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Original poster

Help - where to live in Surrey ??

46 replies

JoGehani · 08/05/2012 21:35

Hi all,

A bit about me... new to mumsnet and expecting my first in September!! :o
Me and DH both work in Canary Wharf and live very close to work. But now with a baby on the way, we would like to move away - somewhere with great schools.

We have been looking into Surrey, but very confused about where in Surrey :(
We cannot be very far away as we are used to a very short commute to work (20 mins!!) and a drastic change would be a shock to our system... Anything that gets us into London Bridge or Waterloo in 30 mins or less would be perfect...

What are your thoughts on Cheam, Surbiton and Twickenham??
I have read some good reviews on mumsnet about schools in Surbiton, but when we went for a drive around Surbiton we didn?t really like any of the areas... So where do you live if you want to send your kids to Surbiton schools...
I?m open to both private and state schools...
Also, we would be looking to rent at first and then buy sometime next year once we're sure of the area... we would be looking to rent (and eventually buy) a 3 bed house...

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me :)

Cheers,
Jo.

OP posts:
captainmummy · 08/05/2012 21:53

Used to live near Cheam (worcester park)and it is lovely - parks, good schools (private, iirc) and a nice feel.

Worcester park station gets you into waterloo, but it's really expensive there now, and more than 30 mins on mainline, then tube to Canary Wharf.

When we were moving outside the M25, we drove down the trainline for london bridge, and stopped anywhere we liked the look of. We eventually picked a town near gatwick, as it has fantastic transport links (trains to vic or London Bridge) planes (obv) and good roads too. Not great for schools (they're ok but not great) but the town has swimming pool, library, churches,parks...

titchy · 08/05/2012 21:55

Budget? Esher, Thames ditton , claygate? If you're both commuting to c wharf why not look east? What sort of area are you looking for?

mumat39 · 08/05/2012 22:07

I used to live in Surbiton and still love the area. Personally I prefer the river side of the railway line. There are lovely roads and houses on both sides but I prefer being in walking distance to the river and the walk into Kingston which is great for shopping.

Schools wise it would be worth speaking with some Estate agents and looking at a few places to get a better feel for the area. Maple Infants is supposed to be good, but has a small catchment so I think local knowledge that estate agents have would be helpful. There are other schools but as catchment will be a factor for state schools it's worth getting some advice.

There's also a new school, limetree, which will open in Sept 2012 but I don't know too much about this.

DP gets the train to Waterloo everyday and works in Canary Wharf. His journey time is just under an hour. The trains to Waterloo take about 20 mins.

Esher, Thames Ditton, Claygate are all really lovely but have fewer trains per hour.

With a September born baby, you won't be needing a full time school place until September 2017 (I think??) so you've got alot of time to get a feel for whichever area to decide on and if Indie schools are an option then of course you don't need to worry about catchment areas.

hope this helps and good luck with the baby and the move :)

Mrssamcam · 09/05/2012 12:13

If you want academic school then the Tiffin Schools are always high up the list.
Other private schools include Reads near Esher. Guildford has good schools- Royal Grammar- and there are other private schools nearby for girls. St Caths Bramley is v good.

Wht not read the Good Schools GUide and see what jumps out?

Oblomov · 09/05/2012 13:23

You need to give us some more info. Sorry to be crude, but basically, money wise. I think your 30 minute commute ideal is quite unrealistic here. Twickenham is 25 minutes, I think, but thats to Waterloo. Weybridge is to Waterloo aswell. Most places are. Weybridge is fine, if you've got £850k hanging around !!
Tell us more about what you would like and we will try and be more helpful.

Whoopydofoxpoo · 09/05/2012 13:43

I wouldn't make your decision based on schools at the moment especially secondary education - things can change a great deal over 10 yrs .

The majority of primary schools in Surrey are good - plenty of private options for secondary but they will still have to sit exam.

You can get fast train from Esher or Surbition to get you into Waterloo 30mins I suppose getting over to Canary Wharf would take as long again.

If you are expecting in Sept and intend to go back to work then have a look at your child care options in the area - good day care nurseries will have a waiting list so suggest if you intend to go down that line you concentrate on that aswell as schools if you must.

cece · 09/05/2012 13:58

DH commutes to Newham from Woking everyday. It is 28 mins to Waterloo from Woking Station.

ameliagrey · 09/05/2012 14:13

Agree that you need to give more info. Most commuter towns are 30 mins from London- I used to do the Claygate run to Waterloo, but also lived in Guildford and near Dorking. Didn't work in city though for all of those.

You need to think about house budgets, whether you are going to always work, if you want a village or a town, a good community of other mums etc-lots and lots of other stuff as well as schools.

There are probably very few bad schools in Surrey - compared to rest of UK!

A firm idea of what you want- private or state - would also help.

Oblomov · 09/05/2012 16:36

My point exactly. Its not just getting to Waterloo, its the Waterloo to Canary. 30 minutes? Dream on. Double it, for starters!!
Plus, agree with foxpoo, one of yourt first considerations is to get a nursery. I have had ds2 down for ALL local private and state nursery's for the last year, no joy. They all said they had a waiting list of 1.5 years!! No nursery places in Leatherherad , where I worked, but when I was looking at a job in Guildford, I found everywhere had places. You may need to consider this, and get your name on a list !!

Original poster
JoGehani · 09/05/2012 18:38

Thanks all :)
I should have been more specific about my commute expectations ... I want to get into Waterloo/London Bridge in 30 mins or less and I realise that getting to CW will add further 15-20 mins to my journey...
So I'm looking for a total journey of under an hour...

As for budget... ideally I would like to cap it at 400K for a nice 3 bed house, but prepared to go upto 450K if required...

I'll start looking into nurseries - any ones in specific that you would recommend?
Also, how's the childminders service in Surrey...?

Right now I cannot decide between private and state... I can afford private, but don't want to shell out the extra cash if there is a state option available which is as good as the private one...

Hope the added info helps :)

OP posts:
titchy · 09/05/2012 18:48

Waterloo to canary wharf in 20 mins - you're having a laugh - try 40!

Your budget isn't going to go that far either tbh.

Original poster
JoGehani · 09/05/2012 19:08

I think 40 mins is stretching it a bit too much !! Half my team takes the tube from Waterloo to CW and thats where I've got my estimate of 15-20 mins ...
Anyways... I'm more concerned about the time taken for the 1st leg of my journey - i.e. getting to Waterloo or London Bridge...

OP posts:
Whoopydofoxpoo · 09/05/2012 19:23

Sorry to say but I don't think your budget is enough.

Original poster
JoGehani · 09/05/2012 19:31

foxpoo: would that apply to most regions in Surrey or just the places I've mentioned.. i.e. Cheam, Surbiton ?

OP posts:
silverfrog · 09/05/2012 19:33

try looking at the Oxted/Hurst Green area.

there are some houses about for that budget, but not many. schools are good, and it's 30 mins to London Bridge.

Whoopydofoxpoo · 09/05/2012 19:37

Most areas in Surrey I would say that is close to mainline station to get you into Waterloo . If you want a 'nice' area with good schools then 450 will not get very much.

Take a look at Yourmove.co.uk.

IShallWearMidnight · 09/05/2012 19:45

agree with Silverfrog - your budget will get you a 3 bed in the east of Surrey, but doubtful over on the other side of the county.

lisaneedsarest · 09/05/2012 19:50

We've just moved from cheam, it's lovely there and you may just get a 3 bed for your budget (avoid north cheam though as its cheaper for a reason). There are some very nice schools there too. You might also want to consider Epsom, ewell (east or village, steer clear of west ewell) and stoneleigh all have nice schools and would be within budget and commuter distance - I know some very nice childminders too!!!

For a 3bed rental in these areas you would be looking to spend approx £1500 pcm

I commuted from ewell west station to canary wharf - it was an hour generally.

I agree with other posters your budget won't et you much in surbiton, claygate, esher or the likes.

Good luck in your search

Skimty · 09/05/2012 19:51

If you're interested in Surbiton you could do worse than speak to Matthew James who are Surbiton specialist estate agents. On the right train you can so Surbiton to Waterloo in 18 minutes. The primary schools around here do all have very tight catchment areas but the new one may ease that. You could have a look at Berrylands. We have just sold out ex local authority 3 bed with extra loft room 20 mins walk away from the station for £455, 000 and it was the cheapest one on the market at the time. Can you up your budget?

AlexandraMary · 09/05/2012 19:52

Why Surrey? You might get more for your money and a shorter commute coming from elsewhere.

Original poster
JoGehani · 09/05/2012 20:10

Picked Surrey for it's schools :)

OP posts:
Whoopydofoxpoo · 09/05/2012 20:26

There is increasing pressure on schools in Surrey - as with most of the country.

You may choose a house in a 'catchment' area but when it comes 5 yrs down the line or 10yrs you may find that you are no longer in that catchment area or admission policy has changed.

If you are going to go private - (check out the fees first) - them you could live anywhere.

mummytime · 09/05/2012 20:42

Okay most areas you mentioned aren't in Surrey but London Boroughs. I also agree you can get Waterloo to Canary Wharf a lot faster than some people think, DH used to.
You really need to decide if you want private or State. For example in Guildford, if you can afford private school, then you can afford more on a house than your budget ( do look at secondary fees), and live in a nice area with a nice house, maybe even convenient for the station and send your kids to a good state school. Or you can live somewhere cheaper, less convenient and send your kids private.
If you are going private I would probably look at Essex where you can get far more for your money.

RandomMess · 09/05/2012 20:42

Shortage of reception places that sort of part of Surrey at the moment.

More money would be better.

Fast train from Woking?