Relocating to Chester from and good areas

[Twinkletop]

Hi there, my husband and I are looking at up-ing sticks and relocating to Chester from London. We don't know anyone locally but visited a couple of times and just loved the city - there seems so much going on but smaller and greener. We're in our late 30s/early 40s, no kids atm but it could happen in the next year or so. We have a budget of upto 600k and couldn't really find many detached 4 bed houses with a big garden in Handbridge which was our initially preferred area. We've seen a house we liked on the corner of Appleton Road and Handford Road in Upton but don't know much about the area - it looks like there are some council houses on Handford Road. Is it a decent area/safe/well connected/enough to do/good community round there? Any tips much appreciated! :-)

You won’t find that house in Handbridge, it just doesn’t exist. Do you have kids and need state school places? If so you’ll really struggle that side of town (Westminster park) as the good schools are hugely oversubscribed. However if you want private schools then would be good for Kings.

On the other side of town you’d be looking at Hoole and Upton. Both very popular with the Londoners. You’d get a 4/5 detached with garden and good schools there. Newton also good. Don’t be worried about the proximity to council housing, there are no bad areas.

Boughton is kind of in the middle and lovely, but can be very expensive due to proximity to Waitrose and the river.

Christelton is a bit further out but popular for the outstanding state secondary.

I would avoid Vicars Cross and the big housing estate near Boughton Sainsbury’s as they are quite soul less.

They have a massive new housing estate being built opposite kings school just before you get into handbridge although it might not be what you’re looking for as it hasn’t got the quaintness and closeness to the river and city centre. Handy if your kids would go to kings though

Golden Sutton has an excellent primary school which feeds into Upton High which is also good. Lovely village, nice community feel, only three miles from the centre.

Sorry, autocorrect fail.
Guilden Sutton!

The area round Appleton Road is fine.
if you like the Handbridge side of Chester, this would be good for walking into Chester:
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134848367#/?channel=RES_BUY

Thanks guys! To clarify, I think we've accepted we won't get that type of house in our budget in Handbridge and are now looking at Upton and other areas within budget. Especially for any advice on the Appleton Road/Handford Road streets in Upton or the good and bad areas - we've seen a house there and are looking at just going for it. However we are conscious we really don't know the ins and outs of the area and individual streets. We don't have kids right now but may do in the next year or so do have one eye on schooling but equally won't need to find schools immediately. Thanks again! :-)

Have pm’d you

Look at Hawarden it's outside Chester on the border of England and Wales near Broughton, but has a Chester postcode and is a lovely place to live.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134241392#/?channel=RES_BUY