Lawrie Reilly Place, Leith, Edinburgh EH7

[MovingtoEdinburgh7867]

Hello Everyone
I have been on this forum since the last 6 months and have got a lot of great advice here. So very grateful to all of you.
We are moving to Edinburgh in a month's time and I like a town home at Lawrie Reily Place. Is this area a good area? School I am not worried since my child has secured an admission in an independent school. But how is the locality, is it family friendly? Anything I need to be aware of?
Thank you!

I wouldn't call it Leith, it's more Meadowbank / Lochend area. I had a friend who used to live there and they never said they had any issues. I find it quite claustrophobic and it's a very hard landscape to live in. I'm not sure it's all that family friendly as they have quite small gardens and there's not really anywhere to play out as the properties come right onto the street. You get quite a lot of house for your money though.

Thank you very much emmathedilemma.

Hope you like football, it's right next to the Hibs ground!

I wouldn't really class that area as Leith either. It's very handy for getting into city centre quickly and it's a cheaper area of town. I think a lot of the new housing there is classed as "affordable housing".

I've had 2 friends lived just off Easter road, it's very much a first time buyers area. They always felt safe living alone there.

Lochend, which is nearby, is not considered a good area but I don't have any direct experience of it.
I wouldn't say it's an obvious family area of the city.

Are you buying or renting? Even though you're not bothered about school catchment area you've still got to get said child to school and most, if not all the independents, are on the opposite side of the city from there which would not make for a fun school run.

If it's near Easter Rd, it's quite a built-up area and will be near the stadium.

Thanks Sootess. I should specify, I have a 12 year old daughter who is football crazy. So might just work for us .It is a rental for 1 year only. I understand that it is not family friendly but will it be safe for a 12 year old to bike to George Watson school by herself?
appreciate all the responses. thank you!

I wouldn't say so. Its very far away by bike, across the other side of the city from Watson's. Do you know Edinburgh at all?

I wouldn't be thrilled about my 12 year old cycling that route - it cuts across the city centre, so very busy traffic (usually) and trams. You could get a bus, but you might be better trying to find something on the same side of the city as the school.

It’s about as far the wrong end of town from George Watsons as you can get, and uphill all the way there. Roughly what are you looking to rent (number of bedrooms etc and max budget) and we can maybe suggest some rentals that are closer?

I haven't lived in the city centre for a while but I really wouldn't be happy about a 12yr old cycling that route. Its very very busy, mostly uphill and on major bus routes. For Watsons you really want to be the other side of town.

Well if she loves football @MovingtoEdinburgh7867 it's ideal!

I wouldn't be happy cycling that route. Safest way would be through Holyrood Park but it's still very busy city centre roads after the park over to Watsons. There's also a lot of cobbled streets!

She could get a bus with short walk at each end. But she'd be crossing East to west so probably take best part of an hour at peak time

Jeez no way would I let a 12yr old cycle that!! You want to be on the south side really for Watsons.

Thanks you everyone. Yes I do not really know Edinburgh. There are very few realtors engaging with me due to being overseas and Covid-19.
I ll keep looking.
As always everyone has been super helpful and thanks for guiding me.

I think it's probably a good idea to think about locations - Bruntsfield, Marchmont, Morningside, Polwarth would all be handy for Watsons.

I’m going to be blunter and say you need to look again. It’s daft to rent there if your daughter is at Watsons. Nothing to do with whether the Meadowbank/ Lochend area is family friendly or nice etc.

It would not be happy for a 12 year old to bike to and from GWs (on her own?) from there, especially when winter kicks in. Tram lines, cobbles, big hills, dark, wet, heavy traffic, lots of roadworks. Find a rental place on the south side within a mile or two of GW where all her friends will be.

You could maybe try an air BnB or similar just to get a foothold in Edinburgh? We moved from overseas and it's hard to do renting remotely even without Covid.

@MovingtoEdinburgh7867

Thanks you everyone. Yes I do not really know Edinburgh. There are very few realtors engaging with me due to being overseas and Covid-19. I ll keep looking. As always everyone has been super helpful and thanks for guiding me.

You don’t need a realtor to engage with you. That’s not how it works here.

You need to identify the properties you are interested in renting and check on Google maps for distance / transport etc from your workplace and schools.

Use other websites to research the area . You can ask on here too.

The you either view the property IRL ( or have someone do it for you ) or ask the letting agent for an application. They will want things like your employment contracts, a landlord reference and 3 months of bank statements.

Then you wait to see if the agent / landlord has chosen your application and you pay a deposit.

You need to set up alerts and check your emails at least daily. Good properties can be rented within a few days.

No that’s way too far away for a child to cycle safely like that. Sorry.
@I0NA has given you some good advice there.

What your monthly rental budget? Maybe some of us can send you links to properties in more suitable areas.

You just need to search Rightmove and ESPC for properties in the areas you want, get in quick if there's something you like as they will be snapped very quickly! Letting agents won't wait around for you to get your stuff in order, they'll just take the next person in line who does.

I have been following the steps @I0NA has outlined.
And I have been looking on Rightmove too @Invisimamma
I have applied via their email and called up their offices during the working hrs. I have gotten only 1 response so far. May be because of the lockdown. May be people will get back to me this week.
The last option will be like @Callisto1 suggested, an airbnb or serviced apartment for 3-4 weeks to get familiar with the area.
@Invisimamma - monthly budget is around 2000 where 1500-1750 is rent and remaining would be utilities/council tax and such like.

But I get the idea, find a place closer to school and keep looking.

Where will your work be based @MovingtoEdinburgh7867 ? That's another consideration for locations

That's a healthy budget, you should be able to find something more suitable nearer school.

When you see a property you like phone the agent and let them know you're interested (some will go too quickly for email), ask if they'll do an online viewing via video call (or you may be happy to take from photos). If you like it get the paperwork in submitted quickly.

Although lockdown could be a factor the property market has been running here and hasn't really shut down in the recent lockdown (unlike other industries).

I would let a 12 year cycle alone on any Edinburgh road. I would try and secure a holiday let in the bruntsfoeld area or surrounding this for a month or so.

Wouldn't let!!

www.zoopla.co.uk/to-rent/details/58035626/?search_identifier=97086d93951c28600bad2d795951ced0
www.zoopla.co.uk/to-rent/details/57944248/?search_identifier=97086d93951c28600bad2d795951ced0
www.zoopla.co.uk/to-rent/details/58404503/?search_identifier=ea16fcd7b9eedd5c1b613ccc82e35aa5
www.zoopla.co.uk/to-rent/details/58364302/?search_identifier=ea16fcd7b9eedd5c1b613ccc82e35aa5
These are stretching your budget a bit but I think you’ll have to if you need 3 or more bedrooms in a decent area. If you’d consider a flat you’d have a lot more choice than houses.