Move to Richmond

[niceplacetolive]

We are thinking of moving close to DH job in London and are looking at Richmond. It seems to have good schools, nice green space etc etc. Any thought on this area anyone? Good choice with two young DCs of primary school age? Or too posh? Want an area where we can meet people and make new friends. Budget for house would be about £800,000.

Richmond is swooningly expensive, I don't think you'd get much for that money, ludicrous as it sounds (I'm in a grotty/trendy bit of SE London and that's what a 3 bed terrace on a nice road would cost you!)

Also, it's under a Heathrow flight path when the planes are pretty low (though this doesn't seem to put people off).

Lovely area, though!

Ealing, maybe? Do you need to be west?

Nice place to visit but total nightmare to live in i reckon. Zero parking, super busy, crowded and way over priced.

Where does DH work and how far away is that now? There are definitely less expensive areas than Richmond. Remember there is a shortage of state reception places in nearly all areas so that is a huge consideration.

What about places like Twickenham or Kingston? A similar area but not quite as pricey.

Too posh for what, exactly??
too expensive to get much for your budget, and buy earplugs because it's noisy (planes).
Teddington, Twickenham, Hampton Wick?

In Richmond you could get these kind of houses (based on 4 bed for 800,000 or less):
these
(or 3 bed this - lovely inside shame about the outside but at least it has a garage!)
Richmond Kew

In areas around Richmond (some with almost equally as advantageous areas and features) you can get:
Surbiton
Surbiton also
hampton
Teddington
Wimbledon 3 bed
Battersea but I really like this
Or further out but still 30 mins to waterloo on the train and similar vibe to richmond is Guildford area..
Guildford
might need a re-paint in some rooms but lovely village just outside Guildford
lots of space!

Sorry as you can tell I can be a bit of a property fanatic! But just to show you your options in/outside Richmond so you can weigh up whether you could justify not being in Richmond but having a larger house. I love Richmond personally but it is hard to get somewhere which feels worth 800 grand there which is frustrating.
Schools are fab there though so in some ways the house sacrifice could be worth it.

As has been said already, you won't get a huge amount for your money in Richmond. However, many young families will be living in homes at the sub-£800,000 level, so it's really about what your priorities are. A number choose to stay in the area but will be in flats, so they'll be middle class but not necessarily mega-rich and posh.

All of Richmond is very 'naice' but there are, like everywhere, the nicer bits. The less fashionable parts aren't any more expensive than the better bits of the towns further out in the borough (Teddington, Twickenham etc).

Schools are pretty uniformly good and are oversubscribed However, mobility is high, especially in Richmond itself as there are lots of international families. You shouldn't have to wait too long for a place at a good school.

It's also worth looking at Kingston borough. It has quite a different feel to Richmond borough. There's less outdoor green spaces, but instead you tend to get a bigger property and garden. Schools are good, and the commute from Surbiton into town is better.

Hi DalmationDots, I suspect the Shalford one may be underwater at the moment ... but I would agree with looking at Guildford and surrounding villages as an alternative (possibly a quicker commute too - but expensive)

It's a fabulous place to live and bring up children. I'd recommend looking across the whole borough of Richmond on Thames. Just slightly further out to Twickenham and Teddington - houses are cheaper, more gardens, less aircraft noise and schools just as great. Trains into central London are quicker from Twickenham. Also look at other side of park for Kingston and around Bushy Park, which is lovely. I have to say I stopped noticing the aircraft noise about two weeks after moving in. Good luck.

Haha rockdoctor from my attempts to drive there the other day, a lot of it is underwater!
Good point about the commute cost- something else to weigh up

Richmond centre is achingly expensive, as others have said - in fact, the whole borough is, but some more than others. Teddington has direct trains to Waterloo, excellent schools, low crime rate, less aircraft noise and a really nice high street full of independent shops. It's a short bus ride to Kingston and Richmond for more serious shopping. Twickenham has lovely and not so lovely parts, but a very quick rail connection into town. St Margarets is supposed to be lovely, though I don't know it well. Ditto Strawberry Hill. Fulwell is a fair bit cheaper, again with excellent schools.

Fantastic area to raise children, which is why we have the house price problem

It's a fantastic place to live but you won't get much for your budget. My friend has just sold her 3 bed semi in a pretty grotty road for well over a million. Yes, state primary schools are excellent but secondaries not as good in Richmond itself. Worth considering Teddington or Twickenham for those. Sheen also very nice. Neighbouring area. You might get more for your money there especially if not Parkside. Again though, primaries fab, state secondary not so, though meant to be improving. I would not say Richmond is a particularly posh place. Just some very expensive houses and many residents mortgaged up to the eyeballs. It has a sophisticated, international feel to it. Parents are extremely pushy education-wise. Though I'm starting to think this may be a nationwide epidemic. Good luck with your move.

Having said all that castlesintheair has said I would add that www.greycourt.richmond.sch.uk/ofstedreport is rather wonderful.

Loved Richmond but we went for Kingston instead. Still close to the river and parks but more affordable and no flight path!