Affordable, family-friendly commuting town near London

[giovanabrei]

Hi everyone
I'm new here and I hope I picked the right thread!
I'm moving to England in a couple of months, as my husband got a job in London. We are Brazilians currently living in Japan and we don't really know London except as tourists.
Our idea is to live in a commuting town approximately 1h from central London, where we hope we can rent a 3-bed house with a little more space for the kids. We have a 2yo boy and another bun in the oven.
I'm really worried we could miss out on something critical during our research and end up in a trap for not knowing the city secrets...
I'm also worried about some news about a "London exodus" and prices going through the roof in commuting towns...
Husband will work from home 3 days a week, so commuting costs will be reduced, yet not negligible. Any advice on this? AIBU? :-)

South East London/Kent borders is good for Blackfriars.

You could also look at anywhere on the lines into Waterloo/Waterloo East as Blackfriars is only 10-15 mins walk from Waterloo. Ditto anywhere going into Cannon Street.

For your budget you could look at Ashford in Kent - although if you use the cheap(er) non-high-speed service it is slow.

Other possibilities might be Caterham in Surrey, Tonbridge in Kent, Bracknell in Berkshire (though that is a slow line into Waterloo but for two days a week might be an option) and Aldershot in Hampshire (pick your area for the latter, schools are not great).

Oh another idea: Camberley/Frimley - slow line to London but for two days a week not a problem and you could get the faster train from Farnborough.

I’d be tempted to look at places to rent in London. With so many people moving out due to covid the rental market is awful at the moment. I know several landlords who have lost tenants and when they put the house back on the market they have had to lower the rent by 20-30% to get new tenants.

You might therefore get a better property for your money than in prime commuter areas. And save money on commuting.

If Blackfriars you need to be on the Thameslink - you could look at Swanley, not where I'd want to be - Orpington could be doable but I think there is a change at Bickley.

If it's £1500 a week you have a LOT more options.

By the way... the trains from Sidcup go into Cannon Street but that's just a 10 minute walk to Blackfriars.

Take a look at Rightmove (search for rentals) for towns approx 1 hr train ride from London Blackfriars. That will give to an idea of what size house you get for your budget.

Although Cambridge city centre is expensive, north Cambridge and the villages around there are well served by Cambridge North railway station (and if you catch the London Kings Cross train from there, you have time to get a seat before it picks up more commuters at Cambridge!). 3 beds in the north Cambridge area generally rent for £1200-£1500/month.

@Goslowlysideways

Bromley is in London but on the edge. Good schools and even has its own Brazilian shop.

Yes Beckenham too has a Brazilian butcher. - Boi Gordo.

I had to Google this. Apparently there is a village next to Hatfield called Hatfield Garden village. Found an article about locals being upset about New builds in the area. Live and learn.

Epping is a nice market town in zone 6. Central line to Mile End then the district line to Blackfriars. Lovely forest walks and countryside nearby and very close to the M11. Could probably just about get a decent 3 bed in your price range.

The cost of commuting two days a week is the same as five where I live

commutefrom is a useful website
travelling times, deprivation levels etc

Take a look at stations/areas along the Thameslink line - City Thameslink station is just around the corner from Blackfriars station.

Reading. Full time commuting is about £450 a month (25 minutes to Paddington) and I just looked and there are a couple of 3 bed houses to rent for £900-£1000 a month so definitely doable.

@giovanabrei a week or a month? If it's a month I'd go completely out of London if the commute is only twice a week. Reading or something.

@NeedToGetOuttaHere

Commuting for only two days a week will keep costs down a bit.

Good point. OP should plan just in case that changes though.

Rent as close as you can - a 2 bed flat within 0.5 of a mile is available for £1387 a month - it's on Blackfriars road

You'll have much more fun saving on commuting costs and hanging around the Southbank with your little boy

SE London is probably your best bet - for your budget Greenwich and Charlton are nice, family friendly areas (SE10 and SE3 postcodes respectively). Around 25 minutes to Blackfriars from those stations.

Look along the Thameslink train line.

Meant Charlton SE7

Couthurst Road, London, SE3
www.rightmove.co.uk/property/89835253

Buses from here to Westcombe Park station then Thameslink train.

@poppycat10

Oh another idea: Camberley/Frimley - slow line to London but for two days a week not a problem and you could get the faster train from Farnborough.

Nightmare to get to Blackfriars.

@giovanabrei

Sorry, I'll try to move the question to the proper forum and add the details.

He´s going to work near London Blackfriars.

We are considering a budget of 1,500-1,600 for rent and commuting.

I think you'll be lucky to get a 3 bed in a nice family friendly area for that budget if it includes commuting costs.

I live within 45minutes train ride of London and the fare is £45 a day. So around £350 a month if you were going in 2 days a week.

I'm not sure how much you know about living in the U.K. but you also have council tax to pay (which is kind of a property tax) which where I am is around £200 a month for a 3 bed. So this might also impact your budget.

New Malden, Surbiton, Kingston.

Is the budget £1,500 a week or £1,500 a month, OP?

For south of London, if it's monthly, it'll be tight imo. If weekly, it should be easy!

I must admit, I assumed it was monthly, but if it was weekly you could look at towns like Lewes and Haywards Heath, both on the Thameslink, so direct to Blackfriars. Train fare is around £60 a day, less if your husband can start late enough to get a train that leaves after 9.30.

If it's monthly, you'd probably have to look east, in Kent, where rents tend to be cheaper. Faversham is nice, but I suspect rents will high-ish. The Medway towns (Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester, Strood and one another I can never remember) used to be grim, but I believe they have improved quite a lot.

I think you might do better to consider the outer London suburbs, where travel costs will be lower but in some areas, rents aren't much different from commuter towns a lot further out.

Avoid Croydon though. It's cheap for a reason.

Daventry, Rugby, Northampton, Northamptonshire

I live in Shropshire and I commuted twice a week to Central London for several years. If good connections, just over two hours door to door. It was worth it to live where I do.