Someone please tell me where to move to (S/SW London)

[CityDweller]

We need to move. We live in a tiny flat in central London with DC1 and DC2 on the way. We love our flat and our area, but are bursting at the seams already.I'm struggling for inspiration on where to look - many hours trawling Zoopla to no avail. I need to narrow the search area as right now I'm looking at everywhere between Bloomsbury and Weybridge...

Requirements are:

• I work in Guildford, so accessible there via public transport (trains go from Waterloo or Clapham Junction). 1hr20mins door-to-desk is fine as I work from home about 40% of the time.
• DH works by Tottenham Ct Rd (but less of an issue as will either give up work or go v. part-time when I go back to work after DC2)
• We don't want to go too far out into the suburbs.
• Good state schools are a must, at least at primary level. Doesn't have to be ofsted outstanding, but a good community school. We prioritise happy, nurtured kids over SATS and Ofsted.
• Not too yummy mummy or posh, yet not too edgy/ grey/ grim.
• Green spaces
• Good amenities and stuff going on (stuff to do with kids, places to go out on the odd occasion we get a babysitter, etc).
• DH would like a decent-ish garden as he has Alan Titchmarsh aspirations

At least 3-beds, 4 beds would be better. Open to all styles of architecture. We can scrape together £1.2m, but would prefer to spend a lot less, of course...

Obvious places are Surbiton (doesn't inspire us, but I've never actually been!) and Wimbledon (a no, for various reasons). And both feel quite 'far away' and very suburban to us. Anything closer in that fits the requirements above?

Can I put in a vote for Sydenham/Forest Hill? Lots of greenery, good schools, train goes into Clapham Junction, Tottenham Court Road is 45 minutes (although journey is a bit fiddly).
Great community feel, loads of young families, not too gritty but not too posh either. For that money you'd get an amazing place...

Ok - thanks for all the suggestions. Will start honing in my property searches...

And we will definitely investigate Surbiton properly Jassy - farmers markets, indie coffee shops and local festivals are right up our street... Any tips on nicer parts/ roads to explore?

And I do like the idea of Forest Hill/ Sydenham, etc - it's a bit of a schlep for me to Guildford though - longer than 1hr20 door-to-desk by my reckoning.

Oh, and not opposed to fixer-upper in theory, but I'm due in October, so don't fancy living in a building site with a newborn and a toddler while on maternity leave. So, happy to do some work, but not a complete renovation (this time)

I was going to suggest Wimbledon when I first started reading your thread....

I use to live in Raynes Park and commuted to Guildford via train. It's 55 minutes but the train doesn't run very often. On the plus side you'll always get a seat each way. You can travel back to Wimbledon and get a different train so there is some choice. Earlsfield is on the same line to Guildford so may be worth considering (again you'll get a seat) but commuting to waterloo from Earlsfield can be a pain as the trains often arrive packed so your OH may have to wait for a train or 2 to come before he can get on.

Have you considered New Malden? It's a nice area (in general) and not very yummy mummy. Again, trains to Waterloo and Guildford.

Someone mentioned Thames Ditton. That isn't great from a train perspective to Guildford (I did it for 3 months). You have to change at Surbiton and the train comes into Surbiton from Guildford 5 minutes after the Thames Ditton train leaves so you then end up with a 25 minute wait at Surbiton to get home which wasn't fun during the winter (buses are also absolute crap in Thames Ditton but otherwise it is a lovely place to live!)

Surbiton is well worth checking out. It has a fast train to waterloo & on the line to Guildford. Has a small high street with a Sainsburys and some nice pubs.

On your budget (and avoiding church schools) it's worth seeing what you can get around the river roads (between the station and the river) where you would be able to get into Maple Infants without a problem and it's a lovely area but pricey. I wouldn't go much South of the top bits of Ellerton and Worthington Rds myself (on the other side of the station) - keeps the walk to the station manageable.

PM me if you want more details on specific areas/schools - having moved twice in the area including once fairly recently I'm happy to share what we learned!

You won't get a generous garden anywhere in SW london I'm afraid, even with your healthy budget. Hence proximity to parks being a key selling point for lots of houses

Sounds like Surbiton is the hottest contender. Thing is DH makes a face every time I mention it - based on nothing other than the name. He has a (irrational, unfounded) aversion to 'the suburbs', which is making it hard to have productive conversations about this. I think he really just wants to move out to a fantasy life in the country and potter about growing vegetables whilst the brood run around in the garden.

Will pm you Jassy...

We have allotments and everything...

Allotments might just persuade DH...

What about 'The Hamptons' in Worcester Park? Just minutes from the train station and the houses have reasonable gardens with a large park within the development. Good shops, excellent schools and a great place to bring up kids.

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/35954966?search_identifier=9da5c8ee545491f6c297cc29dbf7496d#I4dwlTDre503UgTD.97

Can I put a vote in for south Croydon/ Purley? Approx 20 mins into Clapham Junction, your budget will get you into a nice 3 bed semi in a catchment for one or two Ofsted rated excellent primaries. For secondary there's a grammar school in s Croydon but also a number of very good private schools. And it is surprisigly pretty - you're not far from the North Downs.

For both Guildford and Totenham court road commute Surbiton is very good. Good state schools and your budget will get you a nice house here. Else you could move to Guildford itself.

Second vote for Camberwell, or Peckham. Peckham Rye station straight to CJ, or buses up to TCR.

Your budget would get you a great house but maybe the garden would be smaller than DH would want.

(Possibly biased though as was about to start v similar thread but asking for places to investigate because we can't afford anything much on Peckham/Camberwell.)

Surbiton!! I love living here. Lovely high street, lovely festivals (sardine festival next week) close to Kington for the shops and I can be in london in a few minutes. DH occasionally commutes to Guildford and it's a lovely easy journey.

Look at maple road and the river roads running off towards the river off maple road. Roads around cranes park. Ellerton, cotterill and Malvern are a bit more towards Tolworth but lovely houses. Lovelace road and gardens. All areas to look at.

Having said that, why don't you just move to Guildford? It's lovely there. And if you're going to the suburb sight as well axe the commute entirely.

waves to boys

There's a lovely house just come on the market on Alexandra Rd, OP, to give you an idea of what your money could get - in distance catchment for Christ Church as all Kingstin schools operate on straight line rather than walking distance now.

I definitely don't still check RightMove regularly. Oh no.

Yup. I'm not on right move every day. No sirree.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-49622590.html

Half a mile to Clapham Junction and Wandsworth Common close by. 4 bed Victorian terrace, any good?