Advice please - moving to london (from leicester) with baby and ds

[dizzy55]

Hello

I could really do with some help. My dp and I are expecting our first baby together in july. Myself and my ds (aged 4 1/2) are looking to move down to london to join dp in august.

I have absoultely no idea where to start looking for a house/flat/school within 30-40 commute to his job. My partner works in portabello.

Ideally we would live somewhere with a decent school and local amenities all within reasonable walking distance (isn't everyone?!).We won't have a car, and I don't feel fit enough to struggle with a buggy on the tube.

can anyone suggests some areas to live for a starting point. We'll be on a single wage for at least 1 year -18 months.

I have no idea at all where to start with all this ( I don't know london) or other things that I really need to consider in this huge 'moving to london' equation.

Thanks

How much do you have to spend and what do you wnat in terms of accommodation?

What kind of housing are you looking for?

Renting or buying?

What is your budget?

Do you want to be within 30/40 minutes commute of Portobello Market in Notting Hill without using the tube?

In that case you need to be looking at West London or areas further out in a Westerly direction.

Really depends on your budget.

For a commute to Notting Hill you either want to be living in Shepherds Bush/Hammersmith, or if your budget does not stretch to that, then out along the Central Line - e.g Perivale, or even out as far as Ruislip (which is still only 25-30 mins by tube). Then you can look for houses near schools/shops & the tube station (for your DP)

thanks guys, I am still finding out what the final budget will be, but at least now I have a starting point to discuss things. Many thanks

Definitely look at Hammersmith and Shepherds bush. Acton is a possibillity too and slightly cheaper. There are very good schools in the Ravenscourt Park area - it has a kind village feel too and everything within walking distance. Both Hammersmith and Shepherds bush have great transport links too if you don't have a car.

The buggy on tube thing is easier on some tubes than others e..g the Hammermith and City line (which is also circle line) from Hammersmith is a doddle with the buggy (no stairs) and only a couple of stops from Ladbroke Grove.

The other place to consider (but slightly less good transport links) but cheaper again is Kensal Rise/Kensal Green. There are lots of young families there (a great cafe called Gracelands that lots of people seem to go to) and the area has been massively regenerated in the last few years. Also, I really like the Queens Park Estate - very sweet cottages. Both of these are walking distance from Portobello too.

Is getting to anywhere on weekends a consideration? When we first moved to London we hadn't realised what a total pain it was to get out again eg to visit family on weekends! When we finally bought somewhere, it had easy access to the A3/Waterloo to go south and visit grandparents etc.

Just a thought - if you have family in Leicester you might want to visit (without a car), might want to be near a tube line into the relevant mainline station (is it Kings X?) without too many changes.

If DP is working in Portobello, he might find a bus/cycle route is easier than a tube - my sister lives in West London and always uses the bus.

I suspect your main determinant will be budget and ease of Dp commute. You want to try and keep that as short as possible so he can be home for bathtime!!

Good luck. It's lovely here really, despite what people will tell you. And a baby is a great ice-breaker, you'll have a great time.

Just a bit of advice - there's a lot of pressure on schools in London. I'm guessing your ds is in reception now? So you'll be applying for a place outside of normal admissions. This can be tricky because a lot of schools are full. We're in London and we moved from overseas so had to find a school place for dd1. We had to first go to a school we didn't want until we were lucky enough for a place to free up at a school we wanted after a term. There is a lot of movement in London but it can add to the difficulty in settling in if you need to move schools.

www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/apr/20/schools-shortage-places-credit-crunch

thank you, I am currently looking into all the areas you've suggested. and I hadn't even thought about weekend stuff, or being home in time for bathtime etc. good to know.

Anywhere near Kensal Rise/Green, Kilburn, Ladbroke Grove, Shepherds Bush, Hammersmith will be well easy to get to Portabello. But probably more expensive than say, Acton, or somewhere further out.

Personally I think the thing you'd want to keep most stable is the school so maybe base your home around that? Also, how you want to get out of London on the weekends as penona said is worth considering. Travel/commute is more flexible. Not sure how to look for school guide though, sorry

Portabello's a lovely area

Hi need some advice please. We are moving to London to start the 2015 school year with my three boys. My husband is already there however they have told me the kids have to have proof of residency and address before applying. I had hoped that they would be able to finish the school year here with there friends before having to take them away. Has anyone had a similiar problem and any solutions. thankyou.

I would suggest you start your own thread as this one is 4 years old!