Moving to Cornwall - budget only 260k

[Monica101]

I spent my childhood in Cornwall, in Falmouth.

I am currently planning to return to Cornwall in the next few years. I have a job which is internet based so location is not a problem but my budget is low.

I currently live in the North East where money goes further.

Could anyone offer any suggestions as where to look, only priority would be a good secondary school for dd and a three bed house not a flat.

Any suggestions thank you.

Pretty much anywhere except the coastal villages!

I don't have kids so don't know about secondaries but your budget will get a nice three-bed (or bigger) house in a range of towns. There are even places in Truro for that, but parking might be an issue.

260k sounds like an awful lot of money to me. We live in Cornwall and rent near St Ives, on a joint income of about 20k. You can pretty much go anywhere as long as you don't desperately want a cute cottage in a harbour village or a sea view. Best secondary school (by results/statistics) is in Camborne.

260k sounds like an awful lot of money to me, we rent near St Ives and have a joint income of about 20k. You should be able to go pretty much anywhere as long as you don't desperately want a cute cottage in a harbour village or a sea view. Best secondary school (by results/stats) is in Camborne.

Thanks, I had a depressing conversation with a friend who thought I would not be able to get much at all for that amount. She lives near Camborne actually but her standards may be higher than mine. I'm not expecting to get a detached house or anything amazing.

But it seems hopeful, I will have to look at which state schools will be possible for dd (I'll look at Camborne thanks morvoren).

I had hoped to go back to Falmouth which looking at rightmove seems expensive so that might be out.

Anywhere on the coast (north or south) tends to be expensive, especially if it's a picturesque place, but you wouldn't want to live there anyway because of the tourists and the traffic/parking in summer. Inland is much cheaper but less pretty, and some of the villages along the main arterial routes are grim. Around us is lovely (SE Cornwall) and not too costly, nor as busy as further west because tourists tend to pass through. £240-60K would get you a terraced 3 bed Victorian locally but no off street parking. Schools are not wonderful, but there are girls and boys grammar schools in Plymouth, which is also okay in parts, and fairly cheap.

Thanks for the info cressetmama, I did look into grammar schools but am I right that there are none in Cornwall just the ones you mention in Devon?

I'm in North Tyneside and there are no grammar schools but lots of outstanding secondaries so that is my only reserve about going down to Cornwall, if the schools are comparable to up here.

This little place in Crafthole is in your budget and easily commutable to plymouth grammars. I do it from a nearby coastal village www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-57508523.html

Around where I live, north coast, lovely town (top 10 best coastal towns to live in according to the Times) and about 6 miles from the sea, £260k would get you a three bed Victorian terrace. In the outlying villages you would probably get a bit more for you money. I love living here, there is a great community feel, the school is good, lots of independent shops and nice places to eat.

Thanks for the feedback, quite exciting - it feels more possible.

I'm interested in the idea of commuting to the Plymouth grammars. I will have to visit that part of Cornwall next holiday as I've never been. I am v much a Falmouth/Truro/Camborne person. But I should definitely explore other areas.

What about researching good secondaries then look in the catchment areas.
Penrice school in St Austell, or the Roseland community College Tregony, both very good schools.
Probus is good for families and catchment for the Roseland Sch. Quite central Cornwall.

I grew up in SE Cornwall and went to a Plymouth grammar. There were people at school from Callington, the Tamar Valley, Saltash, Torpoint and Bodmin - all are commutable and have relatively reasonably priced houses

Monica good luck in your search. PM me if you want any info about the Rame Peninsula or Tamar Valley x

I fell in love with Calstock when there. Lovely inland village on branchline from plymouth, right on the bordrer between devon and cornwall On the Taymar. 6 bedder for £210k?
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-55875755.html

That's a lovely house, but you'd have thought they'd have washed up!

That budget is more than adequate unless you want a seaview or David Cameron/Gordon Ramsey as a neighbour!

I have a four bedroom, three bathroom semi in a central village location - just valued at £240k.

How about some of the villages around Wadebridge or Wadebridge itself?

Although I'll be honest I have no idea what the secondary school is like as mine are just starting primary.

You can easy get a nice three bed house in Falmouth for £260,000.

Do you have friends/family still in Cornwall? I would first look at school catchment then where friends live and work back from there. I don't know how high you expectations are but you budget sounds enough outside tourist hotspots.

The problem you might come up against in Falmouth is competition from landlords buying student accommodation. But 260k will easily get you a 3 bed house.

My close friend lives in Black Rock so I initially thought Falmouth or Helston both which seem in budget.

I love both the houses linked to thanks, either would be just right.

Thanks for the school recommendations littlejo67, The Roseland Community College looks good and would still put me near to the area I know. Truro seems a bit more expensive but sill doable.

Dd would still be in primary school when/if I move but I'd want it all in place to be in a decent catchment.

I will still look into the Saltash area too as still quite interested in the Plymouth grammar though would be starting from scratch in that area as far as knowing anyone etc.

In the Tamar Valley, we have a mini railway line which makes getting to Plymouth a doddle. Not many trains, every couple of hours, but DS uses it for getting to school each day at 0735, and teachers can be nice to let him go a few minutes early to save him waiting around. If you want to work, then there are likely more opportunities in Plymouth than further west. I grew up in the far western end of Cornwall, and nothing on earth would get me to go back. It's just too far away from everything, and I am now thinking about moving to the Highlands of Scotland for retirement.

You can EASILY get a 3 bed in the Falmouth area for 260k. Falmouth and Penryn schools are both good and improving. Hang on and I'll send you some links.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-54610238.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-56340491.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-40125444.html

The second one is on an estate where they are still building so there's loads available there.

Cornwall has no grammar schools but the mainline and branch line railways run into Plymouth and all the grammar schools recruit quite widely. Be warned that it is competitive, and places don't always come up on schedule outside of Y7 and for 16+. Getting a place otherwise in another year would be a lottery. West of Liskeard might be too much of a journey for a child of 11/12.

Other schools are okay but they are rural comprehensives and therefore have to accept everyone in the catchment, so there's no element of selection, only streaming.

This is only slightly out of your price and is gorgeous!!
Trevethan Road, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-54137540.html