Where to live near Southampton ?

[JaneKD]

My husband has just been offered a job in Southampton. We are looking to buy/rent somewhere commutable to Southampton and am hoping someone could offer some advice on surrounding areas.

We have considered Winchester (seems lovely but expensive), Chichester (cheaper but maybe too far), Salisbury (a lot of negative comments on mumsnet). Our price limit for buying is about £350k, we also have two kids under 5 so primary schools are an important consideration.

I'd be so grateful for any advice or recommendations from other families in the area as it's impossible to get a feel for areas just by browsing the internet or driving around.

what sort of thing do you like - rural,suburbs, village,city centre,new forest??

Hi Sharbie,
Ideally we want somewhere with a busy town/village centre with a few shops, good places to eat, friendly young families and good schools etc. Could be a busy town or even a rural village within close proximity to a busy town/city. New forest look stunning but I know very little about it or how remote it is.
Thanks

chandlers ford is a bit suburban but nice few shops with a waitrose and very good schools.close to mway and has a train station.£350k will prob buy a detached place there.

new forest quite exp and can get really busy traffic in summer.can be v isolated for teenagers.brockenhurst college is sposed to be good not sure about schools.

villages around winch are nice but need a car and schools would be good.again close to mways but not sure that £350k wd go v far.

i wd say most of southampton not great re traffic and for your cash you wd be better spending it somewhere else but haven't lived there for years so may be corrected by other posters.

loads of diff places to choose from - something for everyone here really.good luck.

I would say Eastleigh/Chandlers Ford or Romsey for what your looking for, or maybe hedge end/whiteley where there are lots of new build communities and shops.

Also more village like are Sarisbury Green and Lowford/Burlesdon which are on the A27 between Southampton and Fareham - easy commute to Southampton(close to M27).

yy romsey nice small town

Have you looked at the posh areas of Southampton like Bassett, parts of Shirley are lovely, but quite close to the council estate which is quite chavvy. Highfield is really nice, close to Portswood for shops and still very close to the city centre, but right slap bang by the university so lots of student accomodation (not sure whether that would bother you). Also very close to the common which is lovely and has loads for families to do (bike riding, play area, pond, paddling pool in the summer).

I live on the East side of the city near Woolston. I would say this is the cheap side of the city (hence why I live here!). Your money would go a long way on this side of the river. However Woolston is currently a dying duck shops wise - but there is a massive waterside development being built, this is being viewed as good or bad depending on who you talk to - so lots of regeneration due to take place. Bitterne which is close by has a good shopping precinct.

The main problem with this side of Southampton I feel are the schools. There are some very good infant and middle schools, but currently the Secondary school situation is pretty dire unless you can get into the Catholic secondary school, or have the money to go private.

another vote for romsey altho i'm not aware of how good the schools are there now

tutu, I am also in Woolston and bought here dec 2008, we bought cheap and one of the main draws was that it's close to the city and hopefully once the new development is built prices will go up and the area will be alot nicer-with more shops!

Ohh 86Pinkle another Woolstoner. I wonder if I know you in rl?

Ringwood is very commutable for Soton, dh does it every day.
Fab primary and secondary schools.

25mins to soton from ringwwod

Titchfield - nice cafe, fab butchers, two local stores and PO, not far to Sainbury's and Fareham.

Hedge End/Boorley Green also semi rural and not bad.

I would recommend Swanmore, Botley and Bishops Waltham areas. Close to Southampton but have a village feel.

What about the Isle of Wight there are fast
ferries pedestian from west Cowes and cars from east Cowes to Southampton

The Island has good schools, wonderful scenery with both rural and seaside towns, and there is plenty to do even when the tourists have gone home.

There is even a Waitrose being opened in East Cowes (cant wait)

Plus property is a lot cheaper than the mainland.

I used to work in Woolston, and lived in College Road.

Based on my memory nice areas outside of Southampton - Bishop's Waltham, Botley, Romsey, Titchfield, and Meon Valley. If you're into yachts then Hamble or Warsash.

In Southampton - Highfield, Basset, Bitterne (park bit near the river) Shirley.

The Flower estate, Derby Road, St. Marys had a bad name but that might have changed. If you drive around the city you can obviously see the bad bits.

You might need to sell some body parts to commute from the IOW every day - it gets more expensive every year on the ferries to Southampton, because Red Funnel have the monopoly. DB moved away from Bitterne Park last year, cos it had gone downhill so much, and the school there now is terrible (naturally the ex pupils aren't in any way to blame for that - are they? ). The area around Bursledon/Swanwick/Warsash/Sarisbury Green is nice, and not too far from the motorway - probably about right for your budget, too.

I would avoid Hamble, it used to be lovely but has had several new developments with one road in and out which used ot be a nightmare 15 years ago,must be a nightmare now.

We recently moved a long way away from Warsash and it has to be said that it's bliss not having to deal with the M27 anymore. Any accidents on it rapidly cause major problems around the Bursledon/Park Gate/Titchfield area. My DH had a 50 mile commute involving the M27 and it could take anywhere between 1hr 15mins and 5 hours to go one way - Fridays being particularly prone to problems. So if you are likely to need to commute along the M27 be prepared to take that into consideration.

Lovely Christchurch!

I was thinking today Dibden Purlieu and Hythe may fit your criteria. Both lovely areas to live. Close to the New Forest for walks. Easily commutable to Southampton either by car, or the ferry from Hythe. Hythe has lots of lovely little shops and a Waitrose. A few miles away is Totton with ans Asda and a slightly larger number of shops.

I have family living in this area and I think it's really lovely.

Chandlers Ford. And primary that serves Thornden secondary (which is considered 'outstanding'). Avoid Toynbee, Crestwood, Quilley, if you get any choice.

Romsey is nice, Mountbatten secondary school is good, Halterworth and Cupernham primaries are also good. I wasn't taken with Romsey Community secondary though I have heard it's OK.

Villages around Winchester, but try and get catchmented to Kings or Westgate secondaries.

As others have said, secondary schooling in Southampton has taken a nose dive. Avoid.

New Forest is lovely to live in BUT a) it's expensive, b) the summer traffic can be unbearable and c) the schooling can be patchy.

Salisbury is great if you are absolutely sure a DS is grammar school material. Not quite so dire for girls as there's a good girls SM, St Edmunds.

Villages along the Solent have improved since the oil refineries have got cleaner. I'm told Foxhills primary (inf + jun) are good and Hounsdown has improved immeasurably.

Avoid Testwood secondary in Totton!

Good luck.

I meant 'ANY' primary that serves Thornden! There are 6 main 'feeders'.

I'd also second what was said about relying on the M27 or any possible 'holiday route' towards Bournemouth. It can be a traffic jam from the Southampton junctions all the way to Ringwood and beyond!

I grew up in Southampton and lived in North Baddesley nr Romsey (1960's development near ROmsey), which is nice though not very exciting; Shirley which is a nice suburb even if the council estate is not great. I went to Shirley School and Regents Park School and at the time they were both really good. You can easily get into the city centre but also have the Common and Sports Centre etc nearby.
Other nice suburbs I think are Portswood (near the University), St Denys, Bitterne/Bitterne Park.

I also have family in Warsash nr Fareham which is a lovely place but would second what others say about the M27.

Are you planning to commute by car or rail? It may make a difference about where you choose to live.
I would not rule out living back in Southampton again, it's got something for everyone..

I second Sailorgal, but I like it round here.

Bishops Waltham is about 45mins from S'ton.