We’re currently living in Walthamstow in London and, before our baby arrived, it suited us fine. But since having our little girl, I’m just not finding it feels as safe or as family-friendly as I’d like, and it’s really got me thinking about whether we should move.
Ideally, I’d love somewhere with more of a proper community feel, greener and more “villagey” in atmosphere. Somewhere with a nice high street with independent cafés, a decent pub for a Sunday lunch, and lots of activities going on for families. I don’t want to feel surrounded by towers of either private or social housing flats.
The catch is we still need to be within a good commuting distance of London (45min max) and our budget is around £750,000. I know that’s not huge in the current market, but we’d be hoping for a four-bedroom house, or possibly a three-bedroom in the right area.
I’m also very aware that we have one of the most expensive rail systems in the world, so travelling too far out just wouldn’t be financially realistic for us. (A friend of mine pays over £5,000 a year commuting from Chelmsford.) I hear St Albans is really nice, but it’s the cost of the commute that worries me.
Before anyone suggests moving much further away from London, both of us have London-based jobs and we can’t realistically find work elsewhere.
We’d also need good nurseries, schools, and general amenities.
So… does this unicorn place actually exist, or am I asking for too much?