Family house - estate or house on its own

sdraobs

Estate living - I've got crazy neighbours next door, and cars on the road driving too fast (what should be a quiet cul de sac) for me to allow my young kids play on the road and green across from the house.

So i am thinking of moving a bit further out of the town to a house on its own. Privacy, peace and a bigger garden. But the kids wont be able to make friends on the street and will need lifts everywhere until they can drive. along time away.

So, for a young family starting out, should it really be an estate with amenities and kids friends nearby, or can i get away with a house on its own. As kids dont really play outside anymore anyway.

Did you grow up in a house on its own and weren't able to play with other kids and did it affect you much.

Lumen

I moved out of an estate to semi-rural house when kids were about 9 & 10 years old.

They really missed being able to pop in and out of friends houses and play outside on the green together.

But it depends on the estate. Fear of them being run over meant I spent about two years hanging around outside keeping an eye on them, when they were maybe 4-6 years old. After that they seemed safe enough.

If in doubt, buy whatever you want. The kids will hopefully leave eventually. :pac:

sdraobs

Lumen wrote: »

I moved out of an estate to semi-rural house when kids were about 9 & 10 years old.

They really missed being able to pop in and out of friends houses and play outside on the green together.

But it depends on the estate. Fear of them being run over meant I spent about two years hanging around outside keeping an eye on them, when they were maybe 4-6 years old. After that they seemed safe enough.

If in doubt, buy whatever you want. The kids will hopefully leave eventually. :pac:

Thanks Lumen, that's a good insight. i'm not going to be making the house too cosy when they are in their twenties.

The_Honeybadger

There is a big thread about this topic recently if you do a search. Estates can be great places to grow up provided you get the right one. If there is anti social behaviour and disruptive tenants they can be a nightmare. You say you have crazy neighbours, they can make life hell, I have been there.

My sister moved from a large town to a private site about five miles outside the same town a few years ago. They love it but she does say that the driving to everything morning, noon and night is exhausting. Then again, their kids are stuck in everything from horse riding to hockey, mostly to alleviate boredom.

My own situation is that we live in a nice estate with mostly professional neighbours who have lovely well mannered kids, there is virtually no trouble thank god. The estate has lots of green space and the kids all play together in a very safe environment. I couldn’t imagine taking mine out of that and away to somewhere where they’d be isolated. The playing outside keeps them away from technology and general boredom. Devil makes work for idle hands as they say.

Before that we lived in slightly rough estate with lots of social housing and feral kids. I was afraid of my life to let my kids out, they were threatened several times by some of the little brats and my son was actually attacked once. I used to pray for rain to keep them in.

ashes2014

If you do go rural, try and be close to a bus route-its a lifesaver when the kids are a bit older and need to go places!

awec

Ask yourself what your kids interests are, and how easy will it be for you to meet their interests every day if you're rural, to avoid them being bored off their face. Especially when they're off school.

I don't think it's just about playing outside, but also having other kids around them so they aren't on their own or stuck playing with their brother/sister all the time.

Personally, driving them everywhere would be a complete deal breaker for me, as would having moaning kids moping about the house because they are bored. But plenty of people do live rurally with kids, so it's clearly possible.

sdraobs

Thanks, I think im going to have to stay put and ignore the crazy neighbours as there are other kids on the road for when my children get a bit older. when they get to the age when they are driving, or the AI is driving them, im off to a house on its own for a bit of peace.

Thanks very much guys. also ill have another look for that other thread that deals with this topic.

Gumbo

Mod Note

Temp Locked due to a thread on the front page of this very forum with the exact same title.

OP, please have a read through this thread and if you feel that answers you need are not contained within, I will consider re-opening.

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057979663