Ideally moving to Guildford area, I need some advice please

[Globetrotterforever]

Hi there,

We are planning to move to the Guildford area and I could do with a little bit of advice, so many options and not possible to travel there at the moment which makes things trickier.

We are looking for houses in Guildford and outskirts but there is nothing really, we need a 5 bed house. We would love a place that offers a balance between amenities (restaurants, shops, things to do with kids) and places where we can go for walks, we have two children and need a friendly community where we can make new friends.

Am I looking for something that doesn't exist? We like Guildford since it looks pretty, loads of amenities, safe and good schooling around for the little ones.

Hubby needs to be reasonable distance from Heathrow and London.

Any nice villages (not too tinny) around Guildford that it is worth looking into? we looked into Godalming and Chobham but not a clue if they are what we are looking for. Any other locations that I am missing and it is worth looking into?

Thanks a lot for your advice.

What's your budget?

1.7

Have you looked at Bookham?

Farnham
Farnborough
Ash
Ash vale

In Guildford and a good location ...?
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/104598968#/

@FASDE1517, no I haven't but I will have a look, thank you.

Thank you PopsicleHustler and dishydishemup for your recommendations!

Farnham and Godalming are nice, I grew up in Farnham and turned out pretty functional!! Villages wise, any between Farnham and Guildford are pretty good bets, but you wouldn't have the shops etc you'd get in a town. Depends on how long you want to spend on the train each morning though.

Guildford is lovely and you will definitely get a 5 bed house for that price close/walkable to town. The problem is they don't build there very much so it can take a while for properties to come up. If you search around the postcode GU12JL about 1/4 or 1/2 mile around there most of the streets are pretty nice (Cranley Road, Pit Farm Road). Also a couple of very good independent schools close (Tormead and Lanesborough).
Personally if I had a choice and the kind of money you have I would stick to Guildford unless you particularly want a small village. Godalming is nice too but not as nice in my opinion.

Another good location with very nice walks up to Newlands Corner
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/79073226#/

Farnham and Guildford are nice. Ash, Ashvale and Franborough are not.

Guildford has a good direct train to London. If you live in any of the villages you’re adding 50% time to your train journey.

Godalming would be good, as well as the surrounding villages - Hambledon, Witley, Shackleford etc if you’re happy to drive to town not walk.
Pre Covid commuting from Godalming was generally good, train sometimes already packed by the time it reached Guildford. Who knows how this will change. It’s a really popular area for those moving out of London.

Thanks a lot all for your feedback and advice! I really appreciate it.
I looks like Guildford would be the right fit for us so we will have to be patient and keep an eye on the market.

The trouble with Guildford, because of the university and hospitals, there are so many houses that are purchased to rent out there and these don’t often come on the market to buy. Have you looked at East Horsley and West Horsley. To be honest lots of places in Surrey are family friendly and have good links to Heathrow and the M25. We are about 8 miles from Guildford, called West Byfleet. There is a development of new houses being built here.

@Mindymomo I doubt there’s much cross over between the OPs property pool and that of the average student landlord. I think she’ll be fine

5 bed limits choices massively in this area. For a lower price you can get better choice of houses leaving money to spend. Would you consider 4 bed where you can reconfigure or extend?

Hi GreyGiraffe,
Yes, I would consider 4bed with potential extend if that's going to give me more options! good to know, thanks

Haslemere?

More of the issue with students in Guildford is that they live across a wide area so it's possible to be living nextdoor even if in an expensive house in a nice area. Longer established student landlords may have bought big houses back in day and split the building into a student hmo.

West Byfleet is nice. I use to commute to Guildford from there on the train. You'd also get a nice house in Pyrford for your budget.

Hindhead, near Haslemere, is good for walks but might be a bit small for you, but this house loooks lovely and well within your budget: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/104292671#/

Farnham is nice but might be less good for commuting:

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/78701382#/
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/76637412#/

Haslemere is lovely but possibly too expensive.

Godalming is very nice:
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/78818271#/

Guildford is the biggest of your options.

@Camandmitch, thanks a lot for pointing out the possibility of having students next door, not what we need though..
@Ellmau, thanks a lot for your suggestions.
I think we will rent a place once we move there and go and see all the places you mentioned while we wait to get a definitive property.
Thanks again for all your suggestions! I will keep them all in mind

We have registered with two schools in the area of Woking and one in Godalming. If we go for the ones in Woking, somebody mentioned Chobham? Any info on that place? I guess Woking is close to Guildford or at least it is what google maps says...

Traffic is pretty bad in Guildford.

@Ellmau the Godalming house was on Grand Designs many years ago.

We live in one of the areas you mention, I absolutely love it because we have every amenity I can think of within an hour (including beach and London), the only thing I haven’t been able to find yet is a circus school which I wanted when I believed my toddler was a prodigious daredevil.

But we also have incredible, vast countryside walks from our doorstep. Alpacas and pigs just down the road. Farm shops etc. So glad we ended up here!

Trains get rammed at Guildford so people choose the areas 1 stop + further out.