Moving to Hampton or Kingston from the SW16 area

[lifesobeautiful]

My husband and I are contemplating a move to Hampton or Kingston from the Streatham area - we have a lovely, big house, and are near lots of friends, but we crave a bit more green space, and neither of us feel very confident about the local schools. Has anyone made such a move? Were they happy with their decision? Are there any mums in Hampton or Kingston who could tell me if they like the areas? I would be very grateful for any thoughts!

Think about moving to Molesey! Just across the river. Lovely green spaces and river walks. Friendly community and lots going on, great schools. East Molesey is the most expensive and desirable, But West Molesey has lots of families and you get more for your money. Lots of people moving into the area in recent years and prices are going up. 40mins to London from Hampton Ct station. Hampton Court Palace on your doorstep with beautiful gardens. Good luck. We moved from Tooting and haven't looked back. Kingston is lovely, but has parking restrictions and is a not as green in my opinion. But it is probably more cosmopolitan.

oooo - didn't know about Molesey!! Will start looking on rightmove immediately - thanks Briony!

Hampton's probably more family friendly than Kingston and greener. Kingston has Richmond Park, but properties near the park tend to be pretty pricey. I'd agree with Briony that Molesey's worth a look. Thames Ditton is also near Hampton and is another area that seems to be very popular with people moving a bit further out of London to start a family.

after many years in Molesey - look on the east/west 'borders' :-) You'll easily see the difference in the pricing, but be aware that the smart places near the station must have off-street parking or you'll never find anywhere to put your car. If you are going to commute from Hampton Court you must be near enough to walk.

moved away to downsize but it's a great place to live. Strolled to the palace every Sunday. :-)

I'm afraid that with recent events be VERY careful of places close to the Thames. The Mole in this area is heavily flood defended after the 1968 flood and seems to stay where it should be.

thanks so much you girls - excellent advice. Going to see a house - and go for a drive through the area - tomorrow!

We are in Hampton and there are some lovely areas here, although I agree that Molesey can be better for your budget (I grew up there)

We have liars of green space, access to Bushey park and lots of other attractions. Train from Hampton us slow, we go to Feltham and get a fast train from there.

We moved to North Kingston (near the park) from Battersea three years ago and I'm really glad we did. We only had a first floor flat with no garden, but now we have a four bedroom house (without an increase in mortgage).

We've just finished doing our primary school application for DD and have been spoilt for choice - I really am not worried about which of our 6 school choices she gets into.

Loads of shops, parks, activities for children, good train links for work and road links for getting out and about at the weekend.

Just as many advantages on the other side of the river - Molesey, Hampton, etc. - but it does take longer to get into London on the train.

Molesey has no secondary school, but it has some lovely primaries. It is a real pain not being able to work to secondary school. It can be a bit hit or miss where your child is allocated for going to school. It may well be worth attending church to get Esher High School.

I would avoid Hurst Park as its practically guarenteed you will get flooded. Most of Molesey has not been flooded since the 1960s.

We've been in Molesey for 12 years and love it. Our three DDs ar in 3 different schools (bad planning on our part) and each is good. It's got a lovely community feel - the carnival is an annual fixture, as is the Molesey regatta. With so much green on the doorstep, it's not like living in London (as we're not, but you know what I mean.) We both commute to Central London but go from Esher (5-10 min drive then 20 mins into Waterloo) which works well most of the time. Definite recommend!

Hello, have you tried posting this on Kingston Local talk board too? Here's the link:

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

Good luck with everything

Local Editor