Relocating back to london

[TheBrightRobin]

first time posting!

My husband and I left London 2 years ago and are planning a move back in the next month or so. We have a soon to be 3 year old daughter and are looking for a place to settle down. We will need to rent first budget is 2k-3k and are happy to live within an hour-ish commute to central London. Previously we lived in SW London but we are not tied to going to that area necessarily.
Anyone have any recommendations for where we should look that is:
-Safe/family friendly/good primary schools
-House rental (we need a garden!) between 2-3k
-within an hour commute to central london
-bonus is for there is a nice walkable community/high street/village nearby

Any other tips on how to find a rental meeting the above criteria is welcome too!

Thanks!!

Whereabouts are you commuting to? You'd get somewhere nice for not much more than £2k around Wanstead, South Woodford, Highams Park or North Chingford (near the station). All of which have lovely high streets with nice cafes and restauranrs, are very safe with a community feel, good schools and are convenient for central London.

we are lucky in that we need to commute to Paddington but also could use Reading as an office. I’ll definitely give all of those places a look! Thank you!

I loved living in Tower Hamlets/Isle of dogs, very close to Greenwich and Canary Wharf, easy access to central through Elizabeth line, not excessively pricey, plenty of amenities, beautiful parks and mudchute farm nearby, kid friendly and safe

I'd look along the Elizabeth line for Paddington. Going East, Gidea Park is lovely for suburban life with all the amenities you could think of on your doorstep and excellent local public transport, slightly further out Brentwood is a nice small town surrounded by woods and country parks or Shenfield is a very sought after larger village.

All are really popular with families.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146003774#/?channel=RESLET

Why did you move out of London in the first place? The answer to this question may help narrow down your search

I work in Chiswick and though I can't ever live here (out of my budget) you might find something in your price range. Lovely shops, good schools and plenty of green space.

We had to move out of the country for my husbands job. We have managed to reach an agreement with them to work back in the UK —their stipulation, come into the reading or Paddington office 1-3 times a week!

I'd go for Reading or nearby, far nicer for the kids. There is even a shuttle bus from Reading station to the business park, as I think I know which company your DH works for.

You also get a lot more for the rent money. (see link below)
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E1114&minBedrooms=2&maxPrice=2000&radius=5.0&sortType=2&propertyTypes=&includeLetAgreed=false&mustHave=&dontShow=&furnishTypes=&keywords=

I’d echo South Woodford and Wanstead as suggested above. You could go even further out on the Epping branch of the central line and still have your hour long commute - the Elizabeth line from Stratford has transformed the accessibility of Paddington from East London and Essex.

Thanks for the tip! Do you have any suggestions on nice neighbourhoods around Reading?