To want to move my family to London

[Miralala]

I've been offered a job in Zone 1 (mix of wfh and 5 hour return commute on diff days).

I really want to take the opportunity to live in London now, as live fairly rubbish city I don't like - however we have the 'ideal' life now with great schools, 3 bed semi, leafy suburbs, nice little high street and park 5 mins away.

We can up our house budget so could we keep any of that lifestyle anywhere in London for £700k? Absolute must is a nice secondary as kids are gentle souls and getting to secondary age, and son plays music, chess, etc - would be eaten alive in typical comp. I have no idea whether / where to start looking in London.

Loudestcat14

Teawithsugar40
Living in London is certainly an experience very different to living in the rest of the country. However there is a good reason so many families move out and then find life so refreshing. London is hugely overpopulated with all the problems that go along with that, but yes the diversity, people you’ll meet, possibly being at the cutting edge in terms of work are all amazing but do expect a huge drop in your general standard of living

Why would OP experience a huge drop in her standard of living moving to London?

……. @Loudestcat14

I lived in London for several years and really was blown away by the quality of life when moved away. Just the little things like being able to get a seat on a bus, the quality of housing, it being quite normal for people on minimum wage to live in a 3 double bedroom terrace with a garden and driveway and a beautifully kept street. Being able to get my child into the local primary school only a short walk away, nursery places not having a 2 year waiting list and ample parking for drop offs, just a lack of waiting lists for everything, a 20 minute commute to work with minimal traffic, how much cleaner and less crowded everywhere was, people giving way on busy roundabouts, pedestrians not randomly walking out in front of you or being snapped and fined for stopping and dropping someone off on a yellow line at 3am etc etc etc …. however that isn’t to say London hasn’t got a lot going for it, I loved it as a teenager, went to a comp in a ‘deprived’ area but was great, teachers amazing and inspiring, as were the other pupils who came from such a diverse background and experience that fitting in and bullying was never an issue like it can be in schools in other parts of the country. Despite being a comp the intelligence, social skills, humility and ambition of the pupils far exceeded the much better off pupils I’d schooled with in other parts of the country. Professionally where I later worked was pioneering. Socially met a huge range of amazing people and the friendships formed deep and enduring. There is a lot going for London and moving there as a child or young free and single great but think being older and with a family to care for would notice the differences more

@BlackberrySky lots of crime and under 18s more at risk compared to rural areas. Agree however lots to do, freedom for the kids to get around on their own. Personally I would say best for over 18s on balance but it really depends on lifestyle, area etc.

Bromley would do well in terms of the things you’ve mentioned.

I live in Croydon, the south of the borough is lovely and my kids have a great childhood and lovely friends from a range of backgrounds. Pretty decent schools and lots of opportunities. Good community spirit and 30/45 minute commute into London. Look at Purley, coulsdon, whyteleafe, warlingham etc

Look at the end of the Met Line. Hour into Zone 1 but at Underground prices. Or you can get a train and be there in 30 mins. The schools are predominantly Outstanding too. House prices mean you can buy a house rather than a flat.

@Teawithsugar40

Loudestcat14

Teawithsugar40
Living in London is certainly an experience very different to living in the rest of the country. However there is a good reason so many families move out and then find life so refreshing. London is hugely overpopulated with all the problems that go along with that, but yes the diversity, people you’ll meet, possibly being at the cutting edge in terms of work are all amazing but do expect a huge drop in your general standard of living

Why would OP experience a huge drop in her standard of living moving to London?

……. @Loudestcat14

I lived in London for several years and really was blown away by the quality of life when moved away. Just the little things like being able to get a seat on a bus, the quality of housing, it being quite normal for people on minimum wage to live in a 3 double bedroom terrace with a garden and driveway and a beautifully kept street. Being able to get my child into the local primary school only a short walk away, nursery places not having a 2 year waiting list and ample parking for drop offs, just a lack of waiting lists for everything, a 20 minute commute to work with minimal traffic, how much cleaner and less crowded everywhere was, people giving way on busy roundabouts, pedestrians not randomly walking out in front of you or being snapped and fined for stopping and dropping someone off on a yellow line at 3am etc etc etc …. however that isn’t to say London hasn’t got a lot going for it, I loved it as a teenager, went to a comp in a ‘deprived’ area but was great, teachers amazing and inspiring, as were the other pupils who came from such a diverse background and experience that fitting in and bullying was never an issue like it can be in schools in other parts of the country. Despite being a comp the intelligence, social skills, humility and ambition of the pupils far exceeded the much better off pupils I’d schooled with in other parts of the country. Professionally where I later worked was pioneering. Socially met a huge range of amazing people and the friendships formed deep and enduring. There is a lot going for London and moving there as a child or young free and single great but think being older and with a family to care for would notice the differences more

I’ve lived in NW london all of my life, worked as a teacher and raised 4 kids here - this is a very good assessment. We have a second home in a market town - I can see attraction of full time living there too, but the slower pace of life and lack of convenience do irritate me, but that’s because I was born and raised in London.

This is far too pessimistic. In SE London, say LB Bromley or Bexley, zone 5, you can still get an adequate 3-bed house for £700k. And there are some truly excellent schools round here, although there are one or two which are not.

A few things to consider- are you currently near a secondary school that you think WILL suit him, or are you thinking of moving anyway to find him the right school?

Do you have a partner whose work needs to be taken into account?

Is there a community of people from your home country in London and is that of interest to you?

There was a whole thread the other day about living in London, I’ll see if I can link to it.

Hate to break it to you, but your budget isn’t nearly big enough to get a house near a good state school. London is dirty, expensive and full of traffic. Why anyone would choose to move there is beyond me. We finally escaped a couple of years ago after both growing up there. Swapped our small terraced house in Tottenham for a detached house with an acre in Kent (and got some change), a stone’s throw from three grammar schools, and have never looked back. DH can commute on high speed line, we are all so much healthier and happier, and I no longer need my inhaler.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4436253-To-ask-how-you-afford-to-live-in-London

This might be helpful.

As a teenager who lived in zone 6 I can absolutely guarantee you that your children will drink and do just as many drugs as they would further into the city. Zone 6 is absolutely riddled with places that mushrooms grow!

There are some London Boroughs where you'll find a nice 3 bed semi within that budget.

You're unlikely to find a local comprehensive school in London that wouldn't be considered daunting for a quiet/shy /sensitive child. Schools are bulging, filled to capacity. My kids go to a school that has just been extended to allow for an extra 600 children. This is happening everywhere. Maybe consider going a little further out, and commute in to Central London when you need to be in the office.

I lived in South London, Peckham, then Catford and finally out to the Medway towns, Chatham, Gillingham and Rochester before moving abroad.
With your budget, you need to look further afield than Zone 1, perhaps registering with the larger estate agents in the North, West, South and East to get an overview.
Tell them your needs as far as house type and schools, let them do the work!

@Cosmos123

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/116511161#/?channel=RES_BUY

Hayes is very popular for the outstanding school.
Great area and 700k budget will make it affordable.

Hayes. Never.

Wilson’s boys school in Wallington might suit your son.

Houses in Purley are affordable - about 20 minutes to London Bridge or Waterloo.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/118134020#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/117411839#/?channel=RES_BUY

@LaDamaDeElche where did you move to?

I too think OP you can't get into a decent comp catchment in London at that price range - not even in outer boroughs. But same issue in home counties. Also I find the further you go from London the more polarised/variable tertiary schooling is - get pockets of great schools or grammars- and lots of comps that fare worse than London standards (academically anyway). It's a sad system, UK state schooling and how entwined with house prices

*secondary not tertiary

@Teawithsugar40

Just to add some balance. We live in zone 3, commute to Holborn would be approx 30 mins. Our house was more than 700k but there are family properties in that range near us.

I lived in London for several years and really was blown away by the quality of life when moved away. Just the little things like being able to get a seat on a bus

I rarely have to stand on any bus in my local area. They are so frequent that if one is full it’s less than 5 mins to the next one. One of my pet hates outside London is the big gaps between buses. We also live on a train line, not a tube, with very spacious trains to central London, all brand new rolling stock introduced 2 years ago, with loads of space. Can get a bit crowded at rush hour but I’ve never had to stand for more than 2 or 3 stops.

Being able to get my child into the local primary school only a short walk away
We are in catchment for 3 ofsted good schools, furthest away is 8 mins’ walk.

nursery places not having a 2 year waiting list
Ours had no waiting list. Local ones round here are often undersubscribed.

ample parking for drop offs
Nursery 2 mins walk away, never needed to drive there.

just a lack of waiting lists for everything
What were you waiting for? I genuinely can’t think of anything I have had to go on a list for.

20 minute commute to work with minimal traffic
My commute is 20 mins door to door on public transport (see above)

how much cleaner and less crowded everywhere was
I’ll give you this . Though there are some immaculate parks near us.
pedestrians not randomly walking out in front of you or being snapped and fined for stopping and dropping someone off on a yellow line at 3am etc etc etc

I do drive. You’re right that London driving is more aggressive, but I don’t find London pedestrians any more stupid than ones elsewhere in the U.K.! I’ve never had a parking ticket or fine for a traffic violation and it’s legal to stop on a double yellow to drop someone off anyway.

I’m not saying your experience is not true, but, fortunately, it is not universally the same experience for everyone living in London.

Basic 3 bed terrace in Berkhamsted and there are decent stare schools. But obvs its not a city, 30 mins train to Euston. I’m in the tiniest ever 2 bed in W1 (under 500se ft) and thats £750k.

Wilson’s

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/best-uk-schools-guide-state-secondary-school-of-the-year-wilson-s-school-wallington-b8s6br30p

If you're working in Holborn then I would go out west on the central line. Some outstanding schools in Ruislip area and you can also access the grammars in Slough and Watford fairly easily.

London is not what it used to be - Lived here having moved from Ireland at 18, then went to Spain at 39 as had got tired of it then, moved back in Dec 2019 - very big mistake. The London I had left was dead and buried in my opinion but price of property had shot up. People now trying to move out, me included, as no longer a safe place to live even in some of the suburbs. Your gentle souls will not meet a like kind - kids are hard here - no love in their eyes anymore, more a come on then what you got attitude. Unless you can afford to send them to private school then it won't work and even then they have to walk the same streets of other kids hardened by life. Why not stay where you are, find a B&B to say overnight for when you need to come to London (your work should be able to help on that?) and then make a decision. Check out the Staybridge Suites at Stratford International - talk to them as great for long term travellers - you might be able now to get a suite that you can keep as yours for 12 months at a good rate. In any event, would not recommend up-rooting your children (I don't have any and am on my own - now 60) to move to London just now. Keep what you have and check out above - great connections to central London and a high speed train also. Good luck x Not sure how things go here but if you need to talk when happy to do so.

kids are hard here - no love in their eyes anymore, more a come on then what you got attitude. Unless you can afford to send them to private school then it won't work and even then they have to walk the same streets of other kids hardened by life.

Bloody hell, that’s a bit dramatic!

Nyxnak We moved to Spain! Don't have the same probs with getting into school, but the education system here certainly has its faults. Better standard of life in general for kids though.

Haven't read through all the posts. I live 1 hour commute from Liverpool st station (5 minutes drive to station ) Very green area.
I would NEVER consider moving my family to the city. Always put the family first. An hour's commute to live in a lovely green area is far better for your children!