ScottB

After three years of living in the Boston area, my company has asked me and my family to move to Scotland this fall. We have a nice home here and wonder if anybody is interested in a long term home-swap with a home in the Edinburgh area?
We are also open to expats coming to this area who are interested in renting our home. We are at 35 minutes north-west of the city center. Our home is convenient and spacious, especially suitable for families. It is well situated on a one-acre lot.

Bob

Welcome to BE

35 mins, that could be anywhere from Somerville to as far out as Concord, but then with a bit of land, I'm guessing it's more likely closer the the latter than the former?

ScottB

Thanks, and you are good at guessing...

katj

Hi
Can't offer a house swap as we are too far south! However looking for a single family rental in area you mention. Am new to this forum too but perhaps you can let me know more details?
Many thanks and good luck with your move. I guess Edinburgh winters will seem mild now!

Bob

Welcome to BE

Might be worth having a search of threads as there's a few people in and around Boston on here that might be able to help.

Really depends on what your budget it, where you have to commute too and how long you fancy the commute, as well as what your looking for in a gaff.

ScottB

Hello katj,

I just read your message. We are about to leave for travels toady (right now actually!) but I will follow up tomorrow with some more information.
We have had a very cold winter indeed, in 2009, but last winter was not too bad. On the other hand, June and July were fabulous here, whereas I got the message that it has rained in the UK all the time...
When are you planning on moving to this area? The fall here is beautiful, that would be a good moment to arrive :-)

ScottB

I just sent you a private message with more information. I think you can not read it before you have posted three messages on the forum though, so you might have to write a few more responses
When we came here three years ago, we have seen many homes before selecting one. Finding a home in a new country is an adventure on its own. Unless you send your children to a private school, the place where you live also determines what school your children will go to, so you are not just looking at the house -- if you have any children of course.
Have you already visited this area?

katj

Hi. Thanks for your reply. Can't open the message so here's more from me! We are quite familiar with some parts of the area west and north-west of Boston

We are only too aware of the situation regarding schools and are looking for a town with a good high school as we have a 16 year old. He is very keen on basketball and quite good so we also need a school with a good basketball programme. As it is such a popular sport I know many schools have good teams but it would be great if it was a team that performs well in the league and/or has a good coach.

Also would like there to be some accessible amenities not too far away as he has been used to being independent, and a train station not too far away would be good, as I know the area is not blessed with public transport and we would like to have an option.

ian-mstm

You need 3 posts to be able to read/write PMs.

Ian

Bob

Winters in MA are a piece of cake, the last few years at least, certainly compared to ME or western MA. Summer has sucked down here with the humidity but at the moment, it's lovely. Looking at the weather tag for England, it's been a lovely summer there for the most part, so I've been jealous

Bob

If you can put up with the commuter rail, which admittedly is a bit meh, just follow the MTBA map of the stops and live around those stops.

If you want more regular transport, using the T, you'll not want to more much past the last stops, redline is Alewife in Watertown, good line, boring town.

The greenline, which is shit, goes out as far as Newton, technically another village, but anyway, it's a shit line to get and 45 mins out of soutstation. Great town though, awesome schools.

If you've got the money, you might want to check out the 3 W's, won't have the T, but not far from Newton and the schools are very good.

katj

Thanks Bob. We're looking to rent single family 3 bed. + garage. Can't believe how high the prices are in metro-west towns. I thought UK was expensive!! Want to be in a place with good transport links to Boston and surroundings and minimal commuting if possible. Thinking about Acton area but previous threads are scary about traffic and commute times.

katj

Thanks for the suggestions. The W towns are definitely not an option!! Useful info abt. the Green line. Have driven to Alewife a few times and got the T but happy to be near the MBTA towns.

Bob

Acton is nice, little boring, commute is goat awfull...might want to check out Sudbury, Concord and Lexington...a bit out for the T, but close enough to Alewife and nice areas.

TBH, housing will be expensive, especially for a house anywhere inside I-495...check out Hudson, Northborough area, you'll find rent a lot cheaper for a house, plenty of 2 family homes for cheap. It's got I-290/495/95 Rt 20/9/85 on the door step about 35 mins out of Boston and Waltham depending on where you go, though morning commute might be not so fun especially in the winter. Don't know what the schools are like mind, but there's some lovely countryside...towns are very small and nothing special, but they aren't grotty stripmall towns either and there's Marlborough 5 mins away for the shopping...bit shite of a town but it's quite large and cheaper housing.

Any house with a garage east of Wellesley is going to be expensive, off street parking is a premium you'll pay for at the best of times. Plus side, off street parking is one of those tick boxes to reduce car insurance and the further away you can get from the NH border will help because they don't require car insurance to drive, means if you live nearby your premiums go up beause of underinsured drivers.

Rt 20, Rt 9, the pike-I-90 They're parking lots in the morning. Rt 9 isn't quite so bad once you've gotten past Wellesley mind and if you head off past Wellesley before 7:10am it's not bad, other wise the drive becomes an hour rather than 20 minutes to do the 12 miles.

Another area worth checking out, JP - Jamaica Plains, it's actually Boston, where the posh British school is and that animal hospital, Angell I think. The poor part is really rank, but the posh end is gorgeous, but the portugese and gay area there do have some of the best shops, especially for food and drink around. Parking is a nightmare though, but it does have the Orange line through it, and that's not a bad line to be on for the T.

Bob

There are some bargains to be had in Weston and Wellesley, if you fancy a fixer or the hassle of a foreclosure.

Though the greenline is the one in the news all the time because of a delay for this and that or a crash of some sort. Worst of all the lines.

I've been a bit down on Watertown as it's a bit of a stripmall boring town, but it is a great location. Check out Arlington in the area too and perhaps parts of Waltham, good parts are nice, the rest is a bit meh though.