Anyone got a house to sell in Bishopston?!

[redllamayellowllama]

We've narrowed our search to Bishopston but are currently in London. I've been subject to lots of estate agents telling me that properties will go if we don't hurry on down. The earliest we can be down for viewing is next weekend so, quite frankly, I want to tell them to get lost.

But, this property is my idea of heaven, bit I've been told it will definitely be under offer by next week.

So, I got to thinking, I've got buggies and maternity clothes through Mumsnet, I wonder if I can get a house?!

I would say the estate agent is being pushy/overly optimistic that it will sell so quickly - although it does look like a very nice house. Very near to Bishop rd school too, which is well regarded, but very big. I've lived in Bristol for 10 years though and have never heard of that estate agent. They must be quite new, I think. Haven't got a house to sell you though I'm afraid!

It also must pretty much back on to the prison - bet the agent didn't tell you that?!

Lovely house!

The estate agent is pressurising you without a doubt. Things aren't moving very quickly at the moment in Bristol (my neighbours have only just sold after being on the market for a year - edge of bishopston).

Longmead Ave is quite a busy road - just as a word of warning, it's used as a rat run between kellaway ave and gloucester road, and I suspect the estate agent is giving you the hard sell because you don't live here and probably wouldn't know that.

Oh yes, Runoutofideas is exactly right! The view out of the back windows will be of a very VERY high wall that surrounds the prison

You see that first picture of the garden? You see that big red brick wall?...

I was just looking at that too GollyH - definitely looks like prison boundary wall to me.... sorry OP - thought the house looked reasonably priced for Bishopston....

That wall is, without a doubt, the prison boundary wall. Poor redllama might even be lucky enough to have a cctv camera aimed right into her garden.

See what we've saved you from redllama!

On the other hand, it is a very good price for the area so it depends on whether or not you're bothered that there's a category B prison over the garden fence. Plenty of people aren't bothered at all!

You shouldn't have any difficulties getting a primary school place on Longmead Ave for reception kids if you are happy with Bishop Rd primary, but looking ahead you would be too far away from Redland Green and Cotham schools for secondary if that is what you would like.

Housing market doesn't seem to be moving very quickly at the moment round here. Perhaps things are over-priced. There are a couple of houses on Monk Rd that have been on for a while. Have you seen them?

You could of course rent for a bit to get the lie of the land... Catchment areas are so small in North Bristol it is a good idea to understand what it all means to choose a house on a particular Rd. (I speak from experience having had a very miserable time trying to get a school place for my eldest when we lived in St Andrews (an area close to Bishopston).

You know, the EA did mention the Prison and then we had a look on satellite view. I'm not sure if it bothers me or not. The road being a rat-run definitely does. We are due to look at this Manor Road property, although DH and I are locked into a Bishopston vs Westbury on Trym debate at the moment, with him (and WoT) winning out.

Renting first would be a good idea, but we're in a position whereby rent would be more than our mortgage and we're only on one salary for now.

Haven't seen Monk Road property, will have a look now.

DH's commute and primary schools the big concern really - DH is the new Head of English at Henbury and doesn't want to battle Bristol traffic too much. My dreams of a period house may have to be laid to one side.

Manor Road is less of a rat run than Longmead Ave, and I don't want to keep sounding so negative because Bishopston is a lovely area, but the parking round there is absolutely hideous. Not only do many of the houses have two cars but roads like Manor Road are often used by people shopping on Gloucester Road. You'll have to accept that sometimes you're going to have to park quite a distance from your house. That particular street is very narrow too (but that's hardly unusual for Bristol).

Bishop Road Primary used to be considered an excellent school, but I've heard gripes about it recently (new head, I think?). There are other schools in the area that are very good - Ashley Down and Sefton Park are rated highly by those that use them, and Ashley Down has just started another very much needed site as there wasn't enough provision for the families in the area.

Secondaries are trickier. You have to camp on the doorstep of the most popular ones to stand a chance of getting in and some of the alternatives would make your hair stand on end.

Interesting, we saw this property which is on the doorstep of Ashley Down, but couldn't understand what the catch was. At that price we could re-do the kitchen and bathroom etc, but why is it so cheap when so close to an outstanding primary?

We're not too worried about secondaries - DS is only 2.5 and we know from experience that lots can change within that timescale.

Thank you for all of the inside info - it is so helpful.

It's cheaper because it's Horfield. That area is ok, but it's nowhere near as poncey as Bishopston. It's also a bit further up gloucester road and it gets increasingly scruffy the further up you get (especially on that side of gloucester road).

Westbury would make more sense as far as getting to Henbury is concerned. Look at houses very close to either Westbury on Trym or Elmlea school as they both take from pretty tiny areas. I live in Westbury and would prefer it over Bishopston. More space, bigger gardens, easier parking etc. More 1930's semis than period houses but some are very nice.

Runout, is this property likely to be near enough to Westbury on Trym? Am going to have a look at the catchment area on the Bristol website now, but in your opinion, would this do?

Did the research myself - 631m furthest place offered 2010, 771m 2009 and that house would put us at 483m give or take.

Wow.

Hi red! Glad you're making progress.

That house in WoT should be OK for catchment imo - the streets in between are largely shops etc, so whilst the distances might shrink a little, extra people can't live in houses that don't exist. We looked at a couple of places on the closest stretch of Falcondale Road, and felt confident about those.

Having tracked houses for sale in the area for the last 10 months, I have seen maybe 4 houses that are closer than the one you're looking at (i.e. not many at all), if that helps.

Also its not that far away from St Ursula's (renamed Oasis something, can't remember), a private school that is converting to state next year. I hear it has fantastic facilities, but as its a 'new' school, who knows what it will be like in reality or how small the successful catchment will be.

Was just composing an e-mail to you Apuski! Your research has been completely invaluable and so bloody helpful - we should have just listened to everything you said from the off!

We're viewing another two properties at the same time, one also near to WoT primary and another one near to Stoke Bishop. They're all semi's in need of extensions/new kitchens/new bathrooms but we'd rather do it ourselves than pay a premium for someone else's tastes.

DH's need for off-street parking, space for a vegetable patch and his ongoing angst about neighbours making noise when in a terraced house have won out. Very excited about going down now and looking at some of them now I am being more realistic about not getting tiled floors and pretty kitchen units straight away!

Ha, I can understand the WoT/Stoke Bishop suburbs vs Bishopston/St Andrews dilemma, but like I said to you, when we worked out what our priorities were, the period houses were not enough of a draw for us (despite us having lived in nothing else to date) over space, parking and garden.

I think WoT is catchment for Henbury though (check that map!) - so there is the question of whether your DH wants to live alongside his pupils.

Redllama - I think you'd be pretty safe for Westbury in that house, in my opinion. So much depends on number of siblings in any given year though. I have lots of friends on Priory Court Rd, and surrounding side streets, and all of their children go to Westbury on Trym C of E.Apuski is also right in saying that you would be close to St Ursulas/Oasis Westbury. Plans for this school are very up in the air at the moment, but it could prove to be a very good school in the future.

Meant to add - don't trust what estate agents may tell you about catchment areas. Up until 2009 there were maps with specific Areas of Prime Responsibility for each school, so you could effectively be "in catchment" or not. Now the maps do not exist and admissions are done purely on straight line distance.

Personally I would be wary of anything around the Falcondale Rd end of Abbey Rd and Canford Lane, or that bit of Falcondale Rd itself, as there is a little bit of "no mans land" there, where children were equidistant between Westbury and Elmlea but not offered either, and were given instead less well regarded schools much further away.

I'm looking to buy at the moment in scruffy Horfield and nothing is selling. Never heard of the estate agent in your OP either. My daughter goes to Ashley Down which is a lovely school.

The reason the streets between Glos and Muller Roads are cheaper is because it's not as shiny and the secondary is Fairfield. However this is a rapidly improving secondary. I'm not very up on WOT, but I think the public transport is not as good.

Last year I understand that the intake for Redland Green went no further north than Bishop Road. The natural alternative then is Orchard, which wouldn't be my first choice.

JJ Fox are the estate agents who sorted out my rented property in South Bristol, but I haven't seen their boards anywhere else but outside my house! so am guessing they are either new or niche. Their main office is in Truro.

I would agree that things don't seem to be moving that quickly but it might depend on area. Some of the places I looked at over summer just outside and arond Bristol are still on the market with £20K knocked off price

Just to give you an idea of the local market, we sold our house (Victorian terrace) in Bishopston last Friday. It had been on the market for less than 3 weeks and we had about 15 viewings. We bought on the same day - a 1920s house on the Redland/Westbury borders. It's a dead granny house deceased estate and was on the market for about 3 days before it went to a bidding war.

We're moving away from Bishopston and the Glos Rd to get more space, bigger garden, etc but really love living around here.

What's your top budget OP? Have been pretty much obsessed with househunting over the past few months so let me know if you need any more help. As with anywhere, lots of the 'good' properties don't even make it onto RightMove etc, so it pays to hassle the estate agents so you get the heads up on any new properties.

Themouse, top budget is realistically £320,000 having sat down with a mortgage advisor today. The house I linked to yesterday is now under offer, which is deeply frustrating. The earliest we can be down for viewings is the 26th March and I feel very dis-enfranchised from it all up here my concern is that by not being down there to view quickly and nag in person, we are going to miss out.

I would love some more help - we're settled on WoT, don't mind a dead granny house project. Which are the best estate agents to hassle?

Ocean, Andrews and COnnells are based in Westbury village so may have more local properties. Am happy to help too with regard to specific roads etc. I've viewed the 3 bed cottage on Stoke Lane on at £340,0 for my mum, It's quite characterful but it is pretty small and dark with a tiny courtyard, so no good for you I would think.