Expatinscotland, Pruni and other Edinburgh Mumsnetters - I need your advice re: moving back to Edinburgh.

[SpawnChorus]

DH and I lived in Edinburgh for eight years (mainly as students) before moving to the South East about 5 years ago.

We've just been on holiday and have regained a bit of perspective on what we want to be doing. We've decided that we would love to move back up to Edinburgh. The practical considerations are as follows:

1. DH needs to find a job.

2. we will probably need to rent for a while (too difficult to buy from this distance).

3. we think we can afford approx £800-900 a month for rent (although this depends on what we can let this house for).

Soooo, what would be a good area for a young family? DCs are nearly 3 yo and 15 months. We'd like to be central. Marchmont would be idea, I think...but we weren't really tuned into family life when we were in Edinburgh, so maybe you lot can advise me

Where do we look for rented properties? I've tried ESPC but there's almost nowt! Not even if I search with an unlimited £ pcm.

Rally looking forward to hearing what you have to say

bump

Can't really help with letting - it's been so long since I did it. Here's a website that might give you a starting point.

When we rented when dd1 was small, we went through a housing association as some did private lets. Not sure what the score is now. It meant we got somewhere unfurnished and had a landlord which took any repairs seriously.

Marchmont is very studenty...

I like portobello and joppa. Lots of families live there too, beach, parks, swimmin gpool. You shoudl certainly check it out

hasn't Expat just left Edinburgh partly due to the high cost of housing?

i studied near marchmont and the meadows tis tres studenty not many families iirc
loved portobello too pointy!

You'll know more than m,e then, hairsy. I've never lived there but it looks like a good place to live. Sort of boho but with a rouhg edge. And the beach and the sea!

The other end is good too, Morningside, Polwarth, Craiglockhart, Fairmilehead. Don't know anything about renting I'm afraid, but Edinburgh in general is well geared up for families.

oh yes, housig very expensive but I took it that spawn was aware of that.

I have no experience of renting either I'm afraid, but Marchmont, although a bit studenty, also has loads of families. It's a great place for family activities too, playgroups, ballet, swimming, music, drama groups and so on. I spend half my life going there to take children to one thing or another, and lots of our friends live there. It's worth thinking in terms of catchment areas with a 3 year old, unless you don't mind moving again, so Marchmont/Bruntsfield/Morningside/Sciennes would all be good areas. Don't rule out other places for primary though, there are plenty of good ones. Pruni is in Leith atm and likes it. I think the Evening News has properties to let, but that may be flatshare type things. There are often places in the university Bulletin, do you want me to look?

SpawnChorus, hello, I live in central Edinburgh and rent a good two bed flat in the bracket you've given. I live in Stockbridge and would thoroughly recommend it for families, very near everything, lots of toddler groups, Botanics, etc. Maybe try looking through agents like DJ Alexander, Retties, Anna Harper Letting, Braemore and Dickens. They all seem quite well represented around here not sure about elsewhere.

I'd also second the Porty/Joppa thing. It's great down there, obviously, not so close to town, but fab to have the beach. If I was planning to move from where I am then that would be my next choice. Ought to add that I do know someone who got beaten up there a couple of weeks ago for having an 'English' accent (he's Scottish, but anyway). But I guess that could happen anywhere.

Don't mean to be negative - I think you'll love moving back!

Just checked the Bulletin, and there's a two bedroom flat in Bruntsfield (fab neighbours ) for £600 pcm and a three bedroom flat near the castle for £800 pcm. That one's only available for a few months, but it does suggest that you should be fine within your price range.

Hi there - just saw this thread, don't think I"ve ever seen one just about Edinburgh on Mumsnet before.

Agree with lots of the posts that there are loads of areas in Edinburgh which are good for young families (in fact I'm struggling to think of an area which ISN'T good). I live in Leith and I absolutely love it here - tons of amenities and incredibly friendly. (I grew up in one of the 'poshest' bits of Edinburgh and absolutely HATED it. Give me Leith any day!).

Marchmont is a lovely bit of town but as a few posters have said there are also alot of students there. This doesn't necessarily have to be a problem, I think you just need to check before you rent / buy anywhere to see who the neighbours are, so you don't end vicariously 'enjoying' student parties all weekend. I guess the other thing about Marchmont is that unless you are absolutely loaded you will pretty much have to live in a flat there - not ideal if you want a garden.

I'd also second the people saying Joppa and Portobello - I've got quite a few friends who live there and love it. Also much more affordable than other parts of town.

Oh- have to go DD1 is in need of a goodnight cuddle....

Bruntsfield/Morningside/Marchmont have loads of families - as does Polwarth, bit cheaper, fewer amenities perhaps.
Leith is good, but schools a wee problem unless you are Catholic! It is noticeably rougher and doesn't have a proper deli . But plenty going on.
TBH I wouldn't go for places that you can see are bungalow-lands. Before moving, we did a few trips, just driving round, and there are loads of parts of Edinburgh with just houses and then a wee row of shops, eg a plumber's, a hairdresser, a bank and an interior decorator - hardly swingin'. Liberton springs to mind. Fairmilehead, maybe? OTOH we use public transport so it's quite important to not have to go a mile for a pint of milk.
When we were looking to buy, we almost gave up and rented, and you can get a decent two-bed flat for about £800, maybe that was 3-bed, can't remember, in the Brunstfield area. I think we were looking for a main-door, though.
When you move, get in touch!

knickerelasticjones, that's a new name to me - are you an 'oldie' who's name-changed?

PS Spawn, we came back for exactly the same reasons as you: had been students, loved it. DH's job was sortable. We have no regrets. Yes property prices are high, and that is a bugger, but Edinburgh's great.

Oooh Prunie, you look all girly with your new name Saw you this weekend through the window, btw, but didn't feel it appropriate to hammer on the window and wave madly.

of people moving to Edinburgh

THe window of the place where I was? Oh I had such a nice time.

Wow - you are all so fabulously helpful!

Thank you so much. I'm off to start raking through letting websites.

Oooooh I'm so excited

Yes, that's the one- you all looked very chilled and zen, which is why hammering on the window didn't seem appropriate. So glad you enjoyed it

SpawnChorus, you're welcome- I guess you can tell that we love it here! Naily would also be good on this, she moved relatively recently too.

Can also recommend the Shandon colonies - young family central, flats and maisonettes but all the properties have their own gardens, close to a nice park and canal and a good primary school (it's 2 miles out of the centre, other side of polwarth and merchiston).

yy SHandon colonies lovely but now £££
Over £250K to buy....(we tried!)

Tamum, we were quite zen - it was that sort of thing. Still feeling it tbh.

OMG I couldn't resist looking at flats for sale. check this one out...drool

Hi Prunie - no, I'm not a name changer, have only discovered mumsnet quite recently. Agree with you about the lack of Deli in leith by the way. Although there are a couple of pretty good ones down by the shore, and I personally quite like the large number of Polish delis popping up everywhere.

Good point about schools - also something to bear in mind if you are thinking about Shandon Colonies. Don't think the local schools there are too fantastic.

The colonies in Leith are lovely too!

Oh right - well, Hello, then!
I like the Polish delis as well, though there's only so much pickled cabbage a girl can eat...
Are you coming to the christmas meet up?? There's a thread somewhere.

I'm in Newington and it's quite studenty too but loads to do with kids - there's the Commonwealth pool, a big new playpark on the Meadows, some good playgroups etc. We sublet our flat through a company called Dunpark (or Dunnpark, can't remember) a few years ago and they seemed pretty good. I'd hate to live anywhere else, we were students here and DH, who's from London, says nothing would entice him back South .

Good luck!