Help! I want to move to Edinburgh but know nothing!

[SandrainDurham]

Hello, me and my daughter are passionate about Edinburgh, which we consider the best place on Earth. We are both recent graduates and overcoming a very difficult life-changing health situation, so we had one of those 'moments' and want to start a new life there.
So, we need your help: we want to rent a house in an area with shops and close to a bus route that can take us to the city centre, but we cannot afford thousands of pounds per month!
We want a peaceful, friendly neighbourhood, have a garden, greet the neighbours and talk about the weather!
Which areas do you advise?
Please contribute as much as possible, we are grateful for any information.
Thanks!

Hi. I'd advise to stay away from key student flat areas as the rents will be phenomenal. So that'd be The Meadows, Haymarket, Nicolson Street. Basically anywhere along a bus route to Edinburgh university (multi centres), Napier or Heriot Watt.

Leith or Trinity might suit you.

Actually the student flats will be mostly HMO so maybe you won't get caught. What's your budget?

Hi Lizzie, thank you, it could be £800/850, I want a reliable house in good condition, with good heating system, white goods, a garden, that accepts pets because I have a tiny Chihuahua, minimum two bedrooms, as this is for me and for my daughter. We had some nasty experiences in Durham, so want to avoid a repetition.

This is an upper villa with a garden. Looks nice and is in budget.

This was found putting your parameters into Rightmove. You could also try ESPC as they handle the solicitor estate agencies.

I honestly think that you might struggle or need to be patient OP as that's a lot of requirements for a relatively small budget for Edinburgh.

This is handy for buses and I think still has a community feel but can't see any way to filter to include pets so I don't know of it will or won't accept:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-81368120.html

or a little over budget but again doesn't mention pets:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-72011296.html

There are also quite a few listed in Dreghorn and from memory I think they may be ex-army properties. No idea what the area will be like nowadays.

This one in Colinton mains looks good:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-82211759.html

There are quite a few on in Colinton Mains, I think that area might be a good option for you.

Why don't you have a look about the rental market and if there is any you think you might like then post and some of us will see if we have any local knowledge?

Ha Lizzie I think we both picked out the same one! There are a few in that area so definitely worth a look.

Hi Lizzie and Wax, that is great, thank you so much!
How is it to live in Edinburgh?
The best and the worst (if there is any?)
Is it easy to make friends and be part of a community?

Edinburgh is fantastic as a city, but as a city it of course has its good and less good areas.

If you’re looking for community you may want to look slightly out of town, and I hate to say it but for £800 p/m if you want an actual house with garden in a good area, you’ll probably have to!

Hi OP, I don't live in Edinburgh anymore but I grew up there, lived in Penicuik for a while (also a decent option for you, nice community and great bus service into edinburgh) but live up in Stirling now (also a good option for you I would say). Live everywhere it has good and bad bits and possibly the bits I wouldn't choose to live in now probably do have good community stuff for people who were brought up there and know who is who. I grew up on the south side of the city and have really good memories of it. the local school does very well so based on that, I think it must still be a decent place to be.

Bus service is pretty comprehensive but I guess it all depends on where you will be working. Do you have anything lined up or any thoughts as to what industry?

What about somewhere on the outskirts / village? Probably more community like?

I still love Edinburgh and have lots of family there but must say, nowadays I find it very busy as compared to the relative tranquility of my new small city home. We still choose to go down and stay occasionally for a weekend to go out for nice meals and nice places to drink and just soak up the vibes :o

South queensferry - plenty of garden space and on the train line.

Good things: there's lots to do, particularly if you like culture - lots of cinemas, art galleries, theatres. Live music is better in Glasgow, but it's ok. I love that whatever you're into, in Edinburgh, you could probably meet others who share the same interests. It's got big city attractions, but feels like a small city.- easy to get into from most parts of the city, you often see people you know. Fantastic green spaces and parks and near the sea. It's beautiful.

The downs? Expensive housing. Seems to get busier by the year with tourists - the festival is madness, but now Christmas and New year is too. Some people say Edinburgh folk are unfriendly... I haven't really found this, but tbh, there are so many incomers that it can be a place where people want to get to know new people.

WaxOnFeckOff I have a degree in Theology, Ministry and Mission, with experience working in churches in pastoral care, community worker and church assistant, I have been volunteering with non-profit working on grants and supporting community issues and I am finishing an MA in heritage management focusing on religious heritage, digital tools and visitor experience, and, basically, I am applying to everything and anything as I really want to move to Edinburgh. I live with my daughter and she is looking to establish a social enterprise, so we both will share the rent.

Thank you all, I will keep my eye on Rightmove, as soon as I have a job offer I will match it with what is available and Edinburgh here we go.
Every time I meet someone from Scotland they are always a delight, quite friendly, in fact, and Edinburgh has all the events, museums, exhibitions and culture that we are so fond of. I just don't want to land in a place where there are wild parties, loud music and some strange character around.
Thank you all, please keep giving your ideas and advice.

A friend told me to avoid Pilton, Muirhouse, Niddrie and Dumbiedykes.
Are they problem areas?

A friend lives in Lady Nairn Loan, ex-authority flats. Very close in, right by the park, she loves it there.

What about Musselburgh? 8 mins on train to city centre.

In a word, yes. I'd add some more to that such as Wester Hails, Broomhouse and probably more. Again these are all areas where if you were born and brought up in them would be ok as you know what is what but as a newcomer, I wouldn't choose to live in them. There are lots of in-between type places, some that have been council areas and others that have always been at the lower end of the bought/rental market that are a lot better such as oxgangs, sighthill, longstone, drumbrae etc that are a really good option. Sometimes though it can be down to a few streets are better than other streets, and some areas have undergone regeneration so my knowledge might be out of date. Leith, gorgie, dalry, haymarket are generally flats at an afordable rate, morningside, bruntsfield etc are flats but less affordable. I think you will be looking at suburbs or small towns/villages on the outskirts, most of which are good for travel.

Reason I asked about type of work is becasue the finance type jobs are mostly out to the west of the city, main hospital to the south east for medical type jobs so those industries would have been easier to predict possible locations :)

Good luck in the job hunt.

Duddingston was an area she was keen on when house hunting, I remember

I just did you a lovely post with a picture and everything but it hasn't worked!

Look at EH9, there's a flat in Livingstone Place, I used to live in that street, brilliant location and very fond memories!

Its a bit pricey as only a 15 minute walk through the meadows to town, but there are some, like the one mentioned in your price range. Loved it there!

Awww TokyoSushi.... what a shame.... but thank you, I am taking notes of all the places you are advising me to look, I think it will depend greatly from the area in which I will get that job offer, but at least I will know what to avoid.
And there are so many churches everywhere!
I am sure I will be able to get something there.
Great posts here, you are helping a lot! thank you so much!

Oh, quick question, I have read online everywhere that Edinburgh has no Sun and it is always cloudy and cold. Is this true? No Sun at all? What is really the weather like?

The weather today has been dismal, but that's not usual! True we don't get as many hot, hot days as southern areas of Britain, However it's not always bad. We get a reasonable amount of clear dry days and some scorching sunny days. We had blazing sunshine over the Easter holidays and just a few weeks ago and I'm hopeful we have a summer similar to last year, lots of beautiful days.

Look at Duddingston, portobello, S Queensferry, Trinity and Leith

Definitely has sun! But it is Scotland so, in general, we don't get the same weather as the south. Edinburgh is coastal so you can get more sea haar than inland and although it can get breezy, it's drier than the west and it's proximity to the coast usually means it's less inclined to get snow.

The west of Scotland in general terms is slightly milder but wetter.

Remember that we get more daylight in the summer but less in the winter so everywhere can be damp, dreary and dark in winter but you can be happily strolling about in twighlight until really late in summer. I personally love the smell of the first frosts of Autumn on a crisp sunny morning.

What is it they say? There is no bad weather, just the wrong clothes...

If it was really that bad, would there be such high housing prices and desires to move there? It's popular because it's great. Buy a cardigan! :o