Where to house hunt in Southampton area

[Sotonwhere]

Any advice gratefully received as I need to move and there is very little which fits my criteria in the areas I've looked so far.

I'm looking for a 4 double bedroom, ideally period, ideally detached house.
I want a big (100ft+) garden though this is negotiable if I'm near a park/common.

I'm not too fussed about anything else- big and old is my main house requirement.

The other main thing is I don't drive so need somewhere I won't be too isolated, especially as we're planning a second baby (have one toddler) once we move.

And finally we both work in London, though only 2 days a week each, so need to be commutable which I think rules eg Romsey out.

Budget is 650k. We'd be happier at 550 though, esp if work is needed.

Help!!

We considered Bassett, Highfield, Upper Shirley but not much around at the mo. We'd also consider Chandlers Ford. Where are we missing? I like the look of Twyford but it looks very high risk for flooding...

Thanks in advance for any replies

There is a station at Hedge End but it's not a direct train to London - you would have to change at Eastleigh. Orin the commuter has a car there is Parkway station at the airport which is about 15 mins drive from Hedge End. There are regular buses but not as frequent as in the city. Both areas have great schools and lots of families. I am also originally from Swaythling!

www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/52657427

Is this one really overpriced? I get that it's on a swanky road but the house isn't huge or particularly stunning from the outside.

How much would you expect this one to be on for if you hadn't seen the price?

how about this one? 20 min walk to direct mainline station. large village/semi rural-ish.will sell v fast though.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-51259600.html

stare that is undoubtedly pretty but it's in high risk flood areas and since I've got another 2-300 to spend I'd rather get somewhere with a bigger garden and a bigger house tbh! Plus I'm really after 4 bedrooms minimum. I can cope with 1 being a single but I need a room for me and OH, one for each of our sproglets even though one is still imaginary at the moment plus a room for PIL /friends to stay.

We're hoping for our forever home so I'm not willing to compromise on too many of these.

It's not on the swankiest bit of the swanky road (they have to put up with me using that bit of the street as a bit of a rat run for one thing) and I wouldn't pay that much for it - but they must have some reason to think someone will.

Having said that, at those sort of prices, I don't think those houses go like hot cakes. When we were looking, there were some that had been on the market for a long time. Not that they were ever in our price range, but I couldn't help noticing.

So I think it's overpriced but I guess having access to the residents gardens (which are lovely to be fair) may sway some people.

Trust me the bishopstoke house is not going to flood, it's at the top of a hill! Sadly bishopstoke has a shortage of 4 bed period homes. Though there is the potential to convert the loft of that one.

I agree with LadyPeter (again!), the Abbotts Way house is definitely overpriced. Despite being an in-demand road, the houses there do sit around for a long time if they don't immediately scream the reason for their price tag. Nothing on the road has sold at anywhere near those prices since the crazy days of 2008, and those that did were substantially larger houses in better positions.

Much of Southampton is a lot hillier than people realise .....

Try rownhams, big detached houses for that kind if money. Just on the edge of Southampton so easy to get in if you need, near sainsburys etc in lordshill, right near the m27 for motorway access, 15mins away from the forest, decent primary school which feeds into the romsey secondary.

shabby I always had the impression that Rownhams wasn't brilliant for public transport both locally and also to London (which the OP needs as she doesn't drive), or am I wrong?

sotonwhere have you seen this 6 bed on Shirley Ave? On today for 599,950.

Issy That house might make me go over to the dark Shirley side. It looks enormous!

Rownhams houses are cheaper
and on the number 4 bus route to town / station
but certainly tough to cycle / walk to town
and there are no nice ones on the market at the moment

How about Romsey?

Re that last Shirley house: I was sure I'd seen it before so I checked back through my saved properties on RightMove and low and behold it was put on in April with two agents, initially at 650K and then dropped to 600K and then to 575K before being withdrawn from the market earlier this month.

You can see the original pics from Your Move and Carter Edwards

I know, finally, feel vindicated over saving so many house

Romsey is good, but its the non driver connection to London that cramps style ....
depending on what hours OP and her DH need to be in London, the 65 through Baddesley to Easteigh opens up a whole swathe of big, cheap houses with good schools

Thanks for the link- I'll investigate!
I'll also look up the 65 bus-could be interesting, though I think I'm now deciding walking distance to parents might be a priority which means bassett/highfield/upper shirley is the golden zone and anything else might just be a distraction.

Apparently more is beginning to come on the market. We will find somewhere- I have renewed hope!

Hi. I might be coming to this conversation late and find you are already happily settled in, but wanted to add to comment made earlier about the houses on Glenwood.
We moved here from a traditional 1920's house in Upper Shirley/Bassett borders earlier this year. We'd been looking for a year and never in a million years did I expect to move to something other than a traditional property. We too were only considering Bassett, Highfield and Upper Shirley.
What did it for us was that it was really well built, the size of the property/rooms, the peaceful road (so many of the seemingly quiet roads in Shirley/Upper Shirley turn out to be rush-hour rat-runs so be aware to check), the big windows and views (set so high with nothing to see but tree tops). I admit, some of them look weird but once I got over that, I have to say we are thrilled with our move.
My husband gets the train to London by cycling to Parkway but a neighbour walks to get the train (cutting through Spindlewood to get to Bassett Green Road). We are also close to the Uni so Uni-link buses are very frequent a short walk away and we walk to school in Highfield in 20 mins.