Please help with moving to Surrey - Reigate, Bainstead or Oxted?!

[jp11g08]

Hello

I would appreciate any advice and recommendation on the help with moving to Surrey area. We currently live in Hampshire and with me getting a new job in East Croydon decided to relocate to Surrey and now seriously considering three places: Reigate, Oxted and Bainstead.

I have a child who is due to start R class and go to school in September 2015, while my partner is working in London so will need easy access to public transport to comutte to work.

We are planning to look at properties this weekend and get this feel of all three areas. However, the criteria we are basing our decision is this:

1. Good schools options (catchment area etc.)
2. Comutte to London and East Croydon (I don't mind using a train or car, but my partner will definitely be using a train)
3. Good community spirit (socialising, things to do, activities, sports, leisure, entertainment, clubs)
4. Family-oriented environment (safe, nice area allowing walks in the wood, parks, green spaces etc.)
5. Events and activities for children
6. Shops access, trendy cafes and restaurants, boutiques
7. Markets during the weekend???

Any advice is welcomed. Thanks!

All 3 would tick most of your boxes except perhaps markets. Not sure the Banstead train goes through EC though. Schools may well be an issue for September. Reigate schools in particular are oversubscribed and housing is most expensive and densely packed there.

Schools have been a big issue in Reigate as too many kids and not enough spaces. They are all nice places with restaurants etc. but for proper shopping you need to travel to Croydon, Crawley, Guildford or Blue Water but can get most things you need locally.

I live reigate way and have found it a great community with little ones. Big enough that there is lots to do but not so big that it is difficult to build relationships as you never see the same people again. (No experience with Banstead or Oxted so cannot compare.)