Something's got to give, but what

[TerrysNo2]

DH and I are looking to move. We can be very flexible but generally we want:

• 4 double bedrooms
  
• 3 reception rooms (to use one as a study / potential 5th bedroom)
  
• 1600/1700 sq feet
  
• good size garden (50ft square min)
  
• close to a good primary school
  
• nice road - quiet, preferably a village location
  
• within 1 hour door-to-door from a London terminal (eg 20 min walk and 30 min train or 5 min walk and 50 min train)
  

I haven't found anything perfect yet, I keep finding ones that tick most of the boxes.

So, if this was your list - what would you sacrifice first?

[RachelHRD]

What about here not a bad area, central and close to the station

[Beamae]

Terrys, sent you a PM.

[Prawntoast]

Haha jayne, I think you may be right! Lets hope it's just a drafting error or would explain why terry rejected it when she first saw it on right move!

[TerrysNo2]

beamay where did you buy?

[Jaynebxl]

Prawn, that Dorking house looks to me like the toilet is outside of the en suite, in the main bedroom! That would put me off

[Beamae]

We just bought last year in north Bucks, just north of Milton Keynes. Quiet village. 10 minute drive to a station with a 50 minute train to Euston. 2500 square feet, 5 double bed, lounge, dining room, study, breakfast room, big enough garden. Our compromise was proximity to the station as we initially thought we wanted a walkable distance. Travel is obviously expensive now... We had to buy an extra car and the parking is fairly expensive. The house needs modernising but was a lot less than your budget. Keep looking!

[willowstar]

We live in downham market, 1 hr 20 mins to kings cross, house prices very reasonable, coast only half an hr away, Cambridge not too far and pretty good for shopping...

[Prawntoast]

Good luck with your viewings! There does appear to be more coming on the market at the moment so at least you will have more choice over the next few weeks I think.

[TuftyFinch]

I can't link on tablet but have you looked at Robertsbridge, East Sussex. Nice village, direct train to London, good schools and affordable.

[TerrysNo2]

I think Reigate is out of reach, I don't fancy it either but that's a personal grudge (my best friends abusive ex is from there)

I have looked at that house online before Prawn, can't remember right now why I discounted it.

ATM we have only just put our house on the market (5 viewings due on Saturday) and so we are being very picky at the moment, reality might set in at some point and we will have to lower our standards but for now we will try and aim high

[Prawntoast]

what about this, very close to Dorking, nice market town.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-37984684.html

[Prawntoast]

terry not unreasonable at all! You just have the misfortune to be living in one of the most expensive areas outside London! You won't get anything for that budget in Reigate, more like a three bed semi/terrace, Victorian, so will have character but not the space. A four bed double, with 3 receptions will be close to 600k +. You may not need the garden size though, we do have a lovely park in walking distance of most central Reigate properties.

[AngryFeet]

Reigate? Expensive though. Warlingham up the road from Sanderstead is also nice. I barely consider where we live to be Croydon as it is right on the outskirts.

[TerrysNo2]

cross-post Cointreau
do you know the lotto numbers?

[TerrysNo2]

Prawn what I want is something big, beautiful and perfect and I also want to win the lottery, I'm not asking much am I??

[CointreauVersial]

In fact, we are just up the road from you....!

[CointreauVersial]

Jeepers, OP, that Guildford house is sandwiched between the A3 and the A31. Hope it has decent double-glazing.....

But seriously, you usually have to sacrifice something from tour ideal house list (unless you just won the lottery), and you just need to work out what that is. Friends of mine live in a massive house on a busy road, but space was their absolute priority so it worked for them.

We needed a big house, so live in an ugly one! Nice area, though.

[Prawntoast]

Ok, so is location more of a priority for you over size of the property? Out of the areas that you have listed I only know Surrey and bits of Hampshire and Sussex. To be honest with your budget, I think you will need to look at smaller properties if a quiet location is what you are after.

[TerrysNo2]

Although Angry the house does look lovely!

[TerrysNo2]

Thanks for the suggestion guys, we are currently living in Epsom. I don't really want to move to Croydon or Redhill, I don't know so much about them but I think I would prefer somewhere a bit quieter.

[AngryFeet]

Thats the one. Its my childhood home and have been living there for the last 5 years with my own family. We are about to buy our first house and my parents are selling up.

[Prawntoast]

This? you can drive to Redhill in 10 mins. www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-26392023.html?premiumA=true

[SquinkieBunnies]

Is it this one Angry.
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-25825857.html?premiumA=true I like it a lot

[Prawntoast]

That house will be horrendously noisy, used to live in Guildford not that close to the a3 but we could still hear it. I think the road noise would put me off using the garden. Also A3 jams there quite a bit so pollution will be high. From your list I think you need to re-think the village location given the areas you are looking in for that budget. Crazy prices! Also you may have to compromise on 4 double beds. You can probably get something close to the size of house you want in Redhill, it's not my favourite place, but London Bridge/Victoria 35 mins. schools aren't brilliant and it's certainly not a village location.