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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to wonder if there are ANY houses for sale within commuting distance of London for a reasonable price?!

129 replies

MrsMcgee · 14/08/2011 20:05

Someone come and help us find somewhere to live!
We are currently in Oxford which is 2 hours each way, my poor DH certainly cant do it long term and we want to move closer in.

The trouble is, everywhere within what is a reasonable commuting time and a nice area is about half a million for your average family home!

We are currently looking at Chelmsford, Ashford (kent) and are starting to think about Reading. We would love other suggestions of places we have missed!

We have a budget of about 325,000 and want a 4 bed ideally. Somewhere with fairly good schools and a few ducks to feed :o the closer the better. Am I a bit pie in the sky?!

Wine given for best suggestion! :o

OP posts:
pommedechocolat · 15/08/2011 17:19

Haslemere or petersfield.

Giselle99 · 15/08/2011 17:29

Try Sutton or Kingston. Good schools, regular trains into London, latter by the river.

crazygracieuk · 15/08/2011 17:32

Kingston is not reasonable unless you mean the outskirts of Kingston borough like Tolworth and Chessington. Ewell is reasonably priced.

LineRunner · 15/08/2011 17:34

If Waterloo, then look to Hampshire. Main line Portsmouth Harbour to Waterloo. Petersfield and Haslemere on route, as pommed says.

Much quicker drive now, as per previous post (Hindhead Tunnel).

lockets · 15/08/2011 17:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

youarekidding · 15/08/2011 18:00

The Hindhead Tunnel is great.

Agree with looking at starting stations with quick trains and where they stop on route. TBH its only 1hr 20 minutes ish from P'smth to Waterloo on a fast train.

Bonnefoi · 15/08/2011 18:03

Here. Four beds, nice garden, kitchen a bit bla but under budget. Primary secondary schools all good. Fleet pond with ducks. London Waterloo by train in under an hour.

sandyballs · 15/08/2011 18:14

If dh is in wstminster then victoria is just as accessible as Waterloo

rachelfruitloop · 15/08/2011 19:08

Chesham (HP5) is a lovely place to live. It's at the Northwest end of the Metropolitan Line on London Underground. The schools are very good, there is a great community of families with young children, there is a pedestrianised high street, a nice park with duck pond and playground, the old part of town has quaint little pubs and cottages and a chalk stream. There is a cricket club as well. The surrounding countryside is gorgeous and there are loads of wonderful walks to take. It's about an hour by Underground to central London (just change at Finchley Road for the Jubilee Line to Westminster or Waterloo) and houses are affordable. That's why I moved to Chesham, I was charmed the first time I visited. It's worth having a look, IMO.

Onemorning · 15/08/2011 19:56

Redhill's good into Waterloo: I have a choice of 2 routes (Waterloo East via London Bridge, or Waterloo via Clapham) that take about an hour each way.

The town isn't 'lovely', but house prices are reasonable and there are some excellent schools. The countryside around is gorgeous (North Downs) and there are some lovely villages thereabout.

edam · 15/08/2011 21:11

Lynette, that link brought back memories - my Dad used to live on Hillmorton Road when he was married to my stepmother in the 1980s (and commuted into Euston every day). Think the houses were a bit cheaper back then, though!

Original poster
MrsMcgee · 15/08/2011 21:22

There are some really good ideas - looked into Woking a bit and that doesnt look as unaffordable as we first thought, could actually work I think.

Mowlem: Any ideas on nice villages near Basingstoke? We are looking there too.

Spudulika: First house sale to be conducted through MN?!

Thanks everyone x

OP posts:
MotherOfSuburbia · 15/08/2011 21:27

We've just bought a 4 bed for 330 in west ewell. 4 trains an hr - 25 mins to waterloo. Nice and green. Good schools.
4 beds aren't too common but worth a look.
Good luck!

northernruth · 15/08/2011 21:30

My sister lives in Upper Norwood (near Crystal Palace) - they are on the mainline but they work in Kensington so not sure how much use that would be. reasonable house prices tho.

You'd only just get a 4 bed in North Leeds for £325k if you wanted to be near good schools AND ducks.......

piprabbit · 15/08/2011 21:36

If you are happy with a 4 bed semi or link-detached house then look at Billericay.

If you want detached look one stop down the line at Wickford.

We feed ducks in Lake Meadows Park in Billericay (and the Bluebell Woods are wonderful) and the ducks in the Wick Country Park in Wickford. Plenty of green spaces to choose from.

Original poster
MrsMcgee · 15/08/2011 22:24

We have written all these down and looked up a zed index on zoopla, and the times on the national rail! We have a large table on excel now!
How on earth do we go about narrowing it down?! We can't possibly go to all of them and we have over 50 extremely plausible suggestions!

OP posts:
cece · 15/08/2011 22:26

There are loads of big looking houses right near to Woking station but no idea how much they cost - will have a look. 28 mins train so good for Waterloo. DH drives to station and parks there as we live a bit further away.

Valpollicella · 15/08/2011 22:36

Give us your top ten Mrs Grin

Original poster
MrsMcgee · 15/08/2011 22:37

cece I imagine they are £££ judging by what I've seen on rightmove!

OP posts:
piprabbit · 15/08/2011 22:38

Perhaps the next step is to put some schools info on your spreadsheet - although pretty impossible to actually quantify.

justpaddling · 15/08/2011 22:38

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