To want to move to Sutton, South London

[YungMAMA]

Me and Dh are currently living in Hove, he grew up here and I grew up in the Sussex countryside. DH works locally as a mathd teacher, I commute into London. However, im increasingly frustrated at the long commute, often getting on for 1:30hr, 1:45hr.

I began looking at London but our budget of £450k means we are limited to less trendy boroughs. We ideally want south London for easy access to South Coast.

Yesterday we went to view the area as well as a few houses.Dh has said the areas we looked at were rough and that he wouldn't want DC to grow up in that area.

AIBU to think Sutton is an ok place to live. Can any of you on this site from that area give any insight. From research the schools are fairly good, I know its a grammar area with some of the Comprehensives being bad.

[SoupDragon]

Is your DH switching schools?

[YungMAMA]

Dh would change jobs if we moved.

[MarshaBradyo]

I got the impression it was a good place but I think that’s because it gets a good wrap on here from some posters

[Dontsweatthelittlestuff]

If you want easy access to the coast have you thought about chessington?
Easy access to m25 and a hour from Brighton or avoid the m25 and go straight down the a24.
You will get a 3 bed within your budget. Good transport links both bus and trains with Surbiton station less than 30 mins to Waterloo.

[dirtyrottenscoundrel]

I’d love to know where the people who think Sutton is a ‘shithole’ live.
Sutton is one of the safest London boroughs & the schools are excellent.

[musicinspring1]

Worcester Park?
Sutton is fine though - it’s an outer London Borough but actually has a good community with stuff going on if you look. I also think people who live in the ‘nicer’ bits around Sutton and just use it to pop in the shops or the (nice!) cinema are snobbish about actually living in Sutton. As with any large town there are obviously more desirable parts to live , but that’s the same anywhere surely?

[easyandy101]

As a high street it's really dying though isn't it?

There's some lovely bits of sutton and some really nice streets and houses, but same for most other suggestions and they've generally got less bleak centres

But no it's far from a shithole

[BingoLittlesUncle]

I'd avoid central Sutton and North Cheam. Carshalton, Cheam Banstead and Belmont are nice. Wallington is nice but IMO not so nice as those 4. Beddington is OK.

[YungMAMA]

Someone said the Town was dying, but I didnt get that sense, there seemed to be a lot of development going on.

[musicinspring1]

Have never posted a photo before so hope this works - screen shot explaining why Times Square made Sutton look a bit drab for 3 years

[BendingSpoons]

Hackbridge has had massive building of new hones. It is already changing the area and it will continue to change for the better I'm sure.

Sutton schools are good. There are a few isolated poor ones but most are good. Like almost everywhere in London there are uninspiring bits (the bottom end of the high street for example) but lots of nice bits.

I went to secondary school near Sutton and have recently returned to the area. I am glad we did. I think a lot of people judge some of the Sutton 'natives' for how they speak and, to a lesser extent, dress. But I believe in most cases this is snobbery/prejudice. My child is at a local school and I get on with the parents. Sutton is not a posh area but it doesn't have the posh pricetag either.

Feel free to PM me if you want any specific info.

[rattusrattus20]

it's ok there, just ok. most of the state secondary schools suffer a lot from the grammar school system, which as usual sinkifies the rest to some extent, pass the 11+ [which in practice always means private prep or at least tuition] & you're sorted, don't & you're not. the comp i know pretty well is 'glenthorne', to the north of sutton, the top sets there are actually very good in terms of results & behaviour, the lower sets, er, maybe not so much.

[badfurday]

I moved from Carshalton beeches two years ago to West Sussex and before that was living in sutton.
Sutton is fine, good transport links, ok shopping and some decent schools. As a previous poster said, one of, if not the safest boroughs in London. I never felt concerned but didn't want to bring my children up there purely because of how close it was to croydon, which is pretty grim, although great shopping!
As others have said, Try and go for Ashtead, Epsom, Banstead, much nicer feel to them. Banstead would be my call, but pricey.

[BendingSpoons]

The high street isn't dying! There's a new H&M, fairly new Sainsburys, new steak restaurant etc. There are new community spaces in the St Nicholas Centre. There are a number of phone repair shops etc but lots of decent shops.

[SoupDragon]

I grew up around Sutton and went to a Sutton Secondary school. I went back recently and the high street was awful. That said, lots of high streets are dying.

There are nice bits and not so nice bits (Like everywhere)

[longearedbat]

I went to school in Sutton, I worked in Sutton and I ended up living there. This was years ago, but I felt that, although there were some good local facilities, it was rather soulless and lacked a sense of community, just a rather sad town full of knackered commuters. I worked shifts at the time and rarely saw a soul during the day, it was like a ghost town in the residential streets. There was a lot of yobbish behaviour around the high street.
The best thing about it was the excellent transport links, with fast trains to London or a quick bus ride to Morden for the tube.
Would your husband find a new position easily?
I moved to the other side of the country a long time ago. I never miss Sutton.

[WestCovina]

I moved from Sutton to the West Sussex. I love the sea and the downs and would miss it for sure if I had to go back, but overall it was an okay place to live. Lived in that area for 25 years - Wallington, Carshalton and Hackbride too. Carshalton Beeches is my favourite and still got good transport links.

[RandomMess]

Do the maths it may be better to take the pay cut and stay put?

[ploopsie]

I'm not sure it's worth moving tbh. Sutton is fine but I would think Hove as more pros.

[ploopsie]

JoJoSM2 is always advocating for Sutton in property threads... sure they’ll be along shortly.

This made me chuckle, I always assume she has a number of buy to let's there that's she keen to let or she just trying to boost house prices.

[Carolinesmum]

Sutton !!! Omg no way. Try Bromley.
Can be expensive but try round chatterton rd area. Still nice places if u look around &.contact george Proctor estate agents who know the area inside out! Nice schools and lots of green spaces. x

[MidnightMystery]

Caterham or coulsdon are nice.

Sutton, defo not Wellington or beddington the crime around there is crazy. I live near so I'm not being a snob just know you have children and to be honest I'd move to the country or coast if I could! X

[YungMAMA]

Wallington was my favourite house. Is the crime really bad Midnight?

[Pmalexander]

I have lived in Sutton growing up in SM1 post code and went to Greenshaw high school.
Getting into London from Sutton area will take you about 1 hour, you have Morden station, (tube) Sutton, Sutton Common, West Sutton stations (national rail) to get to work.
On your budget of 450k, for a 3 bed house, you will be limited to a certain style house in a particular area.
Im sure you have used Rightmove or Zoopla and seen some houses already in the area
For your budget I would look at Postcode SM3. Lots of Cheam Park Farm properties. bus routes to Morden, takes around 15-20 mins in rush hour to get there.
I currently live in KT48 postcode and love it in Worcester Park / North Cheam. Good transport links to Kingston, Heathrow airport, Sutton, Croydon, Epsom, Morden

I would avoid SM5 post code (St Helier)

Also it depends what type of school you need to primary and or secondary schools.

Good luck, any questions please ask.

[SalemsMumHasGotItGoingOn]

@Pmalexander a fellow Greenshaw student! I bloody loved that school.