Calling all York-folk!

[Dottoressa]

I've posted before that we're moving to York; however, we are now getting to the looking-at-houses stage. We are seeing this house tomorrow - but would love opinions, good or bad, on the general area/road/anything at all! On the face of it, there is nothing not to like - but we don't know York well, so there may be all kinds of things wrong with it that we know nothing about (like the nearest children are ten miles away, or there are students in the back garden...)

Any advice would be very gratefully received!

I think the development on Dalton Terrace is very expensive for houses which basically overlook the railwasy main line!
You're right - houses of character with great gardens are very rare in York - especially in the great locations. It's pots of cash or some sort of compromise. Go and look at the Clifton Dale one - the location is perfect (imo)

HBM - I'm Huntington Road area.

NL - aha. Railway main lines are not a great draw for us!

Okay - we might look at the Clifton Dale one after all. We were warned off Clifton by someone at Hudson Moody, but maybe there are different bits of it?!

Dont bother with the Dalton Terrace one...v. expensive plus right next to the railway, plus htat particular section of railway has sidings and there have been some issues with goods train's engines idling whilst waiting in the sidings. The noise has upset soem locals who live trackside in that area.

Some bits of clifton are fab and as NL says, also an excellent location. Basically there is a bit of clifton that is council, but the streets coming off Bootham along to Clifton Green and Clifton Green itself are all great. Go for a drive round that area when you view that house.

Did you view the pink Mount one then?? Is it nice?

You can always do what i do re small garden, get an allotment, lots of nice sites in York for one.

Clifton Dale, the Avenue, St Olaves road, St Annes Road, North Parade, Westminster Road are all really nice, You have to watch primary and secondary catchment but as that isn't an issue for you I think it could be a good location. There are some lovely houses on the Avenue but I went along there yesterday and nothing was for sale

Thank you, HBM and NL! That rules Dalton Terrace out. It is very useful to know about Clifton - all we were told was to avoid it. We did drive down Bootham a while back, and I was quite struck by the greenery around Clifton Green (um, not surprising, given the name), so it was a bit of a shame to be warned off completely. I think we'll have to look at the house and see the area for ourselves. I tried to look on Google streetview last night, but it stops just before Clifton Dale!

We're a bit gloomy today about the mis-match between what we we want and what we can afford... .

That's the York property market I'm afraid! We have four beds, garden, garage and nice quiet area but it's next to a not so exciting area and it's a relatively new build. Lovely and light and warm and it has character of a sort but not proper character iyswim. There's no way we could have afforded that with all the other things.

What is your spec: 4 beds, garden, parking?
And what's the top end of your budget - just roughly?

Hello NL!

Our spec is ludicrous, really. We need:

4 bedrooms minimum (we both work from home, so both need office space - though this could equally well be downstairs)
Good-sized garden
Parking
Workshop/cellar/double garage other storage for DH's tools - he is something of a carpenter/builder...

All of the above are, it appears, non-negotiable!

We would also like:

Nice community with other children around
Good local shops
Character property
Convenient location for the Minster (this seems to be a big sticking point)
Quiet-ish road
No hordes of students!

The very top end of our budget is around 700K, though we could go a bit higher for a property that included letting potential (an annexe or whatever). Ideally, somewhere within the 500K-ish region. It sounds so straightfoward on paper, doesn't it?!

Dottoressa - I am from York and would like to move back there and have looked at every single one of the houses you are looking at (either on the internet or RL). I agree with what others say about all of them.

I also agree with others that gardens are a rare commodty in central York. Prices are still ludicrous with many top end property vendors still deluded in believing they will get a South East buyer coming up to buy their dream home or a property developer begging them to sell so they can turn it nt flats. Those days are gone but prices still have to adjust.

Have you thought about moving out to somewhere like Askam Bryan? Bigger houses for less money?

BetaDad - we have thought about that, but are a bit put off by the idea of having to commute to York to take the children to the Minster and Mount schools in the morning, then again to pick DD up from the Mount at 3.30, then again to pick DS up from the Minster at 6pm. Given that we both work from home, we'd be having to make three quite long journeys there and back at rush hour three times a day, which we feel isn't a good idea...

An update: Marygate has, apparently, had two offers already!! Gulp...

I think the differing school times rule out anything outside the ring road tbh - it just isn't going to work.

Right at the beginning of the thread I linked to this

Now the decor plainly needs work but the garden is great, it has a garage and a shed. 4 bedrooms plus a fab looking loft space. The area is good and it overlooks the golf course which makes it quiet and peaceful. Not quite sure what's at the back - you would want to check carefully as whilst this bit is nice it borders on a not so good area so you just want to check whose at the back of your fence! Definately no students and a very easy trip to the minster. Bit further to the Mount but popping in and out for Minster services will be very easy and could be done on a bike. No really close local shops though so thats one snag - there's a variety in Heworth which is a short drive or cycle away.

Dotteressa - I think Marygate had an open either last week end or this weekend just gone. Hence the offers - but can they get a mortgage or sell ther own home? That is the test of a real buyer in this market.

I agree with your vews on York traffic. If you were both working in York it would not be a problem to live out but both working at home I agree you do need to live in.

Dotteressa - by the way I am not bidding for any houses in York as I have given up. Just so you know I am not in competition with you.

Betadad !

The way things are going, we may be in a caravan in September - if we are lucky...

NL - I can't remember why we haven't looked at this one. Whatever the reason, maybe we should!

BTW, I should had said earlier that we'd prefer a house that needs work rather than one where it's already been done!

Dottoressa - like you, we did actually secure places at the Minster school and Bootham for DS1 and DS2 a few years ago but completely failed to find a house in time to move. We have been in exactly the same boat as you. We gave up as we were not prepared to pay over the odds. I think we saved £150k so far.

How about renting? Is this any good for a year while you keep looking?

Monkgate

This is lovely to rent, next to the Minster but near a restaurant and the back gate of the hospital. I actually know this house very well as I nearly rented the house next door.

Precentors Court

Thank you, Betadad. Precentors Court is fabulous, and couldn't be more convenient for the Minster (Monkgate's not bad, either). I think we may in fact end up having to rent our house out and rent in York for the first year or so as it is all getting a bit tight - DS starts in the choir on 8th September, which isn't long when you're buying and selling houses...

Precentors Court is owned by the Minster too. Your front window would be looking straight at the Minster front door (straight down a narrow side street). The house has a small walled garden. It was for sale last year at £850k so I think £1800 a month rent is a bargain. It has been up for rent for a while. It would I agree be fantastically convenient for you and DS (well done to him by the way).

Carter Jonas do all the land agency work for the Minster estate. The partner you need to talk to is called Edward Waterson.

Its certainly worth a thought rather than buying an overpriced house you do not really like. You could breath easy and negotiate harder on an eventual purchase if you had a rent locked in for a year.

Anyway, I am dominating the thread so I will buzz off now. Best of luck.

BetaDad - thanks for your good wishes and helpful advice!

Ooh, and an update: 122 The Mount is up for best and final offers by Wed lunchtime, so I think that's out of the running!

However, we're seeing Clifton Vale, another Mount one and the big Tadcaster Road semi on Thursday, so will report back!

Oooh how exciting. Hope you like one of them.

From looking round yesterday I certainly think there is a scarcity of 'good property and that seems to be keeping the market up. Best and final offers on a house of that price is really amazing when you consider the global situation!

Good luck with your viewings...give us an update as to how you get on!

FWIW i wouldnt live on Monkgate (well defo wouldnt buy there) too near the groves and the drop in health centre.

HBM - Thank you! This is just the kind of thing I need to hear, and the kind of thing you only find out once you've bought a house and it's too late to back out again...

I shall let you all know how the viewings go!

Have you seen this one

here

similar price to the Bthorpe rd one!

or this one..
here
both lierally within spitting distance of the Minster.

or this one here

or lastly this one, you could buy it and the plot adjacent here

HBM - I think we really can't be thinking about houses that are so expensive. We'd thought you could let out various bits of the Bish. Road one, which might have made it just about feasible (if we'd been able to get a buy to let mortgage in addition to a residential one) - but I think we will really just have to be reasonable.

I'd been looking at the Clifton Green one again this evening. It was the garden that put me off, but maybe it's worth a look anyway, as the house is nice. The Stockton Lane one is one we've looked at. We found the whole area around there very gloomy - the house is v near Malton Road (I think!), and it all seemed dismal. Though maybe we had our non-rose-tinted specs on that day!

We're now wondering about the Heslington one again. It did have a lot going for it, despite the impractical location and the hordes of students...

I've just been for a virtual look at New Walk Terrace and St Paul's Square, courtesy of Google Street View. They are very, very nice.

Have you looked at this one. Not the prettiest street but good area, excellent location for both schools and town and you are surrounded by green-ness which is great in a city. here

personally i agree about S Lane, ive never been able to put my finger onit but gloomy is a good word for it.

Defo have a drive down Hobgate and Moorgate when you here next. You will think form a map that they are too far oout of town but they are not really...10 mins on a bike to thte Mount School plus another 10 to the Minster School, Acomb is handy for odd bits of shopping and Drs etc. They are lovvely streets and you will get the garden plus garage etc there.

heres one, though there are grander houses down that street.

here a bit about the agents description that it lies off the back of the mount!

Needs work though...unless you like black and gold bathrooms!!