3 bed house somewhere NICE to live within 45 mins journey of paddington for 350k?

[Spuddybean]

DP has been offered a job in Paddington for 75k. We currently live between MK and Northampton, so the commute would be too much (DP already commutes to London but the extra journey to Paddington and one day per week to Uxbridge would be a commute to far we feel).

We have a small baby and i don't earn enough to cover childcare so no wage from me.

We thought that on that money (which we consider rock'n'roll wages) we could find somewhere nice (i grew up in chiswick and my friends and family are still there - so as i am now home with the baby - it would be lovely to be near people i know who could support me, rather than isolated in the middle of nowhere like i am now). But the banks will only offer a 300k mortgage with a 50k deposit (which would mean using every penny we have put by and our pensions). Sadly even with that i can't find anything remotely suitable.

DP is not keen on urban living so we would need somewhere more leafy. He is not from London and wont contemplate rough areas (he considers clapham/battersea rough). We wanted chiswick/richmond/wimbledon areas.

I just can't believe that on 75k we are struggling to find somewhere nice to live, which would mean dp didn't spend more than 2 hours travelling.

Oh, and it couldn't be outside London as we couldn't afford fares on top of the mortgage. (mortgage would be £1600 per month)

If anyone has any ideas i would really appreciate it. Ta. :)

Does he currently get a seat on the train?

yes.

You do know that living in a decent part of Washington will be very expensive?

OK, back to Burnham:

Season ticket price £2396 p.a.
This 3-bed detached house 0.8mi from station for £330k - so about 10-15 mins walk or could cycle? - you might get one closer if you keep looking
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-35467496.html

Train at 815 gets to Paddington at 848, train back at 1712 gets to Burnham at 1740.

(I've taken 9-5 quite literally but there seem to be several trains an hour at peak times, some take a few minutes longer)

25 mins to drive to Uxbridge, according to Google.

I think that's a considerable improvement on his current commute, no tube and no interchanges. Maybe ask on the Berkshire and Buckinghamshire local boards for any other recommendations of villages/suburbs?

And that Acton will look like paradise compared to a lot of Washington?!

I'm pretty sure there are some BBC workers living in Acton (close to White City). That's surely got to give a high score for Niceness!

Its like most parts of London - you'll get the nice parts - then walk around a corner and its not so nice. Some parts of Acton are beautiful - then cross Goldhawk Road and in to that part of Acton - not so great - nothing wrong with it - nice park good trnasport links but houses smaller and less leafy than Chiswick Hammersmith end.

Harrow is an easy drive from Uxbridge and an easy commute to Paddington.

If your DP is vetoing everything you need to ask him to find a solution (within budget) that you can then discuss.

Seems like he's just saying no to everything you suggest.

Pinky - we would be in a 3 bed apt in Reston which is just outside central DC and a short walk to his office. It works out the same rent as our mortgage plus the fares he pays now and the company will pay the 1st 3 months.

I agree with you all about Acton - altho having said that, you couldn't pay me enough to live in Shepherds Bush. I just think it's the skankiest area ever and think it's got the emperors new clothes syndrome - No-one wants to be the first to say, hang on a minute this is awful!

But Nigella lives there so it MUST be nice, if you just avoid the people drinking at 9am on the green and the fights outside the aussie pubs and the vomit on the pavement...sorry, rant over.

Thanks for the suggestions - now the baby is snoozing i can have a proper look :)

doctrine - that burnham house looks lovely. i've never heard of burnham, i will do some googling. ta.

Reston is lovely, good friends of ours live there.

Ickenham is rather naice, has a village feel and is walking distance of West Ruislip Station and a short tube to Ickenham. Also in that area is Ruislip etc...

yes we will be in Lake Anne i think. Nice cycle routes and stuff apparently - also only 2 hours drive to nearest skiing which we would love. We have had a chat and decided the US is probably best, we can always come home and try the areas you have all suggested in 2 years (or longer).

Thank you all, you have come up with some lovely areas i had never even considered. My nan lived in Ickenham and it never even crossed my mind!

And that maisonette in Darwin road ealing (Brentford really!) is 2 roads away from a flat i lived in for 3 years when i left Uni.

I am also now in love with that house in Burnham.

Sadly Tyga, i will never consider willesden - i know it too well, but thanks anyway, i really appreciate it.

Bourne End is lovely

Detached for £319,000

oh my cece, that is lovely!

the first one i meant. second one not really my cup of tea but still nice.

Look at Maidenhead with an eye to Crossrail coming on stream - it will really boost the town. this page has predicted journey times from the various stops eg Maidenhead to Paddington 37 mins, Taplow to Paddington 34 mins.

walk to station £275k

4 beds £335k

As others have touched on, don't rule out living outside of London as the significantly cheaper mortgage could outweigh the train fares. Remember that houses are less common in London and you get very little in most areas for under £350k.
Tilehurst and Caversham areas of Reading seem pleasant and are handy for green spaces and have trains into Paddington. And Metropolitan Line stops on the Uxbridge Branch - Eastcote and Ruislip - offer handy access to both Uxbridge and Paddington.
Also Bushey/Oxhey, which have a more villagey feel near Watford, and easy access to the Bakerloo line to Paddington.

Newbury/Thatcham are both full of people who work around Paddington. £350k will get you a lovely 4 bed with a nice garden. There are great schools, great countryside and you can get any where else easily. I really really would look at this area closer it is Mumsnet Naice.
I came here 14 years ago for 2 years and never left.

\link{http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-29075740.html\I suppose West Drayton is out of the question?}

(5 min walk to station on line into Paddington...)

\link{http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-24299253.html\or this one, in one of the actually nice roads?}

still only a short distance to the station

I'm in Maidenhead and we have a 3 bed which cost £285k 2 years agoso you'd definitely be able to get a house

It takes 20 mins to get to Paddington in the morning as there are direct trains but outside of that it's 45 mins and I don't think there are any fast ones back in the evening

I work in Uxbridge and have to drive as you'd have to go into London and then out again if you went by train. Or get a bus from Slough. It takes me an hour to drive at rush hour

I don't think Crossrail will be operational til at least 2018