To ask Mumsnet to find me a house ?!?

[NewHorizons2020]

In the process of separating from miserable husband. I’ve realised that I am not the reason for his unhappiness and I cannot live like this anymore. Two kids, one turns two soon and one will hopefully get a space at grammar in 2021.I don’t know what budget is but Solicitor wants to make a claim for 600 K. How realistic this is, I don’t know. So I am thinking if we get half of that Id be super happy. My Family live in Fleetwood, Lancs so need to be close to there, but also in catchment for Lancaster Girls Grammar and a good back up secondary. Budget GBP 200 K to 300 K ? A lovely garden and a home with a happy vibe.. How realistic are divorce solicitor’s estimations ?!?

Ooh I love house hunts and this is my neck of the woods... brb!

@NewYearNewTwatName it’s hideous and yet I want it! This house seems massive! Might even keep the tv room in the kitchen!

@handbagsatdawn33 there are family reasons I can’t go out into here as outing but they can’t (well they can advise a bit but that’s it) so I’m reliant on google maps, ofsted and rightmove.

Has their father agreed they can move? If he doesn't give permission there's no point even looking.

Coincidentally i was looking at lytham st annes a few weeks ago, forgot to set budget and spotted 70s house. If had endless funds Id snap it up, keep the bathroom tiles and that gorgeous flooring in the Giraffe room and transform the rest into a Californian dream home. But i cant !

@titchy he will be looking to move to Macclesfield so won’t be far away.

* Garstang is close to Lancaster, and about a 25-30 min drive from Fleetwood. Rural, but a lovely little town centre, and a Sainsbury's and (BEST SUPERMARKET EVER) Booth's.

A period property, 3 bed, v cute - but no grass in garden, 230k ish

A solid family house, good garden, big living and kitchen - 225k

New build 1 and New build 2, in case that's more your style.

*Poulton-le-Fylde - much closer to Fleetwood (10 min) than Lancaster, but Lancaster still only 40 min away by car (and there are buses there every hour). Lovely little town centre, nice restaurants, park, pubs, bars, playgroups etc. Small-town feel but not far from motorway.

Beautiful new build in nice area

Big 4 bed semi, huge garden

Beautiful old house in a lovely area (I'm biased as I grew up literally 2 streets away!) - 2 mins walk to the centre and the train station, nice neighbours, 265k

Big, newish 4 bed, nice estate, 279k

Amazing kitchen, good price, v central, only problem is no grass in garden for kids

End terrace on gorgeous little private road in the centre - needs a bit of modernisation but beautiful range cooker and 246k

Absolute bargain of a 4 bed townhouse at 229k - close to the centre, only problem it's near the train line so can be noisy, but you get used to it v quickly!

3 bed in nice area, very cheap, done to an amazing standard inside - 170k

**Knott End/Preesall - known as 'Over Wyre', it's rural but as slap bang in the middle of Lancaster and Fleetwood as you can get. Loads of beautiful countryside, big open beach, and buses (or a ferry, for Fleetwood!) every hour

I actually know someone who used to live here - and it's an INCREDIBLE old house, 4 bed detached for 299k

A pretty standard 4 bed detached, with nice rural views behind, 245k but would need a bit of work

New build with 3 beds, huge family kitchen, big garden, right by the sea, 205k

You could also look at Hambleton as that's still 'Over Wyre' but closer to the motorway etc.

Closer to Lancaster, Galgate is nice, and closer to Fleetwood, you'd get a LOT of house for your money in the nicer parts of Thornton. Lytham and St Annes are in an awkward place to get to either Fleetwood or Lancaster so I wouldn't recommend those.

Those are all bus-able from Lancaster Grammar, by the way, hence the choice of areas!

Posted too soon, and about an hour from fleetwood

Garr, first bit of post disappeared now!

I was wondering if you’d looked at Trafford - grammar schools, closer to Macclesfield and about an hour to fleetwood.

Between you and STBXH, could you run to Independent school fees? They are not as much oop North and it would give you a lot more options?

I was going to suggest that too @reefedsail - you could get a very nice house for 250k in the area, leaving a chunk for school fees, and there are some v good private schools in the area - Rossall and Kirkham Grammar are both great.

Agreed with you also @TwoBlueFish - especially on the schools - but 300k would get you a lot less house in Sale/Altrincham than the Fylde coast, and Stretford still isn't that nice. And schools are ridiculously competitive round there! But Sale or Stretford are both really handy for the motorway and you can easily get to Fleetwood in just over an hour.

Big garden, 4 beds, detached, £325: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-68522973.html

Lovely garden, 4 beds, semi-detached, offers over £300k: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70013955.html

End of terrace, newish, 4 beds, big kitchen, offers over £300k: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-68402319.html

Terraced, 3 beds, smaller garden, but I am a sucker for a barn conversion and the village seems nice, £280k: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-66126774.html

Detached, 3 beds, small but lovely garden, £260k: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-68150982.html

Detached, 5 beds, period and very pretty if close to road, huge garden, a bit outside Lancaster but I believe (don't quote me) still in catchment, £350k: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-65656287.html

School fees for senior school at both Rossall and Kirkham are about 12k for the year for senior school. So pretty 'reasonable' for private school!

Ah - ignore my Poulton recommeondations, it's outside catchment. Garstang or Over Wyre are your best bets, then, unless you just go for Lancaster itself (it's a very nice place to live)!

I noticed this one recently and really liked it, its Knott End, 30 mins drive to Lancaster or 25 to Fleetwood. You also have the Fleetwood ferry a few minutes away, and its only a couple of minutes ferry crossing. From the ferry landing at Fleetwood you then have access to buses and trams. Knott End is fairly quiet but isn't remote.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-74279944.html

Hugged, that is lovely. If it's in catchment it's a steal.

You could buy something like this and use Rossall.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-84174254.html This is my brothers house, it’s beautiful the pics don’t do it justice. He’s a landscape gardener so has an amazing garden and the master has two huge walk in wardrobes. It’s on so cheap because they have already moved and want it gone.

@gamesetmatch it’s beautiful but sadly not in the area I’m looking for. Thank you for sharing though !

Honestly I wouldn't base your search round a school, it's different up here. The grammars are good but they aren't so good that it's worth excluding better locations for your circumstances to get into them.

I think you would be better looking at the areas around Preston, 35 mins to Fleetwood and an hour to Macclesfield. Lots of rural locations, reasonably good schools, lots of stuff for teens to do.

detached house

end terrace but needs some work

I’m in the area. You will get a lot more for your money around here and so could probably stretch to an independent school. As pp’s have said, Rossall School is in Fleetwood and offers scholarships/bursaries so is often cheaper than the listed fees. Fleetwood/Cleveleys/Thornton/Poulton would be the areas that I would look at.

Garstang is a nice place to live. Not too far from Fleetwood and it's in the countryside. Not too expensive either

Don't dismiss the comprehensives - Ripley St Thomas is a brilliant school!