"several local access points to the city’s cycle path network..."

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"several local access points to the city’s cycle path network..."

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Started 12 years ago by Dave
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Dave
Member

As I've mentioned before, we're looking for somewhere bigger to live so that I can own more bikes.

Notwithstanding our well-used car, as we both prefer to get around by bike it's obviously a key selling point for any property to be well located with respect to (for instance) NEPN, the canal or WoL paths. Yet this is the first house we've looked at which in any way emphasised its excellent position in this respect - and even then it's at the very end of the schedule.

While considering our move, I was trying to put a price on how much extra I'd pay to be able to commute on NEPN as opposed to Leith Walk, but find this difficult. Certainly we're talking five figures (averaged between all members of a family for a couple of decades, this is small beer).

Given that we keep hearing that 7% of commuters in Edinburgh are now travelling by bike, you'd think it would be more highly emphasised. Why isn't ESPC offering a geographical filter for "within 500m of segregated..." so we could set up an email alert with different parameters?

Ah. I'm looking forward to not storing seven bikes in a cupboard!

Posted 12 years ago #
neddie
Member

Shhhh! Be quiet! We don't want the sellers to put up prices just because they know they are next to a path network ;)

Posted 12 years ago #
DaveC
Member

Oh sorry. I saw a semi in Trinity on Laverockbank Terrace for sale for£ 170k a few weeks ago. If you streetview to the tight bend and look north you see a semi detiched house. The right hand side was for sale, very cheep but needing a bit of upgrading, but well within reach of Trinity line and 5 ways.

If I'd known I'd have told you.

Dave C

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

No problem - we're not actually looking around NEPN DaveC, but the WoL corridor (better for outdoor stuff and not exposed to tram risk like NEPN).

Posted 12 years ago #
ianfieldhouse
Member

We live in Allan Park. It has great access to both the canal towpath and WOL and if you cycle along to Harrison Park on the towpath you can easily cut down to the NEPN via Ardmillan Terrace --> Murieston Place --> Russel Road.

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

Thanks Ian. This is the plan.

I did a couple of trial commutes from our office on the waterfront in Leith up to Balerno High School, once by WoL path and once by the "donkey lane" connecting Currie to the canal. Both took an hour (uphill) when I was essentially a bit lost in the dark.

Not sure how far we'll go (everywhere is on the cards, but there's not much on the market and it's relatively pricey).

Quite looking forward to getting my fitness up with a longer commute and no more diesel air from the buses!

Of course, it has nothing to do with needing a new rapid CX style bike to handle the conditions on WoL path...

Posted 12 years ago #
ianfieldhouse
Member

The whole Lanark Road corridor is pretty good as far as access to the WOL is concerned. It's also got the added bonus of having a good bus service in the 44.

Where we stay is the "cheap" part of Craiglockhart and what with the great bus links, access to cycle paths and having a supermarket 5 minutes walk away means we rarely have to use the car.

Schools aren't bad either (Oxgangs Primary/Firrhill Secondary) but not as good as you'll get out in Balerno. There's always the private option of Watsons nearby but that's well out of my financial bracket.

Posted 12 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

7% is probably still pretty small compared to, say, bus users (I've seen plenty schedules that mention specific bus numbers you can get) - but encouraging that it's mentioned at all.

Last time we moved (twice in the space of 9 months - urgh) the local schools were the main thing mentioned in all the schedules (as we were looking for a 'house' rather than a flat I think it's assumed you therefore have a family to move). But being close-ish to the Innocent was a slight consideration in our last move - living in a living hell in Greenbank before then (long story) an additional aspect of it not being 'right' was the lack of (flat) cycle routes from there, to anywhere of interest.

Posted 12 years ago #
DaveC
Member

[pokes head above the parapit]

There is always Fife.

[ducks down sharpish]

Posted 12 years ago #
chdot
Admin

He's been there...

Posted 12 years ago #
wee folding bike
Member

I just had a discussion about this on the Facebooks with our neighbourhood watch. The estate is right on route 75 as are two of the local primary schools.

There was a fence on the path but the builders have removed and sold it. The good burghers are up in arms as this means that unpleasant elements can get in and out of the estate easily and steal cars.

Nobody else thinks it might be useful to have access to route 75.

It was built. They didn't come.

Posted 12 years ago #
HankChief
Member

@wfb This is a pet hate of mine too.

We moved into a new build estate 6 years ago and in the plan was a cut through to a neighbouring estate and ultimately a bus stop and the world beyond.

In the end it didn't get built due to concerns about letting the wrong sorts into the estate. ( other people's children and those who don't drive everywhere)

Adds about 2mins to my cycle each way daily (5 if walking)

This nimbyism and lack of forcefulness by the council in seeing it through annoys me on a daily basis.
.)

Posted 12 years ago #
Cyclingmollie
Member

Dave C: "[pokes head above the parapit]

There is always Fife.

[ducks down sharpish]"

...or East Lothian.

Posted 12 years ago #
gembo
Member

Juni green home of woods deli has a new build where veitch's garden centre was, it is on main road at front but actually on the WoL path at back. Might be housing co-op. Looks to be all flats though.

Looks to be some work happening to facilitate some new build near me on the lanark road west but depends on time scales we looked all over for two years and finally looked out this way and went for it. We re also on main road , not quite so busy by time you get to Us and on WoL path at back. Always good if no time pressure, we bought first feeling we would sell city centre flat quickly,mwhich did happen but then sale nearly fell through. Guess if you sell,first if can't find anywhere to exact spec then you will be renting. In my limited experience of owning a house (one) you always have to give up something for a sale to occur.

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

Fife I think is a bit far for SWMBO to commute. East Lothian is possible but it doesn't have the riding conditions we'd want (admittedly in my relatively limited experience).

I was amazed not to meet anyone in either direction on a sizeable stretch of the WoL at rush hour. Popped out onto the main road and there were plenty of riders maxed out in dayglo and the usual body armour. What a missed opportunity!

It took ~35 mins from KB to our current prospect (but I went a stupid way, up to Redford Road which is an unnecessary hump), that is SWMBO's potential commute. It took ~40 minutes from that house to my office, by way of Donkey Lane / canal / NEPN. Nice ride in these conditions, though icy!

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

Savage day of re-visiting property with in-laws. We're going to attempt to put in a cheeky offer on a house tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed!

Posted 12 years ago #
gembo
Member

Ah the cheeky offer, might get accepted, then you will be on the move.

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

Curses. Apparently because there's another note of interest, we have to await the pleasure of a closing date and put in a blind bid.

Thought that was all long in the past (we had to put down 40% over the offers-over price last time).

Oddly, our solicitor doesn't think our offer will be any more attractive despite letting the sellers pick their exit date (we're not selling our flat so can live there as long as necessary). Which is unfortunate, as I thought that would be a little edge in our favour.

Ah well, waiting for the other shoe to drop now...

Posted 12 years ago #
DaveC
Member

Is that from you solicitor? We rerceived an offer on our first place which said if you accept (subject to survey) would we take it off the market.

Posted 12 years ago #
gembo
Member

Two bids on one property was rare, things were going fixed price I am told. But maybe the market is picking up, gazumping next.

Posted 12 years ago #
Instography
Member

Personally, I think solicitors (only some I'm sure) lie through their teeth about these things. The house we're in just now had been on the market, fixed price, for 6 months when we went to see it but, by pure coincidence (allegedly) when we arranged for a surveyor to come round, so did another potential purchaser. Who'd have expected that?

Naturally, knowing it had been up for some time, we fully intended to make an insultingly low offer but with another potential buyer, we had to decide to either let it go or offer the asking price.

I always had my doubts about the existence of the other buyer.

Posted 12 years ago #
gembo
Member

Yes I have my suspicions about these shenanigans too, but that is your choice, walk away or put in your offer

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

Apparently they should set a closing date and our solicitor will advise us based on how many notes of interest there are.

To be fair, he's not going to earn anything extra regardless of the price, although there are various ways I can see them being incentivised to inflate our offer regardless (not least that if we bid huge and get the first place we liked, they won't have to do all the work required to support us going for multiple properties on one fixed conveyancing fee).

As we have the owners' number, I'm tempted to ring them after our solicitor tells us how many notes there are to ask them how many there are. They were very friendly, and I'd only be a little embarrassed to apply social engineering when we're talking about a fleet of bikes -worth of cash.

Posted 12 years ago #
gembo
Member

My suspicion, I am paranoid about these things, is their solicitor is the one with the magic interest from other parties suddenly Once there is an interested party. If after closing date it then goes fixed price my suspicions/paranoia will be enhanced.

When we sold our flat I did have a fair bit of contact with the buyer, who came in early with a big offer and then had a wobble, was the market value by the time we concluded. Her solicitor advising her to walk away if she wasn't happy. Partly based on old tenements describing the first floor as that which involved going up any steps, even the ones at the front door. Thus although we were on second floor deeds were on the third.

The solicitors were slightly amused or bemused by my interjections?

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

Well, closing tomorrow - at least we won't be kept hanging about.

Have put in an offer which was either far too high (if we get it) or just too low (if we don't)... is there any other way?

Posted 12 years ago #
ExcitableBoy
Member

Exciting times, if rather stressful, good luck!

Posted 12 years ago #
gembo
Member

A while back. If it was the first house you put a bid in for you could miss it by miles as you could not believe anyone would offer so much over the valuation. Not so bad now I hope.

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

... edged it!

Huzzah! \o/

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

I might not be able to afford any bikes for the next decade, but existing ones will no longer be piled on top of each other :)

Posted 12 years ago #
cc
Member

Congratulations!

Posted 12 years ago #

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