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Original poster

Calling Scottish Mums- Would Love your Opinions

237 replies

colette · 08/12/2006 15:56

We have been considering moving out of Glasgow- at present we live in a flat in the southside and would quite like to upgrade to a house but cannot do that here without moving to a grim area iykwim. Also we are a bit dissillusioned with Glasgow generally.
We have been considering Stranraer , see my other thread - sorry have not managed to do a link. It is in travel/ general advice. The replies have backed up what I was worried about.
Also have considered Stirling and the surrounding area, but the problem is the best areas are too expensive for us and Cambusbarron looked like a great contender until we looked at the primary school hmi report! Also there seemed to be a lot of wild kids hanging about on the street- really like the location otherwise. Dh lived in Stirling for about 7 years and we used to visit it a lot when we first met.
Anyway to cast the net wider I would really like your opinions on these and any other areas in Scotland that ;
1- have good schools but reasonable houseprices eg. 3 bedroomed under ?150,000
2- are semirural and have a good community feel iykwim
3 are commutable to a city or major town easily
4 have less drugs related problems, crime and violence than glasgow.
5 are good places for kids to grow up but have some things for adults too - sports centres, cinemas , good restaurants . Beautiful countryside
I know cheaper house prices usually means less desirable. So I know I am asking a lot .
I am hoping your insights will give me an insiders guide to living in different places- and this will help us to broaden our search. We are really stuck in a rut and are going round in circles and would really be grateful for your input

OP posts:
JennyLeevesmilkandcookiesforSa · 12/12/2006 01:23

No Broxburn is fine, well it is full of Polish people but i quite like them, I am in housing quandry too but am going through the council house route( don't judge me , we both have degrees and don't like fruit shoots)I am on the list for clackmannanshire and West Lothian, am hoping for Alloa or Tuliibody as my parents live there or Clackamannanshire in general or Broxburn where I used to live or Eliburn in Livingston or Linlithgow. need to not be in old mining towns as am spanish looking and it seems to upset the locals here in whitburn

Mummypumpkin · 12/12/2006 13:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

poinsettydog · 12/12/2006 18:50

You're avoiding old mining towns and you're thinking of Tullibody? jenny. A lot of Clacks is ex mining.

TwoIfBySanta · 13/12/2006 11:50

No Jenny I don't live in Whitburn, then I really would have lost the will to live long ago!

expatinscotland · 13/12/2006 11:56

Most just call them 'weegies' .

TwoIfBySanta · 13/12/2006 11:58

Jenny, we currently live in a housing association house and neither of us are on benefits - though we don't have degrees I am working on that right now!

We have been on the homeswap list for 2 years now, I live just north of you, does that help, a town that is only just better than Whitburn in that it is easier to get out of.

I loved living in Broxburn, miss it terribly though there were no Polish there at that time at least the Polish people are nice! Not narrow-minded like the local yokels here, I send my dts to school in Linlithgow so they don't end up like the people here whose main ambition is to get through school quick enough to start living on benefits. We want to move there but there are two chances of it happening, slim and none. Just need a massive lottery win!!!!

Um Colette, that will be Armadale wiped off your list with a big black marker!

expatinscotland · 13/12/2006 12:01

Two, is there a homeswap website for Scotland?

Been thinking of this avenue ourselves, mainly b/c our location in Edinburgh is really good, but we're looking for a ground floor w/garden space farther out.

TwoIfBySanta · 13/12/2006 12:12

It is for council/housing associations and isn't brilliant but here it is. We also have an ad in AdTrader but have so far only attracted loonies who just wanted a nose around our house. There are other sites based in Edinburgh but a recent virus meant I had to wipe my computer so am having to try and find them all again!

Note: if you get a call from the Farrells in Uphall they are infamous for pretending to want a swap and then pulling out at the last minute. They destroyed our one chance of getting a house in Linlithgow and then we found out they have done this a few times. Just a word of warning!

expatinscotland · 13/12/2006 12:15

Thanks, Two! I'll have a nose around.

This would involve their traveling some distance to see our property and us to see theirs, so that may weed out the freaks.

I hope!

bobsmum · 13/12/2006 12:31

Drymen, Killearn, Croftamie etc - all in the catchment for Balfron High - best in Stirlingshire atm. Great primaries too. Nice rural community feel but 35 mins from Glasgow and Stirling. We're 20 mins outside Drymen and on the shores of Loch Lomond - gorgeous. But a well kept secret

Original poster
colette · 13/12/2006 12:41

bobsmum- we looked round there , but isn't it really expensive especially Drymen. Or do you have any local knowledge about prices that are not obvious to the outsider?

OP posts:
bobsmum · 13/12/2006 13:47

There are loads of ex local authority houses in Drymen which are really big - 3/4 beds good sized gardens. Not sure of the prices tbh, but surely not too far from your budget - they wre a little over ours though.

Also there lots of strange little self builds from the 50s and 60s dotted randomly around the place which often need a lot of work doing but there may be bargains?

We're in an ex forestry commission house which is a bit of a wreck atm, but we'll get there. Buying a weird house was the only way for us to get a foot on the ladder round here. We may do B&B in the long term.

Although it's in the National Park, planning permission for extensions seems to be pretty fair. Loads of people seem to extend rather than move round here.

Bit rambly sorry, but I'll keep a nose out.

Original poster
colette · 13/12/2006 16:05

bobsmum thanks a lot for the info - that is really interesting. Had a quick look at one estate agents website for Drymen and there was very little for sale - the only property they had was about 350k.
If you are aware of any ex-council let us know please - we thought it was another area that was out of our price range, but would love to reconsider it.
Also I like wierd houses bet you have wonderful views, I say as I gaze at the wet grey tenaments . Btw what estate agent is the most obvious iykwim in your area

OP posts:
JennyLeevesmilkandcookiesforSa · 14/12/2006 11:33

yes but they don't seem the same, there are nice areas with all new people in them and a city nearby . in tullibody my son has payed outside at his gran's and not gotten racist abuse and there are asian children too play with and all different epople in my parents street

JennyLeevesmilkandcookiesforSa · 14/12/2006 11:33

played outside even

JennyLeevesmilkandcookiesforSa · 14/12/2006 11:40

TwoIfBySanta you sound like a kindred spirit!!!

mm does your town have a market on wed fri and sat? A woolworths and a big poundstretcher and a rail link? Someone else on mumsnet lives outside of my town too and she is worried about the schools here but her kids are babies. I just want out of here every day I hope I will get a letter from allocatios saying broxburn or Eliburn or even uphall or even bathgate or Clackmannan anywhere but here. My ds is 7 how old are your kids? I thougt it would be too much to hope for that in whole of whitburn there might be another mumsnetter

expatinscotland · 14/12/2006 11:46

Good luck, Jenny!

JennyLeevesmilkandcookiesforSa · 14/12/2006 11:55

thanks expat, hope you find somewhere suitable also.

MerryMellowmas · 14/12/2006 12:00

Jenny I think you can go onto exchange/transfer lists on both housing associations and council, just incase you have not done this already.

I sometimes hate this little place where I live, most of them are gossipy jealous freaks, they think it is their right to know everything about you. Very strange, I didn't actually notice it too much until ds1 started at school.

nailpolish · 14/12/2006 12:01

mellowmas, where do you stay? (if you dont mind me asking) i thought you were in edinburgh

expatinscotland · 14/12/2006 12:03

This no garden action is doing my nut.

MerryMellowmas · 14/12/2006 12:07

Just outside Edinburgh. The lothians (mid). We stayed in Edinburgh for few years but there are too many people and buses and cars and things in a little mining village now.

expatinscotland · 14/12/2006 12:10

And too many f*cking flats as well.

MerryMellowmas · 14/12/2006 12:16

Yes. Too many f*cking flats!!

I love my house now. Just wish I could move it, tbh. Its a old mining cottage, had coal fire when we moved in, thankfully got gch 2 years ago. I really fitted in at first with all the black smudges over my face, from doing the fire in the morning and forgetting to look in mirror.

Dh is useless at diy. Thankfully my dad is a completely gem! He has slowly worked his way through whole house for me, since getting gas in he has laminated floors, tiled whole bathroom, papered etc etc.

I love my dad!!

nailpolish · 14/12/2006 12:36

girls, a house isnt the be all and end all

ive certainly found that out

id live in a shed if it meant i could have dh home in time for the girls to see him as much as we would all like

and for him not to say "jesus im knackered"

all the time

and for me not to get these friggin phone calls "trains are late again babe"