Where to live in Hampshire?

[PrairieDog]

We are currently in USA and moving back to the UK soon. It looks like we might be living in Hampshire (Dh job in Eastleigh). We used to live in Yorkshire and so know NOTHING about this area.

I gather Winchester is lovely but expensive and was wondering what the villages and smaller towns around Eastleigh / Winchester are like?

We'll need to rent first and can take our time to buy but would really like to find a school and stick with it as we have moved around a lot in the last few years. Dcs are primary age but we do need to give some thought to secondary schools too as we don't want to have to move again to be near a decent secondary.

We would love to be able to walk to school / pub / shop etc (have had a few years of driving EVERYWHERE in US) but I realize this may be a romantic ideal because I am pining for the English countryside. We have always lived in or near a city so probably not up for middle of nowhere type village location.

Any hints or suggestions of where to look or where to avoid very gratefully received.

Titchfield has a primary, pubs, good butchers, shops, cafe and feeds into a couple of OK comps in Fareham.

Botley nice as well.

Eastleigh known as beastly Eastleigh.

If you can afford Winchester do it. Great state ed through to 18.

Well, I lived in Eastleigh for many many years until I went overseas with my husbands job.

I still own in Eastleigh, so can give you a good idea.

If you do want Eastleigh, buy Boyatt Wood area. Good Infant, Junior and Senior School within walking distance. You also have the rail links 15 mins walk (if you go over the railway bridge), a good bus service, and an airport down the road. Close to M3 motorway, and the M27.

In town there is a good park for the children that has just been refurbished, and when I was back in September it looked pretty decent.

There is a shopping centre there, with a library and the usual Argos, sports shops, clothes shops etc.

In the High Street you have most of the banks. Barclays/lloyds/Natwest/HSBC/Santander. The High Street also has many of the Estate Agents. Plus the food shops (Tesco & Sainsbury).

There are plenty of pubs and restaurants in Eastleigh town ctr too.

Locally I would say Colden Common is a little more rural, but I cannot comment on the schools there. It is a bit more expensive, property wise, and you would probably need a car to go food shopping etc.

Shawford is lovely but very expensive, same with Twyford.

Chandlersford is nice in areas (much like Eastleigh). I'd say Valley Park, and Hursley are very nice. Chilworth is lovely too. Chilworth is extremely pricey though.

I'd avoid the Eastleigh side of Southampton. Whilst it is cheap, it is cheap for a reason.

Any questions feel free to ask. My parents and grandparents still live in the area so anything I am unsure of I can check.

Have a look at Petersfield, a small market town, about 40 mins commute to Eastleigh.

Will fulfill your romantic notions - can easily walk to pubs, shops, schools, restaurants etc. In the South Downs National Park, beautiful countryside around.

Several excellent 'outstanding' primaries in the area, believe that the local secondaries may be 'outstanding' too (Ofsted).

Within easy striking distance of Guildford, Chichester, Portsmouth, Winch etc for more shopping/nightlife/whatever else you need.

Hope that helps!

There's a fab Indian in Colden Common. What about Bishops Waltham or Wickham?

i live near eastleigh in a village but there ain't much here
beastly eastleigh is about right
winch is lovely great schools shops etc but think london prices for houses
chandlers ford is more suburban - hiltingbury is nice but you would need to spend about £400k+
colden common - small village (few modern bits) not much in way of shops but few nice pubs
think you need to sort out how long you want your dhs commute to be and let that and your budget dictate
there is a bit of everything down here - its really varied

Some great ideas there thanks. There are a couple of nice rentals in Botley which are worth looking at and some in Winchester.

Is Chandlers Ford just part of Eastleigh or a town in its own right? I can't get a feel for it looking at the map. There are some more affordable properties in Chandlers Ford but I don't really want to miss out on the advantages of being rural without the plus of being in a decent-sized town (nice shops and restaurants).

We are thinking that if we can't afford to be in Winchester then a proper village would be better.

Chandlers Ford has it's own shops etc. It's ok, quite leafy & v handy for M3

What about Fair Oak and Otterbourne?

Winchester is gorgeous with lots going on, but not too big a city. I would go there if you can afford it.

What about Stubbington?

Nice village centre, walk to beach, outstanding Infant school and good junior and secondary.

if you are actually moving house to be near work, I would strongly recommend finding somewhere within 20 minutes drive. Depending on weather, time of year and roadworks, roads can get very busy and slow.

I used to have an hour's journey to Basinghole, and it is suicidally horrible every day, and can get much longer, especially in snowy winter, or with summer holiday traffic for the coast.

If there is any chance of having to change job before you retire, look for somewhere with good rail links to London, and also close to the M3.

Southampton area is the large city, Portsmouth is within reach but not as big. Both of them have boats, sailors, and allied trades. If you like sailing (you will find the sea colder and more crowded than you are used to) try to be near the coast - weekend traffic to yottie places will be very heavy, and you pay a large premium for waterside access. Winchester is very attractive and historic.

I wouldn't live in eastliegh. Chandlers Ford is more of a suburb rather than a proper town imo. Has some nice streets to live on , has two state senior schools , Thornden is where everyone wants to get in and house prices show it. Toynbee less good.
If I was you I'd move to Romsey , good state schools , nice sense of community and commutable to eastliegh

My dh works in eastliegh and we live in Ringwood , 25 minute commute , very nice town to live in and great state schools , everywhere walkable and close to new forest.

Mmmmm lots to think about. ggirl Ringwood looks interesting. Someone else told us that if you go west its all really expensive but I'm not sure that's true.

Realistically Winchester looks out of our budget - we currently live in a huge house in a very cheap part of the US and although we'll have to downsize whatever we still want 4 good size bedrooms, garden, big kitchen etc and in Winchester there's nothing anything in our budget (500K) that even comes close.

PigletJohn I agree its all about the commute and 20-30 mins is maximum we want really.

Dh is over for an interview and drive around week after next so there's plenty to be looking at. Househunting from miles away is tricky - what did people do before Rightmove?

nice house in ringwood , on a mainsh road but walkable to schools
another one, they're quite expensive

no train station in ringwood and is in the new forest so traffic an issue

with your budget you could go for colden common or chandlers ford

I had a delivery truck destroyed by a forest fire in Ringwood once.

Just thought I'd mention it.

Thanks I've just been looking at those! Same thing in Winchester is about 2.5k per month.

Are there some nice places to eat / things to do with kids? I think DH needs to have a drive around when he's over.

Romsey looks nice but no rentals around.

Thanks all. Since we'll have to move quick if he gets the job it'll be a case of keeping the commute down under 30 mins plus what's around in terms of nice rental houses.

Sounds like if there's anywhere worth avoiding its the less nice bits of Eastleigh.

loads of things to do with kids
close to beaches and forest
and the usual town amenities
quite a few restaurants/pubs in ringwood but not as cheap to eat out here than in the states
all the usual chains are available in Bournemouth

between eastleigh and winch

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-20409696.html

Hedge End might also be an option, generally quieter on the roads coming to Eastleigh, as opposed to to Hedge End. Maybe Hamble. That is a nice area too, although Hamble is definately quieter, and another place that has little actually in the area. Bursledon?

Eastleigh is not that bad if you pick your area well. I wouldn't rent or buy in the town centre itself or beyond the town ctr towards the airport. That is personal preference though. Everywhere has it's plus and minus points.

Think very carefully about ringwood, new forest etc if you have friends / family elsewhere in the country want to visit and if your husband is likely to need to travelmwith job to anywhere else in the uk. Transport connections not great, traffic getting in and out in summer awful. Commute into Eastleigh also not fab, unless you leave before 7.45 it can be 1 hour.

Would look at stockbridge (lovely place to live), bishops Waltham, Colden common if you want to be near Eastleigh.

Asoka - Stubbington's a bugger for traffic in the morning isn't it? My db lives near Daedalus and it takes him and his wife ages to get to work if driving - him to Portsmouth and her to Southampton.

Botley is OK; my bil and family have lived near there for years and love it.

I lived in Hedge End for 5 years and was very happy there.

Avoid Eastleigh itself, it is beastly.

Chandlers Ford nice as is Bishops Waltham.

I'd say rent until you know the area better.

Second whoever said Petersfield. Can get a ver decent 4 bed house for your budget, and the town is PACKED full of MN-like people (although they all seem to be too busy to MN :( or they're just more subtle than me)

Also some lovely villages around - Hambledon, the Meons, Harting, etc.