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?

It’s not character building to get stabbed or beaten up at school.

Check the admission criteria with the school & council. You may need to be in catchment for a certain amount of time before the secondary selection deadline.

As has been said, many areas do checks on addresses, particularly if there is a move in the few months before 31st Oct.

If parents both own and rent a house nearby, some LAs simply use the owned house for the admission address, no ifs or buts.

(Also, rentals in catchment will be competitive and expensive)

I wouldn’t do it. Terraced houses are rarely wide enough to allow for one car per house to be parked at the front. You guys need two spaces. Having a permit won’t guarantee you a parking space. So unless your permit allows you to park on other residential streets nearby or there’s a car park nearby you’re going to be inviting a lot of stress.

Your car insurance will shoot up too. I pay silly money for mine.

I thought when we moved from on street parking to off street that would be the case but it was quite the reverse
In our new house everyone parked off road with large drives

I phoned to ask why ours had gone up only to be told it was because the cars in our area were bigger and more expensive now to insure
🤷‍♀️

I cannot believe the number of people that will prioritise car parking convenience above the well being and education of their children. Is this really the world we live in!