This house-hunting lark is a headache.Firstly, this comes about from hours spent on the internet looking at potential properties, then dismissing them (rooms too small, no downstairs toilet, no ensuite, 'garden' really means 'paving slabs with small bush in middle').
Some estate agents don't put up floor plans - how else am I supposed to orientate myself? And those that do have a horrible tendency to make them miniscule (more headache as nose touches screen trying to work out what it says).
Then, we have to consider schools. More double-clicking to view Ofsted reports. Can you rely on something from 2005? How can I tell if the house I am hypothetically interested in is within the catchment area? Our home in London was round the corner from an excellent school but still too far to be considered for a place.
Then there's the on-going headache: wasting my life on the internet looking for the perfect place to live, when I should be re-writing the book (oops!) or playing with the children or doing the washing (yes, everything gets shoved to one side while I dream of my multi-million pound mansion ...!!)
I'm off for a paracetemol and a lie-down.
5 comments:
I sympathise. We looked at over 20 houses before we bought this one and we knew the area!
My advice, for what it's worth, is buy in Trafford LEA - we still have the 11+ here and people clamour to move in to the area for Sale and Altrincham Grammar Schools. Check out upmystreet.com for the low down on the areas; it describes ours to a T!
Good Luck!
Thanks for this - it is certainly an area we are looking at. Others have recommended it too. We plan another trip soon to trudge around the streets and try to get a feel for any particular place, then be more serious house-hunters at half-term.
Until then - always viewing things positively - I'll just enjoy nosing at other people's houses on-line!
Can't improve on WM's sound advice, Catherine - especially regarding the 11+.
Thanks for the advice. One child will sail 11+; the other has special needs support at present, so not sure how that will fit in. All part of the melting pot of life!
Thank you for visiting my blog. I can sympathise with you on the problems of house-hunting. We rented initially when we first moved to Chester and although it was not a pleasant experience it was worth it as we got to know the area. I also found that living in Chester was not the same as visiting. I wish you luck and will follow your blog to see how things go.
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