Best places to live for family life in Cheshire

[Lioncar]

relocating to Cheshire and flexible about where exactly. Want a detached family home for 350 so that will guide us somewhat. Good schools and not too busy but not too remote plenty of countryside around us...

Ideally east cheshire and south towards Stoke is good.

Any cheshire mums here to advise?

Alsager or sandbach are nice areas, have good schools and would get a decent 3/4 bed detached for 350k such as:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-97556465.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-84201088.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-95779076.html

Some of the villages around Nantwich are lovely as well.

They look lovely!

What about congleton and holmes chapel - are they nice places to raise a family?

Cuddington, Tarporley, bunbury, Whitley are lovely

Agree with BrokenBrit - I went to school/trained to teach in 3 of the secondary schools in Sandbach, Nantwich and Alsager - all great and all lovely places to live.

I live in Tarporley and it’s lovely for family life. Tattenhall, Christleton and Bunbury are nice too but I would say if you don’t drive to check what public transport is available in some of those places :)

Sandbach, Congleton, Holmes Chapel, Nantwich, Alsager. All are very nice places to live. Holmes Chapel has a strong ‘village’ community. Goostrey is lovely, again with strong community feel, though fewer amenities.

The area is a lovely place to live. Well connected by rail and train. Manchester and Liverpool not far. Days out in the Lakes, the Peaks and North Wales...

Thelwall, grappenhall, Appleton is lovely and you can buy for 350. Busy town center very near with lots of motor way links near by. Schools are great too.

Great Budworth is beautiful

Disley right next to a national trust park, easy access to town on the train and great pubs and walks down the canal.

I live in Congleton, with my young family and we are really happy here. Relatively low house prices and good schools. Amazing countryside literally on your doorstep, but good transport links to Stoke & Manchester.

I grew up in Congleton and lots of family and friends still live there. I’d definitely recommend it - great transport links, lovely countryside and good schools too. Best of luck with your house hunting!

Where are the nice and not so nice parts of congleton? This is my worry is where I live I know the nice and not so nice areas, but I dont know that for holmes chapel, congleton or sandbach...

also looking at Chester but I know there will be definite nice and not nice places within Chester as its much bigger... anyone know Chester well?

@Lioncar

also looking at Chester but I know there will be definite nice and not nice places within Chester as its much bigger... anyone know Chester well?

I live in Chester. Upton and Hoole are very nice. Avoid Newtown and Vicars Cross.

Oh and absolutely avoid Blacon.

Oh good grief. Newton is literally next door to Upton and Hoole and is really, really nice.

Blacon and Lache get a snobbish response re chester but in reality both are good solid communities with decent housing and lovely people. You get bad apples anywhere.

@Lioncar

Where are the nice and not so nice parts of congleton? This is my worry is where I live I know the nice and not so nice areas, but I dont know that for holmes chapel, congleton or sandbach...

I would say the most sought after/expensive area in Congleton is Mossley, but to be honest everywhere is fine. There is only one area that is a bit less desirable but with your budget you I wouldn’t have thought anything around there would be on your radar. X

@NationalShiteYear

Oh good grief. Newton is literally next door to Upton and Hoole and is really, really nice.

Blacon and Lache get a snobbish response re chester but in reality both are good solid communities with decent housing and lovely people. You get bad apples anywhere.

Not Newton, Newtown on the other side. By the fire station.

Are there any other places that have not been mentioned that are worth considering?

So Crewe has a bad rep generally. It’s a big industrial town and so has socio-economic problems like any large town.
I’ve lived here all of my life - 37 years. Like anywhere there are good areas and bad areas.
Downsides to Crewe: town centre - promises to be redeveloped year on year, very 70s style and unfortunately now most shops are empty as supposedly the new development is happening 🤞🏼
Positives to Crewe:
Good schools both secondary and primary
Excellent travel links and good location - most major places are ‘an hour away’
Retail park has quite a few shops but also super quick and easy to pop to stoke to the shopping centre there.
Hospital - close access to Leighton hospital which has A&E plus a million other wards catering for everything :-)
Queen’s Park - the most beautiful park with a lake and pathways. Absolutely beautiful- a real gem of a place to be so lucky to be so close to!

Myself and all of my family and friends are all born and raised in Crewe - were all decent people, all have good jobs and none of us have criminal records

I live in Wistaston now, between Crewe and Nantwich. I have a beautiful home and can’t imagine wanting to move - we’re close to good schools, lovely parks to walk the dog and have wonderful neighbours.

And so yes, in summary, good areas and bad areas. But community are fabulous with a lot supporting change and helping to make that change. With the budget you have you don’t need to worry about the ‘ropey’ areas

I’m aware I’m waffling. My 11 month old doesn’t like to sleep and so I’m just sat in the nursery hoping he’ll nod off again soon!!!

Ps: you’ll get a lot more for your money buying in Crewe compared to Nantwich and sandbach. Both of these towns are 10mins away max yet property prices are higher.
Personally I’d rather have more home for my money and a 5/10min car journey to Nantwich or Sandbach if I need to go there.

Just check transport links - don't know where you need to travel for work but J18 Holmes Chapel and J19 Knutsford on M6 notoriously busy.

The good thing about Crewe area is the rail links, if post pandemic, you’re commuting by train it has excellent train links and v close to motorways. Nantwich is lovely and the villages south are really nice, look into Audlem it’s a really lovely village, good schools, lovely canal walks

Also places just south of there like Baldwin’s Gate you’ll get a huge house as its onHs2 Route so big houses sell for decent prices at the mo the village is lovely

We live in a village just outside of Nantwich. @Stargirl2707 is right when she says Crewe gets a bad rep. It has its pros and cons.

Nantwich/Sandbach and other small towns can be expensive and the Nantwich schools are quite over subscribed but there are some lovely smaller village schools which aren’t.

StarGirl the retail is shocking at peak times, I was stuck on there for nearly an hour recently!

@passmethewineplease I’ve been very fortunate and have never been stuck on the retail park in traffic for long periods of time. Must always time it right , and on weekends never park near boots as that’s where traffic always gets held up :-) parking near M&S always works for me :-)