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.

What about Norfolk?
https://www.wymondhamcollege.org/
If you don't live in catchment students can be day boarders or full boarders.

Come and live by the sea in Wales

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-64713943.html

That house is gorgeous temporary.
Honestly though op, I don’t think you can move your older dc because of the reasons you list - I mean you can - but it would be a bit selfish. I say that with all sympathy by the way, as we live somewhere very built up, heavy traffic etc and I would love a bit more quiet and space, but I know the best thing for my shy and slightly awkward ds is to stay at his school. Don’t underestimate what you have in terms of schooling. I have found that I need to adjust my outlook on things as well and really try to focus on the positives.

Houses are irrelevant when OP has secondary age DC who need schools, when there very likely won’t be places.

Moving could be hugely disruptive for the older DC. Even if places at popular schools could be found, wherever schools are oversubscribed there will probably be parents of the type OP - herself financially wealthy and whose DC are in popular and selective schools - dislikes. And there would be different issues with the less popular comprehensives.

Thanks everyone.
@Furano, nowhere have I said I want to live somewhere posh, in fact probably the opposite. I’ve also said I think my daughter would do fine in a comp as most comprehensive schools I’ve come across have a top set who they push on. I’m not sure why you inferred what you did.

I think you’re all correct about moving the older two. And just to be clear, DS2 has additional needs so we’ve known since he was very young that he wouldn’t be going to a grammar school; before we moved to Trafford in fact. So it’s not that I’m suddenly frustrated by the grammar system. Thank you, @holycityzoo, I’m glad you’re local and get what I’m saying. I do think there is something very insular and bubble like about this bit of Cheshire which is hard to explain to those who don’t live here.

Anyway, those if you saying we’d struggle to get in year school places somewhere else are probably correct. They are both very happy at school and DS1 is lucky to be at a high achieving Grammar that also happens to be co-ed as I know these are few and far between.

Thanks to those who offered me ideas and constructive advice. I’ve genuinely taken it all on board.

We’ve quite recently moved to Folkestone and love it. Son has joined Sea Cadets and sails, there is beautiful countryside behind us and breath taking coast line in front. Fantastic grammars (both in Folkestone or a bus ride away in Canterbury or Ashford). DH commutes in a couple of days a week to St Pancras - less than an hour door-to-door. Social scene is fab (many people moving down from London lookin* to make friends) -plus huge amount of investment and regeneration so there are always plenty of things to do at weekend. 750k will get you a beautiful period detached with a decent chunk of land and probably a bit of change too. We’ve lived all over (outside of UK too) and it is so friendly and welcoming here can’t ever see us leaving 😁

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-53817210.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-52890261.html

Near the sea here. Lots of space in surroundings. State schools good but maybe not as good as you'd like.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-63754192.html

Why don't you just move in trafford join the local groups it sounds like you need to change who are mixing with. Primary school can be such strange time

Bournemouth/Poole. Not the cheapest place but has most of what you are looking for.

Ripon and Skipton, both have good schools and I don't get a snooty feel for them. Skipton also has the benefit of having a station for going to London. Harrogate, Ilkley and Otley also have good (but non-selective) schools. But you might still get the snootiness in Harrogate. Less so in Otley.

I think the main problem you have is wanting a house with land, but not wanting a farm or barn conversion, as those are the houses that tend to be in a decent plot! This appears to be the closest I could find to what you liked.

Those places are very down to earth and fairly nice places to live (IMO and I have lived in both) Whats but the schools are oversubscribed and unless you are lucky enough to be one of the dozen or so kids who gets in at 13+ you won't get in.

You can drive to York Station from Ripon for the fast trains to Kings Cross in about 40 mins (25 miles) but even the non GS in Ripon is full.

Has York been mentioned?Lovely place with some good schools.

I live in Lincoln and commute to London. Depends exactly where in Lincoln you start and where in London you end, for me I'm 3 miles outside Lincoln City centre travelling south of the river in London and it's 4 hours door to door. Trains coming out of King's Cross aren't the most reliable and they are ridiculously pricey. I wouldn't have chosen this commute but we're here for local family.

Your budget would buy you a nice house with land, though.

I know Cheshire a bit and think I know what you're meaning about where you live just now

If you'd seriously consider Scotland, East Dun has the highest number of top 10 state schools, and most areas are handy for the airport.

We looked at this recently www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-54792417.html

It's a bit out of budget for us, but not you, and is in the catchment for one of the top 10 Scottish state schools yet is still "proper countryside" - great if you're horsey at all?

That area is about 30min from Glasgow airport. I used to do very regular trips to London and would usually do the following:

30 min drive to airport, park in fast track parking for the day (straight into security) arriving 40min before flight, 1hr 20min flight to LCY and then would usually be at my central London destination within an hour of landing - 3.5hrs door to door total once I got it down to an efficient art. There are also NCP car parks near Central station if the train is preferable. Doing either of those 1 day a week is very feasible.

Op - you live in a very well to do part of Trafford, but as a pp said, you'd get lots more for your money if you moved a few miles north. Sale/Stretford/Urmston are all nice, you get more for your money and there are a couple of decent non-selective schools there.

Another vote for Wirral, by the sea and gorgeous houses www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-72915440.html

There are good schools anywhere in the country.

I'm not sure you are going to find an extreme ly high achieving school that isn't in a nice area. There are going to be areas like the golden triangle in Yorkshire that have good schools and larger houses, but the schools may not be as good as you are used to and the areas will still be nice.
You could consider a cheaper area with private schooling.
What do your dc think about the idea of moving?

If you do look at Wirral, you may prefer to look at the Mersey coast side rather than the Dee coast, which is similar to Hale. Somewhere like New Brighton might be perfect, or over Bidston way.

So what happens if your DH role changes and he cannot WFH 4 days.
Or he hates it and wants to revert to being in the office?
Or the commute?

It seems you are planning a huge upheaval for everyone involved ?

I'm surrounded by Range Rovers/4WD/BMW/Audi drivers.
A fair few Yummy Mummy types.
I ignore them. They don't impact on me except when they park so fecking close I can't get into my car

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-56499628.html

Below your budget, easy access to Manchester for the train to London and there is a good grammar locally. That grammar has a reasonable mix of intake but if not suitable the price difference should cover private fees.

In your situation I'd just move out of Trafford but keep the kids in their (senior) schools. North Trafford is less pretentious but you won't get space, there just isn't the housing stock. One of the villages around Warrington/Lymm etc would do, wouldn't it? You could get something like this: rural, no onward chain, near motorway...?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-72978098.html