[prosto_zabrevi]

Greetings,

I have been looking at houses on Rightmove in Bournemouth and Poole recently. I have previously concentrated on North Wiltshire but the lure of the sea and the potential need for grammar schools has caused the other half to consider the possibility of moving to my favourite county of Dorset. I lived there for a while but only really saw Blandford so I don't know much about the Coastal towns. If anyone has any knowledge about the good/bad areas of Poole and Bournemouth please could you advise so we can narrow down the list a little before booking a few viewings.

(Now I have her loking in the right area of the country I am trying to steer her towards tiny little villages with old houses and no facilities...but one step at a time)

Thanks in advance for any help you can give

[STRadovaria]

My daughter goes to Parkstone Grammar School which is an excellent school. If you have boys then Poole Grammar school is near by. A good area near the school would be Broadstone although house prices are a bit higher than the rest of Poole (excluding Sandbanks of course).

Stay away from Turlin Moor at Hamworthy!

[prosto_zabrevi]

Thanks for the information We have one of each type and although senior school is a few years away we are planning ahead and looking for nice areas. It seems the only other grammar schools are in Salisbury. I did notice one house that excited the wife a bit....4 bed, by the sea, big garden etc. Of course, it is in Turlin Moor, Hamworthy I will strike it from the list.

[juvenal]

the_stan, on 04 October 2009 - 08:30 PM, said:

Thanks for the information We have one of each type and although senior school is a few years away we are planning ahead and looking for nice areas. It seems the only other grammar schools are in Salisbury. I did notice one house that excited the wife a bit....4 bed, by the sea, big garden etc. Of course, it is in Turlin Moor, Hamworthy I will strike it from the list.

I've been a Poole resident for the last fifteen years. Both sons went to Poole Grammar. I also occasionally guest lecture there, and at Parkstone Girls GS and Poole High School. Grammars are high achieving schools, but I'm also impressed with Poole High, which is perfectly OK. Concur with Turlin Moor comments.. You've probably already also been told to avoid Boscombe area of Bournemouth. Country areas round Poole (Upton, Lytchett, Corfe etc) are rural, nice but expensive. There is huge variety of property around here. In Oakdale area close to GS's you can get a det 4 bed around £320K or under, yet 5-10 mins away is Lilliput/Sandbanks/Canford Cliffs with similar thing at seven figures. If you can be more specific about urban or village factor, local posters (there's a few on here) may be able to give more precise info. I can certainly give you detailed info on my own patch.

This post has been edited by juvenal: 04 October 2009 - 10:55 PM

[prosto_zabrevi]

Thanks for the reply Juvenal,

I am a field engineer for a company nobody has heard of and as such I can live pretty much anywhere in the South-West. We have been considering Swindon, Bristol, various towns in Wiltshire...even out as far as Wales. For myself I am quite happy with a tumbledown 15th century cottage in the middle of nowhere but my wife would like to be able to walk to the shops,parks etc. It seems that the Poole area satisfies the requirements with the added bonus of good schools for the future. As we don't have to live in a particular area of a particular town our choices are quite wide. At the moment I am narrowing down the choice by discarding whole districts ( like Turlin Moor mentioned by STRadivaria and Boscombe by you).

I hope to be able, in a little while, to discuss the merits of districts/streets with locals on here. I think we will have a good couple of days full of viewings over the next month or so.

Regards to all

[okaycuckoo]

Just one reservation - Poole itself is not a pleasant town. The odd bit here and there, but overall it's a concrete nonentity with some of the worst traffic on the south coast and a high street teeming with chavs.

Bournemouth, and bits in between, much better.

[prosto_zabrevi]

I think a decent trip down to the area will be worthwhile....possibly with a hotel stay to please the family. My previous experience of Poole is from my driving lessons in the Army and of Bournemouth just the half-marathon so in both cases extremely limited.

Thanks for all the replies

[juvenal]

the_stan, on 05 October 2009 - 10:23 PM, said:

I think a decent trip down to the area will be worthwhile....possibly with a hotel stay to please the family. My previous experience of Poole is from my driving lessons in the Army and of Bournemouth just the half-marathon so in both cases extremely limited.

Thanks for all the replies

If you come down, PM me and I'll give you all tea, cakes and the inside track on Poole. Where I live I'm 10mins walk from shopping centre, hospital, doctors, library, swimming pool, middle school, high school and trains to London. I'm 10 mins drive from both grammar schools, Poole Quay, Poole Harbour, the open ocean and the boats to Cherbourg and Guernsey. I'm 15 mins drive from some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK, and the Jurassic Coast. Much of Poole isn't architecturally attractive, but it's an incredibly convenient place to live and holds some pleasant surprises.

[Har Fast]

Am in the same boat - looking for a family house in the Bournemouth/Poole area. Have some knowledge of the area, but decent places all seem to be horrendously overpriced, even compared to previous selling prices.

Some of the areas around Lower Parkstone look good, but the area does seem to have a certain "attitude"? The prices there are pretty comical/scary too - not sure whether it will be a slow grind down for them, or a sudden shock realisation and maybe quicker falls. Any thoughts?

[Londongirl]

Hi I have lived in Poole for near on 3 years - I live south of Ashley Road. There are some great schools around here and I have many friends whose kids go to Courthill. Baden Powell and Lilliput. I dont agree that people have "attitude" that live in this area but I know that many people have a problem with the "Penn Hill crowd"! We have met and been welcomed by lots of locals who have lived here all their lives. However, I do have reservations on the people who socialise in a certain railway pub - they do appear not to want to say hello to anyone they have not known since school and certainly not if you are not wearing high heeled shoes, a spangly top and blond hair!!

I also think that people on this board continually give Boscombe a bad name - go to Boscombe and Southbourne you will find that certain parts of it are stunning and some of the architecture in that area is breath taking - but I do have to say I am not sure on the schools so maybe that would be a no no. But was down there the other day having lunch and the surf was superb.

That house that Har Fast posted in the Bournemouth thread has been done up since it was bought a few years ago and it has sea views and it is stunning. Not surprised its being marketed for that amount of money and I think its being marketed by Frost & Co which in my opinion and lots of others are the best agents in this area as they are professional and considered to be honest and give a quality service.

[juvenal]

Har Fast, on 06 October 2009 - 06:10 AM, said:

Am in the same boat - looking for a family house in the Bournemouth/Poole area. Have some knowledge of the area, but decent places all seem to be horrendously overpriced, even compared to previous selling prices.

Some of the areas around Lower Parkstone look good, but the area does seem to have a certain "attitude"? The prices there are pretty comical/scary too - not sure whether it will be a slow grind down for them, or a sudden shock realisation and maybe quicker falls. Any thoughts?

It's a really confusing picture at the moment. Lower Parkstone is one of the 'better' areas, with some nice late Victorian stuff in the side streets, and couple of acceptable pubs, but it has nothing in the way of useful shops and it has the busy main B'mouth - Poole road through the middle of it. I saw a tv prog ramping it as a bit bohemian or 'edgy', on the strength of a couple of coffee joints with aluminium chairs outside. What a joke. Lower Parkstone is a kind of middle ground where those who can't afford to join the big players in Canford Cliffs or Lilliput live. Nice enough in parts, but not worth big money.
The Poole area is really hard to describe, because it varies almost from street to street. I think it's essential to spend a couple of days driving round. Pricewise, I don't think anyone knows whether they are going up, down or static. The family houses that have sold on my patch just off Poole centre in the last 12 months have probably averaged a 15% drop from peak price. A three bed late Victorian semi went in Aug for £200K. The vendor had paid £228K three years ago. If I myself sold now - late vict 4 bed det - I would expect peak £275K to drop to £220Kish.
But there's still no shortage of vendors and agents putting houses up at peak prices, convinces that we are going back in that direction. I only know that when they actually sell these houses, the LR figures tell me they are selling for considerably less than asking and peak.

Sorry if this is a bit disjointed, but I think we need the winter to clarify the direction. I'm convinced it will be further down. I can't see a single rational factor pointing the other way.

[juvenal]

Londongirl, on 06 October 2009 - 10:51 AM, said:

I also think that people on this board continually give Boscombe a bad name - go to Boscombe and Southbourne you will find that certain parts of it are stunning and some of the architecture in that area is breath taking - but I do have to say I am not sure on the schools so maybe that would be a no no. But was down there the other day having lunch and the surf was superb.

I agree that bits of Boscombe are undiscovered treasures, and the sea front section and pier are great and getting better. But there is an undeniable law and order problem in parts of the area. An MP getting assaulted, a recent near fatal stabbing in Roumelia Road, and the murder of a student this year don't exactly help its image.

This post has been edited by juvenal: 06 October 2009 - 11:40 AM

[DZZZ]

If you stay close to the coast (a few 100m), Boscombe is pretty nice (and not very cheap either). Same for Southbourne. Hengstbury Head is a step up. I think there is a good catholic school, but I am an atheist with two toddlers so I wouldn't have a clue.

[prosto_zabrevi]

Hello once more, what does anyone think of the Northbourne area of Bournemouth?

Thanks

[Sybil13]

the_stan, on 04 October 2009 - 07:37 PM, said:

Greetings,

I have been looking at houses on Rightmove in Bournemouth and Poole recently. I have previously concentrated on North Wiltshire but the lure of the sea and the potential need for grammar schools has caused the other half to consider the possibility of moving to my favourite county of Dorset. I lived there for a while but only really saw Blandford so I don't know much about the Coastal towns. If anyone has any knowledge about the good/bad areas of Poole and Bournemouth please could you advise so we can narrow down the list a little before booking a few viewings.

(Now I have her loking in the right area of the country I am trying to steer her towards tiny little villages with old houses and no facilities...but one step at a time)

Thanks in advance for any help you can give

Out of interest what would you currently be prepared to pay for a property, ie 2007 value or % drop ? What %? Would you be buying cash ?

I am just really interested in what people are prepared to pay for a property and if they need a mortgage how much a lender is prepared to pay given that I keep hearing valuations are coming in 20% + under peak.