Cheltenham or Gloucestershire move

[RyanStartedTheFire]

Considering relocation for DH's job. We have a budget of £300k max, need a three bed, preferably a four or an office space. We have two kids in a large school at home, 90 kids in each year, want something a bit smaller. Would we be able to afford a nice area in Cheltenham or are we stuck looking at Gloucester. Currently looking at Churchdown but DH is reluctant, he's heard from colleagues it's not very nice but I've not seen anything else suggesting that.
Anyone recommend any areas? Any opinions or help welcomed. I can't currently drive but will have to learn before the move - touch wood!

Gloucester and Gloucestershire two very different places!

Gloucester is a hell hole..chelt nice.

Yes, definitely wouldn't do Gloucester, would have to be a village outside. We live in neighbouring county at the moment so definitely know we don't want Gloucester.

Where is he commuting to for work as that will change where you want to be.

On the Gloucester side of Cheltenham. Sorry, vague.

A house that size in Cheltenham would be at least 500k. We have been in Churchdown 3 years and really like it. Great amenities and location for cheltenham, gloucester and the motorway.

Ah thanks Pob, I like the look of it and the schools and would reduce the commute which is the main reason to move. Currently living in a terraced three bed and reluctant to spend the extra £140k and have no bigger a property! Looks like we'd spent 300k and have the same house if we move to a good area in Cheltenham.

We chose it for the schools, even though first child hasnt been born yet! Our house has increased in value by 40k in 3 years, and we have spent about 20k on it. Its becoming a really popular area.

Haha, it's good to be prepared! DD1 is in year one and we won't move until after her phonics tests at the end of the school year and DD2 will start nursery next school year so hopefully we will move and settle over the summer. It's my biggest worry so I want to be moving them to a school I like as not keen on their current academy.

Tewkesbury or Bishop’s Cleeve and the surrounding areas maybe? On that budget it’s more likely to be a three bed not a four.

You might get more for your money if you go out to Worcester, Pershore or Evesham but that would increase the commute and I’m not familiar with the schools.

We're only about an hour away from DH's new job currently but he'll be going from working down the road to not getting home til half 6 so hoping for a little less of a commute than Worcester as we're already in that radius but I'll look into the other suggestions, thank you. Knew I'd have to let go of the hope of a four bed. We only have two DC and they're both girls so 3 bed is fine.

Oh the snobbiness!! I grew up in cheltenham and now live in gloucester suburb. Cheltenham used to be lovely, its now chavy and a bit crap in places. Gloucester is the same. Both have their nice place and their rough patches. If you ask me, the difference in price between the nice areas of both is not justified. Youre better off saving some money, going with gloucester/brockworth/abbeymead/cirencester/painswick areas than you are forking out for cheltenham only to find you get the same riff raff as you would anywhere you go.
But please dont move to the area with the pretentious attitude you've displayed here. Thats all the county needs.
If you cant drive then churchdown is very cut off from either town center. Youd have at least a half hour bus ride to either chelt or glos towns.
Glos town has thw quays, chelt town is losing a lot of businesses and is mostly coffee shops.
Also, having grown up near the cheltebham racecourse.. be prepared to be grid locked onto your own drive for 1 week out of the year. Living in cheltenham, you have little option but to book raceweek off work and either go on holiday or walk everywhere. Even then you'll get a busy town centre and not be able to move for plastic pint glasses and bet fred scarfs on the floor. They put a guiness van in the park of the spa waters for goodness sake. I have in depth experience of both. Dont be fooled into cheltenham

Also, sounds like a GCHQ job so getting there from the 'nice' parts of cheltenham will be harder than from the nice parts of gloucester

I’m from Cheltenham, but live in London, all my family are still there though. I love it & would love to move back.
We’ve lived in Charlton Kings & that is very pricey now & the Pitville area. I’ve got friends around Bourton on The Water, Broadway, Charlton Kings, Andoversford, Leckhampton, Whaddon & Hester’s Way. Everyone I know is pretty happy where they are, but they have children ranging in age from toddler to young adult so all have different school/nursery/college needs.
The race traffic etc is irritating, but as it’s not constant it’s fine.
I really enjoy the town centre & the easy access to good shops & restaurants & the surrounding villages & towns.

I’d decide on schools you would be happy with then buy a house as close as possible. Really close. The good /outstanding schools are very over subscribed so I’d use that as a starting point and go from there.
Bishop’s Cleeve is slightly further out of town but I have friends who love it there and you get more house for the money than you do in Cheltenham itself.

Otherwise Charlton Kings and Leckhampton are the best areas for schools but the house prices reflect that. Although this is just my opinion (schools). Good luck it’s a lovely place to live with loads to do at weekends etc.

I just looked and you can get a 4 bed new build in Bishop’s Cleeve for under £300k. It’s a nice place to live and only a few mins into Chelt. Has a village feel with a Tesco and a new lidl. Good fish and chip shop too!

Did I just read that Hester's Way is somewhere to consider!? 😬🙄

I've just read that you're in Worcester as I am and I Community Cheltenham each day. I'd rather live in Worcester than Cheltenham which is overrated! And overpriced.

If you have to move down that way though I have loads of colleagues in Churchdown who rave about it - but I wouldn't fancy it as it's a rat run - I'd be looking at Bishops Cleeve too.

But please dont move to the area with the pretentious attitude you've displayed here. Thats all the county needs.
I am completely open minded about Gloucester but want to live in a nice area as I know it has a few not so nice areas as DH worked there previously. I didn't realise preference for out of central Gloucester equalled pretentiousness. Thanks for the rest of your advice though.

Not in Worcester, I'm in Herefordshire currently so about the same distance IYSWIM. Thanks everyone for your suggestions, I'll be doing some googling tonight!

Is there any need to try and out the job after I've purposefully kept it vague?

Have you thought about Upton St Leonards? Has a nice primary school but might be out of budget. Abbeymead is fine too.
Personally I’d not write off some areas of Gloucester, you would get a lot more for your money than over in Cheltenham.
Also worth bearing in mind that we have the grammar system here - Churchdown has a good comprehensive school in its favour.

I'm honestly open to anywhere with a good school. DH can get housing in Innsworth if we wanted to trial living there, so wanted to get a feel for options in Cheltenham too.

Is he working in Cheltenham or Gloucester?

Gloucester is an amazing city to live in! So much more interesting and diverse than Cheltenham. I've lived and worked in both and would choose authentic Gloucester every time over snobby Cheltenham that pretends it doesn't have some of the worst deprived areas in the county.

Having lived in central Cheltenham and two different villages in Gloucester, I must say I prefer Gloucester !!
Try Hartpury, Staunton, Ashleworth, schools in area are good, bit rural if you don’t drive I suppose.
Hucclecote, Abbeymead and Upton St Leonard’s are also other areas I would consider living if we moved, better bus routes than Hartpury.