moving to the Wirral- advice please!

[cheekymonk]

Hi there, a few of you very helpfully commented before when i started a similar thread. DH and I are pretty much set that we are moving up here BUT it seems a minefield where is nice or not! Dh has had a bit of look around and got some advice off locals who advised him to avoid most of birkenhead, new ferry, rock ferry and woodchurch.
Am i reight in saying left of the motorway is generally posher? What is nocturum like?
prenton, moreton, claughton and upton are coming up within our budgets as are bits of bromborough and bebington. So where are the best schools?
DS is 7 and DD is only 16 months but we don't really want to move again after this move so would hope to get in catchment of good primarys and secondarys. i am really keen on grammar system too so would be grateful fior your advice!
I have a great big map up in our kitchen all annotated!

All well and good to say avoid Birkenhead but that is a huge generalisation and unhelpful if you are on a limited budget. Best parts of bhead are very nice indeed, Prenton and Oxton are lovely. Some very smart roads in claughton too but then it borders the rougher edges of the north end. Noctorum is a similar tale some stunning enormous houses and then a huge council estate. Bebington and Bromborough are very nice especially around Poulton Lancelyn, Spital, Wirral Grammar School etc. I think you need to go up and get a feel. Heswall West Kirby etc are really very smart areas but also, like anywhere, have rough elements. If I was moving back I would live in Oxton Village or West Kirby because I like Victorian houses and coffee shops. If you like a new build style the world is your lobster.

DM me for more questions...

thanks spotty! Whats dm? Yes I see birkenhead is a huge area too! We live in a victorian house now. Main desire is space and not to be in rows and rows of houses with not a bit of green in sight!
I like coffee shops too. Want somewhere friendly and welcoming, where i won't worry about drug dealers, getting burgled or knifed preferably! My ds plays outside and I hope that would continue.
I know however, budget is restricting as it is £110K max for a 3 bed house...
Thanks again spotty. yes i need to go. I did drive through and found it was bigger than i expected too!

There's been a lot of money put into new Brighton over the last ten years. It used to be a ghost town, but has lots of new houses and shops now and a couple of nice parks and is right by the beach too!

interesting sillybeardy. I see it is right at the top right hand corner! Will have a look...thank you

Good luck with your search!

All well and good to say avoid Birkenhead but that is a huge generalisation and unhelpful if you are on a limited budget. Best parts of bhead are very nice indeed, Prenton and Oxton are lovely. Some very smart roads in claughton too but then it borders the rougher edges of the north end. Noctorum is a similar tale some stunning enormous houses and then a huge council estate. Bebington and Bromborough are very nice especially around Poulton Lancelyn, Spital, Wirral Grammar School etc. I think you need to go up and get a feel. Heswall West Kirby etc are really very smart areas but also, like anywhere, have rough elements. If I was moving back I would live in Oxton Village or West Kirby because I like Victorian houses and coffee shops. If you like a new build style the world is your lobster.

DM me for more questions...

oops sorry reposted accidentally. Direct Message.

I or v. close members of my family have lived in Spital, Prenton, Moreton, Heswall, caldy, higher bebington. All nice, we were burgled once in 20 years in Prenton, no drug dealers next door, no knife crime locally that I can recall. Send me some you like and I will be brutally honest privately so as not to offend the world. Hoylake and Meols are nice too, posher side of the M53 and near the sea with a feeling of space as a result.

dm sent spotty

Here are a few. Do not know the roads personally but not in awful areas. Have not lived on the Wirral for 20 years so local people may have an opinion...

The Noctorum one is as near as you could be to the posh stuff on Noctorum Lane and Budworth, without being mega expensive...

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-34386859.html?premiumA=true

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-23232660.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-22636188.html

Thanks spotty. Does that mean the ones i sent were no good?

I love the pensby one! May be able to get within our budget whereas the 1st one is beautiful but out of our reach. They do look much nicer than the ones I have saved. Thanks again spotty.

The Nocturum one is really nice too.

Posted my links before I saw yours. I have replied privately on those.

bump

Spital/Bebington nice- where we live and close to grammars. West Kirby side lovely but further from motorway. I work in Noctorum/Oxton, some is lovely.

I'm live in west Wirral Hoylake/Meols. Brilliants schools inc grammars and excellent comp nearby, beaches, sailing, good transport links and a variety of housing. You will struggle on your budget round here but how about nearby Moreton or Saughall Massie? I'd second the suggestion of Oxton or perhaps cheaper Prenton as I grew up around there.

Will have a look at a few properties and post again shortly.

Right,

Noctorum needs work but good price With off road parking and large garden

Pensby corner plot lovely gardens with good Primary school nearby slightly over budget

Bebington pleasant family area with good primary and grammar schools within walking distance

Bebington again well under budget do spend on making it your own with lovely garden and lots of schools nearby

Thanks JamieOliveOil, definitely some good choices! Seems like its do-able... Thanks again. Have got them saved

We've pretty much decided on bebington, hoping to get in catchment of Higher Bebington Junior School and Wirral Grammars for boys and girls. Think we can just about afford it! Anymore thoughts/advice welcome x

good choice.

An update! We all went up last weekend. stayed in TL in Eastham (christ, worst TL I have ever stayed in but nevermind!) Wow, so glad we went! Dh first drove us to West kirby, Caldy etc (beautiful but out of our league) then round parts of Birkenhead. I found it threatening and not at all somewhere I would want to live but obviously we didn't cover every road. Then tour round Woodchurch which wasn't too bad, preferred it to birkenhead but schools are the problem. bebington surprised me, a real mix of run down and ok. Bromborough seemed the same. Rock ferry and New ferry weren't quite as bad as i expected but I just felt a bit depressed driving round. I loved prenton and Oxton, definitely my fave areas. i liked the 1930's houses on a lot of the main roads too, set back off the roads which makes them more appealing! The people were generally very friendly and warm (apart from estate agent- lol!) but I did get a sense of culture shock! Cheshire Oaks looks amazing but there seem few chain shops in the wirral generally apart from supermarkets. I just worry that our budget is still very tight and doesn't buy us that much more than down here

Hi Cheekymonk. I move up to the Wirral 4.5 yrs ago and had exactly the same dilemma.. We opted for Oxton and love it here.

My DD (8) goes to Birkenhead High School (ex Private turned Academy) and still a fantastic junior school, the secondary part of the school is no non selective as such but seems to be doing ok (got my eye on it but hoping that it stays ok for my DD.

I love the fact that Oxton has a nice small villagey feel to centre, very friendly shop holders, 3 pubs, 2 butchers, grocers, newsagents, chemist, sweetshop, postoffice etc etc, and a few eating places.

I found the people here very friendly. The houses are mixed, some VERY expensive, some not so much. Also love that within 10 mins we can be over the water into Liverpool..

Great place to live and bring up children I think.

Good luck with it all

Thanks heifer, thats really helpful, thank you. Its all on hold at the moment as dh waiting for official yes for his transfer but i have noticed on rightmove that prices are going down!

Hi!
Resurrecting this thread.... We're keen to move up to the Wirral. My dad's family are from Birkenhead and I have friends up there too.
I'm hoping for some advice on areas, is it all pretty much the same as in the previous posts?
Also, what's the network for mums like - stuff to do with kids etc
Originally we were thinking west Kirby but it doesn't look like we'd be able to get much more house for our money than down here (herts) so the houses more in our budget are oxton, Prenton area. I've heard that Prenton should be avoided, is that an exaggeration?
Any advice would be really appreciated. We're planning a trip up in a couple of weeks to get a feel for the place, but if there are places we should just avoid it would be great to know in advance so we don't waste our time :)
Thank you!