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Original poster

Richmond - South London

28 replies

prinnycessa · 05/05/2023 17:50

DH and I plan to move back to London in 18 months or so and we are considering moving to Richmond.

We've visited and really like the area and would be hoping to have a baby whilst there. Is it a good area for families?

Also, we would rent our house out at first and rent a flat. We would be hoping for a 2 bed (don't mind if the second bed is a box as we hope it would be a nursery) Victorian flat kind of vibe. Would £2,000 pcm for rent be doable?

OP posts:
BunnyMum2000 · 05/05/2023 18:00

I don't know about rental prices (have a look on Right move?), but yes, Richmond is a lovely area and great for families. A lot of great schools.
Bushy park and Richmond park are both beautiful.

Also the surrounding areas are nice if Richmond is a bit pricey - Twickenham, St Margarets, Teddington.

shivermetimbers77 · 05/05/2023 18:01

I grew up in Richmond and it’s a lovely area for families , particularly the park. Not sure what the rental prices are like but if it’s to pricey you would probably get some luck in areas just adjacent to Richmond, such as St Margaret’s.

BlackberrySky · 05/05/2023 18:06

Richmond is a lovely area for families, but also pricey because of that. You could have a look online to get a rough idea of prices, bearing in mind that primary school catchments are quite small and it's an area where affluent families can afford to pay a premium to be in the catchment of outstanding state schools.

Summer2424 · 05/05/2023 18:17

Hi @prinnycessa omg i love Richmond! If i could ever afford it, i'd love to live there!

minipie · 05/05/2023 18:27

Richmond is lovely.

I don’t know your financial situation but if I were you, I’d do the baby years somewhere you can afford to buy a family home, as lots of friends are made in the NCT/nursery era and it’s sad if you then have to move because family homes are unaffordable.

Agree Teddington or Twickenham might be good alternatives, also East Sheen, Surbiton, Wimbledon.

gemloving · 05/05/2023 18:28

Agree with @minipie x

Original poster
prinnycessa · 05/05/2023 18:40

@BunnyMum2000 had a look and there didn't seem to be much but a few have been added today. I think £2k would be OK and hopefully by the time we move interest rates have dropped so rents will have too

OP posts:
Original poster
prinnycessa · 05/05/2023 18:42

@shivermetimbers77 @BlackberrySky thanks. I imagine the nurseries are good too then. Is there much to do in terms of eating out, shopping, entertainment etc?

OP posts:
Original poster
prinnycessa · 05/05/2023 18:47

@minipie @gemloving thanks for this. I understand that completely but we will only be in London for 3 or so years whilst DH does his final training years and then we will relocate to a commuter town/village.

It would be nice to be settled but we don't plan to stay in London long term but need to be there in the short term, so we want to enjoy it whilst we can!

OP posts:
NameforMN · 05/05/2023 18:50

Richmond is lovely. As is Teddington, Twickenham and St Margaret's. There's lots to do in all of those areas.

Original poster
prinnycessa · 05/05/2023 19:57

@NameforMN thank you, I'll have a look at those too

OP posts:
MondayYogurt · 05/05/2023 20:01

Are you OK with the airplane noise?

blahblahblah1654 · 05/05/2023 20:03

Richmond is lovely but I don't think you'll get a 2 bed for 2k.

everbeen · 05/05/2023 20:19

@prinnycessa if you're happy with fewer trains then Hampton Hill (Fulwell Station) and/or Hampton are worth looking at. They are right next to Bushy Park, and cheaper than Teddington. Hampton's heated open air pool is a great place for your kids to learn to swim, with a great community around it. If you plan to get a dog at some point then you'll be in good company (so long as you keep it on the lead near the deer!). There's a fab local theatre and great junior (and adult) cricket, rugby and other sports, such as basketball, hockey and volleyball ehich do very well in national junior leagues or tournaments. The schools are all good too - you can't go wrong.

everbeen · 05/05/2023 20:25

prinnycessa · 05/05/2023 18:42

@shivermetimbers77 @BlackberrySky thanks. I imagine the nurseries are good too then. Is there much to do in terms of eating out, shopping, entertainment etc?

Kingston is our shopping centre of choice. We live in Hampton Hill and can walk/cycle across Bushy Park to Kingston, or get a bus (20 mins-ish). There are plenty of eating out options. Teddington probably has the best restaurants - Twickenham too, but that has a few more chains for the rugby crowd.

Original poster
prinnycessa · 05/05/2023 22:46

@MondayYogurt yeah I wouldn't mind that

OP posts:
Original poster
prinnycessa · 05/05/2023 22:46

@blahblahblah1654 www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134500532#/?channel=RES_LET

Found this one which would be perfect if we were looking now - we will be looking for unfurnished

OP posts:
Original poster
prinnycessa · 05/05/2023 22:48

@everbeen will have a look at those too, thank you!

OP posts:
blahblahblah1654 · 06/05/2023 02:06

prinnycessa · 05/05/2023 22:46

@blahblahblah1654 www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134500532#/?channel=RES_LET

Found this one which would be perfect if we were looking now - we will be looking for unfurnished

That looks great! Right near the station too.

Original poster
prinnycessa · 06/05/2023 08:01

@blahblahblah1654 yeah! It would be perfect. Hopefully we can find something similar when we're moving

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EatTheDamnCake · 06/05/2023 08:04

I love Richmond - I bet you'll never be able to leave though 😄. It's lovely there and you don't need a house and garden. Especially when you have lovely green spaces nearby

Singleandproud · 06/05/2023 08:13

We recently stayed in Richmond to do some sightseeing.

It was really lovely, felt very safe, public transport was brilliant. Has a lovely theatre, lots of SHOPS. Kew gardens would be a lovely place to have an annual pass and take a baby for walks along with the other lovely green spaces. Easy access to Twickenham for the rugby which was what we wanted but I imagine match days cause havoc with the traffic for locals.

Only negative for us was the constant plane noise overhead, we aren't used to that but I'm sure in time you learn to drown it out. I looked at rent and house prices on rightmove and they were miles out of my budget but if it was two adults and a baby you could get away with a one bed for quite a while if you intend to move again anyway.

Original poster
prinnycessa · 06/05/2023 13:00

@EatTheDamnCake it sounds like renting there is a trap 😂

OP posts:
Original poster
prinnycessa · 06/05/2023 13:03

@Singleandproud sounds so good! The plane noise wouldn't bother me and the proximity to Heathrow would be ideal as we fly from there a few times a year. Your post has made me excited!

I would ideally like a 2 bed and could spend more if we found somewhere we loved, I just prefer to have more disposable income for holidays, eating out, shopping etc so there is some room

OP posts:
everbeen · 06/05/2023 15:09

"Constant" plane noise is only a problem on the incoming flight path over Kew and Isleworth - you can trace the line from there to the airport. The rest of the borough only gets plane noise intermittently, on outgoing flight paths when take-offs are directed to the east rather than the west. There's no fixed pattern for this as it depends on the weather. Their path also curves in different directions depending on route, so it's less concentrated along a single path. I live in Hampton Hill, and only really notice flights occasionally on some very warm still days when larger planes seem to gain less height than usual.

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