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.

@hopeishere
I agree finaghy wouldn't be my first choice. The streets between Lisburn red and malone would be my top choice!
I love Bangor but I have friends who live there and work in Belfast and the traffic at rush hour is awful. It would put me off.

So jealous. I would move back to Belfast in a heartbeat if possible. Love it. Live in South East and love it but nothing compares to home! Only think that would worry me is my very English children settling in with their accents.

hopeishere I would so love a full size poster of that for my living room wall. Or the Larne one. I never fail to laugh at The Ulster Fry.

I’m going to PM you Adultieradult.

We just put the cats in a dog carrier in the back of the car and they were grand when we drove back from Scotland.

Castlereagh is a bit fleggy but also being bought up by mixed couples priced out of Rosetta at the rate of knots. I know because we're one of them! The estates are a lot less dodgy than they used to be, and outside those it's getting very mixed indeed. My road, for example, has lots of defunct flag holders but no flags, my sister's southern reg has only led to great consternstion for our neighbour regarding the age of her car (bless him, he's convinced it's going to disintegrate around her on the motorway) and people watch RTE with the curtains open!

Amrythings your post just made me think of the below:
m.youtube.com/watch?v=o8JqKxrloQQ

Do you want to live in the city or do you prefer more rural? What are your interests?

What about somewhere like Moira? it’s a really nice village with a great community, lovely integrated primary school and easy access to the Lisburn grammars. The journey to Belfast is super easy on the train (22mins). Traffic is a pain in the morning but if you can walk to school/ train station then it makes it easy. It’s a really easy drive down to dublin from there as well.

In Belfast I would really only want to live off the Lisburn road area. I like Belmont / Ballyhackamore as well and dont think your daughters name should be a problem but it doesn’t have the same feel as the South Belfast area. Depends how much you want to spend though on the house.

Whatever you decide I hope you make the move, I did it with my (reluctant) English DH a few years ago now and it’s honestly the best thing we ever did, we are so happy here. Aside from friends, there are two things I miss about SE London; the weather and the shopping!

Thanks I’ve never heard of Moira so I’ll have to investigate.

We have always talked about somewhere more rural but more because of the house we could afford. We could have that kind of property and access to all the action in Belfast which is quite exciting so feel a bit spoilt for choice! Ultimately the priority is really somewhere we can be part of a community. I’ve made such great friends on my current street in the last 7 years, they’re almost family now, if we can really get involved wherever we land I’ll be happy.

I’m sure I’ll miss the weather but the shopping doesn’t bother me, not really one for it. We are currently 22 mins from central London by train but we never bloody go in anymore apart from to visit friends in their homes, the occasional work do and maybe the theatre at Christmas. Renting in Belfast will let us know whether we actually make use of the bars/restaurants or whether we are better off accepting we are boring people and going somewhere quieter.

I’m a bit worried about DDs accent but - I realised in bed last night - my mums boyfriend is from Belfast and has what I’d describe as a posh English accent. He even went to Queens, so was there a long time. I must ask him how the hell that happened!?

Going to very posh schools and elocution lessons is what happened him.

These days an English accent wouldn't even raise an eyebrow in most Belfast schools, especially South and East, since we have so many international families now.

English accent really isn't a problem in the vast majority of areas. I've never had an issue and I'm the only one who ever makes fun of it!

Where I work there are about 100 staff and around half of them are not from N Ireland. A non N Ireland accent isn't unusual at all these days.

Have spent the last few days laboriously researching, calling schools, writing cover letters and filling out applications and am knackered and totally stressed out. I’ve applied to 19 schools I’d be happy with (if we didn’t get any of those I’d have to rethink the move!)

How subscribed are the schools? Should I be worried?

Next on my list is listing our house and finding somewhere else. Any thoughts on Dundonald? DH’s boss suggested it as some fab wee houses on Coopers Mill Estate and very affordable to rent. Or stick with Ballyhackamore/finaghy/Bangor and pay a bit more for something nice? I wouldn’t care about “naice” but want 12 year old to feel happy bringing friends back etc. and I so want her to be happy with the move.

Found out I’m being made redundant this week so there’s really nothing keeping us here. Strange times. Sorry if garbled - using wine to calm my nerves.

Not Dundonald.

What schools have you applied to? A friend got a place in Methody mid- year but I think it was one out / one in.

I lived in dundonald and my in laws still live there and I wouldn't recommend it... There isnt much there for you or kids. Cooper's mill (and other similar developments) have endless cul de sacs of the same houses and it can be a long walk just to get out to a main road for public transport. We spent weekends driving to somewhere nice to hang out / walk etc. There are definitely mid term transfers in to schools, particularly from outside NI, my daughter was recording a welcome message this week for a new joiner to her class.

I’ve applied to Methody, yes. But I’ve applied to them all for sept ‘20 start!

Ok good to know about dundonald. I suppose places are cheap for a reason! Some gorgeous places in better for ~£1300 pcm but I’m really nervous about not finding work and our place here sitting empty so trying to staunchly stick to the £1000 budget so we aren’t on beans on toast! I’m sure we will find something that suits.

Hi AdultierAdult
Just seeing your post. I live in south Belfast and love it. The schools are excellent, the quality of life is fantastic generally and it's very commutable to city centre and Queens should you decide to go.

Absolute honestly I'd place Malone Road area (for your demographic) at the top of your list (lower/middle rather than upper), the houses are more expensive because it is one of NI's most attractive areas. Next I think would be be Carryduff / Saintfield Rd area, extending to the countryside if you fancy a big house surrounded by fields (BT8 and beyond)...

Ballyhackamore would be my number 3, it's very much a city/village vibe but like most of Belfast you dip in and out of less nice areas to get to it.

For the latter two areas the range of schools is wide (lots of excellent top grammars - this is not like grammars in England as probably about 30% kids go to one here)...look at Our Lady & St Pat's in Knock and Aquinas on Ravenhill (consistently in top 5 of school leagues list if that matters to you) and Lagan which is integrated and a lovely school. They're still in the catchment for Malone by the way just a bit further out - but there are plenty of buses serving all 3.

Happy to correspond via pm if any specific questions

Dundonald is very very fleggy in parts, which is why someone upthread gave it a quick no . Around Stormont is lovely, but the further out of the city you go, the less appealing it is.

It’s also HORRENDOUS for traffic at rush hour.

This is what your money will get you in Saintfield Rd/Carryduff direction - v strong community vibe and almost everyone is a 'blow-in' (an outsider)
www.propertynews.com/property-for-sale/18-knockbracken-drive-belfast-bt8-6se/property/ECSECS53191/

🥴🥴to dundonald..

I would be a bit wary of Methods unless your girls are very academic and sporty. We've found the pastoral care and, frankly, the education, sorely lacking for DSD. I would look to Victoria first, or any of the others mentioned upthread. They're coasting on social cachet and a reputation gained in the fifties.

I'm from ROI and living in Belfast quite a while and would second and third all the recommendations for South Belfast: Malone Road, Lisburn Road (and all the roads in between south of Malone Avenue), Rosetta, Stranmillis, Ormeau Road, these are all walkable and bikable to the city centre, mixed, have great amenities and schools. I'd rent somewhere in these areas first just to get a feel for living in Belfast, you should be able to rent a 3/4 bed for less than £1000 p/m without much difficulty. Your buying budget is really healthy for Belfast and will give you a lot of choice when you do decide where to want to buy. Outside the city, Bangor is lovely as is Hillsborough but Hillsborough doesn't have great transport links.

I bought a house in East Belfast when I was younger and while the area itself was great, to get to the city centre on foot you have to walk through some dodgy area with painted curbstones. I ended up renting it out and moving back to South Belfast.

There's not a lot on the market at the minute but sure something like this work? It's a little over your budget but in a really good location. You might get a deal due to lockdown.

www.propertypal.com/20-sharman-road-stranmillis-belfast/630160/photo-2

Another one who wouldn't recommend dundonald. For your budget get the best you can. Honestly some parts of south Belfast are nearly as nice as the 'posh' parts of London with a similar vibe but 5 only minutes to the city centre and obviously way cheaper! Most roads north of eglantine road (between Lisburn and malone) would be ideal. Stranmillis is also fab and then further out finaghy and 4 winds will get you more for your money.

Stranmillis houses

www.propertypal.com/316-stranmillis-road-belfast/618101

www.propertypal.com/332-stranmillis-road-belfast/625540

You might actually want to consider dunmurry- a Trainline into town and 10 minutes by car to town. Lots of beautiful parks/ lady Dixon

www.propertynews.com/property-for-sale/46-dunmurry-lane-dunmurry-belfast-bt17-9jr/property/UPS11217-2-10101406/