Semi-immigrant family - where to live?

[Mushypeasandlemonjuice]

Hi,

I moved around the UK growing up and lived in Wales, England & Scotland but Scotland was where I felt most at home. Flash forward a decade spent living abroad and I'm planning to come 'home', this time with my family in tow and am trying to figure out where.

My husband will be on a spouse visa and is slightly Middle Eastern-looking so the anti-immigration mood is obviously a factor we need to consider. We have two high-school aged children - one interested in following an apprenticeship-based path, the other to uni. They're currently studying for IGCSEs and so would move into the Scottish system for Highers. Because of the spouse visa rules, we need a four-bed house and have a budget of maximum 220,000 (cash) so that's obviously a big factor in where we can come back to.

We currently live rurally and love the (off-grid, outdoorsy) lifestyle so in many ways, the Highlands would be a great choice but from an education perspective, somewhere within an hour or so of Glasgow/Edinburgh might be better and we'd be willing to switch to more city-living if needed.

Oh wise women of Scotsnet - where would you suggest? Rightmove seems to suggest our best choices would be somewhere on the West Coast, but I'm open to any suggestions.

The Borders is still relatively cheap and most places are in striking distance of Edinburgh and/or Glasgow. Road travel is easier than further north and there is the train as far as Tweedbank, Galashiels. Everyone has been very friendly to us since we moved here five years ago from England. It is more anglicised than the Highlands I’d say but has a strong sense of its own history. I think you’d struggle to find somewhere with 4 beds for £220k here though.

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, the train links would be useful with teens. Just finding that needle-in-a-haystack house in budget!

Dumfries and Galloway? You might find a 4 bed in your budget between Dumfries and the M6. Or between Stanraer and Wigtown personally I’d avoid Stranraer itself. The latter is scenically more beautiful and more “off grid”.i believe there are trains to Glasgow from Stranraer and there are trains to Glasgow from Lockerbie to Glasgow that take 1 hour although I’ve found the service to be slightly unreliable and 2 hours from Dumfries. There is a lot of farming in the region and a friends son is doing an apprenticeship in farm engineering let’s say I don’t think it was his first choice!
Some of my colleagues are “semi immigrants” or even very obviously immigrants none report any big problens. .

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?searchLocation=Dumfries+and+Galloway&useLocationIdentifier=true&locationIdentifier=REGION%5E95754&radius=0.0&maxPrice=220000&minBedrooms=4&_includeSSTC=on

Sorry that link failed according to Rightmove there are 33 4 bed houses in D and G for £220k or less

Does it have to be 4 beds ? I would guess you would need a doer upper or flat or very rough area at that budget if you stick with 4 beds
( edit to add in borders )

not much racial diversity in the borders so you may feel like you stand out but people are very accepting of all sorts

Why not 3 beds? Are there rules?

Honestly, I think you need to be very realistic about what that sort of money can buy (or doesn't buy) in most of Scotland. Go on zoopla and rightmove and do a few "within 40miles" radius searches around Scotland with £220k as the max and 4 bedrooms and there's very little comes up, and even less that meets you wishes of rural and potentially off-grid.
I think you need to think carefully about location while your kids are teens and one is wanting to follow an apprenticeship route - look at the opportunities that are out there for them, and they'll need to be able to get there and back!
I don't think you're looking for a needle in a haystack, I think you're looking for a unicorn, particularly if you don't have cash to throw at a renovation project.

We have a 2 year old as well and every child over 10 has to have their own room. The teens currently share & enjoy sharing but rules wont allow a 3bed..

Thanks for the suggestions & good to know your colleagues don’t experience problems

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/166471400#/?channel=RES_BUY
Nor a bad area very quiet/rural scenery is maybe a bit flat for my taste but easy driving to the sea.

yes, we’ll be looking at a fixer-upper for the budget probably but that doesnt faze us. And it’s Scotland - unicorns DO exist, no? 😅 if we have to compromise on rural living, that’s ok, but we cant do anything with the budget or rooms needed unless it was a big 3 bed with a room we could split..

You also need to bear in mind that in Scotland properties listed as "offers over" are likely to sell for over that asking price. In popular areas this can be as much as 20% but it is very area dependent. As a cash buyer you'd be in a good position to make an offer that might be slightly lower than someone in a chain or requiring a mortgage.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/163929302#/?channel=RES_BUY
Lockerbie has station shops Tesco etc friendly people within a stones throw of M74 which goes to England Glasgow and Edinburgh. Could be just over an hour from Glasgow assuming the traffic isn’t crap and where you’re aiming for. Not off the grid itself but lots of countryside around it.
Warning properties often go for more than the asking price.

I used to live in this area - specifically in Ecclefechan. Loved it. Good for road and public transport connections, fantastic scenary and walking. 4 bed would be challenging but not impossible

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/135464798#/floorplan?activePlan=1&channel=RES_BUY
No one would describe this as a doer upper. I don’t really know Annan but I do know it has a station shops and the regions only cinema for miles around. The station goes to Carlisle Euston is then under 3 1/2 hours away.

Thanks for that tip. I knew about offers over but didn't realise buying in cash would benefit us there. Good to know.

so much house for the money! Thanks for all these links it's really helping :)

This one is really lovely as a property. Is Dumfries itself safe/not boring for teens do you know? Our two like outdoorsy stuff, chess, music and are quite sociable kids.

On the downside D and G has the oldest population of any region in Scotland primary schools in many villages are shutting. Employment is limited NHS Dumfries and Galloway will be the biggest employer in the region it only employs 5000 people. There are lots of jobs as carers/working in care homes but it’s all minimum wage stuff. Ditto seasonal tourism jobs. From Annan you could commute to Carlisle from places like Wigtown you couldn’t.
Much of the region is very quiet for many that its main attraction most activities will be outdoors. We’ve just voted against a national park much of the argument focused on the non existent infrastructure roads public transport shops tourist attractions etc needed. for a possible large influx of tourists.

any opinions on this area?
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/165144542#/?channel=RES_BUY

I don’t have children. Colleagues do I don’t hear them voice any bigger concerns than friends in England. I don’t think Dumfries is not particular hot bed of crime although drugs and alcohol are an issue in many places in Scotland and there are drug and alcohol issues in Dumfries. My colleagues say Dumfries used to be really nice but now all the shops have closed which they have and it’s not the same anymore. I don’t doubt this but frankly this applies to many medium sized towns across the UK. With regard to outdoor activities walking hiking water based stuff sailing paddle boarding etc yes and of cycling and God I nearly forgot bloody golf. There’s a football club which is obviously family oriented and a rugby club and a swimming pool but you must remember we have a huge aging population this will reflect in what’s offered. If one of your DCs is looking for Olympic horse riding/training wrong area. Or fencing or any other more niche sports I don’t think you’ll find them.
No idea about chess.
Personally I think the area is a bit of a cultural dessert but I’m was born in London so perhaps have different standards and expectations. But the peace and tranquility and stunning scenery especially in the coast more than compensate IMO.

Not the nicest area in Dumfries. A701 is quite a busy road. I understand it’s very difficult to find builders etc in D and G.

Please feel free to PM me.

We are moving to Dumfries area next month, I'm also returning to the UK after 15 years abroad and my husband will be on spouse visa (eventually). I also have 2 teens and a primary-aged child so sounds like we have a lot in common - feel free to PM if you want to connect!

Btw, I think you may have misunderstood the overcrowding rules? They don't need a room each, it's only children over 10 of different sexes who need to be in different rooms. We got a 3 bedroom house - my teens are boy/girl but my younger boy can share a bedroom with his older brother.

Anyway i've been looking at properties for a while and you should be able to find something within your budget in the area, especially if you're happy being rural.