Weston super mare, Gloucestershire or Cheltenham

[Jambon2018]

Hi all

Living in Witham in essex but looking to move out more to the country. We have family in Weston Super Mare and have thought about moving there but we're really not too sure.

I've heard lots of good things about Frome and Stroud which are close enough to Weston but after some guidance on where is a brilliant area to live on that part of the country.

We're after a 4 bed detached house with a garage and relatively big garden. We want space and don't want to be overlooked. Our budget is around 400k

We don't want a town that has a chavy feel to it.

Ideally, we'd love to live in an area that is respected, very low in crime and has fantastic primary and secondary schools (have a 3 year old and a newborn). It would also be nice if there were good transport links to London too.

Please let me know your recommendations, we're open to the West / South West.

Thanks in advance and I look forward to reading your recommendations

I think you will struggle to get a big 4 bed detached in the country looking at the posh bits in Gloucestershire. Add 200k min. Have a look at the less well heeled parts of stroud maybe? It's all relative. I come from an inner city - even the rough bits here arnt that rough. Stroud is hippish and welcoming. Cheltenham lovely but a proper city and Gloucester itself is considered rougher. All have some of the best schools in the country.

Weston is anything but respected unfortunately
Clevedon or portishead are down that way on m5

For that budget and for somewhere nice I’d look north of Gloucester (Between Hartpury and Tewkesbury) or towards the Forest of Dean.
Everyone will come on and say anywhere other than Stroud and Cheltenham is horrific, but there are plenty of rural areas outside Gloucester that are lovely and you’d get a good house for your budget.
There are also 4 grammar schools in Gloucester so being a bus ride in is helpful.

If you like Weston super Mare and want countryside then you could look at Kewstoke or Sand Bay (but will forever be taxi service) or Uphill or Bleadon/ Bleadon Hill.
I love living here but am up on the hill and head to Sand Bay for the beach rather than weston beach as it’s so crowded.
You could also look at Winscombe, Hutton or Locking for villages. Don’t buy on locking castle or locking parklands as it’s all going to sink over the next 25 years, likewise Haywood village and West wick.

I’m afraid you won’t get that house on your budget in Cheltenham. Stroud would be fine and they also have Grammar schools, some of the villages around Stroud are lovely.

Go and have a good walk round prospective areas, my dh worked in frome and raved about it - but it gave me the ick, same with Cheltenham.

I am a Bristol landlord and am now looking at Weston for my future work. The properties are large Edwardian and Victorian architecture and very reasonable for the moment. The ofsted rating of the schools seems to be excellent overall. It has had millions of investment in recent years and has superb transport links to Bristol (30 min train) and London. In my eyes the place is up and coming! Perhaps the new Brighton of the south west......Am I the only person who thinks this?

Considering to buy a property in Mead Fields, Weston Super Mare, Somerset. I'm new to this area so not sure if this is good to live in. Do I need to concern about the flood risk & crime in this area? Thanks

There are some lovely places in the Forest of Dean, avoid Mitcheldean, but look to places like Yorkley, Pillowell, Parkend and Whitecroft. Clearwell is also nice, though I'm not sure what schools are there. Also nearby is St Briavels which is lovely, but top end of your budget I would think. I'm not a fan of Stroud and I've heard it can be a little unwelcoming to incomers, though that's based on what friends have found and not my own experience. WSM is not somewhere I'd personally choose to bring up a family but makes for a fun day trip very occasionally.

If access to family in Weston super mare is important, I wouldn't pick Gloucestershire. The M5, or right through all of the centre of Bristol, are the only two routes through from Gloucs to Somerset, and the M5 alongside Bristol is often congested/at a stand still. Delays are to be expected.

So if that's important I'd try Somerset first.

You will be able to find a 4 bed for 400k in some of the villages around stroud. Can't promise it would be big or detached, though you never know. The train from Stroud to Paddington can be 1.5 hours if direct. (only cheap if you get a lucky advance option tho)

Not Weston 🙄