Moving to New Brighton

[Sussexbythesea777444]

Hi there,
We’re looking to move to New Brighton on the Wirral - we have a 3 year old starting school in Sept 2021. DH prefers West Kirby but the prices are so high! I want to live mortgage free if possible. We currently live near Brighton (down south) and believe we can get £320 for our house. Any comments on areas schools from locals will be really appreciated! Xxx

New Brighton is not rural - I think it peaked in the 1960s and has been steadily declining since.
Your DH is correct, West Kirby, Hewsall, Neston, Irby, Higher Bebington, Bebington village are all much nicer areas.

Sadly a lot of the Mersey side of the Wirral suffers from low investment and poor housing - it was pretty industrialised then much of the industry left.

It’s still a beautiful part of the world, but perhaps it’s worth renting for a few months if you don’t have family/friend there to help you focus on best areas for you.

Thank you @errorofjudgement I didn’t know what category to put it in so selected rural living, not sure I can change that now? I’ve read other threads that say the same about NB too but was hoping that things may have changed as read about the developments. My BIL lives in Birkenhead and we stay there when we visit - he loves NB and took us there a couple of Christmasses ago but the weather was bad so we didn’t really get a good feel of it. I love the spot he is overlooking the Mersey and the Liver Buildings - I wasn’t overly keen on the view across to the Docks though. But of course we know Birkenhead is disadvantaged and we don’t want to bring our son up there. We also went to the old monastery and the ferry port for dinner and it was lovely, lots of street food and such friendly people!

I love the look of the West Side but it does seem a little less friendly, I don’t want to try and keep up with the Jones’s, I like sustainable living and want to get away from my pretentious local town where it’s all about money, 4x4’s, Hunter wellies and who can through the most expensive birthday parties and buy the most elaborate birthday cakes! I guess I’m looking for comfortable safe and friendly. I’m also a bit worried about being too close to the water so a little town/village with a good primary school will be perfect!

New Brighton couldn't be closer to the water! I live on the Wirral and I love it but I wouldn't personally want to live in New Brighton....
Greasby or Irby are nice areas with reasonable property prices and excellent primary schools. West Kirby is lovely but expensive. Hoylake is nice but the main primary school there is not amazing in my opinion. Meols is nice but expensive, great primary school.
Will you be working, and if so where? New Brighton, West Kirby, Hoylake and Meols are all on fast direct train lines into Liverpool. Heswall has a good bus link. Irby is less well connected but you can drive to a park and ride station. Greasby has a good bus link. If I had £320k to spend i would look at Greasby, Irby and Heswall.

This is a nice, quiet, safe road and close to the village - walking distance from Irby Primary or Dawpool Primary: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/73474017#/
Example of what you could get in Greasby: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/77711187#/
Greasby Infants and Brookdale Primary are good schools - Greasby Juniors is one of the best schools on the Wirral.

Or come to Meols and be my neighbour!
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/76095018#/
Feel free to PM me.

Phew- I was just concerned that you thought the Wirral and New Brighton is very rural! 😁

Based on what you’ve posted, I don’t think NB would suit, but I wouldn’t be too quick to dismiss Heswall/Irby.
It’s probably worth looking at the types of schools too, parts of the Wirral still have grammar schools so that impacts on the rest of the local secondary schools.
If you’re looking at somewhere a bit more open to sustainable living, have you considered south iof Chester going into Shropshire/North Wales, so areas like Malpas which are more rural?

@errorofjudgement

Phew- I was just concerned that you thought the Wirral and New Brighton is very rural! 😁

Based on what you’ve posted, I don’t think NB would suit, but I wouldn’t be too quick to dismiss Heswall/Irby.
It’s probably worth looking at the types of schools too, parts of the Wirral still have grammar schools so that impacts on the rest of the local secondary schools.
If you’re looking at somewhere a bit more open to sustainable living, have you considered south iof Chester going into Shropshire/North Wales, so areas like Malpas which are more rural?

As a Malpasian I can vouch for Malpas, Farndon, Tilston etc... The local high school is excellent ( I went there in the 1970s so I am biased) and the feeder primaries are great too.

Thank you so much for this info! We will definitely look at Greasby and Irby as seems more affordable! I know I said NB then contradicted myself about being on the sea front lol. I love thought of just walking onto the beach, we have a greyhound so he would love it! But the recent news about the Wirral going under water worries me!

The houses look lovely on the west side but ideally I wanted us to have some equity (moving from down south for a more comfortable life). I want to work part time to fit around school if I can, my profession is in youth/safeguarding and social care and at the mo I work for a charity! We have cars so I’m not too worried about busses and trains. DH is a surveyor so I’m guessing he would be over the water a lot?

I’ve seen some lovely Victorian houses around £200k but they are east side and don’t have much garden space. What about Bebington, Bromborough and Wallasey? I love the look of the old library there and vale park? I heard there’s summer festivals and lovely cafes. MIL lived on Port Sunlight for 10 years she has since passed but have fond memories of the place, DH won’t live says it’s a builders nightmare due to the houses being listed plus it’s close to some disadvantage areas so not good for bringing up a boy!

Any comments about east side towns much appreciated! Xx

Bebington has some very nice areas. Bromborough would be a no for me. Wallasey is a large area and quite mixed - DH is from there and wouldn't choose to live there again. There are some ok parts tho.

@emsyj37 thank you, where abouts do you live? X

@emsyj37 actually I see you live in Moels! Sorry! Why would your DH not move back to Wallasey? Is it just nicer where you are now? X

@InTheShadowOfTheMushroomCloud @errorofjudgement

I never thought of looking further afield?! How far is Malpas and I’m not sure I want too rural somewhere on the outskirts. I love Liverpool city so want to be close to there too. Wirral people seem so lovely and a real sense of community too, would I get that further out? I’m an older mum with 2 grown ups and a little one of 3, SD is at Nottingham uni studying law and SS is in London surveying like his Dad but he’s looking at moving to Canada! So no ties down south now.

A lot of Wallasey is a bit.... rough? The are where PILs live is just quite tired and run down- there is a shopping centre a few minutes' walk from their house which used to be great when I was a child with lots of nice high street shops, but now it is just lots of boarded up units and bargain shops. There are some pleasant enough parts of Wallasey but I would want to get to know the area first before settling/buying there. The nicer parts are not really cheaper than say Irby or Greasby.
Meols is much nicer (IMO) and feels very safe. I happily walk the dog late at night with headphones in and have never been worried about it. There is no 'edge' here - it's just relatively affluent suburbia. The train line through New Brighton and Wallasey goes through some rough areas so that's a factor for me too - post-Covid I hope to be able to get back to going for after work drinks in Liverpool and feel safe getting the train home late in the evening.

@Sussexbythesea777444, you will find the climate quite different. It will probably rain a heck of a lot more often.

@emsyj37 are you close to the sailing club? SD sails and I think that’ll lure her over for holidays! X

Yes, there is one in Hoylake and one in West Kirby - we are walking distance from Hoylake. DH is on the lifeboat crew also, and has a boat (or three). There is an exceptionally strong sailing community here!

Hello, I live in Birkenhead, (the disadvantaged part) and happily bringing up my children here. It's ironic you want to 'get away from the Jones's and pretentious living' yet also comment you wouldn't bring your son up in a disadvantaged area.

You don't seem to know much about the area. New Brighton is certainly not a little town/village, and you absolutely can not escape deprived and disadvantaged people in any urbanised town so close to a major city, but if deprivation scares you then Wallasey is not for you.

I think you need to be looking at the blander areas, Bebington, Greasby, Eastham, Bromborough, Meols. You are unlikely to find a character property though. If you want a period property with more going on locally you have to accept the rough worth the smooth and that there will be deprived neighbourhoods living right next door to you.

I live in New Brighton and really like it here. Some parts of Wallasey aren't great. I love being able to walk to the beach. Mount Primary is good. Ds3 is now at Calday Grammar in West Kirby.

@user6434X i love Birkenhead my bil lives there - I would quite happily live there and I also currently live in a disadvantaged town and grew up in one myself. The reason we’re looking at moving up to the Wirral is for a better life but naturally we would want to stay in a bit of a nicer area if we can afford it. That is why i can’t stand pretentiousness but I heard that people aren’t like that on the Wirral so looking at all areas. We are older parents with 2 grown ups so I think we’re trying to play it safe with our little one as we’re not so down with it anymore, I didn’t meant to offend xx

I grew up in Birkenhead and my DMum still lives there. Hoylake is a good bet for a period house within your budget, and it isn't rough or bordered by rough areas, but I do think the primary school lets it down a bit.
The majority of housing in Meols is 1930s (our house is a 30s detached with some nice features but it's not really the same). There are some Edwardian and Victorian houses around but they're not the standard and many of them are large and outside your budget. Hoylake is mostly Victorian snd Edwardian housing with plenty of spacious period terraces. You could probably get a place in an alternative primary if you wanted- some parts of Hoylake you might get into Great Meols Primary, or there is often capacity at Black Horse (towards West Kirby).

I live on the edges of New Brighton towards St. George's Park and we love it here. The has been loads of investment on the front with a cinema, restaurants and cafes. Victoria road is being developed with lots of independent restaurants and shops.

The primary schools are excellent and you have access to grammer schools. Wetherhead girls school is exceptional.

There are rougher areas such as Seacombe, Egremont and Poulton, but Wallsaey Village and the streets around Grove Road,Warren Drive, Mount Road and around Earlston park are fab.

@emsyj37 that sounds great, we’ve seen a few over that way that we really like and the beach really does appeal to us too xx

@Crabwoman thanks so much for this - it’s nice to see a good one about NB! I really do like the look of it, Wallasey too but DH is less keen. I’m going to look at those areas you suggest too! Xx

[quote Sussexbythesea777444]@Crabwoman thanks so much for this - it’s nice to see a good one about NB! I really do like the look of it, Wallasey too but DH is less keen. I’m going to look at those areas you suggest too! Xx[/quote]
Also look at houses off seabank road, and around vale park. You get huge properties for your price range. Seabank road itself now has restaurants, butchers and independent shops.

We really love it here. We are both from the south and honestly wouldn't live here if we didn't love it. There are other areas of the wirral which a lovely, but like the variety and slight quirkiness of New Brighton.

@Crabwoman thank you so much! My SIL sent me a property right on Vale Park the other day. It did look lovely!