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Original poster

Renting in Ayrshire - Largs?

60 replies

lovesT · 29/09/2020 19:55

Grateful for any advice 😊.

We (my husband, 8 month old baby and myself) are looking to move to Ayrshire from South East England to be nearer some of our family, hopefully around December time. We are hoping to rent somewhere around West Kilbride or possibly Largs.

We are familiar with West Kilbride and hope that a flat might come up for us there (one bedroom/ two bedroom would be fine) but if not then maybe would look at Largs. We have been there a few times but wouldn't know about living there. Would you say it would be a nice place for a small, young family to live? There are a few flats there at the moment that look quite nice for what we're looking for!

Budget around £450 pm.

Would love to hear from people who know more.

Thanks! 😊👍

OP posts:
CrazyCatMamma · 29/09/2020 19:59

You’ll be lucky to find anything with that budget

aquamarine1 · 29/09/2020 20:05

There are a few on Rightmove for your budget. I'd also try the Facebook local pages. Best of luck!

AltogetherAndrews · 29/09/2020 20:06

£450 a month for rural Scotland and a one bedroom flat sounds about right.

AmericanAdventure · 29/09/2020 20:10

If you're planning on staying there and you're the kind of folk to be worried about catchments be aware that Largs has a good high school but West K is not in the catchment.

OneBiscuitAtATime · 29/09/2020 20:15

They are both nice places but have a very different feel. If you are familiar with West K you’ll know it has a village feel. Largs is a lot busier with a sea front and is a lot more touristy. Very busy on nice days.

Original poster
lovesT · 29/09/2020 21:35

@CrazyCatMamma there are quite a few for that budget, or even less 😊. I have done my research, just need to know about the areas.

@aquamarine1 thank you! Yes I'm checking Facebook marketplace as apparently that's a good place to look for properties now! Also following a letting agent page but will keep an eye out for other Facebook pages, thanks.

@AmericanAdventure we wouldn't plan on being there for that long is imagine, but that's good to know thank you.

@OneBiscuitAtATime yes that's worth thinking about. We are currently in a village and would prefer a village, but Largs as a town seems quite nice so I think we could adapt to that as long as there weren't any major things to worry about. We currently live next door to a pub (not ideal) so hopefully noise levels would be okay ..!

Thank you for all of your replies so far!

OP posts:
CrazyCatMamma · 29/09/2020 21:58

Ah ok. I’ll rephrase. Don’t think you’ll find anywhere I’d consider living for that budget.

SlantyBaws · 29/09/2020 22:15

Hello lovesT, agree that Largs is crazy during the summer (and sunny winter days!) and can be quite a bottleneck when trying to get somewhere. West K is great and with easy access to Portencross Beach and Seamill Hydro you can't go wrong.

I'm not sure if West K is in the catchment for Largs Academy but there are certainly plenty of kids from there who attend, possibly through an out of area application?

SlantyBaws · 29/09/2020 22:23

Oops I've just noticed that you don't need advice on the high school Smile

Largs is very popular destination for day trippers from Glasgow and beyond, and has been for many years (hence the number of pubs!). Easy access to the Isle of Cumbrae via the Calmac ferry which is also lovely for a day trip especially if you like to cycle. I've been told that the Largs golf course is passable, if you are that way inclined Grin

Barrfield theatre at Vikingar is good for events. No cinema, I think the closest may be Greenock Warerfront.

aquamarine1 · 30/09/2020 09:29

You just be absolutely cringing at that comment @CrazyCatMamma - what a way to humiliate yourself. I feel really bad for you - you should ask Mumsnet to delete it.

Original poster
lovesT · 30/09/2020 10:13

@aquamarine1 haha yes not the most helpful comments .. unfortunately with husband furloughed and my maternity pay ending soon we need to be very careful of money! So this is what we have set as our budget with not much option unfortunately. Just trying to be sensible and hopefully save for a house. So we don't plan on being in a flat forever!

Really appreciate the other comments though!

OP posts:
CrazyCatMamma · 30/09/2020 18:24

@aquamarine1

You just be absolutely cringing at that comment *@CrazyCatMamma* - what a way to humiliate yourself. I feel really bad for you - you should ask Mumsnet to delete it.
Eh ok. Whatever. I stand by it. For approx £100 a week, you will not find a nice place to live in West Kilbride. Largs is a shithole full of young druggies or pensioners.
Pugdogmom · 01/10/2020 09:48

Sorry, I am going to agree with PP. You could get a flat in Largs in your price range, but I wouldn't want to live there either. The flats near the shore front have a lot of problems with drug addicts and anti social behaviour. Of course there are decent people too, but to get somewhere decent, you'd need to look at increasing your price range. And forget the "3 Towns" such as Ardrossan , Saltcoats and Stevenston. There are some lovely properties at Ardrossan harbour, but they are expensive and pretty near some " dodgy bits".
West Kilbride is nice ( stay away from areas around Simson Avenue), but you won't get anything in your price range.

trumpisaflump · 01/10/2020 20:43

I'm going to chip in too. Largs is a shithole. I know that's a horrible thing to say but best you find out now. Could you maybe stay somewhere nicer and commute to where your family are?

Original poster
lovesT · 02/10/2020 09:54

Okay thank you everyone, we'll steer clear of Largs. We loved it when we've been there for days out but maybe not to live. Our plan is to live near our family that we have there because it's the only place we are properly familiar with. The plan is to rent for a while whilst looking for an area we would like to buy a house, which could be anywhere (Dumfries and Galloway etc). The frustrating thing is we actually are in a better position financially to buy a house as we have saved a good deposit, but want to spend as little as possible renting to keep money towards buying a house.

So, that's why we are looking at the West Kilbride area. If we can rent there a while that would be great as it will be a good familiar base to then go out and look for areas where we would like to buy. Hopefully sooner rather than later!

Appreciate all the responses, it's helpful. 😊👍

OP posts:
Original poster
lovesT · 02/10/2020 21:00

Any thoughts on Beith? 🤔

OP posts:
trumpisaflump · 02/10/2020 21:04

I'm fairly close to Beith. Not great.
I would try and pick a town or village with a train line to Glasgow and it won't feel so isolated.

Albless · 02/10/2020 21:17

I have a second home in Largs, and I love it!

As a town it has some social problems, nowhere doesn’t, but overall I’d say it’s a pleasant, quiet town which still has the feel of a thriving community which is missing from other small towns in the West of Scotland.

To those who think Largs is a shithole, I assume you’ve never been to Kilmarnock or Paisley? And even those towns have their good points, and a majority of good people.

Badgerforbreakfast · 02/10/2020 21:37

My 2p worth about some of the places mentioned.

  1. West Kilbride - lovely
  2. Largs - lovely but so touristy and you’ll regret it every summers day for the rest of your life and when you’re trying to avoid being mown down by pensioners in Morrisons.
  3. Beith - close to where I live. If you want a town but still with a sort of village feel it’s a good one. It’s nowhere near as nice as likes of WK but comparing it to Kilmarnock/Irvine or even closer places of a similar size like Kilwinning it’s much nicer with only one school.
  4. Irvine - if you’re into the new build thing look at Dawn Homes development at Perceton. Actually that reminds me there’s also a Dawn Homes development at Fairlie which is coastal like Largs but less touristy.
  5. Kilmarnock. I wouldn’t.

I’m obviously a North Ayrshire girl at heart!

IKEA888 · 02/10/2020 21:49

what about kilbirnie?
in my view much nicer than west kilbride . excellent transport links and good schools if need be.

Treesofwood · 02/10/2020 21:49

I would move as close to family as you can. Whereabouts are they? Have you considered Dalry or Stewarton? Depends where extended family are really. What about Inverkip?

Badgerforbreakfast · 02/10/2020 21:51

Stewarton is nice. People would probably rank it below WK but above Beith.

Dunlop is fab if you want super rural.

Badgerforbreakfast · 02/10/2020 21:52

Troon, Barassie and Prestwick are more coastal places but not as touristy as Largs.

DoTheNextRightThing · 02/10/2020 22:05

I second Irvine. Not quite the same area but it's a good town and you'd definitely get something in your price range there. And it's on the train route to Glasgow. And Largs for that matter!

Albless · 02/10/2020 22:05

@Badgerforbreakfast

Stewarton is nice. People would probably rank it below WK but above Beith. Dunlop is fab if you want super rural.
Dunlop is lovely, and I’ve already checked Rightmove for OP - nothing for rent in Dunlop just now.