to ask how to relocate (to Belfast)?

[AdultierAdult]

My husband has been telecommuting and commuting to Belfast from a very expensive area in the South East and we are fed up of missing him during the week (obviously he is remote working now!). Both our parents live in ROI anyway so we feel like we are on the wrong island and paying a premium for London bubble living, without any real need.

We’ve decided to relocate to Belfast but feel completely out of our depth. We have a baby and a daughter who would be going into NI year 9 (she’s in y7 here), and husband needs to commute to city centre by bike or public transport. Schools and an area with a bustling community with access to the city are the priorities.

Feel so overwhelmed - how do I go about narrowing down schools to apply for, or areas to rent/buy, and how to find somewhere when the world has stopped!? Should we become accidental landlords and keep a place in the SE in case it doesn’t work out or sell up and go for it to avoid all that headache? How do we find somewhere to rent with two cats, or should we just go for it and buy (we dont need to sell here to do this)? I don’t feel like enough of a grownup to do this and I can’t sleep at the moment for stressing about it.

For anyone who knows Belfast and could suggest some postcodes - we’d prefer not to spend more than £1000 a month renting. Budget to buy would be max £300k if we keep our house here or probably about £650k if we sold up here completely.

I know this isn’t AIBU but other appropriate areas are dead! Any nuggets of wisdom greatly appreciated.

I don't know anything about Grosvenor, but I can really recommend Sullivan. There are buses that go from the Belmont Road direct to the school.

If you want to pm me I can send you an invitation to Nextdoor.

Good luck, Belmont is a lovely area and Grosvenor is a great school from what I've heard, our neighbours DDs go there and they're lovely well rounded children.

If I was to move back to Belfast, I'd absolutely be looking at Ormeau/Rosetta area. My best friend lives in a very nice street that cuts between the two areas. Lovely shops, independent coffee shops, bars and restaurants. Aquinas is an excellent school in that area also.
Bus routes and cycle paths into town, but it's about a 15 min walk.

I personally would do sullivan rather than grosvenor, plenty of kids there who’ve moved back from England! Also the fact that the school is in holywood is lovely for kids as it’s a super nice place for them to hang out in as they get older. You can see the sea from the front lawn. (I went to Methody so not biased!). It also has a mixed prep that I think is better than Campbell’s. It’s 4K a year and lovely community.

Holywood also has amazing babygroups, one every day almost in the different churches, and Sullivan is very mixed catholic and protestant (more than grosvenor id day), access to coastal cycle routes, great seaside parks and playgrounds etc.

So nearly 2 months ago to the day I posted this thread, unsure as to whether we could do this...and here we are living in a lovely house, in a lovely cul de sac in Belmont. So pleased and feeling really positive! I had never been to NI before and so far there are loads of bonuses:

• Cost - we are renting a 4 bed detached in a tiny cul de sac for about the same as we are charging for our 2 bed detached with no parking back home. Landlord is paying rates, no water to pay. Takeaways significantly cheaper. Removals guys charged us only double our quote to move 1 mile away last year. Thanks for the recommendation of Dixon Line - they were bloody amazing!
• Belmont itself is lovely. DH grew up in Marlow and it reminds him of all the lovely things about it, and not the bits he doesn't like.
• Much more cosmopolitan than where we were living, can get sushi or bao buns delivered (and much cheaper than London)
• The city is absolutely beautiful, in my opinion. You can see mountains (or are they just hills? My geography naff) from everywhere, including from our patio! Yet there are buzzy bars, great architecture, and edgy street art everywhere.
• The water tastes a lot nicer!!
• People are so lovely. Had to fight a woman off from paying my £6 parking ticket in the city the other day because I had a baby strapped in and was struggling to find my card. So many people on Nextdoor/Grosvenor facebook page have offered tea/coffee/wine/gin. Slightly alarmed that a couple have just told me to knock on their doors. If people 'do' this here I'll have to raise my housework game!!

We're only half a week in but both of us are sure this is going to be home for a very long time. Thank you all so much for your encouragement and invaluable knowledge. No way would I have managed it otherwise. Right, best get ready as DH has booked a haircut and lunch in Ballyhackamore!

**our 2 bed semi-detached with no parking!

Lovely update OP, I'm so glad you are settling somewhere lovely.

Lovely to hear back from you! Am sure you can't believe how quickly everything ended up happening. Hope all goes well with your eldest heading to school in September. Enjoy the rest of the summer - rumour has it, August is supposed to less rainy than July

Op, I just found this thread and read it from start to finish. I'd like to welcome you to NI. The people are great! I hope you find everyone friendly and welcoming and you all settle in really well. Good luck to your DD starting her new school, what an adventure for you all!

Belmont is lovely. I'm so glad you are pleased with the move.

Glad it has worked out. I saw you on Nextdoor. If you fancy a mini local meet up, pm me. I'm very close to you.

Thanks for the update on the thread. Am so glad you are settling in well and loving life there. I will be in Belfast next week and I can't wait. We haven't been in over two years. Although for us it will just be a visit to family.

Lovely to see your update Op, we're a great city and I'm sure you'll all be very happy here

I was just thinking about you, it's great to hear your update. Welcome to NI, I hope you settle in quickly and that your eldest loves her new school 🙂

You popped into my head recently and I came back to find your update. I'm delighted things have worked out so well for you. Belmont and ballyhackamore lifestyle seems so lovely. Welcome!

Welcome to norn irn, give us a shout if you need anything!

We went to Victoria Park for the first time today and I've lived in Belfast my entire life, it was lovely. Near to Belmont so check it out

Welcome op! So happy to hear you are enjoying your first few days here. May you all have many happy years ahead here.

I am loving the idea of a Mumsnet mini meetup in Belfast!

Welcome! The beach at seapark is a really good way in to the coast. The big Ikea is selling really good beach toys if you need some.

@Lostinengland the Ikea is a 6 min drive. Can’t seem to stay out of there at the moment! Will google the seapark.

Went to Whitehead yesterday and it was stunning, then had a glass of wine at the pub/restaurant at Carrickfergus marina on the way home. So, so lovely! Really loving Ballyhackamore too. I walk there nearly every day for a coffee and poke around the charity shops!

I’ve never been to the North but I read this thread from start to finish and i must say that you all seem like a lovely bunch, this thread has had a lovely ton and I feel like I need to visit Belfast now and check out all these lovely areas in South Belfast.

*tone

@AdultierAdult

Sorry to jump back on your thread. Its great you've settled well in Belfast. I was in Belfast last week house hunting and took the kids to Mo mowlam park which they loved and not too far from where you're living. I commented months ago about our intention to move to Belfast but was on hold due to COVID but we've now sold our house in the SE (in a few days!) and bought a house in Jordanstown. We're now getting removal quotes. Can I ask what you paid in the end and the size of the van? We've had a few quotes coming in at 3k and 4K. We had thought around 2k. Did yours include a packing service? Not sure if it's worth it? I have contacted the Dixon line and am awaiting a call back.

Hi @Megladon2020, I recommended the Dixon Line on this thread. They have massive lorries and you can fill a whole one or pay for a partial load, whatever you need. At least that was the case a few years back. It was around £2000 for half a lorry, we packed for ourselves though.

You may have found it already but if you're going to be in Jordanstown there is a brilliant park in Carrickfergus. Drive along with the castle on your right and the park is maybe half a mile further on the left 🙂