Location?

[aquamarine1]

Hi, we're looking to live home soon and whilst Bearsden would be ideal for family ties, we need Glasgow for school purposes. I thought Kelvindale would be amour best bet but I've seen a house at the same budget (300k) but double the size and detached in Summerston. As the crow flies it's about half a mile away. The estate is called The Grange - does anyone have any thoughts? I've driven round and it seems quite nice but obviously it's not as close to the amenities of the west end as Kelvindale. I am tempted hey house size but don't want to regret location.

Any insight would be much appreciated!

I guess it depends if you're happy to drive everywhere. If not, move to Kelvindale, it's nice.

That's true. I'm just dazzled by the property size further out!

I know 2 families that live there, they like it but they're from maryhill area anyway so people like what they're used to.
Personally I'd buy in the best area possible for the money you have.
Can I ask why you need Glasgow for school? The Bearsden schools are better.

What schools are you looking at? That development is right on the edge of Glasgow and not really handy for anything.

You will get more for your money in less desirable areas
The people I know who lived in that area sent their kids to primary school in Bearsden on placing requests although probably wouldn't get into secondary in Bearsden now

Almost definitely not into Bearsden Academy on a placing request - there were lots of disappointed parents this year. Boclair not so chock a block.

I think we'll just stick to Kelvindale then and buy somewhere with potential to extend. Thanks for the comments, I had a guy feeling that location wins even though there's not much distance between them. I'll appreciate being able to walk to shops and cafes etc more than a bigger house.

Assume you have a very good reason for you wanting them to go to school in Glasgow,the opposite normally applies

We're native Gaelic speakers so we want them to go to the Glasgow Gaelic School and need to be within the council for a place.

That makes sense
Kelvin dale sounds good for you in those circumstances
Good luck

Thank you! Another 100k would be great

Have a look at Shawlands / Pollokshields for good value housing. Don't know how old your kids are but the new Gaelic Primary school (beside Glendale Primary) looks great.

@weegiemum might be able to advise as well - her kids are currently at the Gaelic school.

I know when they were moving away from the Titwood area where they'd rented initially, it was important that they found a house within the city boundary.

Good tip - there's some crackers in the Shawlands area. I'm in Bearsden a lot for family reasons so think the traffic might be a bit restrictive but I'm amazed at how much more you get for your money.

I'm from Bearsden/Milngavie originally but love it on the South Side.

From Shawlands it only takes 20 minutes to get across to Bearsden (although more in rush hour ). My dad is still just outside Milngavie, so we go across regularly (we're now in Pollokshields).

That's definitely good for thought. I'm probably being a bit ridiculous - you're right, it's so close really. Londoners would probably think the distance between Shawlands and Bearsden is a short stroll. Off to update my roghtmove favourites.

If you're looking at the Gaelic school then Kelvindale makes a lot of sense in terms of proximity. Have you spoken to them about places? I know it's a very popular place and it's not clear from your OP whether your children are coming up to school age and you're appkying for a P1 place, or whether they're older and will be transferring into an existing class.

They're pre-school. As Gaelic speakers, I'd be deeply unhappy to not be offered a place!

If they're pre-school, you should definitely consider the South Side. The new Gaelic Medium primary school is in Pollokshields (shares a campus with Glendale Primary, which is an excellent school ).

I do know it is very popular and that they are already consulting on where to put a new one (ignoring the suggestion by one of the non native speakers Gaelic school parents that it should be the Glendale Primary school kids who had had to endure the disruption and tiny playground while the new school was being built who should decant outwith their physical catchment area, to allow the Gaelic school to take over the whole building ..... to be fair, the native speakers were the ones who apparently said how ridiculous this suggestion was, given that they were choosing to send their kids to the specific school and were already being "bussed" in )

That's outrageous, the entitlement stuns me. Will take a look at the school, thanks for the suggestion. Some lovely houses on just now.

Where we are in Lanarkshire you can request a place at the Gaelic school in Cumbernauld native speaker or not and your child will be taxied there and back every day.

I know weegiemum's kids were taxied over to the Gaelic school in the West End, throughout their school career (although I'm not sure if now they're older, they don't have a bus pass instead). They started there in nursery and the oldest is now in S6 and has done well. They had lived in the Western Isles, hence wanting to keep the Gaelic going (although she recognised that her catchment schools - at the time, Shawlands Primary and Shawlands Academy, were good schools in themselves).

Shawlands has a lovely vibrant "centre" and you're also close to 3 great parks (Queens Park, Pollok Park and Maxwell Park).

Don't discount conversions in Pollokshields or Newlands - you get the lovely high ceilings of the Victorian buildings and many of them come with their own gardens.

A whole new world opening up here when I include south side in my search!

We were living in a lovely tenement flat in Shawlands and wanted to move to a house/bigger place with a garden. We then spent 2 years looking on the North Side (to be closer to my parents and dh's golf club ). Could never find anything that gave us the lovely high ceilings we were used to and was in our price range . We were looking in Jordanhill, Bearsden, Milngavie and as far out as Aberfoyle. Decided to look South Side and found the house we have now been in for nearly 19 years on the first night of looking . It is a lovely upper conversion (dh calls it a 'horizontal semi' as it is the upper half of a Victorian villa) in Pollokshields, with a large garden (the left hand half of the back garden and the front shared with downstairs although dh does all the lawn mowing ). In the South East, they would have built at least 4x4 bedroom houses cheek-by-jowel in the combined back garden - but they can't here because it is a conservation area

That sounds lovely - a big garden is a huge plus, out current one is tiny so that would be a real luxury.

Thanks very k ch for all the input, hugely appreciated.