Which area of Edinburgh to live in (on a budget)?

[sleepingdragons]

We're moving back to DP's hometown (Edinburgh) and we've just started looking at houses.

I know Edinburgh only from visiting so I have a visitor's eye view of the city and I can see we can't afford to live in any of those nice central places, sadly!

DP has suggested:

Balerno / Currie / Juniper Green
Leith
Musselburgh
South Queensferry
I also found some nice houses in Willowbrae

What are schools like in these areas? My eldest is not long off secondary, and my youngest is primary age. I know Currie's a good school but there's a bit of a question mark over school provision in the SW of the city at the moment (anyone know what's going on with that?) but I don't know much about the other areas.

We have a budget of about £300K, or maybe up to £325K at a push which feels like a lot to me, but obviously - not in Edinburgh.

Are there any other areas you'd suggest? DP hasn't lived there for a couple of decades at least!

Thanks :)

Horses4 thanks, I guess it makes sense people want the status quo - if it's not broke...

I imagine it must be pretty unsettling for people to not know what's going on, I hope they make a (the right!) decision quickly.

Have you looked at Midlothian or East Lothian?

Sort of - when we started talking about the new Borders line, DP was most keen on living right at the end of the line! Some stunning houses in the Borders but it's just too far from Edinburgh for me.

Which stops were you thinking of?

You're right, Dunbar is a bit far out! Lovely though.

I don't really know much about the areas in between.

My friend lives in Fairmilehead but I think its quite expensive. Linlithgow is nicer than Bo'ness. Is Stirling too far? Some good schools, great countryside, good transport links

Stirling looks lovely. But friends have convinced me the commute to Edinburgh is a real pain if you have to do it all the time.

Have you looked at fairmilehead or Swanston for firrhill or liberton

No, I don't know anything about them at all.

I think you could get a lovely house in Penicuik or Roslin for that money. Easy bus ride to Edinburgh too.Best of both worlds.

I was also going to suggest the catchment for Firrhill, it's a decent school and a nice area with easy access to the bypass for getting everywhere. I've also lived in Penicuik and whilst the town centre itself wasn't anything to write home about, it's a decent commuter town and is less than 10 miles from Princes street with a great bus service. Mauricewood probably the nicest of the primaries and in catchment for Beeslack high school.

This is a lovely street and a short walk to both primary and high school and the bus stop into edinburgh. Mature, quiet, family estate

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-64584538.html

This 3 bed is in firrhill catchment
espc.com/property/26-the-gallolee-edinburgh-eh13-9ql/35611419?sid=460873
In a very leafy area which feels quite rural but is on main bus routes and night buses.

Loads more for your money in gilmerton
espc.com/property/78-gilmerton-dykes-road-gilmerton-edinburgh-eh17-8pe/35588266?sid=460873

How many bedrooms?

Falkirk? Twenty mins on train to city centre, several good primary and high schools. With your budget, you could have a biiiiiiggggggg house and some left over. It's a big town rather than a city though, not a suburb.

Linlithgow also, pretty.

I'd go for the coast too:)

Why would the OP want fife or Falkirk if they want to live in Edinburgh? OP most of the areas you suggest are really far out, is there a particular reason for that? Other than Leith. Think too of the kind of house you want, there tends to be different housing stock in different areas. You won’t get a Victorian house in Trinity for 300 but you could get an ex council house, or a new build in Liberton or the house I’m in in Drumbrae. Mine was a lot less than that in fact. Put a search into the ESPC for 250 to 325 and see what comes up

South Queensferry is pretty but very little to do if you know what I mean and the public transport isn't great.
I think Musselburgh would be my choice out of your options.

Leith is a great place to live but some parts are rough and I doubt you would find somewhere with a nice sized garden, which would be a deal breaker for me.

I've noticed some nice houses in Trinity and Drumbrae - what's Drumbrae like?

most of the areas you suggest are really far out, is there a particular reason for that

DP would rather live somewhere rural, if it was up to him, we'd be in the Borders! But that's too far out for me.

I'd like to live in central Edinburgh in a big house with a garden - but I know we can't afford that!

These areas are a compromise I guess. I'm seduced by being able to get more for your money - and DP likes being further out of town.

I'd love to live in a period house / a more modern place with character.

We're in ex-council where we are now, and it's fine, but I've got a lot of pleasure out of living in a house with character in the past. It may well be something we have to sacrifice with a smaller budget, but it's on my wish list.

Currie, for example, doesn't feel that far out to me, if it only takes 20 minutes by train to get into town - that's nothing, surely, in the scheme of things? And Musselburgh's only 7 minutes by train.

But maybe I'm missing something here? Maybe it'd be a pain after a while?

I did spend a while tempted by the huge houses in Falkirk, as it happens!

There are also lots of places in Fife we could get a really lovely house, very tempting indeed!

But the reality is, we do need to be in / closer to Edinburgh.

I’d go Leith or Musselburgh from your original list. Currie/Balerno/Juni Green are nice but there is a lot of building work going on in and spurns all three and all the services (doctors, buses etc) are hugely overstretched. The green belt is non-existent round there now. Musselburgh is prob a bit more family-friendly than Leith. I wouldn’t look at Fife if you are moving back to live in edinburgh. It isn’t far away, but you certainly couldn’t class them as the same thing.

I like Drumbrae as it’s sort of half way between the roads going to Glasgow and the one going to Fife. Near the zoo, 5 min drive to Crammond promenade. Two good high schools in the area. Quite a mix of housing, which is reflected in the price. About 25 mins on bus to Princes street, airport bus faster though. You do pay to be near the city amenities. Leith or willowbrae would be closer. If you suggest some houses you like the look of in your price range we can give you the low down! Hard to know what style someone else wants.

We live in Corstorphine near Drumbrae. It's a nice area, lots to do, good transport links, plenty shops etc.

Edinburghsmedinburgh that's good to know, thanks :)

We're not viewing properties IRL yet. We're about to put our house on the market in England. Because of how the two systems work differently we'll need to sell up, here, before we can put an offer in up there. So the plan is to sell up then rent short term while we house hunt.

Here are some I like:

4 bed, Currie - would be great to have a 4 bed.

4 bed in Drumbrae again - 4 bed is tempting. This is a more modern house with character, which I like

6 bed in Musselburgh, wow! I love this one. Massive flat. Small but lovely garden.

Love this house and garden in Ratho This is DP and the DC's favourite. I love it too - just wondering about the distance.

4 bed, 2 reception, S. Queensferry Love the wood floors, layout, french windows and garden.

Tenement with nice garden, Trinity

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-64097395.html Not that keen on the decor, but a nice house, Meadowbank]]

I love the style of the Musselburgh one best (posh!! )

The Ratho one is tempting for the DC.

In general, 4 bed would mean we could rent a room, which I'd like to do if possible. (We've rented to lodgers before and it's suited us).

How about Dalkeith or Bonnyrigg? £325k could go a long way, both perfectly commutable (Lothian Buses or trains to Eskbank). I know someone already mentioned Midlothian but I’d really recommend these 2 specifically.

Ohdobakeoffdear I don't know them at all - what are they like?