If I love York and Exeter - where should I move to in the SE

[BromleyBR1nightbus]

Just that really. I am a quiet bookish mum with a small family.

We love places like Truro, Exeter, York and Durham. I love history, space, a river, books, character blaaaa blah blah

We need to move back to the South East for work and be within 1.5hours train journey from Liverpool St, London.

The last time we lived IN London we lived in the skyscraper - Ontario Tower. Which is was amazing and fun at the time. But I'm now older with young children and I don't think I can face being too near the City.

Definitely no closer than Bromley! (Although I love Bromley!)

Budget £450k which I know is low for the area ...

Norwich is a wonderful city. Just a little longer to Liverpool St at 1 hour 50 mins. Definitely worth a look!

Lewes, travel time slightly over I think, not sure of house prices as been a while since I lived there. Lots of independent coffee shops, by a river. Castle, priory ruins, lots of history, plus they have an amazing bonfire night!

Yes, £80 is the high speed Canterbury
West to St Pancras (53 minutes) at peak. You can get a 1/3 railcard of some sort to make it £53 (which is what I do). It’s ridiculous.

Or the longer two hour routes to e.g. Victoria are cheaper, especially if you don’t mind getting a really early train etc.

No way you'll get a house you want (3 bed Semi) for that amount in Cambridge or the immediate surrounding area! House prices here are bonkers!

A PP said Ware and it is a really nice, old town. Quite a small place, not really York or Exeter. You could look at Colchester too, it's quite cheap. Canterbury won't go into Liverpool St so adds commuting time. Anywhere directly into L St will mean you get more for your money as you can go further out of London.

Advise against Colchester (from someone who lives in the area) it feels on a downward spiral....

Sudbury is nice.

If you like the coast, how about Whitstable?

Btw we love Canterbury and completely disagree with the comment upthread that the High Street is crap.

Off the top of my head, it has Fennick, H&M, Waterstones, a big M&S, Boots, Superdrug, Primark, Tiger, Superdry, Fatface, Clarks, Next, Hotel Chocolat, Pret, Starbucks, Costa, Wagamama, Nandos, Bills, Five Guys, several vintage clothes and record shops, Oxfam book shop, loads of great independent cafes and restaurants, all the quirky and antiquey shops on the Kings Mile, and the posh shops on the Marlowe Arcade. Really not sure what more shops or restaurants you could actually want.

Canterbury, Rochester, Faversham.

Ely?

We've ruled out Cambridge - we had a quick read up on it and not my cup of tea. Sounds rowdy and polluted 🤣

I've just seen that salaries are higher than expected for my role. Must have increased recently so I'm hoping we can stretch to something

It almost feels like the South East is unaffordable! Expensive yes. But I didn't expect it to be completely unaffordable.

Yeah, it’s unaffordable! Basically unless you already bought somewhere before or early on in the big boom you’ll struggle in the SE. Ordinary family houses going for 800k to nearly a million most places, and no way do salaries match up. A large proportion of the housing market in the SE is just boomers swapping houses amongst themselves. 🤷‍♀️

😭 consider my little bubble of hope popped!

We did notice a fair few family sized homes on Rightmove for over 60s only.

St. Albans or Canterbury would my suggestions.

I am originally from Norwich and love it but it is East Anglia, not the SE, which the OP specified. It is actually further north than Birmingham.

St Albans is ok but far too expensive. You’d be pushed to buy a 1 bed flat for £450k.
Why not York itself OP? Only 1hr50 to kings cross on the train/ doable if you only need to make the journey once a week.

Tunbridge Wells!

There's a few places in Ware in your budget. Eg. www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/127178681?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

Not sure of the train price to London. Hertford also lovely high street.

Another vote for winchester

Arundel

Train fares are horrific though so it will be a balancing act of location and fares. Look at the towns just inside the m26 as train fares are lower, some do have more affordable options (expect the houses to look more utilitarian eg ex council)

I don’t really know the area I am recommending but a friend with a young family really recommended it: South Woodham Ferrers, Essex. Possibly not naice but decent / safe. Affordable. Off peak return £20 direct to Liverpool Street takes 45 mins.

Looking forward to hearing from someone who knows it properly! It’s quite fun to look along the train lines from Liverpool Street. It’s also on the Elizabeth Line.

Canterbury has deteriorated and is scruffy and feeling a bit rough and unsafe. Plus property is expensive. Folkestone is lovely in parts with great links albeit you’d have to take the high speed train into st Pancras and the tube or thamesmead to L. Street. Easier not to have to change.

there are various locations in Essex that I don’t know v well, and the Essex coast , Clacton and the like.

Or Twyford /Maidenhead soon to be on Elizabeth line but probably pricer.

good luck and do keep us posted!

Don't give up. You can get some nice things in Colchester.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/126865541?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

Winchester as previously suggested. Unspoiled with lots of green space. South Downs and New Forest close by but only an hour from Waterloo.
An example of what's available www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/126407669#/?channel=RES_BUY

Colchester day return peak is about 50.00 and takes about an hour.

St Albans?

Ely?

Cambridge station or Saffron Waldon( Audley end) is on the Liverpool Street line.