Staffordshire/derbyshire/peaks/chershire… anyone find me a location…

[Steestu]

and maybe even a house?! I’m a single parent to two dc, 3 and 6. Now divorced and finally taking the step to move up north nearer family. These are the areas I’ve shortlisted. My budget for a home is 490. I would prefer a detached but not sure that’s possible. I only have my elderly parents, a couple of friends who are helping a little but basically I am on my own with looking and feel so lonely and so fed up. Any advice or suggestions would be wonderful!!

Your kids are young now but consider what schools they will attend when older. How will they get there? You will also then just be a taxi service for their clubs and meeting friends etc if you go too rural.

you said not to close to your parents but will they need additional care when older and you end up travelling miles to help them.

My twopennarth is the more open your brief is the harder it actually makes your search - there are loads of lovely market towns, big villages etc etc in any area.

Put down some limits, schools, max distance to parents, access to motorways, ease of access for your children to activities as they grow up. Etc etc. Often the tighter your requirements are the easier it is to search.

Leek, Ashbourne, Uttoxeter, Rocester.

Ashbourne is getting more and more expensive now, but probably has homes in your budget. Uttoxeter is well set up for houses and schools and easy access to the A50 and the M1 and M6.
Rocester is lovely, much smaller than any of the others, but getting bigger, but still " villagey" . Not great with public transport though if you are going to want that.

Leek is a lovely town, not sure on school there, but easy access to the peaks, can get snowed in in winter though.

This is easily doable in south Cheshire - Nantwich as a previous poster said, Congleton, Sandbach.

Your budget isn't tiny, which means there are loads available - it might be worth thinking some more about where you want to be to rule some places out.

Belper?
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/150368558#/?channel=RES_BUY

Look at the villages around Newcastle under Lyme - Madelely, Keele etc. Good access to your parents via the A500 and easy access to the motorway, plus half an hour to Crewe / Stoke's towns.

Nantwich is lovely with good schools.

Are you/they no contact with their dad?
Or if they have a good relationship with him, Is he ok about the move?

My ex is an absolute arse but I am glad I didn't move away from him, even though the children don't think he is great they do like to see him in small doses regularly.

But appreciate in some cases there is no contact /exes aren't interested

I’d look at Dronfield. Excellent schools, good bus links, not far from Sheffield or Chesterfield and you get a bit more for your money.

Macclesfield- easy to get to peaks, will not get cut off too much with snow, good trains
5 bedroom detached house for sale in Park Lane, Macclesfield, SK11
Good bones decoration needed

Newcastle under Lyme. Houses are still under national average here for 3 bed semis.

Some great ideas and I am really grateful! I will look at these tonight.

My initial thoughts are that I haven’t actually thought through the situation with travel. Maybe being too rural isn’t good!

Where would you need to travel to?

There are several decent sized towns in those areas with railway services, for example, but that might not be relevant for you.

Me too!!! Lived here all my life!

Ashbourne and Buxton are nice but can be a nightmare around Bank Holidays etc.

Unless you want to be very rural have a look at Melbourne and surrounds in S Derbys. Beautiful, good transport links, great schools, everything you need within a 15 minute drive.

Traffic is a nightmare in Darley Dale, don't buy there. You've got the Dales tourists and then all the visitors to Chatsworth. Belper is nice, and has a train station. Bakewell is upmarket, but it's heaving with tourists in the summer.

Lichfield would be worth a look. 40 minutes to Ashbourne, direct trains to London and Birmingham, good schools and access to Birmingham grammar schools if you want that. Lovely Georgian city, great festivals, easy access to Birmingham, Derby etc.

Definitely detached houses within that budget

Wilmslow, Bramhall, Poynton? Only half an hour to Manchester. All got small centres and lots of things going on.

I second Lichfield, lovely place, nice shops and restaurants too.

Lichfield is lovely but major issues with school places.

Whoever knew that my lovely home town of Leek would get all this love. I visit most weeks as Mum is still there and I echo the poster who said that they will retire back there one day. The downsides are that public transport is poor, no train stations and for teenagers there is not much to do. I would think along the lines of Uttoxeter, Macclesfield and maybe Congleton. With your budget you will get something lovely. Very good luck on the move.

Oh no! I'm looking there for children going into senior school. What is the issue?

@Splendud i would love Lichfield but can’t see anytime detached in budget

@atomicnotsoblonde lack of places at decent schools- check the catchment areas/ options and contact schools- there has been a huge amount of new housing but not school places.