Teeny house in Brighton vs big house on Kent coast

[ataloss8]

Myself, DH and our 3 year old son are looking to move to the coast and are torn between buying a very small property in our favourite location (Brighton) or going for a bigger place with more space somewhere like Folkestone or Margate.

Our budget is £400k, which having looked at Rightmove, would just about get us a teeny tiny house with a courtyard garden in our preferred part of Brighton (Hanover/Kemptown), or a much bigger place (three bed with a larger garden) in Kent. We definitely want a house, not a flat and aren't prepared to compromise on that.

I'm a bit concerned about Folkestone as having looked on FB, it seems there's quite a divide between the locals and newbies. I also worry about the lack of diversity and the right wing element, which obviously isn't an issue in Brighton. We really want to be somewhere with a close-knit and accepting community.

Does anyone have any experience of living in these places and what they're like for kids?

What would you do?

OP I think Proudboomer is being overly negative and I'd take her comments with a pinch of salt.

I've lived here most of my life and the crime rates have improved massively over the last two decades. The people on The Patch Facebook page look really nice too.

My DH has a carpentry firm and is currently working on projects for two young London families who have recently moved to the Elm Grove area. They've met other like minded people since moving too, so I think it's a very up and coming area that could be worth investing in. He says it's right near countryside too.

I'm getting quite invested in this now - really hope this all works out for you!!

I think the OP is determined to live in a small house with a minute garden in Brighton wherever else is recommended! Personally I would always go for somewhere that allows enough space for my kids to run around in and plenty of alternative locations have been suggested.

ataloss8 sorry to say it but you sound like you are a 20 something who still wants to be in a fun place (can't blame you for that!) but are not thinking through the needs of your child. Just bear in mind too that should you decide to go the route of the small house in your preferred location now and you have to move in a few years time, to add in the exorbitant costs of moving.

"Just bear in mind too that should you decide to go the route of the small house in your preferred location now and you have to move in a few years time, to add in the exorbitant costs of moving"

Sunshine super mum This would be offset by the nice increase in value the OP will certainly see!!

I've lived in both.
Kent is very Brexity little England (not everyone but quite dominant culture)
Brighton has gentrified since I lived there but a lot more relaxed, trendy slightly annoying crustafarian vibe

I have family members who recently left a stunning property in Brighton. They had a number of reasons for leaving but two of the major ones were the fact they felt increasingly unsafe in the area at night and also they had no off road parking and getting parking within walking distance of their house was a nightmare.

Quite honestly Brighton is a horrendous shithole, I lived near there for ages as a single mum and was so relieved to move to Somerset. Its absolutely full of drugs, the homeless and a lot of very nasty people.
Its fine for a holiday or a weekend but living there no way on this earth.
When my son became a teenager he was always going to Brighton and the dealers were all over him pressurising him to buy drugs.
I'd definitely go to Kent, there are much nice places in Kent than Folkstone and Margate which are very rough like Hastings in Sussex.
I'd be more inclined to live in Canterbury or Broadstairs.

Margate? Do you know the area? Where are you moving from? I grew up in Kent in Medway. Even I'm not cut out to live in Margate. Not sure what it's like now but it was rougher than Chatham and that's pretty, erm, unpolished

The Romney marsh is just lovely one of my favourite places and homes are so cheap but yes it is quite remote although there are regular trains to London from Ashford which is a short distance away. My ex husband lived in Lydd for some years before I met him and the whole area is just lovely but you need a car.

getting parking within walking distance of their house was a nightmare

This was also the reason DH (and I, because I was more or less living in his flat at the time) moved in the end. He had a resident permit, but just used to waste so much time driving around trying to find a space. More often than not he'd end up in general street parking (if he was lucky) and then would have to make sure he moved it before 8 a.m. the following morning. Not great after a night out, or even just a few drinks on a Friday night! And forget trying to unload your car anywhere near your house after going to the supermarket or, worse still, IKEA! We had two wheelie shopper bags in the boot in case we ended up having to park in the public car park half a mile away.

This would be offset by the nice increase in value the OP will certainly see!!

I doubt it would. Have you moved recently?

I've lived in Brighton too and moved away 10 years ago. I loved it before it became so overcrowded especially in the summer. DD2 lives in Canterbury and loves it there. Not by the sea obv but better value homes.

If it's such a horrendous shit hole why do so many people want to live there and why is it so expensive?? 30 viewings within a few days when my friend put her house on the market. Can't be that bad.

sunshinesupermum prices have actually soured since the first lockdown - probably in a large part due to the endless photos of Covidiots on the seafront last spring that were in the news!

A ground floor, two bedroom apartment overlooking the sea in a Regency block near us recently sold for £800,000 and, according to my DH, many young Londoners are now looking at areas near where the OP is interesting in.

This thread is hilarious! Literally do not recognise Brighton from these descriptions (from people who clearly don’t live here). “Think of the kids” 😂 - there’s so much to do for kids and families, great parks, beach (which isn’t a “hole” 🙄 but fair play just avoid the main drag during tourist season), access to beautiful countryside and (usually) great culture/entertainment too. I’ve never felt unsafe here and have lived all over Brighton/Hove for many years. I wouldn’t live in central Brighton now with kids but Hove/Portslade are both good for families and commuting (Patcham/Hollingbury/saltdean etc good if you don’t need to be close to a train station). It’s such a friendly place to live and so much to do. Parking can be a nightmare but most houses in the suburbs have driveways and there’s a great bus service so 🤷‍♀️

I think Worthing or Eastbourne are better than Brighton for a young family and still close to Brighton for shopping/entertainment. Whilst Broadstairs is better than Margate, Whitstable is better if you are thinking of Kent, though prices are more like Sussex.

This thread is making me laugh!!
I've lived in Brighton & Hove all my life and cannot recognise the 'hole' some people are describing on here.
Someone upthread said there's nothing to do with children!? You obviously have absolutely no knowledge of Brighton at all. It's a great place to live and to bring up children, loads to do, countryside nearby, great schools/parks etc
In my experience the only time the roads are closed off are for events like Pride, the Children's Parade, Brighton Festival events and Fat Boy Slim gigs (sadly a thing of the past) all great things in my opinion but each to their own
I have lots of friends that have moved west to Shoreham and Worthing to get more space for their money. Both lovely places to live but I don't think they're comparable with Brighton to be honest. I personally wouldn't move to Eastbourne - not similar in the slightest.
Go for it OP, Elm Grove area is lovely

I don’t mean to be negative but I do live in the area, now a bit further out into West Sussex. There is a reason why that area is the cheapest bit of Brighton without going into mulsecombe or whitehawk and that is because it is a student area full of hmo,s and has a few problems that all that brings.
Op might still be happy to live in the area as is her choice or she might not know the downsides if she has only visited the area.
Portslade, saltdean and the surrounding areas are not the same as Elm grove as EG is still pretty much the centre of Brighton.The vibe is completely different with a more settled family feel the further out you go.
The op specifically asked at the end of her post what we would do and other posters have only given their preferred choice. At the end of the day we are all looking for different things and elm grove might be just what she is looking for. But as I have said it wouldn’t be my choice as I feel you get better value for your £££ elsewhere with a more child friendly location.

Brightonbeachy I agree with you about Hove - we used to live on the border between Hove and Brighton. A London friend has had a bolthole in Worthing for years but it always seems dead after 5.30 pm!

I would never live in Kent again. Lots of anti- immigrant sentiments, some places are Very racist.

Having grown up on the Kent coast and now living reasonably close to Brighton, I would opt for Brighton every time. Margate suffers from the effect of Farage et al, is close minded, insular Pro-Brexit with huge coastal deprivation and pockets of smug nimbyism.

Grammars are not good grammars. They don't even get high 5A*s to C - about 85% which given its selective nature is fairly shabby; our children's comprehensive did better.

OP you will need to consider schools if you plan to stay in Brighton long term. In my opinion primaries are great but secondary schools not so much. The more popular secondaries like Dorothy Stringer and Varndean are massive and you could live next door and not get in due to the lottery system. Even if your DC do get in, if they are average they won't get much care or attention due to the large number of pupils.

Live in brighton, have done since my twenties. Hanover is very steep- I wouldn’t fancy pushing pram up it- so do aim for lower slopes!!

Have you considered hangleton or portslade? You’d get much more for your money. I wouldn’t fancy Hanover myself to be honest, - they are pokey and small houses - easily cluttered and on top of each other.

Thanks everyone. I do know Brighton quite well and my impression has always been that it would be a great place to bring up children, as it's such a fun city with so much to do. I also know a couple of people who did grow up there and loved it.

I genuinely don't know whether it's better for a child to grow up somewhere quiet (and dare I say it, dull!) but with lots of space and a biggish garden, or in the middle of a lively town like Brighton where there's loads going on but with much less space at home.

I'm not too worried about crime rate - we're currently living in inner London, which apparently has a high crime rate but I've never felt unsafe here. I can't imagine Brighton could be any worse than London from a crime point of view.

So much to think about!

That's really helpful Bemoreme, thank you - definitely a big thing to consider.

What about Lewes?