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Original poster

Lewes/Brighton area. Info please!

29 replies

marialuisa · 13/02/2004 14:08

DH very tempted by job offer at Sussex uni, so help please! It looks like you can buy a house for under £300k there, but which areas are nice? Any info on schools, private or state, RC of particular interest would also be helpful. Also how far away are Eastbourne, worthing etc.

TIA

OP posts:
twiglett · 13/02/2004 14:10

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ponygirl · 13/02/2004 14:14

Lewes is lovely but not cheap, probably cheaper than Brighton, though, and at least it's near. My MIL and BIL and his wife live there. I'm told the schools are good. £300k will buy you a house, but tbh, not a very big one and not in a good area. I think Eastbourne's cheaper, but it's very OAP. Hastings is very cheap, but for good reason. My other BIL and family live there and can't wait to leave.

LIZS · 13/02/2004 16:02

Worthing is approx 20-25 mins drive away along the A27 (dual carriageway most if the way), Hove about 10 minutes as is Lewes. Eastbourne is about 30 minutes drive from the Uni site iirc.

There was a RC Private Covent School in Worthing, Our Lady of Sion - a friend went there but was almost 20yrs ago! Also there was a mixed state RC school called Cardinal Newman, on the Hove/Brighton border but am not sure if it is still there as heard the Lower School site had been sold to a private girl's school, Brighton and Hove High. There was also a private RC convent, The Towers, in one of the villages inland from Shoreham - either Steyning or one of the Beedings - all accessible to A27. Unless you particularly want to be by the coast you could look at the area around Haywards Heath/East Grinstead as there has been a lot of housing built there over the past 10 years or so.

Unfortunately my local knowledge is somewhat out of date , but hope this is of some help anyway.

Original poster
marialuisa · 13/02/2004 16:05

Thanks.
I'm a bit confused as have one friend in the area who reckons hove is now more expensive than Brighton for family houses. She's also convinced prices aren't as bad as Reading (another option). however she's a medic and probably earns as much on her own as me and DH between us!

OP posts:
LIZS · 13/02/2004 16:12

Could be right . Had heard recently that a house like I grew up in - modest 3 bed 1930's semi in a quiet road in Hove went for over 300k. On the other side of Brighton along the coast road towards Newhaven are places like Peacehaven and Saltdean which, whilst not particularly attractive - lots of post war , brick built bungalows - tend to be cheaper than much of Hove and Brighton.

noddy5 · 13/02/2004 16:14

I live in brighton a reasonable 3 bed semi is 250-350000 in a good area.I live in fiveways which is lovely with great schools

Original poster
marialuisa · 13/02/2004 16:23

Well, I might not like much about where we are but at least the house prices are sane. The thought of living on beans on toast to pay for a very ordinary semi grates. DH is very miserable at work though, and elderly relatives are all fit and well

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jasper · 13/02/2004 23:55

I was in Brighton today - I LOVE it, what a fab place to live!

ks · 14/02/2004 10:17

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ks · 14/02/2004 10:24

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jasper · 14/02/2004 11:20

We saw Heather Mills McCartney in Brighton - very pretty and VERY slim! Sorry, I am feeling a bit shallow today

Original poster
marialuisa · 15/02/2004 08:34

Cheers all. any other views welcome. There are only 3 of us so a big house is not essential. close to University would be nice. RL friend has suggested rottingdean?

OP posts:
Cam · 15/02/2004 08:56

I lived in Brighton for 9 years and now I live on the edge of the Old Town in Hastings which, sorry Ponygirl,haven't you heard? is the new Brighton!

Original poster
marialuisa · 16/02/2004 09:05

anyone else? thought there was a coven of mumsnetters down there?
Thanks to all who have replied

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debster · 17/02/2004 19:47

I live in Brighton and we are certainly not rich. Sorry depressed and defensive about finances at the moment. You could definitely get a lot more for your money somewhere like Worthing/Eastbourne. We're thinking of moving away because of this very reason.

We live in the Hanover area which has nice but very small terrace houses. Not close to the Uni but close to the Lewes Road which means it takes about 10-15 mins to get there by car.

Original poster
marialuisa · 18/02/2004 08:48

Sorry, wasn't implying that anyone living in Brighton must be loaded! simply that moving from "oop north" where prices for a 1930s semi in a decent area start at 150k the leap in house prices is terrifying.

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bundle · 18/02/2004 12:11

Lewes definitely pricier than Brighton (we live in n London and the bigger family houses near my FIL seem similar in price to London!) - lots of the academics settled there because of the university. IMO Brighton's a bit livelier, I have SILs in both and they both seem v happy.

jimmychoos · 18/02/2004 12:31

I am in Brighton, in Fiveways. It's great and the schools are excellent - good local primaries are Downs and Balfour, plus there is an RC one called St Bernadettes - you can look up on the Ofsted site. There are some good parks nearby and we can walk into town in half an hour. It's easy to get out to the Uni from there in the car (15-10 minutes) - if you go to Worthing/ Eastbourne you're on the other side of Brighton. There's also a small local station (London Road) where you can get a train to the university.

I absolutely love living here - lived here for a while in the 90s before moving up to London, then moved back when we had children. It's a great place to be with kids - the sea, the downs....have I convinced you? The only downside is there are no jobs locally - I commute to London.

bundle · 18/02/2004 12:33

where do you work jimmychoos? I'm resisting the call of the coast till my dds are a bit bigger & the trains get a bit faster

jimmychoos · 18/02/2004 13:21

Luckily near Victoria station so no tubes. When we first moved I had to get up to Oxford street which was a bit hellish. I actually like the train journey most of the time - reading time for me is scarce these days! And I only do three days a week.

bundle · 18/02/2004 13:25

what do you do? (sorry being nosey )

Original poster
marialuisa · 18/02/2004 13:26

Yes, the thought of me trekking into london is another reason I don't want to move! I work in the admin side of the uni and Sussex is advertising for someone to fill my post....The trouble is apart from DH loathing the dept he works in and moaning about lack of social life (his) we've got a really nice lifestyle at the moment.

Thanks for the info, keep it coming.

OP posts:
jimmychoos · 18/02/2004 13:33

I work in public sector, in communications.

bundle · 18/02/2004 13:37

I do 3 days too, but dd2 is only 9 mths and would feel sad if I didn't see her either end of the day for 3 days a week.

jimmychoos · 18/02/2004 13:44

I manage to see both of mine most of the days I work - we all have breakfast and I drop them off then I am home in time for bath and stories. I work flexible hours and do some work for a hour on the train so that I can leave just before 5.00. The train only takes an hour which is what most people's commute to work in London is anyway.