I’m sick and tired of stupidly expensive commuter belt living. Opportunity for DH to work from home 4days. Where can we get much more space for our money but still be close to good schools?

[Lookingforspace]

We live in Snooty Mc Snootville yummy mummy suburban paradise apparently. I’ve grown to hate it. It depresses the hell out of me and we simply can’t afford it. House is worth a stupid amount (I feel) but it needs work and it’s too small for us. We can’t afford anything bigger.

DH has been offered a role primarily based at home. It’s been on the cards for 2yrs but only just been confirmed. We long for space; proper space both inside and out. Trouble is schools. We have 3 children, two of whom are already at seniors (Y7&8) They are at grammar school, Y7 DD at a very highly selective one.

Where can we go and can get what we want for maximum budget of 750k? I was thinking Lincolnshire as cheaper but still a grammar system but I don’t know.

I don't think a drastic change of address is needed. We live in the "commuter belt". A yummy mummy snooty free area.

If you are near me I can name at least 2 places that would fit your description and yes it would colour my view of commuter belt living. Not every place is like how you describe.

Thanks Poppy but to get the outdoor space we want, we’d be looking at 1m+ in Bramhall too. CH too urban for me but again, the space means £££.

OP I think your main problem is you have too much money

If your budget was smaller your choices would be more restricted and you might be more inclined to focus on the positive.

Just a thought.

I think we probably have different social circles @Lookingforspace as my children aren't at school yet. I'm also on maternity leave so love all the coffee shops. I may be in your situation in a few years time though. I have a friend with a daughter at Bowdon Prep and she has referenced the YMs a few times.

We moved from Hale to Timperley about 6 months ago. We have 50% more house space and twice as much garden (but nowhere near an acre). I love being near the tram as agree the traffic can be dreadful.

Have you looked out towards Lymm, High Legh etc.? Saves moving schools and you'll escape a little bit.

Otherwise come and hang out with my squad. Less yummy and more slummy but lovely all the same!

I think someone else has mentioned Cambridgeshire. Go South Cambs near the beds border, excellent state schools (some of the best in the country), and an easy commute to London.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-64074535.html

Thanks everyone. Lots to think about

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-69090854.html Needs some doing up but good grammar schools nearby and you have money left over to make it your own. The land is 1/2 acre but is lovely.

Hmm, everywhere naice is full of yummy mummys though. And people are shockingly materialistic these days. Unless you want to live somewhere more downmarket, sadly I think it's par for the course.

I'm from Lincoln and some really good state schools LSST in the city and William Farr in a village just outside called Welton . Also good private school Lincoln Minster . You could definitely get everything on your wish list for £750.000 here . I'm biased of course as it's my home town 😉

Lincolnshire has loads of Grammar Schools and it's 1hour on the train into London Kings Cross from Grantham. Not at all snooty and you'd get a huge house or smaller house with land for your budget.

Shropshire. Not stuck up or pretentious at all!

This school? www.adamsgs.uk

and a house like this?
www.primelocation.com/for-sale/details/45839161?search_identifier=e018fd9696883a79d0af7ca49e075975#dFxcoPZv5gZhL3Om.97

Why not move further in to Cheshire? You have the option then of the children still going to school in Manchester or private or to one of the really good local schools
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E13733

I am just not convinced that if your dd is near the top at a high acheiving super selective grammar and "needs pushing" you will be truly happy with a comp.
Its not an issue i faced, rather the opposite but we waited years for an appropriate gap in education. Dds 1 and 2 had just finished and Dd3 was due to change from lower to middle.
There is a phrase "you are only ever as happy as your least happy child". I just wonder if dc dont continue on their projected path whether you might wonder/ regret it.
We moved relatively recently and dd3 whilst happy at home and school still misses her friends/ school/ life she had before. She is year 5. Cant quite picture it with a year 7 and 8. Like you we didnt have to move but wanted to.

You’ll have missed the main entry points for admissions, so popular schools may well be full. Your plan seems to be at the risk of disrupting your DCs’ education and social ties.

Also consider the scenario that your DH is made redundant in the future, so would be good to live near other job options.

Thank again everyone.
Pieceofpurplesky, that linked to an area which would be 1.5-2h commute to school every day but I agree that there’s less bling that way.

AJPTaylor, you are right and I’m probably being selfish. Our youngest child is the other end of the spectrum academically speaking and that’s probably playing on my mind. My eldest fits in because he’s bright, happy and sporty and DD fits in because she’s sporty, objectively very pretty and she’s super super bright. I just worry about poor DS2 and think more space and a more relaxed upbringing with less pressure may be much better for him (and me)

Surely your super bright DD will do just fine wherever she goes (as long as it’s half decent). I’d be less worried about that and more worried about meeting the needs of the one more likely to struggle.

Poole. Lovely location, good schools and you could get a lovely house for £750k

Herefordshire is even cheaper than Worcestershire but it is 3 hours on the train to London.

Have a look at Alford grammar in Lincolnshire.

Mrscog, yes, I am more worried about my younger one as I feel where we currently live is very much geared up to children more like my older two. However, if we move then I’m also slightly worried about DS1 as he’s a teenage boy and it could ruin his confidence and set back his education.

DD is the one I’m least worried about although obv is like her to be somewhere that challenges her the way her current school does but I’m assuming she’ll get that in top set at a comp anyway.

I think realistically you should stay put. You don’t have to compete with yummy mummies if you don’t want to, there are always lovely down to Earth mums even at the most pretentious of schools and in the wealthiest towns. Maybe try to take up a hobby to meet some new people?

OP, we were "lucky" in that by the time we moved we only had one dd to worry about. She has some additional needs so our search criteria could be narrowed down lots to, near the sea, small town, can get into London, excellent comp with provision for SEN.
Once that was our criteria. It was easy to find the answer once we had defined the solution.
So, i am not saying dont necessarily but be brutally honest about what you cant compromise on. For us it was the school and that meant a different house to my ideal but if we hadnt done so we would still be looking now

And just re reading. The fact that your dd is sporty, super bright and super pretty makes me (as a mother of 3 daughters,2 grown up) sadly say dont move her without really thinking it through. Teen girls can be grim, esp to pretty, clever and sporty newcomers. It makes me sad to type that but it had to be a consideration.

Could you decrease the house budget and see if DD can get scholarship to a good private plus excellent comp. We live outside of Newbury with lots of good secondaries and lots of privates. You could get a do-er upper for your budget which would meet your requirements.