Staying walkable to stuff or move further out and have to drive kids everywhere

[sdra]

Dire lack of houses in my area. A lovely house has come on but it's a 10 min drive out in the sticks. Kids are 7 and 9. I'd have to ferry them everywhere including to get bus to school. Would you go for it? The house is great. It isn't completely perfect though. Needs updating, new bathroom, maybe a wall knocking down. But all superficial stuff. If I could pick it up and move it closer I would go for it no question.

My kids are slightly older and I am so grateful we live somewhere they can walk to school/bus stop etc. We couldn’t get to work on time if we had to drive them. I love thé idea of living in the sticks but not with children that age.

I've been Googling and there is a bus stop they can get to but it's obviously not like a London bus going every 10 minutes. I'd def be the one ferrying them around everywhere. Right now we can walk to shops and train station direct into London. Gah.

It won't be long before senior school and wanting to be out with mates.
Could they get to and from school on their own? What about if they wanted to go into town after school with friends and then get home?
Going to friends after school - gets later as they get older....
Extracurricular activities?

No not without decent public transport.

Sounds like right house, wrong timing.

Honestly, as the parent of a teen and tween, being able to walk places and have good public transport is a godsend. We considered moving more rural but actually we would have become beholden to being a taxi service. The older the kids get the less they want to be with you and the more with their friends.

In 10 years time they could potentially both be able to drive themselves or going to university. We have made the decision to postpone the rural move until then.

We’re in the same predicament and to be honest, no, I really don’t think we will. Our eldest is about to start high school and therefore be more independent. He wants to walk to his friends, the park, shops and school. As the saying goes, location location location!

I think we have found one that is a bit of a compromise, in that the walking will be a bit further for everything, but still doable. We won’t have to drive him everywhere. And the house is great. Hold out for something else I say.

I'm grateful everyday for living walkable with kids 3 and 7.

Hell no.

We have decent buses and there is a hell of a lot of ferrying still.

Hobbies that don't have a bus route
Dropping to friends not on a bus route
Parties
Late nights

The school run would have finished me off it would have also restricted being able to work full time.

I wouldn’t, personally.

No. Don’t do it.

No way. Stay put and keep looking.

Local buses are disappearing at a rapid rate in my part of the country; it is a downward spiral.

The bus company regularly has to cancel because they don't have enough drivers...people then stop using the buses because they can't guarantee they can get anywhere and then get home...so bus co complains the routes aren't profitable.

We are so glad that teen can walk just about everywhere she needs to go. Some parents arrive 15-20 minutes early to secure a parking space near to the school.

I’d say no, what if one of you is ill/car problems.

It is going to cost a lot more in future to have to drive everywhere (fuel costs). You would have to factor that in.

No, absolutely no way

Yep thanks we're not going to put an offer in. Hope something else comes on soon. Fed up of renting now but at least we can wait it out.

We recently moved within same town but closer to school. They can now walk to school - they are older 15 and 18 so did used to walk home from school to our old house but they’re both delighted that what was a 40 min walk home from school is now just 10 mins walk.

I used to love where we lived but the kids have said since we moved that they hated living so far away from school and their friends. Life is so much easier for them now.

when they were younger it was a lot of lifts and ferrying them around so definitely I’d vote for walkable distances if you can find somewhere suitable