£400k budget, 2-3 hours from London - AIBU to ask where you would live?

[HensInTheSkirtingBoard]

DP and I currently live on the Surrey / London borders and want to move.

We have a budget of approx £400k (although could be stretched a little for the perfect place) and I will need to be in London for work, max once a week, so needs to be commutable within around 2.5 hours on the train.

Minimum 3 beds, good size garden for chickens, bees and veg (yes I know it's a cliche )

No new builds or 'executive' estates (sorry). Quirky is fine.

Would like to be within walking distance of a village at least (don't want to have to get in the car if we run out of milk) and ideally somewhere that has a bit of a 'community' feel - pub, cafe, etc.

No school-age kids so we don't need to worry about catchments.

Where would you move to in our situation?

I agree re York. You would get a reasonable house and a great quality of life.

Derbyshire. Lovely villages within 30 minutes of Derby which is 1.5 hours to London

I was going to suggest honeybourne/South Worcestershire as well. So pretty and the trains are not crowded to London. I’ve lived in Bristol abs had to pay over £100 to stand the whole way to London.

www.primelocation.com/for-sale/details/55668407?search_identifier=115c345b46800a3d40a69280d1103f31
oooh buy this one!!

@Poppiesway1 I completely agree about 2nd homes and the issue with people 'escaping' to their second homes during lockdowns was indeed appalling. That's not what's being proposed here though - I want a place to live in permanently!

@HensInTheSkirtingBoard I realise that but I was agreeing with the other posters who were advising that locals are saddened by the amount of people moving here from London and out pricing the other locals who have lived here all of their lives. Covid has made the bad feelings worse towards them all.

Well, this thread has shown me quite clearly that I'd be unwelcome in those areas so that's one less Londoner to worry about I guess.

If you like Cambridgeshire villages then this is nice. I'm not sure how to link so if someone else could let me know/link it for me. www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=POSTCODE%5E3761406&minBedrooms=0&maxPrice=400000&radius=40.0&index=24&propertyTypes=&mustHave=&dontShow=&furnishTypes=&keywords=

I am very near Colchester in north Essex. There are some beautiful villages. The scenery is stunning and Suffolk is nearby with villages like Lavenham.
Bury St Edmunds is just stunning too but not as easy to commute from.

Not sure why someone describes it as deprived. Or why some say outsiders aren't welcome. Not my experience at all. Come on up! 😁

Oh and a lot of people across the Cambridgeshire villages are incomers due to there being do much scientific research facilities. I think everyone I have spoken to (due to the nature of my last job) felt welcome.

Eek managed to put the wrong link. Will try and find it again 🤦

Coggeshall and Kelveden are lovely and very easy to commute

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/95243591

Northamptonshire! You’d get a lovely place for 400k

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/81816844#/

I'd like this one just for the size of the garden

Yh like a pp I was going to say Derbyshire.

Belper, Asbourne, Wirksworth, Duffield, all villages/small towns with 30 mins or less of Derby station, two hours to London. Lots of things for 400k. Or a nice bit of Derby.

Or Staffs - Lichfield is nice and really quick to Euston. Not sure re property prices tho.

Lol at that Kessingland house, that's where my dad was from, wouldn't want to live there! Aprils to those who do. Ditto Spalding and Boston, that's where I'm from and I would never go back.

This is near us and looks lovely: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-76533123.html

We're relative newcomers to this area. Considering most of the year has been spent under covid restrictions we've still been welcomed by neighbours and others we see regularly.

I grew up in Suffolk and there is resentment about second home owners, especially on the coast, but I've not witnessed it directed at those who want to make a permanent home and be part of the community. That's not to say it doesn't happen, but there are complete arses in every area, sadly, so don't be too swayed by that argument and miss the chance to live somewhere lovely.

Good luck in your search!

I second Stroud in Gloucestershire. Stunning countryside and a vibrant community - lots of independent shops, pubs etc. House prices are reasonable compared to other areas of the Cotswolds.

Easy commute by train. We love it there

Good luck with your house search OP

Lichfield. You can be in Euston in an hour and 10 if the fast train is on but the stopping train takes just under 2 hours normally. There's lovely villages just outside and you'd get something quite nice for £400K

Nottinghamshire. We have friends that live in a lovely village outside of Newark. You’d get a nice house there. Trains run from Newark to London.

Sheffield, 2 hrs to St Pancras and lots of lovely villages / suburbs things about. The great benefit of fantastic countryside and outside pursuits within 1/2 hour of the city centre and reasonable shopping and city pursuits too.

I'd look just over the Welsh border near Chepstow, or in the less cool areas of Kent / Sussex / Somerset.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/77144245#/

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/100759214#/

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/83191699#/

I live in a village outside of Colchester. There are beautiful areas all around us. Chappel. Sudbury. Boxted. Lots of people move from London and South Essex, I think we're pretty welcoming 🙂

I almost don’t want to recommend it because I want to keep it a lovely secret but Shrewsbury especially or Shropshire in general. Two and a half hours to London on the train and that’ll be cut shorter at some point.

It’s a beautiful small town with a theatre, lots of independent shops, lovely cafes and restaurants and heaps of beautiful historic buildings. Surrounded by incredible countryside in every direction.

This is just a random quick offering from rightmove -

54 Shelton Road, Shrewsbury SY3 8SP
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-94366142.html

Villages around a Market Harborough such as:
Foxton
Kibworth Beauchamp
Kibworth Harcourt

I live in a naice village/town near Colchester. We are very welcoming this way and only just over an hour from London on the train. Come on up OP, we'll pop the kettle on...