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?

I’d choose Shoreham over Brighton too. Have lived in both. As @missfliss said, you have the beach, river, the downs all within walking distance, a good cafe culture in the high street. There is the Ropetackle in normal times which has live music, comedy etc. And pubs. And bars. And you can be in Brighton in ten minutes if you want to. Literally all my friends left Brighton when we had kids.

I love Shoreham too!!

Another part of Brighton to consider is Patcham. I've lived there for over 20 years and love it. Because we're We about 4 miles from the City Centre, you get a bit more for your money. We're on the edge of the Southdowns National Park, 5 minutes from the A23 which takes you straight to London. Preston Park train station is only down the road and we don't have to pay for parking outside our house either! We have lovely schools (both infants/juniors/primary and high school).

A house just down the road from us recently sold for £400k. I know it needs a bit of work doing to it but structurally it's sound and you can take your time doing it up.

Mackie Avenue, Brighton
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-73843134.html

Loving all the Brighton residents on this thread now desperately trying to out-cool each other. We non-Brightonians are surely dull and unworthy

Ahhh, MN 'where shall I live?' threads, they never fail to amuse...

Thanks everybody. I will definitely look into Shoreham! What are the schools like there? (Apologies if this has already been mentioned up thread and I missed it!)

Loving all the Brighton residents on this thread now desperately trying to out-cool each other.

I haven’t noticed any of that on the thread!

Bexhill on Sea is lovely and best of both worlds

Ooh yes Patcham is nice! My husband did his NQT year there and patcham junior is fab

@ataloss8

This is the sort of thing we could afford in Hanover, which looks nice:

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/88872280#/

@Proudboomer's house in Tarring also looks lovely I must say!

That's the road next to mine! I moved away 8 years ago but I can't imagine it has gotten worse, given the house price has increased by 50%... They are mainly 2 (3 at a push) beds on those roads that side of Elm Grove so not much danger of lots of student houses. I lived in Riley Road (other side of Elm Grove) in my student days and there were a lot of students there because they could squeeze 4 bedrooms out of the houses. So for me personally, no to feeling unsafe in that area (although yes to Brighton town centre at night); yes the hills can be a bit of a killer; and yes to horrendous parking! But lots of fun to be had with little ones.

@ataloss8
Schools in shoreham - lovely primaries Swiss Gardens, St Nicks, Buckingham Park. Shoreham Beach Primary. Secondaries: Shoreham Academy outstanding and modern - but catchment more like Southwick these days - lots of kids at secondary age going to St Robert Woodward in Lancing.

Folkestone is becoming a very cool area, loads of money being poured into it - very smart focussed and a good community feel down on the harbour arm x

I moved to Folkestone from London with my seven year old in late 2019. Agree there are good schools here. I haven't had any trouble as a newbie being accepted here. Its a town of two halves really we are in the cheaper end of town. There is massive deprivation here like lots of places. There are more and more middle class people in folkestone and three theatres here currently. Countryside is amazing. If you live in west part of town more in catchment for brockhill school which is non selective and nice fall back option. There is facebook group called newbie parents in Folkestone.

@CallMeBritney I'm 100% not trying to appear cooler than anyone. It just seemed to me the OP might have similar priorities and values to me so i was giving my opinion. I have been fully respectful of other people's POV and accept that what is dull to one isn't to another.

I think Brighton is bloody brilliant - warts and all. 😁

Another place to look at might be the coastal villages like Saltdean, Ovingdean and Rottingdean. Nice when kids are small - and still close enough to take advantage of culture/ nightlife in Brighton. The secondary choice isn't great I don't think, but I know plenty of people who have got their kids into the better senior schools from there so there must be a way! You might get a bit more space and it's a different vibe from central Brighton but still a good sense of community.

Shore tbf is also looking expensive these days!

Sorry Shoreham

@DownstairsMixUp

Also living in Thanet you are in catchment for Canterbury grammars to. If you go herne bay/Whitstable you have excellent schools, much better than Brighton.

Depends what you want for your children. Personally there was no way I wanted to put our family through the stress of London schools or the 11+, or the ‘Kent exam’.

I met someone with kids who lived in Kent, she said that all anyone talked about from when the children were 8, was the Kent exam.

For me, this would be reason enough to avoid. My kids are clever but not geniuses, I would have been paying for tutoring, all that gubbins.

@ataloss8 Did you make an decision?

*a

I live in Brighton - born and bred. Would never live anywhere else, despite trying. Nothing compares.

Yes did you decide what to do OP? Obviously you have to move to Brighton! It's fabulous!

Have you considered Portslade? My dB and his partner loved living in Brighton but had to move as wanted dc and only had 1 one bed flat. Their budget was lower than yours and they got a nice 2 bed semi with fair sized garden, they say its a nice area too.