Should I buy a house in Sidcup/Bexley or Chelmsford?

[essjai]

Hi!

My husband and I are hoping to buy a house in the next year - a 3 bedroom and 2 bathroom semi (or detached if possible) with a budget of £500k. We have a little one who is 2, so being close to good schools is very important for us.

We currently live in the Bexley Borough and initially were looking at houses in Sidcup as we have already selected her Pre Prep school in the area. The problem is that at our budget, the houses available are not what we are after. We’ve looked into renovation costs, but the prices are extortionate nowadays. That coupled with high interest rates and stamp duty - don’t get me started.

Chelmsford on the other hand has lovely houses, I’ve even seen 4 beds WELL within budget. We have her on the list for an independent school there too just in case. The issue with Chelmsford is that it doesn’t have the great selection of grammar schools that Bexley does, and it’s a lot more competitive to get into one.

My question is do you think I should prioritise a greater selection of grammar schools over being truly happy with our home? Is it selfish for us to prefer Chelmsford due to the better value for money for newer/ energy efficient (and prettier!) homes?

Your question is a bit confused. You have put your DD on the waiting list for independent schools but may also want to consider grammar schools. Isn't the first thing to decide whether or not you can afford yo pay for her education?

You are very much focusing on the quality of houses and what you can get for your money, but for me the most important question is which area you like and which is suited to your family. Your child is only 2, they may or may not be smart enough for grammar school. These two areas are wildly different and in different directions so I would be starting with which area you see yourself living in and then proceed from there. Personally, I’m not a fan of Bexley and wouldn’t live there but this is very subjective.

I wouldn't be worrying about grammar schools at the age of 2! Fwiw my son is at a grammar school near you and frankly the teaching there is atrocious. He is sitting his GCSEs next month and we are only just realising how bad it is.

I'd be far more focused on decent primary schools and which area works for you as a family - commuting, access to friends and family, quality and size of housing etc. A lot can change in the 8 or 9 years before your child is off to secondary school.

Both areas are up for consideration because they both work for us. Both decent commutes to work, family and friends close by etc etc.

I’ve highlighted the key differences between the two.

Sidcup (not Bexley) - I’m already familiar with the area, good schools and close to where I am now in Bexley. Just not a huge fan of the houses themselves. Good for commuting to work

Chelmsford - another good area, commutable, great value for money, love the houses. School selection isn’t as great as where I am though.

Agreed there’s no way to be certain re grammar schools, but we see no harm doing our best to prepare her for that. If it doesn’t happen that’s fine, but we aren’t ruling it out. Both of us are pretty academic naturally so chances are it may rub off.

Could just be overthinking it as a first time parent but ultimately what I’d like opinions on if I should feel guilty picking somewhere for “selfish” (I know) reasons, or if schooling should make all the difference

Many parents opt for independent schools from 3-11 then try for the 11+. Nothing confusing about that…

I understand that but haven't be clear with my point. If the grammar school option takes priority, that would argue for Sidcup and compromising on the house. If grammar school options are less important, Chelmsford is the better option.

Thanks so much for this! This was my line of thinking but I wasn’t sure. We have lots of friends and family in both areas and commuting also works well for both. But I completely hear you. Interesting point about the grammar school too… good for thought

I'm in the Bexley borough too. You'll be lucky to find something decent that size for £500k, and not detached. I know someone who has just put her late parents home on the market in Sidcup (3 bed/2 bath, needs a little redecoration/reno but nothing much) and that's on for £575k.

Also, your DD will have to be very good to get into the grammars as they're extremely competitive now, and a lot of the pupils come from outside the area. With the increasing crime in the borough I'm surprised you'd want to stay here.

To be honest, crime is up everywhere nowadays unfortunately. I’m from central London and it was an absolute joke there. We feel much safer here. But we are leaning towards Chelmsford and the comments so far seem to validate that preference!

lol, you’ve just repeated my question back to me.
But from some of the other responses it seems I could be thinking way too far ahead re grammar schools at this stage and should potentially be focusing other factors.

Which houses in Chelmsford are you talking about? The housing stock varies a lot and a lot of it is fairly uninspiring late 20th century estates.

500k will get you a decent house, but not (IMO) the nicest ones.

I'm not doing too well at expressing myself in writing today 🙂 What I'm trying to say is which leads: ideal house or school choice down the line. It looks as though It's the former, which makes sense. Sorry for confusing your thread, OP.

Quite a few to be honest. We arent after the nicest house per se - just want to get on the ladder in a decent home we can make our own. For our budget, the quality of homes in Chelmsford is much much better

@essjai 4 years ago I moved from just outside Sidcup to just outside Chelmsford. I wouldnt be looking at Secondary schools as a reason to move when your child is 2. So much can change between now and then.

I would be considering where your support network is as travelling between the two places is not a fun journey despite on paper only being 45 minutes apart. Realistically the journey can very easily take 90 mins or more in the car and getting between the two on public transport is not very direct either.

Interesting! Are you happy with the move? How do you find Chelmsford?

We have family and friends in both areas so I’m not too bothered about the journey between the two

Haha, no worries I hear you!

Is Chelmsford really commutable? Where you live now it’s so easy to get into town

I think you’d have to really like Chelmsford itself to want to move there (I’m not keen at all, but mostly because I live 2 miles from you and go up town all the time )

From where I am now it’s 25 mins to get to Liverpool Street. From Chelmsford it’ll be 35-40 mins, so not too bad!

I’ve not been to Bexley, but I loathe Chelmsford! I wouldn’t move there even if the houses are cheap.

Yes I'm happy here but I was equally happy there too. In my opinion Chelmsford on the whole is probably nicer than Sidcup/Bexley but there are still plenty of areas I would avoid living in regardless of schools.

Eek! Why’s that?

I'm not familiar with Chelmsford but I know how it feels to not be able to buy a house of the quality you'd like in your preferred area.

With that in mind, I've got this spanner to throw in the works:

If you move to Chelmsford for a better quality house, then, in say, 7 years time, think 'oof, kiddo is highly academic, we really need to be in Bexley after all' - will you be able to afford to buy a house in Bexley at that point in the future?

The whole borough is pretty small. So I'd be pondering whether I'd be priced out with future rises.

The majority of properties sold in Bexley during the last year were semi-detached properties, selling for an average price of £555,280.

Overall, the historical sold prices in Bexley over the last year were 5% up on the previous year and 6% up on the 2022 peak of £526,647.

The majority of properties sold in Chelmsford during the last year were semi-detached properties, selling for an average price of £430,593

Overall, the historical sold prices in Chelmsford over the last year were similar to the previous year and 2% down on the 2022 peak of £411,686.

It’s frustrating to be honest! A higher budget could have been feasible if not for stamp duty (thanks Labour). But what can you do.

The point regarding price movements is a valid one though - pretty big spanner!

If you didn't do private would you not have a bigger budget?

I mean… if my mum had wheels she’d be a bike? Lol