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Original poster

What type of house can you get for £350kish within commutable reach of London

52 replies

dejags · 08/02/2006 20:36

A friend and family are moving to the UK. Her DH is working in London - they will have about £250k to spend on a house and hope to bolster this with another £100k.

She was asking me today what that would get her - as I haven't lived in the UK for a while I said I'd ask on here?

Must be no more than an hour on the train each way and must have good schools - she has junior school age kids. She has no preference of area.

OP posts:
starlover · 08/02/2006 20:38

oooh you could get a nice house in crawley for that!

it'd be just under an hour to commute to London from here... and they'd be able to get something like........

these

starlover · 08/02/2006 20:40

that didn't work, sorry...

this?

or this?

or even this!

Original poster
dejags · 08/02/2006 20:42

gosh there are some nice ones there - I'll send her the link. I am ashamed to admit that I have never been to Crawley, what's it like?

OP posts:
starlover · 08/02/2006 20:47

well.... like anywhere really, there are some parts that aren't great, but some of it is quite nice.
It has got a reputation for being a bit chavvy.... but as you can see from the properties around it isn't all like that.
shops are good, and the town centre is kind of being regenerated and improved which is MUCH needed.

they could go up into Surrey for a slightly posher area (for want of a better word), wouldn't get quite as much for their money, but they'd certainly get something very reasonable!

Oh Crawley is on the A23... so straight up to London too. obv has train stations too

Original poster
dejags · 08/02/2006 20:49

thanks Starlover, great website - I'll give her the link.

She is also wondering if they are going to have trouble securing a mortgage - her DH will be employed and as mentioned they will have about £250k to put down as a deposit - I thought it wouldn't be a prob. What do you think?

OP posts:
FrayedKnot · 08/02/2006 20:52

Kent? We've just moved to Maidstone.

The commute would be an hour into Victoria / London Bridge.

You can get a 4 bed detached for £350 in a nice area, with good schools. Grammar schools too, in this area, if that appeals.

Blossomhill · 08/02/2006 20:53

Carshalton is less than an hour from London, probably about 20 minutes from Carshalton train station.
Schools are very good.

This one here

cutekids · 08/02/2006 20:53

If she moved to Wales, she could buy a mansion for that!

Original poster
dejags · 08/02/2006 20:54

thanks Frayedknot - any areas in particular?

Before we left we were in Orpington and before that Bromley. Bromley is lovely but very pricey and I don't know much about the schools.

I think Sevenoaks is quite nice but also pricey.

OP posts:
Original poster
dejags · 08/02/2006 20:55

Blossomhill - Carshalton is in Surrey if my memory serves me correctly?

OP posts:
Original poster
dejags · 08/02/2006 20:55

Unfortunately her DH is working in London so it's that or nothing...

OP posts:
Blossomhill · 08/02/2006 21:01

dejags - yes it is

bangersandmash · 08/02/2006 21:03

could try bedfordshire - or even northamptonshire - both commutable by train in 1hr or less.

iota · 08/02/2006 21:16

Milton Keynes -- 45 minutes to Euston

lahdeedah · 08/02/2006 21:41

There are some good schools in Bromley - we will be moving there this year. You could get a big 3 bed house there for £350K (wish we had that much to spend!), near one of the train stations and the shops.

Shouldn't think they will have any problems getting a £100K mortgage - lenders will usually offer up to 5 times your salary.

LeahE · 08/02/2006 21:52

St Albans area? I have a friend who lives in Smallford which is very nice.

Around there you could get

this

or this

or similar.

newgirl · 08/02/2006 22:01

I was going to say St Albans too. Friend could get 3/4 bed house for that - train takes 25 mins to Kings x. Good schools and very friendly family town.

nulnulcat · 08/02/2006 22:15

can get a really nice house in watford for that in london in half hour and also on met line but thats slow! schools ok too and great shops

jenkel · 08/02/2006 23:21

Hertfordshire again, I'm in a village in North Hertfordshire and you could probably get a 4 bedroom house in a nice area for £350k. DH works in London and he has 1/2 hour train journey to Kings Cross.

misdee · 08/02/2006 23:22

definatly hertforshire. am in welwyn, 20mins on fast train to kings x.

pupuce · 08/02/2006 23:33

Dejags- you get nothing for £350 in Sevenoaks... Tonbridge maybe...

fisil · 09/02/2006 06:59

Where we live (SW20) we have a 5 bedroom house in a nice (well, suburban middle class, but certainly quiet!) area with 6 trains an hour off peak (20 minutes to Waterloo)

fisil · 09/02/2006 07:00

Sorry, forgot to add the most important bit - houses round here going for £300 - £390 at the mo

MaryBS · 09/02/2006 12:32

Peterborough is only 45 minutes on the train and you could get a FABULOUS 4/5 bed det house in a nice area for that!

Issymum · 09/02/2006 12:39

When choosing where to live, they should have a think about the exact location of the job - London's a big place! If he is going to commute by train into one of the mainline stations, he'll want at the most a long walk/short tube or bus ride to his office. So, St Albans is great, but a nightmare if you're working in Canary Wharf. I live in Guildford, commute into Waterloo and then walk to Soho. But my commute would be much worse if I worked in East or North London.