I want this house! How can I persuade DH to move up North??

[Mookatron]

Me and Dd2 want to move out of London and into the country.

I've just found our dream house www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/property/features/immaculate-stone-farmhouse-attached-luxury-cottage/.

I grew up in Yorkshire so I know this area is gorgeous but DH is complaining about the tiny issue of getting jobs...

How can I persuade him?! Could you commute to Leeds or Manchester from there?

It's an hours drive from Manchester and 55 min from Leeds so yes realistically he could commute if he wanted to. I think it looks really lovely, I want to live there!

Lovely
Not too bad a commute to Leeds and Manchester and high enough up to be ok if the Calder Valley floods again.
I don’t see how any e would rather live in London than up here if they had a choice

Direct trains as well from Hebden Bridge if he doesn’t want to drive

Just looking at Hebden Bridge trains. You're right, he could commute either way. I work from home so that's not an issue. Anyone know what the schools are like round there?

are you/your children religious?

No we're not, SpiceRack, is that question school related? Hopefully not area related...

Sorry I should have explained haha, there's a CfE primary school nearby that's supposed to be really good, are you looking at primary or secondary schools?

Have either of you ever lived out in the countryside? If not, it's going to be a complete shock after living in London (or any major city).

I was thinking secondary. I've seen the village primary and thought we would apply for that as it's the nearest. Do you think you have to be churchy to get in? I guess I should have thought of that.

I grew up in the country, Ifailed. DH has always lived in towns. I wonder if I should start a bit townier.

I have fallen in love with this house now, partly because of the cottage visitors could stay in. But should be realistic I suppose.

Do you live there, sarahjconnor? Lucky! Where do you work?

Your nearest secondary's would be Oakbank school which has an Ofsted status of " requires improvement " or The Holy Family Catholic School.

It might be worth asking in the Local section of mumsnet for people's experiences of getting into the religious schools without being religious, where I live now all the church schools are very relaxed about it but I know some schools where you need to member of the Church to sign off that the child has been going there for so many years

It's a beautiful house, but you are paying for a small farm.
Do you want all that land?

Hmm. I'm realising I've hugely under researched. I'm going to post on the local boards and see what I can come up with. Idealistic me has been thinking about the sheep I will raise but realistically I have never raised sheep in my life (though I've seen it done).

Thanks for input, all.

My village! 15 mins drive to hebden bridge and train is 40 mins to Manchester. 30 mins drive to keighley and train 30 mins to Leeds. Local school is 5 min drive. Waggon and horses pub is lovely as is Oxenhope. Do it!

Would DH be able to work from home when the snow sets in (as it has done this morning?).
Agreed - it’s a gorgeous part of the world but you need to be prepared for the realities of having to drive, what, 25 mins to a supermarket or other amenity (though I can’t remember what’s in Oxenhope). Even things like having takeaway delivered can (though not always) be more complicated.
FWIW I’m in a similar situation - from Yorkshire and hoping to move back when DP’s job doesn’t involve travel anymore.
Could you try somewhere like Hebden Bridge for something a bit more ‘towny’ to ease yourselves in?

Also to consider is the difference in the buoyancy of the housing market - if for any reason your move fell through, would you be willing to give up the big house and spend whatever you got for it on a much smaller place back in London?

Not sure about primaries but there are some decent (and outstanding) secondaries in Halifax - two grammars which I think are in the top 100 state schools.

I agree with Sqiffany: that's a lot of money for a 3-bed plus encumbrances. Keep looking.

Dailmailfuckrightoff (great name) that's what worries DH - that we won't ever be able to move back. Which is probably true to be honest.

I'll have a look in Hebden Bridge, for some reason I hadn't thought of it. Sad about this lovely house though, hope somebody nice gets it.

Both my boys went to North Halifax Grammar school from Oxenhope. School bus picked up in village and was a 20 minute drive away. Great school.
Its not quite so bleak as others making out here!

At least one of you knows what to expect! If I were in your shoes I'd look to rent for a while to make sure the whole family are happy with the change in lifestyle.
I visit Halifax regularly, and even then it's a bit of a shock comparing public transport to London. it looks like there's 1 bus an hour that runs near this property, and the last one is early evening.

Totally get the dream! Those views :) But isn't it would be cold and raining all the time! Who would look after/farm the land?

The ceilings look a bit claustrophobic to me. But the views are lovely. Seems like a real shock to the system coming out of London, though. If my countryside loving DH wanted to farm me out of London, I think I’d still want somewhere within walking distance of amenities including a station.

You would definitely need some livestock on that amount of land op! It's more of a small holding! Oxenhope is lovely (I have family there)but it would be a massive shock coming from a city. Ilkley and Bingley would have better transport links. My family who live there had dc (an age ago now, they're my age)in Holy Family and Oakbank schools . Neither are good.

Do people rent fields out though?

Anyway, I think I'm kissing this house goodbye (until I can buy it in ten years when DH is a hardened Yorkshireman and it magically comes back on the market). Ilkley is great advice, looks townie and rural.

Thanks again all.