Bristol recommendations

[Pizzatrip]

Hello,

My family (DP, DD7 and DD2) and I are considering a move to Bristol in the next couple of years and could do with a bit of advice on potential locations.

Dependent upon salaries we would have a budget of about £650k. Here are what we’d like:

• 4 bedrooms (happy for one to be a box or a second living area downstairs with a sofa bed for when family come to stay)
• Happy for it to be a terrace, but can’t have a hideous parking situation. Would need to be easy enough to park near the house. Obviously off street parking would be great.
• Good state schools (especially secondary). This is a must. Would love to hear people’s thoughts on potential schools.
• Easy to get in and out to M4, so probably north/east
• Walking distance to good pubs/restaurants/cafes. Somewhere with things “going on” and not just suburbia.
• Easy enough to get into the city centre
• We’re fairly alternative so happy with somewhere with a bit of “grit”, but obviously not somewhere outright horrible and dangerous.

Current thoughts are Ashley Down/Bishopston. Maybe Fishponds, but hearing mixed things/that transport links aren’t great? Just starting out search so would be really grateful for and advice/suggestions.

A bit further on from fishponds is Staple Hill which meets most of your criteria. You'll certainly get more house for your money and could prob get a semi or detached 4 bed for your budget. Nice high street, great park, lots of community events going on. Also close to Kingswood and Downend for more high streets. Pretty good link to M4 (traffic in Bristol is one of the worst in the country FYI)
North Bristol up the A38 (Gloucester Road) is nice but pricy. Horfield and Bishopston are nice but parking is horrific and less house for your money (maybe a 3 bed terrace)
Bristol is a brilliant place to live, especially in the summer. The Brecon Beacons are 40 mins away, as are nice beaches. Good luck!

Thank you! This is just the kind of advice I’m after.. going to have a look at Staple Hill on Rightmove now.

Where will you and/or DP be working?

Bishopston/westbury park are lovely but very expensive and schools are very competitive in the area. Parking would be a no for 90% of houses in those areas tho and it is controlled by a parking permit scheme which is expensive especially if you have more than 1 car!

Fishponds is good and has great bus links to city centre but no close by train station (you would have to pay to park or bus into town). Downend/staple hill is in south Gloucestershire and is very nice and schools are okay. Try stay closer to the downend school catchment area for secondary when looking as it’s the better secondary option and most have off-street parking

There are few outstanding schools outside of the city centre especially for secondary so work out what’s a must for you - space or location

Not sure yet as this is a hypothetical move at the minute. I imagine it’d be mostly WFH though as is standard in our industries.

I'd suggest not actually living in Bristol, houses are expensive and parking can be a nightmare. I'd be looking at Nailsea or Backwell, or Long Ashton ( but I'm not sure about secondary) there's a train station between the two, both secondary schools are good. There are also buses regularly serving both.

This is what your money would buy here compared with Bristol

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E17849&maxPrice=650000&propertyTypes=&mustHave=&dontShow=&furnishTypes=&keywords=

This is really good to know.. especially regarding the parking. I could get over it, but DP is crying at the thought of losing our current double driveway 🤣

It’s a difficult one, as I’m more for location and he’s more for space. Think we’ll have to compromise somehow, without settling for something in between that doesn’t fit either of our wants.

Would be good to be somewhere near a train station that’s an easy jaunt into town, which puts me off fishponds a bit, as I imagine the bus can take forever in the traffic.

Are there any areas in north/east that are absolute no goes?

Schools in Bristol are often oversubscribed and you’ll need primary school places. Make sure you do your homework with regards to catchment areas. Good secondary schools can also be oversubscribed.

Area wise I know westbury on trym/redland/cotham but you’d be hard pushed to get a 4 bed for 650k

Buses are now getting much better again after being awful after Covid

Stroud. Alternative, affordable and green

Stroud. Affordable, alternative, green, train links.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/143962487#/?channel=RES_BUY

I live on the border of Henleaze and Horfield in a 4 bed terrace with off road parking. It would be well within your budget. There are some very big and fancy houses round here which can go for £1m+ but worth looking closely as you do still get some (like mine!) that are bargains.

It's a fantastic place to live, we're close to loads of green spaces and playgrounds, swimming pool, library, plus Gloucester Road which has lovely cafés and bars and independent shops. We're close to the M4 and also to most of the main bus routes to town, which is rare as public transport in Bristol is pretty shocking.

Henleaze, Westbury Park, Bishop Road, St Bonaventure's (Catholic) are all good primary schools around here, also Ashley Down, Brunel Field and Sefton Park the other side of Gloucester Road. There was huge pressure on primary school places a few years ago but there's a falling birth rate so generally a bit less pressured now.

However secondary school places are still tricky. Redland Green is Outstanding but has a teeny tiny catchment area and 4 beds for 650k probably is out of the question there. Our local secondary is Orchard and I do know parents who are happy with it but it's definitely sort of up and coming. Fairfield is similar to Orchard.

I absolutely love where I live at the moment but will probably look at moving by the time we're looking at secondary schools for my eldest (currently in reception).

The only area in North Bristol that I would avoid is Southmead, primarily the "old estate" bounded by Southmead Road, Greystoke Avenue, Pen Park Road and Doncaster Road. That's reflected in the house prices.

To the East I would suggest avoiding Lawrence Hill, Barton Hill and Easton.

Have you considered one of the satellite towns like Nailsea (in North Somerset), Yate (in South Gloucestershire) or Keynsham (in Bath and North East Somerset-aka BANES). ??? All have direct bus links and all have railway stations.

Thanks for the alternative suggestions, but if we’re going to do the move we’d want to be in Bristol.. ideally somwwhere we can walk out of the house and be right in the Bristol vibe. We’re currently living in suburbia in an “ok” town and it’s killling me inside a bit. We’ve got friends moving to Bristol soon too (also not sure on area) and DP’s bro, but he’s single in a flat so can’t advise well for schools etc.

Ive seen a few houses on Rightmove that sound similar to yours and are the kind of thing I’m thinking of. Slightly concerned that you say Fairfield/Orchard aren’t that great.. is trinity the same? What is it that puts you off? Where would you be looking to move for secondary?

You’ll get 4 beds in a decent area for that budget however if you definitely want off road parking/garage/decent garden then that’s more of a thing further out eg Downend or on the new build estates around Bradley Stoke. So trade off is shoddy public transport/not being as close to the action. Same would go for Nailsea/Backwell. Some relative bargains can be had in St Anne’s, likewise the outer parts of St George and Fishponds but I can’t speak to the school provision.

Something I would factor in, although this will be the case in a lot of places now, is the dearth of NHS dentists (even for kids) and oversubscribed GP surgeries.
All told, it is a great place to live.

Don't move to Nailsea, Backwe, Bradley Stoke, Downend if you want an vibrant area and Bristol vibe...

Is parking that important? If you work from home mostly or will commute into central Bristol by bus/train (or London sometimes by train) then how often are you actually driving anywhere? If you live in Ashley Down / Horfield/Bishopston/St Werburghs areas, then the kids will be in primary school within walking distance, their friends will be within a walkable catchment area and there are plenty of parks/kids activities/clubs within walking distance, cycle distance or a short bus ride. Shopping, supermarket etc all very access on foot. It's not even a very hilly part of Bristol!
How often do you expect to be driving? If it's just potentially at weekends for trips to family outside the city then I wouldn't prioritise parking right outside your house to such an extent that you rule out living in neighborhoods that sound much more appealing that deadly dull new build filled bits of far outer Bristol

Bear in mind that Bristol has a Clean Air Zone and a couple of Residents Parking Zones.
https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/streets-travel/bristols-caz

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/parking/residents-parking-schemes-rps/residents-parking-scheme-areas

What about keynsham?
I like totterdown, southville, that side of Bristol. Or perhaps Clifton (a bit pricey)

@Pizzatrip I don't live in Bristol but visit regularly as have friends and family there. As mentioned already, I wouldn't go for Downend / Staple Hill if you want the Bristol vibe, they are nice enough but dull as. Ashley Down / walking distance of Gloucester Rd is much more where you want to be. I can second some of the school recommendations by what I've heard including Trinity for secondary.

You have just echoed all of my thoughts and my arguments to DP. I lived in London for years and am used to this kind of life and love it! Think we need to have a few weekends there and see if he can be won around.

Something like this would be the dream for me https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/144275348#/?channel=RES_BUY

Get your husband excited about the prospect of buying a electric bike or whatever might be a suitable distraction.

You could even get rid of the car altogether and use a car club on the rare occasions you need one. That might be too much for him to take in right now!

https://www.co-wheels.org.uk/bristol?gclid=CjwKCAiA8YyuBhBSEiwA5R3-E9612YTUKIuxJ6ByVK-DzeT_6AgIkoYPO-_KB62GbR9Tgc6EAOEz-BoCjH4QAvD_BwE

https://www.hiyacar.co.uk/search?q=Bristol,%20UK&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA8YyuBhBSEiwA5R3-E5NSEs9M1827AOWd0nqLmcaVybpYLOqhmFwA267_xJk7B25zP3Ha8hoCvOsQAvD_BwE

Haha yes I think the car club is far too wild a suggestion right now, but think he could definitely get on board with an electric bike.

Don't let me put you off about secondary schools! I don't really know much about them as my kids are only 4 and 1. I grew up in Bristol and at that time, the school that's now Orchard was very rough and I had a friend who got really badly bullied there. But that was longer ago than I care to admit so really has no bearing on now!

I'd consider moving to one of the places on the outskirts that have been mentioned already for the right secondary school, but I'll be keeping an open mind in 5 years time - things can change a lot in that time anyway.

Fairfield is brilliant and therefore over subscribed so check catchment carefully. Orchard is not. Trinity only works if your children are avid rule followers otherwise expect detentions galore. I think your budget is a bit small for bishopston but you might get lucky, or go for three beds instead.