moving to Bournemouth - should we do it?

[nebzil]

Hello. My husband and I live in Windsor with 2 young boys. We moved here for work reasons and 4 years later would love to move away from the noisy aeroplanes...we are considering going to the coast. A friend mentioned Bournemouth so we went on a weekend trip and thought the beach at Sandbanks was lovely! My internet research suggests that Lilliput/Branksome/Westbourne areas would be nice to live. But, I have read loads about how Bournemouth is not actually very nice and has a big drink/drug/hen party problem. Would you encounter this living in Westbourne (is it true?) Where would you go shopping?
I was interested to see they have grammar schools in Bournemouth and Poole - can anyone offer any information about them? Good/bad/easy to get to etc?
Where would you want a Year 1 and 2 child to go to school? What is the chance of getting into a nice school part way through a year?
A friend mentioned the weather is awful in winter (can it be any worse than anywhere else?)
Obviously we will have to spend more time there before deciding, but I would love to hear from people who actually live there and know what it is like all year round.
My husband is very keen on surfing and windsuring. I worry that we would feel 'cut off' and deprived of the theatres/culture/museums etc in London. My mum says lots of coastal seaside towns in the UK are a bit rundown - would you agree?
Many thanks

Hello!

I have lived in Dorset my whole life, from Poole to now living in Christchurch. I feel very lucky to live here as it's a beautiful county. We have a fantastic choice of beaches, and also some lovely rural villages. We are also close to the New forest so I think we have it all!

It can be a very expensive area to live due to the appeal and we have a few celebrities which have set up home here. Areas worth considering and perhaps slightly more affordable would be Oakdale, Southbourne and Broadstone.

Bournemouth is lovely and doesn't encounter any more clubbing than any other big town in my opinion. Families tend to set up home on the outskirts and wouldn't be affected by any of this anyway. It is a great areas for those who love watersports and beaches.

Castlepoint, Bournemouth town, Poole and Boscombe all have good shopping centres.

We have just had half term here and for October the weather has been glorious, it doesn't change much from here to where you are now.

Schools do vary quite a bit in the area. There are grammar schools in Bournemouth and Poole and these require certain SATS results to gain entry. As with all local schools they depend on catchment areas, the best schools do fill quickly and space depends on each school and it's area.

I don't know if you plan to buy or rent but budget will probably determine the areas you can look at, this will then be a good place to start. Go to one of the property searches and type in Dorset. Then you can get a feel for what each area costs and from there you can compare local schools and get a better idea.

HTH's a bit. Do come back and let us know if you would like more advice!

Michelle

Hi,

We moved from Coventry to Bournemouth 3 years ago. Although we just couldn't afford to live in a good area (Bournemouth is expensive and does have a drug and alcohol problem in my area) it is still the best decision I've made and I wouldn't move away from the coast now.

I guess much of what you are asking depends on your budget, I shouldn't think the areas you are considering are that bad. I think the weather is milder here, we rarely get snow anyway!

I wouldn't consider Bournemouth as run down as some coastal towns. We have a large student community which I guess keeps the money coming in.

Spend time here, both in and out of season ( I prefer it out of season personally) and see what you think after.

It's a big decision! Good Luck!

Terrie

Hi,
I was brought up in Bournemouth, then spent 18 years in London and moved back again 6 years ago with two young children. It's the best decision we've made and I LOVE living here. And, it's not just me, part of regular conversation with friends is about what a beautiful area we live in and how lucky we are to be here, especially if you have quick access to the coastal areas. As with all towns there are not-so-nice bits and Bournemouth/Poole has it's fair share but if you do your research you'll easily find lots of lovely areas. I live in the Hengistbury Head/Southbourne area which is very coastal and has lots of water sports available. It's always tricky getting children into schools mid-year but being very close-by to the school would help. We rented when we first moved down which was less stressful than house-purchasing and meant we could plonk ourselves in the right catchment.
Bournemouth gets all the big acts coming down to the B.I.C and there are theatres in Christchurch, Poole and Southampton. We regularly day-trip to London and appreciate all it has to offer and then, quite happily come home again! This area is great in all seasons (I think it makes you appreciate them more) and there's loads of activities for children (more than my area of London had) and lots are free too, which of course includes the beach. As it's a tourist-town, there are many holiday events like the Air Show and beach contests galore plus weekly fireworks in the summer!
I haven't regretted moving back at all, just do lots of research and take the plunge if it suits you!
Heather :)

Hello Bournemouth and Poole Mn's,

We have been thinking about a move here for a few years now. We are overseas in South America but are due to leave this June. Our eldest starts secondary in 2016 so it seems like a good time to settle somewhere and the Poole/Bournemouth area seems to have it all! I know the area a little bit as I used to work there pre-kids.

Sorry to hijack your thread nebzil but wanted to ask about traffic, I've heard its really busy and we are thinking of living in Broadstone, commuting into Bournemouth.

And also state school places. Am I going to have a nightmare trying to place 3 primary age children in the same school. Seems the whole area is oversubscribed.

Thanks for any advice. The P&B mn's seem a friendly lot reading some older threads

Hello
We are looking at relocating in the Dorset area. My husband's work will be based in Wareham...with 3 children 8, 10 and 12 we are looking at where the good schools are. Could anyone share advice and info please? We currently live in the north west and all we hear about the south is that getting in a good school is almost impossible. Many many thanks

Hello! We are planning to move to Bournemouth or surrounding areas from the U.S. sometime in September/October 2015. I would greatly appreciate your advice on the choice of 1) secondary schools for a 16-year-old and a 13-year-old 2) areas to rentaffordable, safe 3) hospitals to work forI'm a nurse and will eventually be looking for a job. 4) good nurseries for a toddler We won't have a car at first and I was wondering if it is manageable to get around without a car for some time. Is public transportation good? We are flexible with the location and open to other choices around Bournemouth/Poole. Thank you!

Hiya, I realise this post is old but just came across and hopefully you can help @whatbabydidnext...

My family and I currently live in Coventry and have all our lifes (husband and I 32 years old and 2 young children under 3).
I have my heart set on moving to Bournemouth next year, before my daughter starts school. Although we have been to Bournemouth many times and my husbands uncle has an apartment in Christchurch I have no idea where to start looking in terms of areas. I am looking for good schools and being as close to the beach as possible, 30 mins walk even but the closer the better. I currently work in a school but am happy to travel for that.
Is there any way I can compare which area to buy in. We are currently living in Coundon and expect to get around £300,000 atleast for our house.
Any help you can give would be much appreciated. Thank you

Hi, I moved here 2 yeats ago, so hopefully can help. The Bournemouth, christchurch and poole city region is far from your average run down seaside town. Its three towns in one and with fast growing population with a strong fast growing economy, so plenty of jobs. Bournemouth has good areas and bad areas like anywhere, but the only rough areas really Boscombe, and west howe. Boscombe has a drink drugs problem, but it's due for massive regeneration, with a plan to tackle the problems. It's actually becoming a cosmopolitan hipster suburb and could become a lovely place in a few years. However Boscombe a few roads south of the high street, towards the beach is very desirable. The loveliest areas to live within walking distance to the coast and great shops and cafes are westbourne and southbourne, Surrey rd and branksome park rd. Where you will find beautiful, spacious 2 or 3 bed flats with a balcony from £200,000 . Christchurch is lovely, very traditional and no trouble and you could get a decent terrace or more there for under 300,000. The winton and ensbury park area of Bournemouth and the north parkstone and Branksome region of poole is very good for terrace, semis and detached with a cheaper price tag. You have a fantastic, high class shopping area called Ashley cross, bordering parkstone and it's only just down the rd from Bournemouth and beautiful parts of poole. Or you can move further out, where you can find it's cheaper still. I'm not sure about schools, but I've heard they are very good. Actually the weather here has it's own microclimate which makes it warmer than the rest of the country and it rarely snows in Bournemouth.. you've got so many beautiful places to explore and you'll never get bored as there are so many towns within it. Good luck

We moved to Bournemouth from the West Midlands/South Staffs area in January and have 3 children both primary school age. Our children got into 2 different schools initially but thanks to lockdown it didnt affect us as they were learning at home. They are now at the same school and ive been really impressed with the school. This is the best decision we have ever made as a family. Depending on your budget these areas are nice for families. Southbourne, liliput, christchurch, Charminster, Winton Queens park, parts of Springbourne. We live between Springbourne and Queens Park so actually not far from Boscombe where we go to the beach and shop sometimes. Boscombe has a drug problem and so does parts of springbourne. If we had a bigger budget and founs the ideal house our 1st choice would have been Southbourne or Charminster. Having said that where we live is fine walking distance to shops, the beaches of bournemouth and boscombe, near to castle point and good transport links locally and to london and the west midlands.

I have not met 1 person who regret the decision to move here . My neighbours are great my street is multicultural and diverse a real community of people who stop to have a chat welcome you, talk to our children and offer advice and information when we need it. Fantastic live change and for us.

Id advise you to visit here lots drive around at night in areas you are interested in. Talk to neighbours when you view properties... Goodluck.

**life

I forgot to mention if you need to work here exoect a pay drop as salaries are much lower here not sure why as its more expensive to live here, sp prepare for that. The only thing we miss is our drive. We had a 5 car drive at our last house and here we can only fit 1 car on the drive. So one of us is always struggling to find a parking space on the rd. Driveway space comes at a premium here. But if you need the parking space make sure you get a property that has what you need and dont rely on rd parking. It is the only thing that has annoyed me since i've been here.

Can anyone on this thread offer advice if they made the move and relocated how have you found it ? We are considering relocating to either Southbourne/CChurch or Branksome. Can anyone who’s done this give the pros and cons pls ? Work not an issue as WFH and DH can commute. Children aged 7&4. Thank you :-)

Bump! Would love to hear from people who have moved to Bournemouth about their experiences.