To ask which place you would move to?

[Thehonestbadger]

If you had a choice which would you pick if you had to downsize out of your current house due to difficult circumstances.

1- Stay in your area, both kids settled in nursery (one had ASD so this is a massive achievement) very popular, lovely place, always on top 5 places to live in U.K. but pretty busy; good schools but can only afford a 3 or very small 4 bed likely a semi. 45 min drive from family and small mortgage.

2- Market town where parents live, very good value can buy a large 4 bed detached out right. Good primary school but questionable secondary, bit of a ‘retirement’ town not near any cities but close to coast. Only one nursery, great rep but not sure how ASD child will like it.

3- Beautiful market town, can get a nice enough house with small mortgage. Fab schools, lots of amenities. Strong nursery prospects (still terrified to move ASD toddler though) 20 mins from family. BUT the nearby city is one of the worst in the country and we’d have that as our main city.

Hubby moves around the region for work for there’s no great location for him he’ll have to live away at points. My two main supports are my parents (live in option two) and nursery (option one) but there are a couple of nice nurseries in option 3.

1 or 3 I’d be verging closer to 3 tho as you won’t be living in the rougher area and on the basis there is good and bad everywhere you go , your not far from your family and school has good prospects

Is the city Peterborough? If so don't move anywhere near there!

I would also research special schools and schools with autism units, OP. This could become v v important soon.

Focus should be schools for your ASD child. nursery is really not important. If you child has been diagnosed at such a young age with ASD there could be a significant chance that they will need a special school or a specialist unit. You want to choose a home that you will not move again until children leave home.

The beach, grandparents and no mortgage.

option 2 has a fabulous special school there I should have mentioned that; I didn’t because right now professionals are suggesting our son is unlikely to need that provision. He is well managed in nursery and no longer needs constant 1:1 he’s come on a lot since starting his lovely nursery.

we don’t have an official diagnosis and are in the process but he’s now seen a few specialists (speech therapist, audiologist, GP) all of who strongly suggested it is ASD we are dealing with so we fully expect he will be diagnosed eventually x

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1. Definitely.

It's a difficult decision.

I really would consider the secondary options for your ASD child though. My son was diagnosed ASD at his mainstream primary but had very little intervention from professionals during his primary years. He is academic and tended to mask a lot at school and then have meltdowns at home. However that all changed at secondary - he just couldn't cope with the local mainstream state school. We now have an EHCP and he is at a nearby excellent specialist school.

I don't mean to derail the thread but like PPs just wanted to mention it - up until Year 7 we did not imagine for one minute that our DS would be going to a specialist secondary school!

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Is your financial situation likely to improve again in the future? Would you be able to buy a house you preferred in your current area then? Personally I would probably stay in 1, on balance it gives you schools and reasonable proximity to family (to me 45 mins is close)