Moving from a detached with parking to terrace with parking permit

[Theleftflipflop]

Would you do this? I currently live in a detached house, garden, with a large driveway for around 3-4 cars, in a village with lots of fields for dog walking and safe for the kids to go out and play.

However, the school catchment for 2ndary schools is pretty bad / shocking (the main schools near us have been in the news as they are so awful - I'm talking prolific drug use, attempted stabbings, regular physical bullying of the kids etc). There are 2 Outstanding / good schools in the town nearby, and we would need to move within the catchments for those schools (they are always oversubscribed, so you have to be living within that area, or have a military parent / be fostered etc, to get in if you live outside the catchment area).

So... with one of my DC's in year 5 currently, my DH and I are looking at houses within the town (we have never lived in a town before - we are rural folk!). One house that appeals is a 3 bed terrace which has been upgraded and looks stunning. It has a long garden, and no back garden access for the other houses. Parking out front is permit only (we have 2 cars). There is only a tiny garden area at the front, which would not allow for it to be turned into a driveway.

Would this appeal to you?

I’m not sure I’d do this. I’m in a terraced house, grew up in one and parking, neighbour issues and other things can grate on you. It’s better if you can rent a garage nearby but not a lot of properties have this option. My NDN’s moved to a detached house nearby and love it.

For me there are too many compromises.
The parking might end up being more of an issue that the EA is saying.
No separate access to the back garden is a total pain. Day to day it’s fine but if you need any work done, taking stuff to the tip, even having your windows cleaned, it ends up being a faff.

I do get the concerns about the schools and I don’t blame you for wanting to move but I wouldn’t go from what you have to this house. I think you l’ll regret it.

All schools have their good and bad points. I wouldn't be so sure that the so called 'good' schools dont' have all of the problems you've described anyway. Have you even visited the schools or are you just going off their reputation?

I spent 10 years living in a road with on-street parking only and it was awful. If I came back late at night there would never be a space so I’d either have to park in the next road down which involved a walk up a very dark long alleyway, or a 5-10 minute walk along deserted streets depending on where I managed to park. Or alternatively, I could park on double yellow lines at the end of the road but I had to be up at the crack of dawn to move my car as the traffic wardens always started their day at our road to take advantage of the poor parking situation. Even if this road had had parking permits it still wouldn’t have solved the night time parking situation. I would never live somewhere without a drive and on-street parking again.

Parking is always an issue, unless you have a driveway and ample parking. Two cars means juggling often and where will visitors park?

I’d hate only being able to access the garden through the house. It’d be a pain when you put the rubbish out too.

Noise is always an issue unless your detached.

Good neighbours are worth their weight in gold.

Presumably, you won’t want to move very often, so when your children grow and start driving, it’ll be a nightmare.

I live in a terrace and I can hear everything on both sides (which you get used to) and I have a stinky neighbour who piles up rubbish and collects animals (feel your pain @Happyjoe) Parking around here is a pain but I’m used to it. The downside is if I’m bringing in heavy stuff for the garden or whatever and can’t park nearby.

That said, if it’s the difference between a good and bad school, no contest. If you can, look to rent in the catchment area for as long as needed. Once you add up the cost of moving, paying permits etc, for the period you’d need to get into (and settled into) the school you might find you’re cost neutral.

If the OP rented a house near the outstanding schools, then she would be on the electoral roll and council tax register there.

Renting seems a good option.

We're in a terrace now and have parking and we're moving to detached partly due to the noise from neighbours. I'd also hate to have to find somewhere to park every time I got home.

I know you say you don't want to move your DC too far as they have friends in the area but I would look further afield. We moved only around 5 miles away when our DC was in year 5. They saw a few friends once or twice and that was it. They made new friends in the new area and happily moved on.

I would worry that essentially being in competition for a parking place is far too dependent on good neighbours and this can never be guaranteed. Upset with neighbours is a nightmare!

I wouldn't

I'd do it but go down to one car. Having two cars if you live in a terrace is antisocial.

Does the parking fluctuate? Drive by at different times a day. Why is it permit? We did exactly the same as you. Our street is permit mostly due to the football ground and commuters. It goes up and down as there are some student houses too. At the moment is v annoying though I can park within the next streets.
years ago I had this when the kids needed carrying from the car and it was god awful. They are teens now and have to carry the shopping so it’s only mildly annoying

No.
I live somewhere with on street parking and it is a nightmare. On the rare occasion I take the car out in the evening (probably about twice a year now as it's too much hassle) then I can't park anywhere near my house after 9pm as everyone else is home. Last time I was circling the roads for fifteen stressful minutes. To compound the problem the evening street lights are turned right down and then off at 11pm, I don't like walking back from the car in the dark.

No Absolutely not. My sister has permit Parking and she is limited how my visitors she can have.

Your current priority is your kids

I’d take a house near the better school
I wouldn't be prioritising parking

She’s already said why they need two cars. Sometimes it’s unavoidable.

My neighbours have five and that really is taking the piss!

In this scenario I would do everything I could
to go private.

Yes, I'd definitely do it. Worth it imo. I have lived in a tenement flat with permit parking and the only issue was grocery shopping tbh. At least you wouldn't have any stairs to consider as that was probably the worst part.

The parking really doesnt bother me. Bring in town is a different lifestyle. The kids love it.

Well surely it isn’t one or the other- bad school or bad parking. There are millions of houses out there with their own drive. Maybe OP could buy one of those 🤷‍♀️

ATM she hasn’t mentioned one

Id also be concerned purchases fall though and her dc is in year5 now

@Theleftflipflop I'd planned move to coordinate with secondary school applications. Dcs years 3 and 5 at primary school. I was newly divorced and the logistics were too overwhelming.

They travelled to their best choice school when they were old enough to do so. Before that they were driven to train or bus stops and made their own way home with house keys. Not ideal but my work hours were 10am to 5.30.

I’m assuming with new rules re renting might make it difficult to move back to your old house as may be more difficult to get tenants to leave, so wouldn’t go down that route, even if school didn’t see through that.

Parking can become even more fun when your DC get cars!

Schools can change, even oversubscribed outstanding ones can have behavioural issues.

But if you are not happy in your current house then moving might not seem a bad idea. Although having lived in a detached house now for many years I’m not sure I would want to live in a terraced house

You may have had different responses if your thread title had been along the lines of "would you move house to avoid a terrible secondary school, even if parking is worse?" because that's the crux of the issue. Not everyone carefully reads the detail in your posts before replying.

There will be children at any school who feel unsafe through violence, or who are falling behind due to poor behaviour control, but if you can stack the deck in their favour by choosing a school where these issues are less common, would you really think twice due to parking?

Also it sounds like you can spend some more time looking rather than having to buy this particular house. You may find lots more become available over the spring season.

I would not move from a house I loved for the sake of kids. They would have to tough it out at the local school as I did. It wil teach resilliance and character building.