Berkshire or Oxfordshire? Help me move!

[netstaller]

Wise Mumsnetters please give me some advice!

I'd like to move from our rough(ish) area of London to Berkshire or Oxfordshire for a better quality of life. I'm still going to have commute to London three days per week. Our (me, DP, DS age 2 and DS age 1) budget is max 600k, and ideally we'd like a 4 bed house with a decent garden (dream would be with space for an outside office) and not too far from a train station and near good schools.

Ideally somewhere with nice playgrounds and high street. Could anyone please suggest some suitable areas? Thank you! x

We are considering moving to the same area. What is current opinion of the secondaries in West Reading, I didn't think either Denefield or Little Heath were anything special? Considering targeting Maiden Erlegh, Willink, Kennet or St Bart's catchments.

I did the same years ago OP. We decided on Berkshire as the extra commute into Oxfordshire wasn't worth the time and money. BUT if we didn't have the London commute, I would have said Oxon over Berks like a shot.

@FraterculaArctica

We are considering moving to the same area. What is current opinion of the secondaries in West Reading, I didn't think either Denefield or Little Heath were anything special? Considering targeting Maiden Erlegh, Willink, Kennet or St Bart's catchments.

If you are looking at West Berks, Park House is reckoned to be ahead of St Barts and both are ahead of Kennet.

@EBearhug

If you're looking at central Reading, you probably don't want Oxford Road.

No, you most certainly do not want Oxford Road. In fact I'd say you don't want central Reading at all. Also look very, very carefully where the flood plains are. Reading flood plains map

I would say that you don't want Reading - it is a town but the size of a city. If you want somewhere villagey, look at near Reading, but not Reading itself. Woodley isn't bad but that side of Reading is a bit of a large housing estate. The other side has more villagey places
Wokingham is nice.
Bracknell has had a facelift, but it's still Bracknell - a new town.

Newbury and Wallingford are both nice, but I've only been to them once.

Cookham, near Maidenhead, has a lovely main street and a delightful art gallery.
Bourne End is in Bucks, but is nice.

If you are buying anywhere near the Thames, look at where the flood plains are.

Woodley, Lower Earley, Caversham, the private roads in Southcote. All Reading area.

Oh yes, if you are looking at villages near Reading, watch out for Arborfield and Shinfield. The River Loddon can flood parts of them.

I hope you enjoy your visit to Caversham tomorrow - we have some lovely cafes back open! If you want a bit of space and off road parking you won't be within walking distance to the station (we're just on the edge of that at 30 min walk but a cheaper house than your budget). You could cycle or bus it, but the parking is extortionate. It's a lovely place to live and we often walk or cycle in South Oxfordshire which is just up the road. It's a good compromise between town and country.

Emmer Green has some nice houses, as does Caversham Heights. As another poster says the traffic is awful but if you're not planning to drive south to cross the river then it's fine. Primary schools seem good here (but I don't have children).

Aldermaston is nice and has a station (change at Reading for London). Because of the name property can be cheaper there. Actually, the Atomic Weapons site is at Tadley a couple of miles away. Aldermaston just happened to be the name of the RAF base they built it on.

More towards Oxfordshire a nice option could the Thame/Haddenham area. Fast trains to London & Thame is a bustling little market town with lots of good shops etc.

Do you know what sort of area you're looking for? Still town/big shops etc or proper small village life?

I grew up in Sonning, which has become a bit of a sleb magnet with the Clooneys, Theresa May, and previously Uri Geller, and is now ridiculously overpriced.

The Oxford Road area of Reading has always been rough - had a load of friends who had dodgy flat shares out there.

Twyford is dull but has Waitrose (which killed off all the independent shops), good schools and an easy commute into Paddington with frequent trains.

Oxfordshire hands down

I grew up in Caversham. Its a lovely area. Highdown is meant to be very good? Or has it gone down again? No idea what the catchment is for it these days.

Regarding other reading secondaries...
I have dc in Maiden Erlegh Reading and The Wren. ME has a very very good reputation, personally I think its shit and if DS didn't have so many lovely friends I'd move him.
I can't fault The Wren. They've been fab (and have a very sensible uniform!)

@netstaller

This insight is so helpful, I'm narrowing the search down and we are visiting the centre of reading, caversham and Newbury and tomorrow to check them out! Please do share any other local knowledge you have, it's been so helpful so far. I didn't know Newbury existed but looks like it has some lovely properties! My DP has to visit London once a week ish and would need to drive with his work kit, can traffic be a nightmare from caversham?

Caversham has a bit of a village-y feel, several lovely independent coffee shops (Vegivores, Geo Cafe). Unless you're very close to the centre of Caversham then you'll need to take the journey to the train station into account for the commute. And the bridges across the river between Caversham and Reading centre do get very congested unfortunately.

If you're in Reading centre, check out the indie cafés too Shed, Picnic, Workhouse coffee or Nibsy's. If you take a drive around the University area, the campus itself or Palmer Park are lovely places to walk around.

I moved to Wokingham 4 years ago from a west London suburb and absolutely love it here. The town centre has had a regenerationand is lovely. I'm in the north part of Wokingham (Emmbrook/cantley park/Joel park) which is super convenient for the Wokingham station (trains to Waterloo are an hour and ten), but also Twyford which is a ten minute drive away and takes 30 minutes into Paddington. I always do that route as my office is convenient for Paddington. Twyford is also a crossrail station. Schools are fantastic here and there's lots of green space. You would get a 4 bed in your budget so I wouldn't discount it. Reading and Bracknell are also close by.

This one just went for £500,000, it's opposite us in Wokingham.

The one on the left of it is up for a little less because it's a semi.

The gardens are good.

Yes the schools are generally 'excellent' here but I'm deeply unimpressed with the primary my youngest is at.

I hate the town centre, it's been all done up and looks nice, but it's just full of expensive twee cafes, and the sort of record shop you go in to look fashionable.

For people like my household, it's not for us at all.

But it's a good place to be if you need mental health assessments and autism assessments, they take it seriously here.

We will be gone as soon as the kids have flown the nest.

Bracknell has a much cooler town centre these days, I'd probably prefer being there.

We visited Reading today and even viewed a house! Although it wasn't for us as it wasnt near any walkable cafes or little high streets. We liked caversham as it had much more of a village-y feel but with great connections. We had a quick look at Wokingham too which looked gorgeous - my only worry is the commute time into north London! Our search continues and your advice is priceless thank you!

Caversham is lovely, although traffic can be a bit of a 'mare, to get over the bridge.

When it comes to Highdown, I know that for some it has a bit of a rep', but my kids have had amazing support and teaching there, and have really blossomed and excelled. I think, like most state comprehensives, it is quite often what the student and parents make of it.

Caversham has a great little butchery, some really neat restaurants, a good waitrose, and a lovely community feel.

What about henely?

What about henely? Good luck finding a 4 bed house with garden in Henley for 600k!!!

Well there are some but probably not very impressive for 600k. I would also say the commute from Henley is pretty difficult.

Wokingham is a great town. People are friendly. Nice town centre with lots of pubs.

Goring on Thames- train to reading and then connect to Paddington; houses are pricey. A large village with small shops and nice pubs.
Henley - as above re. Travel but a town not a village. Loads of facilities and schools. Expensive housing.
Woodcote- large village With primary and secondary schools but not train station; would need to a get to Goring (3m) or Reading (8mi). Would get a house in budget.
Nettlebed- small village, excellent primary but pricey. Limited shops. Would need to connect to London via Henley (4mi) or Reading (9mi). I grew up here and it’s lovely but so boring for teens.

For a commute to north London it’s really worth looking at Bucks/Herts.

If you need north London then how about St Albans ?