SimbaDog
Well-Known Member
Are you telling us you haven't made millions from your book then? 
Enjoyed it by the way :encouragement:
Enjoyed it by the way :encouragement:
Port Solent
- Thread starter nicho
- Start date
PhillM
Well-Known Member
Talk to these people. A lot of them live or have property at PS.
http://www.psyc.uk.com/
They are a nice bunch and very helpful.
As as aside, have you considered Ocean Village. There are quite a few new buildings and when the work is done it will be a vibrant and smart area. prices have reduced a lot since the bubble.
I work close by and the area is fine day and night. Southampton is the slightly posher of the two cities (awaiting incoming for that - I am ex Stoke have lived in both so can comment without the inter-city rivalry).
Another option would be to live in or near Hedge End and put your boat on one of the cheaper Itchen marinas.
http://www.psyc.uk.com/
They are a nice bunch and very helpful.
As as aside, have you considered Ocean Village. There are quite a few new buildings and when the work is done it will be a vibrant and smart area. prices have reduced a lot since the bubble.
I work close by and the area is fine day and night. Southampton is the slightly posher of the two cities (awaiting incoming for that - I am ex Stoke have lived in both so can comment without the inter-city rivalry).
Another option would be to live in or near Hedge End and put your boat on one of the cheaper Itchen marinas.
nicho
RIP
Are you telling us you haven't made millions from your book then?
Enjoyed it by the way :encouragement:
Hi Simba. Yep, book sold out ages ago (now available as an e-book, and still going well!) - pleased you enjoyed it. If I'd had a good lawyer, I could have doubled the size of it, and indeed I had a few worried drivers on the phone concerned that I might spill a few too many beans!!. We did indeed make millions......when calculated in Chilean Pesos!!
We've just spent three days looking at houses on the South Coast, with a view to buying a used Bav 36 or similar, too (we used to own one some ten years ago). With the widening house price gap between Northants and the South, the Port Solent idea seemed a good one, but SWMBO has just read these responses and said "no way". So we'll probably stay here, and fund a cheapish boat another way - it can be also be used as a base for seeing the kids in Southampton and Chichester. Probably base it at Swanwick again, though we do like Hythe too. Have a good year (we're off to the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend - seems we won't need ear plugs this time!!)
Cheers
Mike
nicho
RIP
[QUOTE
As as aside, have you considered Ocean Village. There are quite a few new buildings and when the work is done it will be a vibrant and smart area. prices have reduced a lot since the bubble.
I work close by and the area is fine day and night. Southampton is the slightly posher of the two cities (awaiting incoming for that - I am ex Stoke have lived in both so can comment without the inter-city rivalry).
Another option would be to live in or near Hedge End and put your boat on one of the cheaper Itchen marinas.[/QUOTE]
Mmmm! Just looked at Ocean Village - there's a couple of really nice 3 bed penthouse apartments, air-con, concierge service, underground parking, the lot. Now, that could be tempting - no grass to cut, no bushes to trim.......food for thought!
As as aside, have you considered Ocean Village. There are quite a few new buildings and when the work is done it will be a vibrant and smart area. prices have reduced a lot since the bubble.
I work close by and the area is fine day and night. Southampton is the slightly posher of the two cities (awaiting incoming for that - I am ex Stoke have lived in both so can comment without the inter-city rivalry).
Another option would be to live in or near Hedge End and put your boat on one of the cheaper Itchen marinas.[/QUOTE]
Mmmm! Just looked at Ocean Village - there's a couple of really nice 3 bed penthouse apartments, air-con, concierge service, underground parking, the lot. Now, that could be tempting - no grass to cut, no bushes to trim.......food for thought!
dslittle
Well-Known Member
As an aside, I believe that PS bertholders can now use Gosport as much as they like and vice versa - the best of both worlds?
TonyBuckley
Well-Known Member
Lived in Southampton and Gosport and Portsmouth.
Southampton wins the 'chav count' every time. Detested the place. Though pubs are better.
And no football bias.
Tidewaiter2
Well-Known Member
two nights there this BH w/end,
Damn, chav cull on ground zero, and marina resturant want choices up front; prepare for prole-cull
PhillM
Well-Known Member
I agree about the resturants IN Ocean Village. However, there are quite a few nice restaurants just a 200 yards away, in Oxford Street and the city centre proper is a 10 minute walk away. Cannot say they are all to my taste but there is something for everyone. I do like "Simons" and have enjoyed a meal or two in the Med Bar.
The restaurant at Royal Southampton is excellent. Not expensive and def no chavs. Non members welcome.
As for Gosport, I loved the place when I first came done from Stoke and I still have a soft spot for it. But nobody could call it refined - it can be a lot of "fun" but it does depend on your definition of "fun".
Scaramoosh
Well-Known Member
Hi Nicho
We have lived in Port Solent for 12 years, owned 2 power boats (Fairline Phantom 38 and Sealine SC37) and currently back in the rag and stick world with a Benneteau 37 while living at PS. I am also the ex Chairman of the residents company and Rear Commodore of Port Solent YC so hopefully I can give you some facts rather than speculation.
Access to / from the marina. Yes its is locked but even in the summer its not normally much of a problem, we are out nearly every weekend and so far this year I have had only one time where I have had to wait for than 1 lock cycle. This was a spring low tide at about 16.30 and 3 Sunsail boats went aground trying to reach the outer waiting pontoon which stuffed everybody. Sunsail are running down their fleet, less call for corporate sailing, so while they still take up lots of the outside pontoon it is much better than it was a few years ago. If you are able to avoid the obvious peak times I don't think you will have any issues.
It takes about 30 minutes to get from the lock to the harbour entrance, we use this time on the way home to pack the boat up and on the way out to have a bacon sarnie or cup of tea so again it is not strictly wasted time.
Portsmouth CC have quietly dropped their plans for 2500 flats, there still is a plan for a smaller number. The residents see the need for some further development and their suggested number seems to be in line with Portsmouth council and Premiers plans. The extra housing will provide footfall for the shops and restaurants. But given the amount of infrastructure work required to add the properties I don't believe its anywhere near ready.
The Dragon Marina (Chinese) and Indian Palace have closed. They were very early tenants and I understand had come to the end of their lease. There has been a number of new shops and eateries opening in the last year or so, apart from the two sites mentioned above I know of only one other premises which is empty and not under offer. This is a big improvement over 3 years ago, so in general PS is on the up.
There are approximately 450 houses and about 300 have berths. When we moved 12 years ago about 40% were second homes and empty most of the time. The economy has changed that, nearly every one is lived in, some are rented but for example Bryher Island's post code is supposed to be the second most expensive in Portsmouth (Pompey's Monopoly equivalent to Park Lane?) so the prices to buy and rent are relatively high. People therefore live there because they are into boats and waterside living. This makes for a good social environment.
Port Solent YC is an active cruising club, we don't have a club house, which is why the subs are £25 per year inc. RYA Affiliation. Sunsail are moving out their office space, I understand that there is someone interested in taking their PHYC facilities on as a club but its not final.
If you want more info feel free to PM me.
Best Regards
Nick
We have lived in Port Solent for 12 years, owned 2 power boats (Fairline Phantom 38 and Sealine SC37) and currently back in the rag and stick world with a Benneteau 37 while living at PS. I am also the ex Chairman of the residents company and Rear Commodore of Port Solent YC so hopefully I can give you some facts rather than speculation.
Access to / from the marina. Yes its is locked but even in the summer its not normally much of a problem, we are out nearly every weekend and so far this year I have had only one time where I have had to wait for than 1 lock cycle. This was a spring low tide at about 16.30 and 3 Sunsail boats went aground trying to reach the outer waiting pontoon which stuffed everybody. Sunsail are running down their fleet, less call for corporate sailing, so while they still take up lots of the outside pontoon it is much better than it was a few years ago. If you are able to avoid the obvious peak times I don't think you will have any issues.
It takes about 30 minutes to get from the lock to the harbour entrance, we use this time on the way home to pack the boat up and on the way out to have a bacon sarnie or cup of tea so again it is not strictly wasted time.
Portsmouth CC have quietly dropped their plans for 2500 flats, there still is a plan for a smaller number. The residents see the need for some further development and their suggested number seems to be in line with Portsmouth council and Premiers plans. The extra housing will provide footfall for the shops and restaurants. But given the amount of infrastructure work required to add the properties I don't believe its anywhere near ready.
The Dragon Marina (Chinese) and Indian Palace have closed. They were very early tenants and I understand had come to the end of their lease. There has been a number of new shops and eateries opening in the last year or so, apart from the two sites mentioned above I know of only one other premises which is empty and not under offer. This is a big improvement over 3 years ago, so in general PS is on the up.
There are approximately 450 houses and about 300 have berths. When we moved 12 years ago about 40% were second homes and empty most of the time. The economy has changed that, nearly every one is lived in, some are rented but for example Bryher Island's post code is supposed to be the second most expensive in Portsmouth (Pompey's Monopoly equivalent to Park Lane?) so the prices to buy and rent are relatively high. People therefore live there because they are into boats and waterside living. This makes for a good social environment.
Port Solent YC is an active cruising club, we don't have a club house, which is why the subs are £25 per year inc. RYA Affiliation. Sunsail are moving out their office space, I understand that there is someone interested in taking their PHYC facilities on as a club but its not final.
If you want more info feel free to PM me.
Best Regards
Nick
Laundryman
Well-Known Member
As a berth holder but not resident I found that short resume very informative. Thank you Alan
KevB
Well-Known Member
Hi Nick,
I've sent you a pm.
Kevin.
I've sent you a pm.
Kevin.
KevB
Well-Known Member
There's also island harbour which is good value http://www.islandharbourdevelopment.co.uk/
the only downside is you'll have to go sailing for a couple months of the year...
the only downside is you'll have to go sailing for a couple months of the year...
nicho
RIP
boatmike
Well-Known Member
Har Har! Do you mean the one nearby or the one it's built on? All that area was reclaimed land and originally a rubbish tip. The big pole like things with a whirlie thing on top are to exhaust the methane gas it all still gives off. If you drive down the south road it ain't exactly level. That's subsidance.......
Nevertheless recently we looked seriously on Bryher Island to see if we could be tempted. The idea of having your boat at the bottom of the garden is attractive and it would be nice to be able to sit out and have a barbie on the waterside but there are many downsides.
For us it was
1. The price is ridiculous.
2. The floor plan is awful. Most have the kitchen on ground, lounge one storey up, and beds on top. Unless you eat out all the time or in the kitchen, you are carrying food up one floor to eat and going downstairs in the morning to make tea is a performance.
3. Storage space is non existent.
4. If you have a car port or garage it's tiny and if you have 2 cars there is nowhere to park.
5. Very few of them face south.
and last but not least as others have said the whole place is just a bit tired and run down.
We decided that to sell our nice 4 bedroom chalet bungalow in Lee-on-Solent and buy one of these dolls houses would have cost us over £120,000. So I am sitting in my nice conservatory at present with a G&T overlooking my nice garden and 2 car garage with my boat on a swinging mooring in Portsmouth harbour.
Don't do it! Buy a nice house elsewhere and if you must use the extra money to keep your boat in a marina like Haslar.
Last edited:
bdh198
Well-Known Member
I have owned a property in Port Solent since 2010, and lived there for two years before moving back to London (work commitments) and renting the house out.
I don't agree with the comments about Port Solent slowly running down and not being what it used to be. There is still a lot there including plenty of good restaurants, cinema and Henri Lloyd leisure centre. There is also a big chandlers on site so any boating needs can be quickly and conveniently satisfied. In my experience the other residents are really friendly, and it is a very safe and comfortable place to live.
It does take half an hour or so to get down to Portsmouth Harbour, but that would be the same if you have a mooring at the top of the Hamble and wanted to get to Southampton water (I know, I've had a boat at Elephant and at Deacons for a few seasons!). However, if you're living with your boat on a pontoon in the garden then you're already saving a lot of time by not having to travel by car to a marina.
The service charges and maintenance are not steep as one post suggest, and the benefit from those payments is reflected in the good condition the communal grounds are kept.
One other thing to bear in mind; even if you don't get a property with a pontoon attached, by being a resident you will be able to rent pontoons from other owners and these are considerably cheaper than anywhere else you'll find on the south coast (I have seen 11 meter pontoons advertised for Port Solent residents from £250 pcm).
In response to the post that suggests there's nowhere to park, that is quite simply rubbish!. My house is a smaller one on the site and I can get two cars in my drive way easily. In addition there is ample parking all over the site. Unless you're thinking of opening a garage you simply won't have a problem finding parking space and neither will your guests!
I don't agree with the comments about Port Solent slowly running down and not being what it used to be. There is still a lot there including plenty of good restaurants, cinema and Henri Lloyd leisure centre. There is also a big chandlers on site so any boating needs can be quickly and conveniently satisfied. In my experience the other residents are really friendly, and it is a very safe and comfortable place to live.
It does take half an hour or so to get down to Portsmouth Harbour, but that would be the same if you have a mooring at the top of the Hamble and wanted to get to Southampton water (I know, I've had a boat at Elephant and at Deacons for a few seasons!). However, if you're living with your boat on a pontoon in the garden then you're already saving a lot of time by not having to travel by car to a marina.
The service charges and maintenance are not steep as one post suggest, and the benefit from those payments is reflected in the good condition the communal grounds are kept.
One other thing to bear in mind; even if you don't get a property with a pontoon attached, by being a resident you will be able to rent pontoons from other owners and these are considerably cheaper than anywhere else you'll find on the south coast (I have seen 11 meter pontoons advertised for Port Solent residents from £250 pcm).
In response to the post that suggests there's nowhere to park, that is quite simply rubbish!. My house is a smaller one on the site and I can get two cars in my drive way easily. In addition there is ample parking all over the site. Unless you're thinking of opening a garage you simply won't have a problem finding parking space and neither will your guests!
Last edited:
nicho
RIP
Thanks bdh, good information. I must confess we were a little put off by some comments in this thread, but those that actually live there seem to be pretty positive about the place. We have visited many times by boat over the years, but wanted some input from actual residents. We'll be taking a closer look in the near future.
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
