or au pairs with training/experience to manage your children's needs?

Liverpool and surrounding areas as already mentioned.
Halewood is nice.
Herefordshire
Wales

Not Bolton or Wigan areas or west of Manchester.
Terrible for crime,commuting,terrible road networks and public transport oversubscribed schools.
Horrible

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-80884940.html

Shropshire- stunning and underrated. Look at this place in Oswestry. Whitchurch also affordable. And if you pick the right location Chester and Manchester south are within an hour

Wow

Can't say as I've noticed tbh
Lovely round Wigan and Bolton, nothing wrong west of Manchester. Public transport is what I rely on as don't drive, never had any problem.
I suppose if you are a snob then yes, stay away.
If you like friendly folk, it's fine.
Snobs don't do too well and should avoid.

@wow2806. I live west of Manchester. Lots of nice places, not all schools oversubscribed lots of friendly people. I'm not sure if you are a snob as Romany suggests but your post comes across as very snobbish. Where do you live ?

Ha ha defo not a snob.
I live in Atherton yes get the bus/ train into work every day. Please you cant say that Northern isn't rife with delays, cancellations skeleton service es. Also rife is the amount of absenteism amongst there staff which doesn't help there services. And roads are terrible. East lancs, leigh Road, worsley roundabout. Motorway is like a car park slot of mornings. 1 accident can have/ does have a knock on effect that can last hours.

Best High Schools are over subscribed Canon Slade, Deanery, Walkden High, Fred longworth St Mary's
We have no police on the street. Every evening there is another gang on the Rob
Wigan Hospital I don't trust Bolton better.
Best jobs are in town Not really Wigan or Bolton

Huge Housing developments all over the area - but there is no infrastructure to support them. Limited school places, places at Drs, dentists. And the roads are really bad. 1 burst water main, gas main, dickhead driver can put a whole area out of action for hours, days or even weeks.

I know I live here.

And I'm sorry but come on were is really nice in Bolton?? Bromley Cross, bostock, Egerton,
And sorry luv but the best things about Wigan are ALL the roads leading away from it
Ha ha proper made me laugh that snob

Wow

Huge apologies Not a snob if from Atherton.
I agree with what you say, but this is happening all over the place not just round here.
I'm in Wigan, but not from this area. It has it's good parts too, we live in a nice area but yes, are surrounded by deprivation.