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Original poster

advice on moving to North London / Hertfordshire

113 replies

imaginaryfriend · 31/07/2006 09:53

Dp's got a new job so we have to move from S London to N London / Hertfordshire. We don't have a big budget at all, will be looking for rented places and only have one dd who's due to start Reception next year. Any ideas of somewhere nice with a good primary school but not too pricey? Dp fancies Barnet but I think it might be slightly beyond us ...

TIA!

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mrratty · 31/07/2006 10:43

We moved form London to Welwyn Garden City. It's only 25 mins into Kings Cross and the rental properties are rasonable £700/800 for 3 bedrooms. Our daughter goes to Applecroft School which is a really good one, another good one is Temple Wood.
Fell free to ask more!

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 31/07/2006 10:46

Thanks, that is one of the places on our list. We'll definitely check it out.

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mrratty · 31/07/2006 10:54

If you do look at Welwyn Garden City the best schools are on the West side - if you ask any estate agent they will know what you mean. The only school I would really avoid is Peartree all the others are fine to really good.

Lio · 31/07/2006 10:58

We moved from Barnet to Stevenage because of money and maybe you will consider it if WGC is too pricey. It's not as nice but there are things to recommend it, like loads of cycle lanes, a great park (Fairlands Valley Park) and value for money in terms of no. of bedrooms/garden, espesh compared with Barnet. ds is only 2.10 so not done much homework into schools, but I know that the people we rented off when we first moved here (we have now bought) were v v happy with St Nicholas Primary.

misdee · 31/07/2006 11:01

wgc, is lovely. i also live here. my dd goes to one of the best schools on the east side (i lived in hope of apple croft, but am not properly placed for there), she goes to Holwell school, i waited over a year for her year 1 place. another good school if you move to west side and can face a little journey is green lanes primary in hatfield garden village.

if looking at renting avoid knella road, salisbury road, the wade.

mrratty · 31/07/2006 11:12

Misdee - hello, whats wrong with those roads. I oly really know the very imediate area around me!

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 31/07/2006 11:16

Oh, thanks so much. I just did some googling on Wellwyn Garden City - that school Templewood looks pretty amazing but I guess you have to be in a very well-heeled area of Welwyn to get in there!

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Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 31/07/2006 11:17

Stevenage - where is that exactly? My North London geography is rubbish.

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Lio · 31/07/2006 11:26

Stevenage = Junction 7 of A1, not far from WGC and Hitchin (Hitchin is also v nice but getting expensive too).

southeastastra · 31/07/2006 11:28

barnet is really nice!

donnie · 31/07/2006 11:28

come to Barnet! it's fab and the primary schools are all pretty good.

misdee · 31/07/2006 11:30

knella is a notorisly bad area, salisbury road joins onto knella, but the ludwick way end is ok. The Wade, well the Hurts live there and all the boys are thugs. they have their little gang there intimidating other families. its very bad there.

Lio · 31/07/2006 11:32

It's all true about Barnet, it's lovely and has two good bakeries and a nice park and you always get a seat on the tube and it has a Waitrose and a good market and Tchibo and good charity shops and loads of green space around it.

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 31/07/2006 12:36

Dp's very keen on Barnet. Any good or bad bits to look out for? Any especially nice schools? And finally, the dreaded question, is it VERY expensive?

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southeastastra · 31/07/2006 12:50

barnet is very sprawling, there are probably lots of price ranges, i live quite near, you need lio again!

mrratty · 31/07/2006 13:21

In Barnet there is a scholl called Ravenscrft - avoid the estate near it, can't remeber what it is called but even the buses don't go there after dark!
The area around foulds school is noce and so is the area around Lyonsdown Road. You are probably looking at £750 for a 2 bed flat!

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 31/07/2006 14:40

Yes, I googled it, the prices are very high. Two bedrooms is pretty cramped for us as dp and I both work from home a lot so ideally we'd have a 3rd bedroom as an office. I'm quite keen to get out of London and more into Hertfordshire but dp is the opposite and he worries about the cost of commuting.

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mrratty · 31/07/2006 14:44

DP pays £100 for a monthly ticket from WGC to Kings Cross, if you buy the travel card element I think it takes it to about £180.

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 31/07/2006 15:13

My dp wouldn't have to commute every day, probably about 2-3 times a week, and I guess he could travel off-peak some of those times. Would that make a difference?

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cyan · 31/07/2006 16:23

we come under harrow and it's not bad some good schools in the area, it's not too far from barnet as well! how about watford? that's a bit cheaper than north london and there are some good schools and quite alot going on in the area.

granarybeck · 31/07/2006 16:29

Hi imaginaryfriend. We are currently looking at the same move but from the north (so our budget seems even smaller). I have been given some great advice on this thread here and on here . Will follow this thread too to see what others suggest.

SpaceCadet · 31/07/2006 16:30

st albans is v nice, but i beleive quite pricey these days.

cyan · 31/07/2006 16:32

we were in st albans this afternoon and it really is lovely. the park we went to is gorgeous.

granarybeck · 31/07/2006 16:35

mrratty, that seams a lot cheaper than the season tickets I have been trying to find the price of for either thames link lines, do you know what kind it is?

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 31/07/2006 16:36

I love St. Albans but fear it would be out of our price range ...

Hi Granarybeck I'll check out your links. When are you planning on moving? We're hoping for November-ish.

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