Edinburgh relocation

[Lvw78]

Hello.
My husband has been offered a job in Edinburgh and we have spent 4 days here trying to look at affordable places to live for families that are in an easy commutable distance of the university.
I work as a nurse too so so looking for areas that might offer some job opportunities for myself.
My have 2 kids age 6 and 3 so need good schools.
Even after 4 days here we are no closer to finding reputable family friendly areas.
We have a top budget of around 375k to buy and seem to be totally out priced here.
If we cant afford to live as a family on Edinburgh or easy distance we will have to turn the job offer down.
Can anyone give me some ideas of good areas?

My brother and his wife work in Edinburgh but moved out to burntIsland so that they could afford a decent house with garden. It's super family friendly.

And my other brother lives in a place called Cousland (south of edinburgh) where they got a 3 bed detached with garden for £330k.

Which bits have you been looking at, OP? Also, which uni (or campus)? £375k won’t get you a big house ten minutes from George Square, but it can get you plenty in lots of nice bits of Midlothian.

Are you looking for a house or flat? If the former, you will need to be looking a bit further out, although many families in Edinburgh do live in flats - there are a lot of good parks.

What about this place: espc.com/property/19-swanston-crescent-swanston-edinburgh-eh10-7el/36009622?sid=357746

You need to live out of Edinburgh. East Lothian or FIfe. Or even in the Borders close to the train route.

Or this place: espc.com/property/8-buckstone-loan-east-buckstone-edinburgh-eh10-6xd/36009327?sid=160836

I have heard good things about Buckstone primary and it's in catchment for Boroughmuir high school.

I’d look at Midlothian if I were you. You need to be looking at things on the market for offers over £300-330k right now. Lots of new builds in Midlothian too.

They are currently building a train station in Reston if that's of any use.

There's a three bed in Egypt Mews that might work for you. Great school catchment, two minute walk to Astley Ainslie hospital, on 38 bus route to The infirmary or Western and ten minute drive to KB or 40 minute walk to lauriston place. It's not big. Can't get the link to work but it's on Rightmove.

Its central University campus close to the royal mile.
We have been hearing a lot of talk about long commutes via the bypass into Edinburgh central.
We have looked at Balerno, Burntisland, Juniper Green, morningside, currie, so far.
Not a lot on the market in our budget and all areas are very mixed. Lots of streets with nice houses and lots of social housing right next door.
We leave Edinburgh tomorrow and I know my husband is on the verge of turning the job down based on the housing market.
We just dont know where to look at areas that suit our needs.
House is preferable but open to ideas.
We would be relocating from south Manchester and the prices have rocketed there too.

Have a look at flats - there are a couple on Livingston place and one new on in sciennes road that should all close within your budget. Good schools, easy commutes to university and hospitals. They're tenements though so you're at the mercy of your neighbors and you'll have a shared garden.

Look at Burntisland again. Outstanding primary school there and good family place to live.

Try Dalkeith - near a large hospital,great bus routes into Edinburgh, fantastic country park and it's got some shops and a family friendly feel with good schools. Might be worth a look.

Honestly just rent for 6 months to take stress away and allow you to settle in.

Just to say that I lived in Edinburgh in the early 2000's and it's the most fabulous place to live! Please persevere and don't turn the job down - you won't regret it!

Portobello is outside city centre but with a 7 minute train journey into Waverley, which is in turn about a 15 min walk from the University campus. The buses are regular too. Some of the newer builds are pretty reasonable e.g espc.com/properties?locations=edinburgh_skylark-place 3 bed flat with parking space for oo £240,000. Close to beach, decent schools, lovely family community vibe and loads of nice coffee shops and family groups at church and community halls too.

And tbh all the places you've mentioned above (exception of Burntisland which I don't know much about) are pricey, with good schools but other than Morningside out of the city centre without much to do around, although nice communities...another area closer to town is Leith which can have some surprisingly good value family homes and is definitely an up and coming area, particularly with the long awaited tramline extension!!

Somewhere around Shandon/Polwarth area might work, it's be an easy walk/cycle into the university via the canal/Meadows. I don't know about house prices but flats would be affordable.

Its not too long a walk to the uni campus from Waverley train station. Linlithgow is right on the train line and is a smashing town just outside of Edinburgh. Great schools and beautiful outdoor space. Plus St Johns hospital and forth valley hospital are both nearby for nursing jobs.

@StarryStarrySocks

Somewhere around Shandon/Polwarth area might work, it's be an easy walk/cycle into the university via the canal/Meadows. I don't know about house prices but flats would be affordable.

Shandon is hot AF right now - double uppers are going for 400k and above.

OP you're timing really couldn't be worse - Edinburgh has always been overpriced/competitive but I don't remember it ever being as bad as it is now. Be aware too that the offers over system means that most places are going for well over the asking price.

In terms of advice - you will probably be looking at a flat, rather than a house and that's totally fine. Lots of Edinburgh families live in tenements.

Social housing cheek by jowl to 'nice' housing is very, very common here and not something to particularly worry about.

Pretty much all the primary schools are good, actually the thing to focus on is secondary catchments.

Probably your best bet is to look at suburban areas that aren't on the bypass, while admitting your DH will have a commute of sorts. I'll see if I can find a couple of options...

I agree with renting. Corstorphine isn't too bad price wise compared to other parts. I agree Leith is good value for money.

You need to try West Lothian, East Lothian, Mid Lothian or Fife. You will easily get a good sized house in a nice family friendly area for that budget. Try towns with railway stations for an easier commute, the roads are very busy at rush hour time.
Edinburgh is so expensive, you can get far more for your money just 10-20 miles away

Edinburgh is crazy expensive and I was born and raised there. Moved to a surrounding area years ago and would never move back as you get diddly squat for your money. I saw a semi detached 3 bed property on Rightmove the other day on the edge of one of the less desirable parts of town for o/o £350k. Just about wet myself.

As others have said would look at quick commutes from the surrounding areas. In somewhere like morningside you'd be lucky to get a 2 bed tenement flat for that price I'm afraid.

This is on the outskirts of Corstorphine, it's a bit suburban but a lot of house for your money. Good secondary school. These houses have an interesting history, they were built as social housing and each room was rented out individually, I lived here as a student! However now they've gone into private ownership it's a lot of house for the money. Corstorphine High Street is really up and coming at the moment with interesting shops/delis etc. And though it's a big high school, Craigmount is great.

https://espc.com/property/4-craigmount-brae-corstorphine-edinburgh-eh12-8xd/36009591?utmsource=property-alert-search&utmm_medium=email

If dead set on Edinburgh how about these as both very good for uni (could walk)

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110955848#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/79660875#/?channel=RES_BUY