AIBU to be so worried about moving to the right area in Surrey I may not end up moving at all

[blunderandfrightening]

Moving out of London and preferred area is Surrey. The thing is I can't see us ever moving because we are so worried about getting the area right.
AIBU to think the choice is so vast that we will never move.

Where would you recommend in the Surrey area.

Good schools, pretty location but close to a station?

you have just covered ALL of surrey in my memory, everywhere is 2 miles from a station (but that may not count as close to you, but to me who is 3 miles from the village shop...)
i like guildford and godalming best

Thank you SarcyMare

Surrey covers a huge area, you might want to narrow it down a bit for better advice. We moved out here from London 4 years ago and love it :) great schools, big house and garden. Train 10mins away and about an hour commute into London.

Reigate is nice

I am think just outside Guildford somewhere?

Which station in London do you want to travel into? This will help narrow down, as then you can search via train route, iyswim?

Eg, I love Guildford, but the train is not so good for dh (not horrendous, but not as good as where we are).

What do you mean by near a station? Walking distance, or driving distance (if driving, then what 5 mins, 10, 15?) Again, this will help you create a radius around likely stations on your route.

The add in schools - private or state? Obv need to consider catchment areas if state.

Have you visited any areas you liked in particular?

private school preferred for DS's. And a bicycle commute would be fine so 10 mins cycle,

Earlswood

Try looking using school catchment areas, or if you have a hobby or like dog walking or fishing or something use those as target areas?

Walton-on-the-Hill is nice worth a look, nice pond :)

All of Surrey like that....I'm on border of Surrey London which takes less than 20 mins into London Waterloo. Guildford good....just look at the stations. Which london station do you need to get into...

see i thought all of surrey went to waterloo (lived in woking till i went oop north at 18).
woking has excellent trains to london, but i wouldn't want to live within a 10 mins cycle ride of the station.

Whats' your budget, how many beds do you want for that. Presume you'll be commuting into Waterloo? How long are you prepared for the train journey to be? age of children now? Type of secondary preferred? Sporty, academic? Where are friends and family? Apart from London where else do you need to access? Do you prefer city, urban, village or rural?

I think that's the thing there are so many good schools and lots of train lines to Waterloo which is ideal. There is so much choice I am so confused. I am not very decisive which doesn't help. Family all scattered so not an issue.

I think a village would be nice near Guildford for all it has to offer. But wouldn't want to live in Guildford as I might as well stay put.

I fortunately have a very good budget and need 4/5 beds.

Shalford? Easy cycle commute to station in Guildford, good private schools for boys (RGS etc) and nice big houses.

Thank you I will be checking out Shalford, Walton on the hill, Earlswood and all the other suggestions.

Try Ockham, it has a nice pub :)

If it were me I would chose a good school first, then a village near it, then wait for the right house.

I am also worried about making new friends. So it needs to be somewhere that has neighbours.

Thanks IvyBeagle

Good pub/s is/are important

Laleham on Thames is nice. It has a station :)

How long a commute? What sort of school are you looking for? RGC is super-selective - no point living nearby unless you get in.

OK so you like village but need to be near people, so small town rather than tiny hamlet then? Do you like countryside? Or shopping centres? Or quaint little towns?

Dorking and surrounding villages might suit you, as might Reigate. Or the Guildford villages but you need to look at the Guildford schools, they tend to be very selective which you might not want.

the problem is the suggestions you have had are all really different, so you need to be clearer what you actually want. whatever is is Surrey almost certainly has it, but what DO you want?

No interest in shopping centres but I do like to eat out. Countryside would be nice with a village green near that has a community feel. Commute must be under 1 hour.
Schools I would prefer something not super selective. Sporty with good academics but not overly pressured.

fluffy
Just going to check out Laleham thank you

I lived in Surrey for years and now live very happily on the Isle of Wight, however if I had to return to surrey I would only return to Epsom or Walton on the hill , Surrey either seems very built up now or very rich and snobby .