Balham to Raynes Park/Kingston/St Albans

[balhammum123]

Hi all
I'm looking to take the well-trodden path out of Balham to somewhere that can offer good schools, more room, low crime etc. We've had a couple of burglaries and car break-ins here, and with the high property prices, we've decided to move on.

We've visited St Albans and loved it, although it would be a long way from friends in SW London (although slightly closer to family in the north).

We also like Wimbledon and have heard good things about Raynes Park, but want to put long-terms roots down and worry that families move out in the longer term. Kingston seems popular too.

So, any ideas? We need to be within an hour's journey to Canary Wharf and with shops and amenities on-hand. Budget £650 and we'd like a 3 bed house.

anyone??

Surbiton? Quickest commute in SW London, brilliant schools, lots of families, nice high street but 5 minutes from kingston and the shops there. You've been priced out of kingston now unless you happy with v small 3 bed terrace not near any schools. Or on the Tudor estate where prices seem inexplicably low. New Malden also has some nice properties, not quite as up market as Surbo but lots to recommend it. Or stick to something a bit more urban and go Tooting/Streatham? These places are very up and coming, apparently!

I have friends in Egham (who incidentally did rent-in-balham to buy-in-Tooting to have-kids-in-Egham!) and West Byfleet who commute to Canary Wharf tolerably, if you fancy somewhere a bit more green and a bit more country side (not real countryside, countryside suburb style!). Could be a step too far for you though!

South East London somewhere along the Overground line?

Better value and easier commute than SW London.

Err I think you'll find crime in all the other places you've listed. Burglary and car crime always rise when the economy has faltered, the minimal upurn will take a long time to filter through to the have-nots. And Xmas on the way always adds to the thieving sprees.

I do think you have a point on property and garden size for the money though. Prices have gone seriously silly in Balham (all of SW London I think though, I'd have thought that ruled out Wimbledon?) If you're taken by the St Albans lifestyle I think you have to commit to being part of that new community, rather than still regularly see your SW friends. SE London is the obviously choice to stay local-ish to Balham, I think you'd really notice the crime in the more affordable parts though. Sorry can't advise on schools.

East Molesey/Hampton Court. More affordable on the East/West Molesey borders - you should definitely get something in your budget here. Great community and schools good. Slower pace of life than Surbiton and Kingston but you have them on your doorstep. Lovely river walks (3 rivers!). Friendly people, loads to do for families and children.
Walton on Thames also good but a bit more trafficky, and you need to research school catchments a bit there. Great shopping in Walton, new light and bright centre. Hersham is near to Walton and is on the up - Costa Coffee coming soon, house prices will follow. Friendly feel in Hersham. Great train line into London.
Shepperton also lovely, but I better not go on!
We looked at Byfleet and Addlestone but decided to stay put as you get more of a London feel in Molesey.
I quite like Surbiton/Kingston but I think its getting pretty expensive. We moved from Tooting and I did loads if research, and to me, it seemed that Molesey is the first place out of London with some open space, very safe, and no parking restrictions (except Bridge Rd area - very lovely antique shop/cafe area near the palace). It's getting quite trendy here too. More and more people coming from over the river (Teddington, Richmond etc) for something more affordable.

Great advice, keep it coming! Sw London makes sense from where we are now, so seems less of a risk than St. Albans. I've just been to an estate agent who recommended Furzedown.

I like the sound of Molesey and surbiton seemed nice when I've driven through. Do you think that these places are safe for kids to play on the streets, ride their bikes etc? We want somewhere where we can settle, and don't want to end up somewhere where everyone moves on (like Balham is now!).

The agent also suggested dulwich but I'm not convinced that's a long term option.

Surbiton, definitely safe for the kids etc and it's full of families with roots, it's a place people move to for that reason. Molesey I like less, round the palace is nice but as you get further out towards the reservoirs it becomes a lot less naice! Plus commute from Hampton court isn't good, you wouldn't do your journey in an hour. Walton has some fast trains but again some less nice parts near the reservoir and currently I believe secondary schools are an issue there, but of course that could all change!

Hello, would you be able to post this thread on our Local Talk board(s) too?

local.mumsnet.com/Talk/kingston-upon-thames/local-active
local.mumsnet.com/surrey

Be great to start this discussion on local.

Thanks

Local Editor

Hi. Would love to as I'd love more local insight, but I'm not sure how! This is the first post I've ever done so still figuring it out!

Also, does anyone know of catholic schools in these areas. We're Catholics and attend mass on a monthly basis, and so would really like our LO to go to catholic school.

Motspur Park, the SW London suburb that no-one has ever heard of...

It's got several good schools round and about, including two Catholic primaries very local, and secondaries within a few miles. A bit cheaper than Raynes Park and not so congested, although the level crossing is a bit of a pain in the arse sometimes, 25 minutes direct train into central London (Waterloo), and twenty minutes drive to lovely countryside the other way down the A3. I think there is always going to be crime, especially in London, but Merton is meant to be fairly safe on the whole. Lots of young families too. We like it anyway!

I live in Kingston, but have lived in Surbiton/Tolworth and had friends in New Malden/Raynes Park/Motspur Park.

Surbiton in a great area and just a short distance from Kingston Centre. Surbiton high street has quite a good range of shops itself (a good Sainsburys) and it's own train station.

Tolworth also tends to be cheaper than Kingston, has an ok selection of shops on the Broadway (food: Iceland, M&S, a good Tesco Express), it's own train station and is a v short bus ride from Kingston centre.

I really love the Kingston area. Lovely down by the river!

Harpenden or Somewhere in Kent prob easier for C Wharf?

Just updating, we've opted for St. Albans as it seems to tick all the boxes. Hopefully we'll make new friends there and then we're sorted! Thanks all. X

St Albans is indeed very nice, and full of families who have moved out of London! It's definitely where people move and then stay for the long term. Some good secondaries too. How old are your DC? The NCT there is very active (their nearly new sales generate one of the highest sales figures in the whole country!). There are also loads and loads of family activities going on there.

When you said your budget was £650 for a 3 bed, did you mean £650 per month to rent, or £650,000? Because you'd get a 1 bed flat, or studio flat, for £650 a month rent... With £650k, you'd probably get a 4 or 5 bed house, rather than a 3 bed.

You mentioned Catholic schools - you've probably found that there are quite a few Catholic primary and secondaries in and around St Albans.

Have you started looking at houses yet?

My LO will be 3 in the spring so schools are on the radar. We've got £650k to buy a place, and feel confident that we should be able to get 4 beds for that, which is great. We're looking forward to exploring St. Albans a bit more :)