Where would you move to?

[Mollyeyes]

Hello
We currently live in west London Chiswick area in a flat and want to buy a 3 bed house budget 475k, where would you move to? Either London suburbs or good commuting line from a town into London (Oxford Circus) from Surrey, West Sussex or East Sussex.

Thank you

[TheSandgroper]

I’m not in the uk but have floated through Saltdean on occasion and like it a lot.

[JoJoSM2]

You’ve posted a few times now. Do you know what you’d like in the area? Some criteria would help to narrow it down.

In terms of staying in outer London, do you want to be on the Surrey side too? I’m in Sutton and 3 beds are achievable on 475k around the borough- zone 4-5 stations with trains to Victoria and then on to Oxford Circus.

There will be a number of places in Surrey and Sussex you can afford but you’d need to look at commuting times and costs.

[Mollyeyes]

Hi @JoJoSM2, thank you, we like to be anywhere south of London, some amenities, ideally looking for a period house 1930s etc. In a town as opposed to a village x

[JoJoSM2]

I live in Sutton and can shed more light on the burbs.

It has big town centre with a lot of useful shops, a nice cinema with sofas, gyms, dance studios and a bunch of restaurants by the station. The south side backs onto the coutryside and is the posher side but 475k is a more realistic budget around the town centre or north of the high street (less glam but decent).


1 mile west is Cheam Village (Waitrose, independent shops, lovely park, leisure centre etc) and you might be able to get sth in North Cheam that’s within a longer walking distance of the village.

1.5 miles east of Sutton is Carshalton Village (lovely period architecture, ponds, a leisure centre with an great gym and pool, community theatre, well-liked pubs and quite arty). There’s a modern house in your budget that has just come on but you should also be able to get a 3-bed older fixer upper.

All of the above have trains into Victoria (+ London Bridge, + the Thameslink from Sutton). They’re also a fairly short bus ride to Morden tube in case you’re out very late.

The general area is brilliant if you’re sporty with lots of clubs, coutryside on the doorstep for bike rides or walks as well as a public golf course, climbing wall etc.
I’d also say it’s all very family orientated with brilliant schools and quite a few OAPs.

[Bateshotel]

BR1/2/3/4/5/6; And look at SE postcodes. Very fast links into central London. Quicker thank District line. I’ve done both.

[Bateshotel]

Good schools in BR postcodes if that’s a requirement.

[ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia]

@JoJoSM2

Thank you for your insight. I am interested for a friend (typical City professional mid/senior level couple with young child) and have mentioned some of the localities you kindly suggested.

Could you (or anyone else local of course) possibly throw some light on the nearby Hamptons Worcester Park? I understand this is a love or hate original Berkeley Homes purpose built "The Hamptons Upper State Long Island New York American" homage? I understand from a cursory glance online that there has historically been some local tensions with some pockets of nearby residents in social housing projects adjacent to this development. Therefore endeavouring to be sensitive but appreciative and minded of these issues have suggested it may not be the spot for medium to long term roots despite some large properties and plots plus a like minded community. I like the architecture and overall grand design layout in The Hamptons Worcester Park. It is of similar appearance, look and feel to Bicester Village but of course a super quiet residential version without all the boutiques and coach loads of day shoppers! I also understand Nonsuch Park and Ewell further out from London is lovely. And Epsom is probably a bit too far out but very pleasant.

I welcome any further thoughts to share for all of us getting a bit tired of central London.

[JoJoSM2]

@ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia

I know what you mean by love or hate development. I think it looks really cool but don’t know it well enough to comment on any tensions. The things to bear in mind would be service charges as there are some shared facilities and communal grounds. I’ve seen security guards walking around (a bit concerning/weird considering it’s a very very low crime rate area). The development actually has tiny gardens for the area and the greenery is communal. It also comes across as mostly rentals rather than long term owners but I don’t know the actual numbers. The local primary is also pants. So really, it’s a cool development at a first glance but personally I wouldn’t live there.

Ewell Village is cute and has a tranquil feel but there aren’t many amenities there. It’s in Surrey but zone 6 with 2 stations. IMO Carshalton Village is prettier and more convenient or Cheam Village has amenities and is posher. Both are zone 5.

Epsom is a commuter town on 3 different train lines and has sought after single sex secondary schools. The trains take quite a long time, though, so if I were to add that onto my commute, I’d probably prefer somewhere like Reigate which is cuter, with nicer coutryside and better shops.

[Mollyeyes]

@JoJoSM2 thank you again for all your insights, we do like Reigate but it’s expensive. People have suggested Redhill which is a good commuter town but is not very nice I hear. Do you know Redhill? Love to hear your thoughts.

[JoJoSM2]

Redhill is right next to Reigate. Reigate is the naice town and Redhill the affordable one. It’s got excellent trains and the residential areas are ok. The town centre is unattractive (ugly modern stuff and very cheap shops only) but I imagine people just go to Reigate to browse nicer shops or for a date night (there’s an Everyman Cinema and a very good choice of nice restaurants).

[Mollyeyes]

What about Haywards Heath. East Grinstead, Lingfield?

[JoJoSM2]

@Mollyeyes
I don’t know those towns enough to comment. You could start a new thread with the towns in the title.

[jessstan2]

@Bateshotel

Good schools in BR postcodes if that’s a requirement.

Very good indeed

[Mollyeyes]

@JoJoSM2 will create new post.

[Mollyeyes]

Thank you