Which would you choose..........(sorry long)

[nutcracker]

I'll apologise in advance for the fact that i'm on here moaning about housing probs again, I'm sure you are all sick of hearing about it now, i know i am

Anyway what i want to know is this :

Imagine you have to choose between these two properties.
Property 1 is a masionette above a row of shops. It has all the room that you need, but no central heating, double glazing or garden. However, although on a council estate the local schools (just off the estate) are excellant, especially the secondary schools. People frequently move to the area just to get in to the schools.

Property 2 is a 3 bed house on another slightly more dodgy council estate, with double glazing, central heating and a garden. The primary school results are o.k but the secondary school is crap.

If you had to choose which would you pick. Basically you are choosing between having a garden or being able to send your kids to a very good secondary school.

Meant to add that Property 1 is in the area that you live in now, so kids wouldn't have to move schools and would still be near to relatives and friends.
Property 2 is about 4 mile from property 1 but kids would need to move schools and be bus ride away from family and friends.

Right, i have sort of come to a desicion. I am not going to enquire about the ,asionette anymore. If they offer it to me then i will go and have a look, but will definatly refuse it if they refuse to do something about the heating.
I am going to chase up the property 2 people and see if i can get them to offer me something before the 6 weeks hols.
After considering all of the pro's and cons i have decided that property number 2 would be better for us as a family right now. It would definatly be a house and have the garden that we so desperatly need (i'm longing to hang my washing ut ). I have promised the kids, so many times that one day soon they will have their own garden to play in, and i just can't deny them that. As for the school problem, i will just have to ensure that i am as invoved in their schooling as possible and keep tabs on their general progress e.t.c. If at all possible i will try to get them into grammer schools (especially dd1 as she is very bright). The fact that property 2 is further from family and friends may just give me the kick up the arse i need, and i'll eventyually get driving lessons.
So there it is, as soon as i know anymore, you will all be the first to know.
Thanks so much for all of your opinions/advice, i really appreciate it

Property 2. Isn't your eldest no more than 6?

Yep Zebra dd1 is 6. I know i'm a silly cow for worrying about secondary schools now

Right, had a quick look at the outside of the masionette today. It's a slightly different lay out to what i thought. In my friends masionette, you have to go up external stairs to get to her front door, and by her front door, she has a small balcony. With the one that is empty it is slightly different. The front door is around the side of the shop, and the stairs up to the masionatte are enclosed. There is no balcony by the front door, but one on the front (where my friends front wiundow is), It is a very small balcony though. noit really big enough for kids to play on. My friend said that she knows someone who said that they couldn't accept a property because of the lack of heating, and the council did agree to put central heating in. I also asked her if she had to choose between where she is now and a house on castle vale, which would she pick. Her reply "If they offered me a mansion on the Vale, i wouldn't accept it".
Has got me confused again now

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Nutcraker, Hi! I live in a council owned maisonette, we are on the second floor, with no lifts, have been here for 9+1/2 years. We have no double glazing or central heating, we have a flat roof, and underfloor heating in the kitchen and living room. Upstairs we have 2 bedrooms and a bathroom, no heating upstairs at all. My 9+7 year olds both have asthma, my 19month old has 4 heart defects+facial stroke+exomphalos+overlapping toes (falls over as he has no balance). And I'm a diabetic on insulin. The council refuse to do anything about heating or the windows.... My advice is to go for property 2, you will regret it later if you don't. I have been refused a transfer on the grounds that until my baby has to start walking for himself, I do not have priority for a house transfer.