If you had £500k to buy a house near Brighton, where would you choose and why?

[CobOnTheCorn]

DP would like to live in Brighton but I'm not so sure so my compromise is somewhere close by. Say within 10 miles.

I don't know the area that well so we're going to spend next week in Brighton and take a look around a few areas. So, where do you think we should visit?

I would highly recommend that you download it. One of those other houses above has also been dropped in price. You can also see how long the houses have been on the market for, as well as any changes in the listing. I'd say the vendor of that Keymer house is keen to sell as they dropped the price after a month, then changed it again from offers in excess of to asking price.

Pesto we're in Brighton this week but there is no way we can visit every single place that rightmove comes up with, hence asking for recommendations.

I think we're going to have a look at Ditchling tomorrow and stop off at Keymer and Hassocks at the same time.

We'll visit Lewes one day and drive through/stop off in Kingston.

Haywards Heath another day...and perhaps Burgess Hill.

Maybe Hurstpierpoint too.

That's nearly a week already!

Kiss thanks for the brilliant tip. Only have iPad with me and don't think I can download firefox but have it installed on laptop at home.

I could kiss you

Hi Cob,
the industrial estate area is a bit I would not choose; a bit far from station and very much the bit that is succumbing to urban sprawl. Be careful of the bit near Hickstead too.
However I think HH is far more in danger of sprawl, and has a huge downside of a some very narrow access roads leading in to it. The traffic in the mornings is absolutely dreadful, and I speak as someone who used to slog around Hammersmith Broadway daily. Commuting in to HH was far more annoying, I now commute to Brighton and its twice the distance and half the time.
There are a lot of planning applications pending for HH, far more than for BH.
This will clearly be partisan, but the anti B thing is rather irritating when it's in favour of HH which is IMO a very dull town, with more one ways than I have ever seen in my life.
Lindfield is lovely, if slightly twee, but is the country equivalent of Chiswick, with a similar hedge fund demographic, lot of Stepford wives doing train station runs at 6.30, (too far from the station too walk) overpriced delis etc . Great state schools though, but I think you are priced out of it.
If you are Catholic I have heard great things about St Pauls senior school in BH.

Cobby, try & have a beak round Rottingdean, Ovingdean & Saltdean area too. Lots of nice houses with gardens and only a short drive out of Brighton. Great beaches too

Pesto duly added to my list. Sorry to harpwhat it what are schools like in those areas?

Primaries are great.

Secondaries are variable, but manageable

Lindfield

Just had a quick look at Linfield, there are a couple of houses that look interesting...see above.

I struggle with wanting to live somewhere 'nice' and having to rub shoulders with hedge fund types.

No offence to any hedge fund types but we have bleeding hearts.

What do you think of this

I've had my eye on it for a couple of weeks...

Thanks for understanding my crap typing Pesto

Do I need to live on the doorstep of a decent secondary school to get a place?

How about this? Haywards Heath - blank canvas garden!

Oh dear, that is one fugly house (in Haywards Heath).

I think the one you linked to is very close to A272 which is v busy road. Lots of "parts" of houses down that drive so maybe one of those - worth a look though...

True but potential!

Warninglid? But suspect too far out of the way...

not giving up!

mrspink you're on a roll!

I like the first house the best but I'm not keen on houses that have been done up to sell. I'd prefer to spend that much money on something that needed some tlc and gradually create the home I want. Not what someone else has chosen.

The 2nd house is a bit far from a station. If I can persuade DP to stop commuting then I can have the garden of my dreams.

What is Wivelsfield like?

PS I've pm'ed you

could be worth a look

Very central

How about Portslade?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-34746598.html?premiumA=true

has a lovely big garden
less than a mile to the station and not far from easthill park which is lovely
It is between Brighton and Shoreham so not really semi rural though.
Local schools are ok but not outstanding but i have friends in the area who are happy enough with them.

I really like the first house mrspink. We might take a drive down that road to have a nose.

I really like the house in Portslade too cantspel. Especially the garden. One of bedrooms is accessed through another which isn't great but it def ticks a few boxes.