Good (affordable) towns near London?

[UnsureHmm]

Apologies, posting for traffic.

I am looking to move out of London over the next couple of years as I cannot afford to buy in london.

I am also not sure of the surrounding areas as I am from up north originally. Unfortunately, I need to be near London for mine and my partners work.

Which towns/areas are good for families with kids, with good schools etc.

Not Surrey or Kent but Crawley, West Sussex might suit you.

Or Horley, which is in Surrey.

Surrey or Kent with a feasible London commute for a 3 bed for £400,000?

No idea about about schools but you could look at Caterham or Whyteleafe, Epsom, Orpington.

Has Crawley got good schools, I thought it had worst level of overall crime in Sussex as well!

In London parts of Sutton, Croydon, Merton

Maybe Tunbridge Wells?

Abbey Wood is within catchment for all the Bexley grammars (eg. for girls there is Townley, Bexley Grammar, Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar) plus Harris Garrard Academy and Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls have both just been inspected by Ofsted and are Good.

Crawley has some excellent schools. It doesn't have the grammar school system though or any of Sussex really. Somewhere in Surrey or Berkshire is your best bet I think.

Yes this. Medway isn't lovely but compared to Woolwich? It's delightful 😄

@IncessantNameChanger why has woolwich become such a miserable dump of late? It shameful. I don't live there but have family up in Eglinton and it is sad.

Cheaper parts of North Surrey on the SW edge of the Greater London area, might be feasible, say Chessington, Tolworth, New Malden, Raynes Park for flats at least, within budget. Within reach of good schools, including grammar schools, in Kingston and Surbiton.

Further out, at least half an hour on the fast or semi fast train from Waterloo (but check for yourself the journey times), takes you out to county market towns such as Guildford Woking etc. Guildford is a very good regional centre, for housing, shopping, amenities, access to countryside, etc and I'd expect well provided with a good range of schools too.

How about Faversham in Kent? Apparently the non-grammar schools are also fine, it’s a really nice friendly little town, not far to the coast. The fast train tickets are expensive and go into Kings Cross but there are options to Victoria if that was easier for your MIL.

lots of options on Rightmove, have just posted this as an example

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/127046381#/?channel=RES_BUY

It has been like it for decades. Much like Medway. But I feel safer in Medway. I though it was just general lack of money but Woolwich and the like has undergone regeneration in the surrounds. Unlike Medway which has suffered from out of town shopping centres everywhere. I can't think of one decent high street now. Rochester is nice but only due to its history. I do love both really.

Biggin Hill or Keston areas, or further out towards Edenbridge

You need to think about travel costs - once you get out of the London boroughs they will jump up so should be added into the budget.

Woking could be a good option, less than 30 mins to Waterloo and good schools. £400k would get a flat near the station or a small house further away.

Medway would be a reasonable option for you. Have you looked around Chatham area?

And Gravesend

To the west of London, but avoid high Wycombe, it has grammar schools , but it’s a truly horrible place .

North Hampshire? Fleet has excellent school, fast trains into Waterloo and you might be able to get somewhere, or somewhere nearby, for that budget.

There are 3 bed flats and terraces on Rightmove around guildford/godalming - 45 minsish to Waterloo

Toomanysquishmallows

What is wrong with High Wycombe-?

You might find one in Hurst Green/Oxted or Tonbridge/Hildenborough

Toomanysquishmallows
What is your view of Slough?

OP said preferably but seems open to suggestions and is originally from up North. So not unreasonable to give other viable options they may not have considered but that in other's experience would also suit their requirements.

Toomanysquishmallows

Not like the mix of people perhaps?