Brighton area

[Joelijane]

We are currently thinking of our next move. Living in a 2 bed flat in Upper Norwood we need more space for our 2 boys, 4 yrs and 20months. Given how expensive property is we know we have to move out of London to get what we want, 3 bedroom house, garden near good schools. Our budget is limited between 325-400k depending on my work increasing which I'm working towards! We are keen to start researching different areas and I'm starting with brighton and surrounding area. Does anyone have any knowledge or tips on specific areas that might fit what we want? It's quite overwhelming but keen to start the ball rolling. Thank you

What sort of thing do you enjoy doing in spare time? Is being in the city important to you? You’d get a nicer house in a surrounding village than brighton...

It really depends what you want. Loads of great country villages or coastal towns.

We like using parks, going to the beach, swimming. I like a community feel, really felt the importance of having a good social network for the kids so to meet like minded parents would be great. Sometime socialising, nice pub maybe. My dp likes golf too should! should add we would need to be commutable to London but not everyday maybe 3 times a week. Also dp drives and I'm due to start learning once lockdown is over xx

£400 k won’t go far in the nice bits of Brighton.
Depending on what you are looking for look either to the east or west if Brighton.. £400k would get in a nice three bed in west Worthing. Close to the beach and good primary schools.

Telscombe Cliffs/Saltdean/Rottingdean will be affordable. As would Worthing.
Seaford and Lewes are nice but expensive.
Do you need primary school or secondary?

Avoid moulscombe and white hawk like the plague. The schools in Newhaven and peacehaven are ok but ... it wouldn’t be my area of choice in respect of the social demographics and the secondary’s are a bit “survival of the fittest”...

Would be up for looking into both coastal towns and villages just to help us get a sense of what would suit, feels right and affordable x

I just suggested Eastbourne on another thread. Lots of lovely little villages a few miles out from there but you probably would need to drive (I can't otherwise I'd be over that way in a shot) as public transport isn't great (compared to Brighton) and things tend to be a bit spread out

Based on your interests, seaford might be a good vibe, two golf clubs, clean beach, good primary schools and the seven sisters country park on the doorstep.

Both primary and secondary schools are important. Oldest starting in sept x

@Proudboomer

£400 k won’t go far in the nice bits of Brighton. Depending on what you are looking for look either to the east or west if Brighton.. £400k would get in a nice three bed in west Worthing. Close to the beach and good primary schools.

Yep- this is true I’m afraid to say. Brighton is outrageously expensive. You could look at patcham, southwick etc but agree stay well away from Whitehawk and moulscoombe

Brighton is very expensive at the moment for nice areas with good secondary schools. Saltdean is nice but secondary schools are a gamble.

If you need commuting to London that also adds a premium. Have you considered Horsham? Worthing also more affordable. Maybe hurstpierpoint or hassocks?

Preston Park?
Hove?

I'm not sure how far £400k would go though. Haven't lived there for a long time.

I love Brighton but not sure I would want to bring a family up there. Great if you are young, free and single but there is a lot of drugs, clubs, etc.

Preston Park?
Hove?

These areas are phenomenally expensive - you could easily pay 800,000 + for a 4 bed home

West Worthing playgroup on the beach opposite marine gardens, golf club nearby, yacht club on the seafront at goring, leisure centre and a David Lloyd close by. New swimming pool on Worthing sea front, good schools and a choice of two colleges. Just over an hour on the train to London.

Thank you so much xx

Rye Close, Saltdean, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-88761199.html

How about Worthing or Goring?

That saltdean property is right on the edge of a housing estate. Nice views but you would need a car or like to walk a lot.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/85178695#/
Needs some updating but it is a lot of house for the money in a popular road.

Why not think of a bit further along the coast towards Chichester. Some lovely coastal villages, decent schools, rail links to London, Brighton, Southampton and Portsmouth. Worthing, Shoreham, Rustington, Littlehampton, Pagham and several others will get you a three bed house for 350k and maybe a four bed semi for 400k.

Would you go to the Essex coast? Know a few people who had similar budgets in SE london but went that direction instead of Brighton.

You could get a 3 bed house in Hollingdean for 400k ...good if you don't drive and you are in with a chance of getting Varndean/Dorothy Stringer as your secondary school.

(The good secondarys I'd say are Varndean, Dorothy Stringer, Cardinal Newman, and Blatchington Mill)

Another vote for Saltdean, absolutely love it here! Great primary school, but the local secondary is awful, and voted awful by OFSTED.

Love that house Proudbloomer

Dp isn't keen on going towards Essex coast though I can see the appeal x