Moving advice please...

[Foreignforever]

It looks likely that my husband will relocate to Oxford university. It still depends on a nr of issues but we are going to meet prospective colleagues etc next month. We need to maximise the visit as travelling from North. Kids are 3.5&1.5yo. We don't have any local family or local knowledge.

Important considerations: possibly rent before buying; good amenities eg swimming, shops, soft play. Schools: kids probably going to private education where we currently stay; will need a part time nanny& minimise commuting...am I dreaming?

Budget to buy (if we are v lucky in selling our porperty)would be £400k. Prefer 4 bedrooms and a garden space.

We currently live in a commuting village 15min drive from a big Scottish city and are used to being able to walk to a small shop/leisure centre / park/ pharmacy/ post office etc... I'd be worried about living too isolated/middle of nowhere as it might be lonely for me& my (hopeful/potential) job will involve out of hours work...a country village sounds lovely!

I have looked at some other threads along the same lines but too far south from Oxford itself might not be feasible.

Any advice at suggestions greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Bump...

Any feedback would be appreciated. Reading some other 'local oxford' postings and worried re schools etc. DD1 is 3.5 and by Scottish schooling not due to start P1 till August 2014. When would she be due to start school in England and if so would places be available - ??independant/ private school...

Hoping to hear back...

Hello Foreignforever,
Just messaging to say that i'll try and reply later on. We have a busy day!
Best,
Rachel

Hello,
I think renting before buying is a good idea. We rented in a village just outside Oxford (about 3 miles) to start with, and then realised we really wanted to be in the City. It gave me a chance to get to know different areas. One thing to bear in mind is that parking can be expensive and difficult and Oxford can get quite congested, and bus regularity/reliability really varies from village to village.

There are some villages within the ring road e.g. Wolvercote. V beautiful, near to Port Meadow, nice pubs and a few local amenities but not too far from North Oxford shops, swimming pool etc.
Worth looking at Iffley Village, Hinksey, Old Marston, though you may struggle to get a 4 bed house within your budget in these areas.
There's so much green space within the city that you can be quite central and yet close to nature reserves, riverside walks etc. so maybe worth considering parts of East Oxford, Headington, Marston etc. You could look at google earth and pick out the areas close to green space. Worth also thinking about rivers and flood risk though!
I hope this helps. Good luck with your search!
Rachel

Thank you so much for the reply and advice Rachel! Just had a chance to look after being caught in Heathrow snow disruptions etc. At least I now have a vague idea of villages to look at.

Any thoughts re schools and likelihood of getting places? And nursery/ nanny availability?

Thanks again!

As for your DD school starting date, if her 4th birthday is before or on August 31 she will start Sept 1st 2013, if it falls on or after Sept 1st she would start Sept 1 st 2014, hope that helps.

I would look on Rightmove at areas which fit your budget for a 4 bedroom. All the areas mentioned above are within the city limits. You might also try Risinghurst, but it is sleepy and doesn't have much in the way of shops. There are lots of lovely villages surrounding Oxford and I would look at those too, although most of them don't have a lot to offer in the way of shops/amenities.

As we are past the deadline for school choice forms, you would be likely to be allocated whichever school has a place, although you said you'd like to go private... now or in the future?

I'm sure you can find a nanny here.

Thank you thank you for the advice!!

I think/ hope/ consider independent from the outset.

Am looking at rightmove but weary of v students areas & worry about noise etc. can't have it all though.

How long does it take to commute to oxford centre/hospitals from out with ring road in peak traffic?

Thanks again...!

You will never completely avoid students in Oxford, but if you avoid Cowley Road, East Oxford and the area of Headington around Brookes Uni you will be clear of the worst of it.

You ought to research independent schools in/near Oxford to decide where to live. Thre are two girls' schools in Headington, but the nearest boys' school is down the hill, close to the city centre. The rest of the indies in Oxford are either in the city centre or in North Oxford.

Driving distance to city centre or the hospitals (not in the centre at all, in Headington) really depends on where you are coming from first! I would not recommend driving through the city centre on a regular basis, it's a real pain and expensive to park.

Thank you! I've looked at the girls school in headinton. If we end up working in hospitals it might be a good option as we will be in that area anyway.

What's Yarnton and Kidlington like...?