To move to Brighton and Hove

[Decisionsdecisionsss]

I've name changed for this as I'm giving away lots of info but I am a regular poster.

We made the decision to relocate to B&H from Bromley (South East London suburb) but we are now at the stage of offering on a property and I'm getting really cold feet.
I've been told the secondary schools are too risky due to the lottery. We would be moving away from an area where the schools are consistently good with the option of grammar school (probably wouldn't go to it but it's an option) so it's important that we don't sacrifice a good education for our three boys (currently under 6). We have seen a property we like in Patcham, which would mean our children going to patcham infants, juniors and secondary school but I've heard mixed things about it.

Has anyone made a move like this and was it worth it?! Does anyone live around there they can give some advice?
We wanted to move to be close to the sea and the downs, and we love the vibe and atmosphere particularly in hove and more relaxed lifestyle than London, but we can't afford a big enough house with a garden in the part of Hove we like, so would be looking at Patcham. We are also considering Shoreham.

Any views on these areas would be great. Im wondering if this dream of mine is a bit selfish and whether the kids would be better off staying put, but I've wanted to be near the sea forever, so I'm so torn, and Id also love the opportunity to get into water sports for ourselves and the kids, but would that even happen if we are further up from the sea!?
So. confused! Help!

I was about to suggest slightly further north, Hassock, Burgress Hill, Haywards Heath, maybe Lewes, or Horsham.

My pick would be Haywards Heath. Mainly because of the train links. 10-15minutes to Brighton and 45minutes to London. Also direct trains to Worthing, Eastbourne, Lewes.

@CloseYourEyesAndSee I'm not even a Londoner, I was brought up in Surrey.
Does that mean Londoners can tell everyone to stop moving there? Because true Londoners are the ones that can never afford to buy in their home town due to everyone moving in and buying up property there.

Hailsham and Polegate are both 'ok' but not anything to shout about. Hailsham is viewed poorly by 'Eastbournians'. What's your family/ work situation?

You missed a trick with West Sussex which is closer to Hampshire border and far nice with places like Bosham and West Witterings. With your budget would even consider Winchester which is has easy access to much nicer coastal areas like Bournemouth. Just last weekend we drove down and was so impressed with the sandy beaches. West Wittering is also sandy with sand dunes. Winchester is a school hub.

Terrible grammar from me sorry!

Can i ask why its viewed poorly? Ive accepted a job in Brighton. I have 2 children, 6 and 3.

I think people saying Brighton is up itself or conversely that it's full of drug addicts are exaggerating a little bit. There's all sorts here, that's true but I really mean all sorts! And if any of the sorts aren't your sort it's pretty easy to avoid them and still enjoy the best the city has to offer.

What I will say is you need a shed load of cash to get a decent house for a family of five near the seafront to east or west. It's a big move - it's worth delaying or renting to get it right.

Doesn't this thread just prove opinions are like arseholes? (Everyone's got one)

For what it's worth I live in one of these towns being described as a shithole. I moved here just over a decade ago from the Berkshire/Surrey border and I love it. My kids are happy and safe, we're minutes from either the coast or the South Downs, and getting home from seeing friends inn my hometown always feels like we've got away from the craziness of the M4 corridor.

I used to live in Brighton, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone to be honest. For so many reasons, property is very expensive, the city is dirty, traffic is appalling, huge homeless issues, drugs, pebble beaches, so many hills, useless council. Brighton used to be lovely, but it’s London by the sea now. I wouldn’t move back.

I live a few miles east of Brighton.

I'd go for Shoreham every time. It's a proper town in its own right and has quite a Brighton-y vibe, but without the crowds, crime, drugs, homelessness etc. And it seems to be on the up.

Patcham isn't really like being in Brighton at all imo. And it can take ages to get into the city along the London Road.

@Motherofplants Sorry! Under some scenarios – better luck, bigger cuts to fossil fuels – you’ll be fine. But maybe buy some sandbags…

There's always areas people look down on. Especially local to their towns. Usual superiority complex.

Also how are you planning to get to work? The A27 is hell on earth. Especially now with roadworks. Have you looked at Lewes?

I used to love it when I first moved to Sussex, but that was 30 years ago and I think it's really gone down the shitter in that time. I don't even go there to shop any more, not even for buying clothes and stuff. If I need to do "big town" shopping, I go to Horsham or Tunbridge Wells.

When I have to go Brighton for work purposes, it ruins my week.

And it is really dirty, and has a huge drug and alcohol problem.

I should probably add that I spent the first half of my life in Croydon, so it's not like I have unusually high standards.

But getting to Brighton from Lewes also involves the dreaded A27, unless your job is close enough to the station to get the train.

If I was moving to Sussex now, and wanted to be close to the coast, I'd go for Shoreham or Seaford.

I’d look around the RH17 postcode. Can’t add link but there are a few 4/5 bed detached with large gardens. Approx 40 mins from Brighton. Best of both worlds I’d say, you’ve got countryside on your doorstep and beach down the road.

i Know all the places mentioned well and would pick Worthing or Chichester.

Either drive or train from polegate. Its around 15 min walk from station. Oh wow is commute that bad. Was hoping to make it from hailsham to Brighton in around an hour.

@stuntbubbles haha nevermind, we've just extended our plans to stay here another 5 years given the current climate, so we can gain more equity for the move to a house with garden for the little ones. Shoreham would have been nice but I think we'll head north, since neither of us can swim ;) Haywards Heath is a definite possibility, though I've always been within viewing distance of the sea...

I love Brighton & Hove, lived here nearly all my life, all over from from Hollingdean to deepest Hove. If I were you I'd have gone for the place Aldrington way, who needs loads of space 😂 Cheaper to heat anyway.

Goldstone is a wonderful school and you'd be at the nearly-always-quieter part of the beach in a 5 min drive/<15 min cycle.

This house is the first hit on rightmove at £800k perfect https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/125455349#/?channel=RES_BUY
Can walk to the beach, Stoneham Park there is nice, and Portland Rd shops and restaurants, great.
And there's one on Amherst Crescent.

All those saying town is full of druggies etc, it really doesn't bother most of us. 13 yr old DC has been walking around Hove alone for several years now and feels safe, and accepting of the occasional "weirdos", who are easily avoided.

Anyway, I say make the Patcham move, it will likely be good. You can drive over the A23 and up through Westdene and down to Hove seafront no prob. And you can get to the best little woods with dens and a superb tree swing at Wolstonbury just up the A23 at Pyecombe, DC could happily spend hours there. Never mind the zillion other countryside spots, Stanmer Park, Devil's Dyke for kite flying.

The North Laine still has a great independent shop scene, there are two Picturehouse cinemas, DC will be in the gorgeous festival parade, there are 2 months of artist open houses, the museums are fabulous. I could go on and on- PM me if you like!

Good luck and try to zone out (in a suitably B&H hippy way) and go with your gut.

I’m also near Brighton, been living in W Sussex for just over 20 years.

Brighton is so busy at the weekends with tourists and stag / hen nights that there’s no way I’d consider going there now, which is a shame because I used to love a pint from Fortune of War on the beach. I could never live there because of the cost of property with small gardens and difficultly parking. Schools are really variable and would take research / visits. The popular ones are oversubscribed as you’d expect with such a dense population.

Worthing is ok. It is a bit of a typical seaside town, the town centre initiative work hard to make it a bit more exciting. It is overcrowded though and as pp said they’re building on every bit of land that isn’t the South Downs national park and the traffic is insane. The beach is ok, but Lancing beach is nicer as there’s more sand especially at low tide. Plenty of schools in Worthing, all with varying reputations but all do well at GCSE.

Shoreham would have been my choice of place to live, have family there. DH refuses to live there due to flood risk. The houses on Shoreham Beach were always just out of price range, now they’re even more expensive thanks to some Grand Designs type developments. There’s one secondary school which has improved a lot since it changed to an academy, but is oversubscribed with the alternatives involving a decent distance to travel.

Chichester is a nice place, pretty town centre and more shops than Worthing but not as many as Brighton. Chichester high did well as an all girls school, has had a few problems recently with falling results but that’ll probably right itself. There are other schools which serve the outlying villages (which are really beautiful) including faith schools.

If I could afford to move, I’d definitely head into Mid Sussex. The congestion and overcrowding nearer the coast really does my head in.

Also, personally I would hate to be in Hayward's Heath or similar-if you want to be near the sea, it will be a massive pain and an occasional thing, not a "let's zip down after school every hot day/when there's a low tide and sand/when it's cold and windy and waves are crashing" etc. Hove or Shoreham ideal for watersports, sea cadets even.

Hello OP we moved to Brighton this year from South london after much umming about it.

I have hugely missed South London...far far more than I expected.

But. Brighton itself is an amazing place to live...I would say it exceeds expectations. Most of the year it is far quieter than London in terms of crowds etc...we are in East Brighton and even on hot days the beach is a chilled vibe if you stay away from the main stretch.

The Laines and the pubs ...the culture...the arts...it's friendly welcoming and a genuinely unique place to live.

I can only say that for me the move was much much bigger and painful than I expected having lived for a long time in South London. Being honest I massively miss my community there however lovely brigjton is.

I don't think the schools are risky but I would just think hard if you already have a good community.

Brighton is so tolerant and friendly and people have been so welcoming to us but me and the kids have still cried buckets of tears for our old neighbours

Not many properties available but Lewes has good schools. Beaches aren't too far and close to Brighton - it is expensive though.