Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Help us find our next family home!

51 replies

penguins79 · 30/04/2020 19:57

I'm reaching out as I am a bit at a loss as to where to look for our next family home. We are both from London, have lived in London our entire lives but more and more I am yearning to leave for greener pastures.

We are about to have two big life changes (work and new baby) so no longer need to be in London day to day but would like to be within 90 minutes at most.

Below are our criteria:

Budget: £2M at the most, though would prefer in the £1-1.5 if possible

Location: 90 minutes to London at the most. If it's a train station than a direct train rather than having to change.

Setting: we both want semi rural. Near a town with some amenities but enough land so we are not on top of someone else, gravel drive and plenty of land for various outdoor activities. We don't need pastures but want to feel like we have privacy

We both ride, enjoy social activities. If the budget allowed, I would've loved to live near Soho Farmhouse as we are members and friends of ours have created the type of country life we envision with having friends similar to us and lots of family oriented activities

General feel of home: Dh calls it the "Country Life" magazine fantasy as the best way to describe what I like in a home. I love historic homes with well developed gardens. Would prefer for them to be modernised but we are open to doing work. I love Georgian homes but open to anything really.

So wise MNetters, can you help us? If you have any favorite homes please share the link. If you have an area we should research, would appreciate it!

OP posts:
PervyMuskrat · 30/04/2020 20:11

East Midlands is a good fit. Is this the sort of thing you like?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-76397437.html

bloodywhitecat · 30/04/2020 20:22

]]www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-78305065.html]]

doobiedop · 30/04/2020 20:25

What about schools?

doobiedop · 30/04/2020 20:29

I'd look at Wimbledon Village & make a few cheeky offers to get under the 2m budget.

Shoxfordian · 30/04/2020 20:29

Have you looked near oxford?

bloodywhitecat · 30/04/2020 20:29

Suffolk/Norfolk? Ipswich and Norwich both have a reasonable service to London

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-69900963.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-74820193.html

Rebelwithallthecause · 30/04/2020 20:29

None of these suggestions are anywhere near Soho Farmhouse

How about something like this?

Clifton, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX15
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-63845598.html

Rebelwithallthecause · 30/04/2020 20:30

Very country life
Lots of land
Gravel drive
Near Soho farmhouse

chilledteacher · 30/04/2020 20:30

North Essex- Wivenhoe, Manningtree?

ThePug · 30/04/2020 20:42

Do you know Babington House in Somerset, which is the sister club of Soho Farmhouse? This sort of thing is close by www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-90357290.html but would take longer than 90 mins into London as rail routes not great. Bath is 25 mins drive to Babington but direct train to Paddington is 90 mins. If you looked in the countryside between Bath & Babington you should find something that fits the bill in budget.

penguins79 · 30/04/2020 20:42

So these are all great. Thought I'd link up to some homes that I like but are too expensive for us

Westbrook, Bromham, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-77145664.html

Rhonehurst
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-72512129.html

Church Green, Stanford In The Vale
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-86729591.html

I know this may be just a fantasy but this lockdown is making me yearn to recreate a rambling childhood with less structure and more outdoor space

Re schools, we don't think we would be sending to a local school so for us that's not a limiting factor

OP posts:
penguins79 · 30/04/2020 20:44

@ThePug thank you! What postcode do you think I should put in to see the options on Rightmove? I've tried around Bath in the past but can't get yo the more rural properties

OP posts:
Rebelwithallthecause · 30/04/2020 20:45

Beautiful dream houses but they are all in cheaper areas than what you’d be looking at to be within 90 mins of London and or near soho fh.

You could look further afield and increase commute?

penguins79 · 30/04/2020 20:45

@Shoxfordian we have! But seem to be totally priced out for what we want. In theory that would be the best fit for us esp with Dragon but too pricey I think from what I could find

OP posts:
doobiedop · 30/04/2020 20:46

The houses you linked to are amazing but I'm not sure how you can get a place like that close to London for your budget.

penguins79 · 30/04/2020 20:49

@Rebel I'm open to it! I am in the process of exiting my business. Dh works for himself, semi-retired so there is no real need for us to be in London at all. The time limit is what I thought of as a good anchor so I don't go too crazy and uproot our entire life.

But if you suggest an area where we would fit in culturally I am open to exploring it.

Our problem I think is we don't necessarily fit in with "country posh" people as especially Dh is a bit City and brash but we love going out to the Cotswolds as we seem to always meet or bump into friends of friends or others that have similar likes/dislikes and personality types to us

OP posts:
Shoxfordian · 30/04/2020 20:51

I would have something like this, which is probably the opposite of your taste

I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/89975528

This needs work but is in Oxford
I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/73062544

This seems like your kind of thing but more near Aylesbury

I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/90056597

Shoxfordian · 30/04/2020 20:53

Like this one in Oxford too
I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/68090511

MilkNoSugars · 30/04/2020 20:55

Cheshire? Lots of 'city posh' here! and 2 hours to London on the train from Chester.

Do you have friends anywhere outside London ? - it's always nice to move somewhere where you already know people so you don't have to commute back to London or soho house area just to see people.

penguins79 · 30/04/2020 20:55

@Shoxfordian those are gorgeous! But similar to what we already have. Maybe it's being stuck indoors, but I just want green space and quiet!

OP posts:
marvellousmaplesyrup · 30/04/2020 20:56

How about the villages around Winchester, or the New Forest? Only an hour/hour and a half to London by train.

penguins79 · 30/04/2020 20:58

@MilkNoSugars I would say most of our friends live either in London proper, Milton Keynes

Dh is an American expat which is why our social circle is so London centric

The few friends that made the jump are all around Oxford or driving distance to Chippen norton area

I'm open to making more friends locally. Especially with this new baby it really does feel like a good fresh start after the last few months of work stress

OP posts:
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.