Where can we live? Needs to be able to go through Clapham Junction! And out of Sutton!

[Jennlx]

Ok, we live in Wallington at the moment which is okayish but rather close to Croydon for my liking (sorry!). My OH works in Wandsworth so gets the train to Clapham Junction and I work nr London Bridge. We currently rent and hope to buy soon, but only can afford about £180kish. We have 2 LO's - 2 y.o. and 3 m.o. Ideally, we want to move around Tunbridge Wells, but commute is terrible for DH and as am currently on maternity leave, don't want him to look for new job until I'm back at work. Our DS is currently at an ok but affordable nursery, and we're realising that where we move next needs to be good for primaries too. Sutton doesn't seem to fit the bill as a) expensive housing (we could only afford a flat there) and could never buy there, b) I hate the high street and c) oversubscribed primaries. Does anyone have an other suggestions that would be ok commute to Clapham Junction? We have also considered Cheam, Epsom, Morden, Coulsdon, Purley; generally the cost of nurseries ruled them out (would love to put them in the nursery I love the most, but not to be...).... Also problematic as there are very little houses to rent due to economic climate so we're a bit stuck.

Guildford? Anywhere on that line, can be quite fast in to Clapham, Guildford itself does also have some direct trains to London Bridge (and if you use London Road station there is a new nursery very close to it).

Not brilliant getting to wandsworth from beckenham and Bromley but not impossible. London bridge easy. Primaries pretty good and most schools ok, those that weren't becoming academies. Housing significantly underpriced for London.

Oooh good ideas! I know, I know - I'm living in dreamland. I've been ruined - we lived in Wimbledon for 6 years pre-kids and now that is a benchmark and nowhere seems to come up to scratch next to it. We live in the very wrong side of Wallington, but am aware that there are some lovely parts - there is just simply not any houses to rent (and really really really don't want to live in a flat - baby crying, toddler temper tantrums etc.). Just frustrating living in Surrey due to OH commute as it is really outside of our affordability, but is obviously very nice so you can't have it all. Working in London, everyone over 22 without kids seems to own nice properties (albeit in Essex, loads cheaper) - annoying! :) Looks like we're at the "cheapest" nursery in the whole of SE England anyway (£1600 for 2, fulltime) so may not be able to move anywhere!

anywhere on the East Grinstead/Uckfield line gets you into LB/Clapham easily - the further out you go, then cheaper it tends to get house-wise. Oxted and surrounds is nice, good schools imo.

Which end of Wandsworth - Town or Common?
Surrey seems more expensive than south London - maybe Epsom?

Haywards Heath and surrounds?
Brighton line goes into Clapham.

Look at Childminders too, my friend who child mind basically runs a mini-nursery. She often has someone else working with her too. It's very different to the child minders I knew as a child.

£180k wont buy anything decent for a family in Morden or Lower Morden.
Avoid St Helier and Mitchum like the plague.

Would you consider a rural move ?

Rents for 3/4 bed semi with mid-size garden here are around £850pm.
Train fares for your OH would increase though.
(this is Hampshire/Berkshire rather than surrey).
If you could branch out a bit try following the Great Western train routes (into Paddington Via Clapham) - loads of market town good primary school areas - local childminder fees are £2.85ph, Village pre-schools £3.25ph - so full 2.5 days free at 3+, posher bits at Montessori £8.50ph etc

Where are you R&T? Sounds good to me

The Great western routes to Paddington are very expensive I think. I didn't know any of them went via clapham junction? (confused). Redhill would be a good option for commuting to London Bridge or Clapham junction and has more reasonably priced property than some of the other places mentioned. Don't know the schools there but I'd imagine there would be some good ones.

Waving from the back-of-beyond !!!

North Hants and West Berks - Newbury, south to Andover/Romsey, west to Basingstoke (outskirts nice, centre not so nice for little ones), east to Winchester.

Out here there is a big divide between town and rural living (not in distance - in price, with these market towns like Winchester being expensive and the many villages around being comparativley cheaper)

Trains - thinking on my feet - Andover to Paddington direct, will have a better check of ones running through Clapham.

My father still lives in Morden and though I don't get back there more than twice a year, (and do still take my kids to the Polka theatre !) overal I think it's got a lot harder for families to afford nice housing and school cathment areas are tiny - here to be honest the village schools never turn anyone away - they just pull up another chair.

Have you worked all the way through the Thameslink line as well?
I know what you mean about prices though. If you know the 'wrong' side of Wallington the new corner development near "H" station want 250k for a 2 bed flat. I nearly pmsl.
Plus side of Sutton though is the good general standard of education.

R&T I'll add your suggestions to my list of right-move checks

auntevil I know what you mean. The prices here never fail to amaze me!

We are have been renting in Wandsworth for the last 5 years. Its been nice living close to the Park with easy access to shopping at Waitross, gym and Southfields Tube station as well as the Clapham Junction for commuting to work.

Sadly we can not afford to buy anything in Wandsworth as such we are forced to look further a field. We have two little ones (5 & 3 years old boys) and good schools are a must.

We have recently viewed a number of houses and flats in Wellington, not far from the high street they range in price from £200-300K (affordable). (Schools are said to be excellent within the area with 3 grammar schools within close proximity.) We saw a lovely 2 bedroom Apartment on Melbourne Road in a gated building. A few minutes walk to the high street and Wallington Train Station.

From our recent visit Wallington area looks okay though does not compare to the more affluent Wandsworth. Important considerations are a safe area, good schools as well as the ability to commute to Clapham Junction and London Victoria within the hour.

Anybody moved to the area like to share their experience?

I would appreciate any thoughts, comments, suggestions for living in /around:
1 Wallington

1. Carshalton
2. Couldson

Many thanks

SS

I am not in the area at all (Dorset) but just to say don't rule out flats completely. Some ground floor ones in old buildings may actually be better than a newer terraced house.

money really doesn't go far in property nowadays.

Have you thought about Worcester Park/Motspur Park? Reasonably quick commute to Waterloo via Clapham Junction and some decent primary schools. Not sure if you will find anything for £180K though...