Bristol/ Bath/ Wilts advice needed please

[needahouse]

Regular under a different name so I don't out myself. We've relocated for work and have now finally sold our own house. Unfortunately got a lot less than we wanted and now we find we can't afford anything that ticks even half our boxes

We are currently renting in Bradford on Avon but there's nothing here, and nothing in Bath. I work in Bath but the office is relocating to Filton Bristol at the end of next year. DH works in Chippenham (but could be moved anywhere in this general area in the next 2-3 years).

Our absolute max is £175k. We want a reasonable sized garden and ideally I want a lounge and a dining room, not open plan. 3 beds. We need parking for 2 cars. Is that asking the earth? We also need a reasonably good primary school within walking distance.

Are we better off looking at Bristol, Chippenham, Trowbridge, Melksham? I know the schools in Chippenham are generally good and those in Bristol not.

From the point of view of travel, schools etc which direction is the best to look at? I've spent hours on Rightmove and I'm getting nowhere

Bristol schools are (with some exceptions, generally in expensive areas) mostly quite poor. However this is not so in the surrounding suburban areas (BathNES, South Glos, North Somerset). Of these, South Glos is likely to be the most affordable. Have a look at this by way of example. You will find that newer houses in Bradley Stoke and similar may be affordable, but will be much smaller. It's a matter of what appeals most to you...

These areas would also be a fairly easy commute for Filton (most of which is also in S Glos! I wouldn't live there though. Whilst not really 'rough' as such, it is less than salubrious and has slightly dodgy, though not terrible, schools)

Trowbridge and Melksham are both a bit dowdy, Chippenham slightly better. One Wiltshire town that may be affordable, and that I know to have a decent secondary, is Calne.

Hope this is of aid.

How far south would you go? How about Wells?

Trowbridge is better than it was, and if you looked at the new estate you can get what you want house wise and an outstanding primary school, BUT the secondaries are not good unless you are catholic - but they are improving!
Is Chippenham no good? 2 of the 3 secondaries have great reputations, but I dont know much about the primary schools.
You could try somewhere like Bradenstoke as I think that feeds into Malmesbury school?
Signing off now, but will check again later if it will help.

Astonished to find this

Short stroll from excellent tiny primary (21 pupils from Sept! The downside is that quite a few of those 21 are, er, mine)

30 mins from Filton (I travel to near there to work) 10 mins from Bath. Chippenham also about 30 mins..

Looking around, I think there are a reasonable number of this sort of property in the sticks...

retiredgoth we were avoiding Calne as people at work seem to think it's a bit rough. Is that not the case? Your second link I think I discounted because of the open plan style of the house, but on further inspection might be worth a look. (You have 20 children? )

Orm I think Wells is too far- certainly would be to Chippenham. I did wonder about the new estates at Shepton Mallet but I don't know how realistic that would be with the early morning traffic.

JGB which new estate? I had a quick look at Trowbridge schools and none seemed to be particularly good. I don't need secondaries for a good few years- DD will start school Sept 2011. (they've got time to improve )

Trouble with a strange area is that what can be a reasonable distance to travel on an afternoon house-hunting turns into a nose to tail crawl at 8am, as I found when I first moved here.

Op - Paxcrfoft Mead - see links

here and here

I would aim looking for a reasonable commute to Filton, not Chippenham. The traffic is a nightmare. I live in Horfield (BS7) and there are houses that get you what you want, but not in the school catchment areas most of us would aspire to.

Having said that, my DD (5) goes to school in Southmead, it was in special measures a few years agon but is now fantastic (Ofsted rated 2). It's part of a Children's Centre so good wrap around care which is subsidised, again important as childminders are in short supply around here.

Personally I would rather live in a dodgy part of Bristol than Shepton or Trowbridge. They're fairly parochial places. Have you thought about Yate?

In Bristol £175,00 would mean places like St George which is not bad. Air Balloon primary is OFSTED outstanding which sometimes isn't relevant, but it's a really great school. Not sure about the 3 bedrooms though.