AIBU to want to move to Scotland?

[kisaki333]

Hi, please help me make a decision as my heart and brain are not in the same place.
Background:
DH and I are in our 40's, we have a 6-month old and we are currently in a waaaaaay too small rented flat in SE England.
A while back, we've had an offer accepted on a house (SE England). The mortgage offer is for a 5 year fix under 2% which, by today's standards is incredible. It runs out in Sept, though, so we can only use it for this house.
The house in question is an OK house in an OK area with OK-ish schools. Nothing spectacular and it's about all we can afford in this area of the country.

While we were waiting for our sellers to get a move on with their chain (it's been months), we became convinced the sale will fall through and after viewing umpteen other properties, we realized we can't afford any other house we like around here. So we started thinking about moving to Glasgow where we lived years ago (when we were young and wild!). In Glasgow, we could afford either a superb house in an OK area or an OK house in one of the best areas with the best schools (like Bearsden or Milngavie etc). But to get there we have some bumps:

• DH would have to ask for a transfer from his work. It would probably be granted but no idea when, it depends when there's an opening. Risk is where-ever he gets transferred might not be as nice as his current setup, it's a gamble.


• I would also almost certainly have to change jobs as my current employer wants us 3 days in the office (although I can do my job from home without any issues) . Risk is the new job would probably not be paid as well. I am the main earner so that would be painful but not disastrous in the short term.


• We would likely have to first move into rented accommodation in Glasgow and only after buy a house (very hard to do viewings from miles and miles away and the market is hot there at the moment). Risk is: really nasty to move twice with a small baby.

My head says to buy the SE property (bird in hand etc). My heart wants to go back to Scotland.
A third option would be to buy the house in the SE now and then move up north in a few years. But by then DH will be almost 50 and he's the social one of us two. Really hard to start fresh in your 50's...

I am so very torn. I want to do what's best for my DC and I just can't decide what that is.

So please let me know what you think!
YABU - buy the SE house, Scotland is just a dream which might easily become a nightmare!
YANBU - listen to your heart and go north

Poverty levels rising and rising. The hospitals are disgusting. Failing education system. Drug epidemic. It's not fairly decent for everyone. Maybe decent for people in big houses in Bearsden.

Remember Scotland has an "offers over" bidding system OP. Currently in popular areas you can expect to pay 20% over the offers over price for a house so you need to adjust the price bracket you're looking in accordingly

I moved to Scotland from Northern England when my youngest was a toddler and I don't regret it. There are lots of places outside of Glasgow that have good trainlinks into Glasgow for an easy commute but still have a small town feeling . The only caution I would give tou is that the scottish and English school systems are very different.so if tou are going to move it would be easier on tour child to do it before he starts. Good luck.

Yes, important to be aware that "offers over" means just that, so don't make the mistake of thinking house prices are lower than they really are

Scottish education system (7 or 8 Nat 5's aged 16, 5 Highers aged 17, 3 Advanced Highers aged 18) means children have a broader education for longer, instead of specialising after GSCE's in England

Currently no tuition fees for University

We don't seem to have the same issues with NHS eg ambulances queueing for 12 hours. I've had hospital tests in the last year 3 times. No difficulty getting GP appointment, the hospital tests all took place within a week, results almost immediately

We have various friends from England. I'm not aware of them experiencing racism

In some parts of the country, there is resentment towards people buying second homes that sit empty most of the year, but I think that's understandable and probably happens in eg Cornwall too

This. I wouldn't come here with a young child if I actually wanted them educated. The schools here are shit and getting worse. You might be slightly better off in Glasgow as there and Edinburgh are the only places allowed money now it seems in Scotland, the rest of us are fucked. But I don't think so, my Glasgow colleagues aren't happy either.

Best country in the world - and I say this as someone who spent 20 years working and living all over the globe.

choose your area carefully, educational worries are not unfounded - and you need to pick the school with the right SLT who have a long-term vision, not just a “job”.

there’s room to breathe, people are friendly and have time for you the further you travel from the cities.

my accent is like the Queen 😂 despite my Gaelic names and having been born and bred in Scotland. I’ve had no crap about my accent although I’d not loiter around Tesco at the forge on match day doing “performance parenting”!

I live very rurally and although we’re not fans of second home owners, colour and creed are not an issue and we’ve people from all over the world living here rubbing along together in harmony.

I’m always stunned driving south that it’s just so built up. Too much traffic. Too many people. You’re ok until you hit Preston! 😉

English person, living in Scotland most of my life.
I wouldn't live in England now if you paid me. Weather colder up here though. I live outside Glasgow and great transport links into the city. Never felt unwelcome due to being English.

There are some villages that are quite insular that don't like " incomers" , but that applies to resident Scots as well as English. Takes at least 20 years if not more to become accepted..🤣

Don't listen to the moaners complaining about the SNP running the country into the deck...🙄. No they aren't perfect, but we have the same issues here as anywhere else in the world or even RUk ,such as NHS understaffed etc.

My daughters took advantage of the free University education and one is still studying whilst other 2 have professional jobs.

There are great places to live and you would have a great welcome. I wouldn't pick Rutherglen as a place to live though.

Can anyone recommend places just outside Glasgow with good transport links into the city?

Do it @kisaki333 !

We moved to Edinburgh from London this year. We transferred with our jobs and we have a much better life in Edinburgh. It’s got loads to do (as has Glasgow if you’re looking there) and all the city amenities but we can get out into the countryside easily too. It’s more relaxed and friendly than London. House prices are better although it is still expensive in Edinburgh (think Glasgow will be a bit less).

I’ve lived here only for a few months but 100% love it and don’t regret it!

Why on earth would you stay in the south. You can't afford it so think how much your child will struggle in 20 years time to buy a house.

There are weird misconceptions about how the English will be treated/welcomed here. My DH is English with a very posh accent and has lived here since he was 19 with no issues. He is now a councillor and his parents asked if you were allowed to stand if you were English - er, yes!

From Scotland have lived and worked in England.

Move to Scotland.

Particularly Glasgow.

Dae it. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Same here. There is typically so much negativity around Scotland on MN.

OP - why don't you do a bit more fact finding as such to try to answer your questions about whether you could transfer your husbands job and what job opportunities there are for you?

I live in Scotland. I would never live in England and the opportunities for the latter have been endless with jobs etc. simply would not do it 😂 second south side of Glasgow and east Renfrewshire

Ive just had a think about people i know living here with English/Welsh accents. There's loads! It never occurred to me to treat them any differently. Why on earth would I? Now I'm not saying there will be arseholes about who will make a comment but personally i was called out for being Scottish when i lived in England years ago. Meaning there's arseholes everywhere!!!
Please don't let that even be a consideration for you @kisaki333

There’s a Scotsnet board on here OP that may be of help to you. These lots of information about schools, the housing market etc on there too ☺️

I had to leave mn for a while as every post on scotsnet was rubbishing Scotland and everything about it. Yes, the snp aren't perfect by all means but the way a certain group of posters took over every thread saying how awful education etc was hear really depressed me. And it was the opposite to my lived experience here with my kids. I couldn't understand these posters and i really liked some of them apart from these views, so i came off scotsnet to get a bit of distance as it was just upsetting hearing constantly how awful Scotland was, according to them. There's a lot of hatred for the snp on scotsnet and anyone who wants independence is mocked immediately. Also reference's to braveheart/wee nippy or worse. Im glad i don't see that so much now.

Mon back. Ye’ll love it.

(just remember tae bring yer wellies & midge repellent!)

I'm in the NE of England and would give my right arm to be able to move to Scotland, I've even posted on here about it. I wish we'd have moved before DC were born, or started school at least.

I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Yes, this! My kids are in primary school, my half siblings are in/have recently finished secondary in a different area and I just don't see the problems with the education system. My kids are happy at school and are learning well, my brother got AAAAB at Higher. There are issues with some poorer schools, but that's the same across the whole UK (my sister had to switch subjects at Higher because the Engineering teacher left and they couldn't recruit a replacement - that's a subject that didn't exist in my day and I think the pool of teachers is quite small). My two adore their school and have had some absolutely brilliant teachers and it's not a posh school - it's a perfectly average town primary.

It's just the weather really OP. Could you cope with that? It does have an effect of mental snd physical health. Mind you, London / SE are frequently stifling in August now and if global warming means that 40 degrees or high 30s are going to become the new norm, a lot of people might be heading for Shetland!

The other thing is, education standards are poor in relation to the rest if the U.K. Great if they want to stay in Scotland for uni (its free as well which is another major plus), but not so great if they want to go for the top unis in England as the provision for AH is patchy and not many even take them.

Ach i knew it wouldn't take long!!

Mumsnet is usually quite anti Scottish so this is nice to see. I’m an independence supporter and have no anti English sentiment (Westminster on the other hand…)

I love living in Scotland, it’s not perfect but there are a lot of advantages. That being said I live in a small house in a nice peaceful suburb of Glasgow and am well aware my experience is different to someone living in a deprived area.

YABU

Move to Edinburgh.

"that being said, check out Giffnock, clarkston, busby, East Kilbride, cambuslang, Rutherglen, Shawlands"

Currently living in one of these areas and not British by birth either. DH doesn't speak with a Scottish accent either and he's happy here. We've all been made welcome here and enjoy our life a lot. The house prices can be crazy in places indeed but I think this is the situation everywhere. Schools are indeed great in Est Renfrewshire, but there are nice schools and nice areas in other places of Glasgow/nearby too, you just need to check before you decide to buy a house in the catchment. YANBU!