Can't afford London thinking of moving to clacton-on-sea.... Please help

[noorqt]

Hello folks,I can't afford anywhere near London was thinking of moving to clacton on sea (essex) as I might be able to afford a house there for me and 2DD

Please help, I'm not sure if there are any good school or how the shopping , after school activities are like. So very daunting as I'm a new single mum

I grew up in Clacton and still have some family there, I was shocked last time I went how bad it's got.

Essexmummy I will be needing to commute into London for work eventually.i want our new house to be a house me and dd2 can live in for the next 10 years. I was looking at frinton on sea as suggested but it is very close to clacton on sea , so wouldn't it have the same problems as clacton??

Another one from clacton with family still there. Schools are rubbish as well

Really don't move there.

Frinton is an odd place, very old and boring but also different to Clacton. Not that is move there either.

If someone had recommended a place with great facilities (outdoor spaces, groups etc) then I'd take that over a bigger house in a town with no aspirations.

Have a look at Braintree and Colchester - check out season ticket costs though, Colchester I think is between £4-500 a month.

interesting conversation. . Please help me we are looking to buy house near London with outstanding schools especially grammar schools.. Our bughet is 280000 to30,000 ..Thank

I would try southend if you've got 300,000 budget. Look for area around southchurch park for lovely houses a stones throw from the sea and park. Nice area and lots of young families and grammar school area too. Other parts of southend that are nice are the conservation area (although only one good primary school there) , Leigh on Sea and Thorpe Bay lovely but you won't get much for your budget.

Response to the OP, Clacton no. I would also say Basildon, no, Braintree, mostly no.

My OH was born and bred in Braintree, I have friends in Witham, Colchester, Chelmsford, Basildon, Billericay etc. In your price range I would go Colchester. Braintree is the same time on a train as Colchester anyway (has to go via Witham) and so many people don't seem to realise that, and you get more for you money in Colchester. North and East Colchester (Highwoods) isn't the good part. You want South or West. Lexden and Stanway are nice, Rowhedge isn't bad either. Wivenhoe is nice if you like a more small town/village way of life.