London - Bucks - Hertz

[LoveMyWife]

Dear all,

I am Mario. This is my first post so hallo to everybody. I love this website and decided to register.

I and my lovely wife decided to buy a house. I will be short and wait for some input/advices to start :)

a) 2 bed flat (house will be top but it`s ok also in a block)
b) MAX budget 230k (no stretching sorry). I am aware it is not much.
c) 1h MAX commute to Marylebone station including walk/drive to station and walk/bus/tube to work (no stretching)
c2) ATM we do not have a car but we can definetively buy one if necessary.
d) 1h MAX drive (with traffic) to Bourne End (Bucks) OR 2 hours public transport commute max.
e) SAFE area
f) We do not mind "posh"ness, we are happy with simple and functional
g) good value for money most of all.
h) IF in London we just need "liveable" we can do some works or adjustement after once we save more money..

I had a look on zoopla and it seems like the candidates (where we could afford) are:

In London:

Croydon and Thornton Heat
Mitcham
Hayes and Harlington, Northolt, Southall and around there
Lot on East and South East but "looks" too far for Bourne End...
Here and there in North and North West but does not look many "chances"

OUTside London (these towns have the big "concentration" of houses):
Slough
High Wycombe
Aylesbury
Hemel Hemstead
plus some here and there around these towns.

Any other option I missed are welcome.

Thanks everybody for any help or suggestion.

would advise considering bicester over aylesbury, simply because of your commuting needs; bicester north and bicester village are on a faster train line into marylebone than aylesbury.

maybe take a look at the chilterns line train timetable from marylebone, and see which stops would meet your needs.

bicester would be around 45 mins into marylebone, and about 40 mins drive to bourne end. there should be some properties that fit your specification and within budget (just) there.

high wycombe would also work well if you can find something that matches your budget - closer to both marylebone and bourne end too.

i guess the first decision you need to make is whether you want to be in the outskirts of london, or outside.

Wendover. Avoid HS2 route but much nicer all round! Meets your travel criteria.

kronenborg and bojorojo thanks a lot for your insights.

kronenborg actually Bicester north looks better than Aylesbury. Here I think it`s my mistake, perhaps I shouldnt put Aylesbury at all...because I would like for my wife less travel as possible so I tought 1h MAX but including the time to reach the station.
Only problem with Bicester is that she will actually have just 1 good train. With the next she will arrive late, with the previous she has to sacrifice and be in the station around 6.30 when she starts at 8.

The think is that I KNOW the rail (delay, cancellation etc.) so lets add 10-15 mins on an average journey, thats why I tought 1h max (that will become 1h 15min on avarage already)

Having said that I took a note on it. My commute looks fine.

bojorojo Wendover looks good. Only issue is that house prices are not too much in our tiny budget...and that is already the max :(
I found something 2-3 miles from station that miht be an option too.

Forgot to say: we do not have children but we are planning in 1-2 years time. We are not so committed for a posh school or whatever just a normal one, not "crap". Of course if there is an outstanding one is better :)

I was looking to Hemel Hemstead too: 25-35 mins to Euston for her and from there we are already in London, so other 15min bus or tube. For her looks a good option, at least 2 good trains and also a straight bus. Do not know if it is safe or not to live in HH...For me will be 25miles, 50min google says.

TBH I will give absolutely preference to her comfort in this choice.

Will wait for more developments in this conversation

Any other suggestions, please?

I read that High Wycombe is not that nice for families..

High Wycombe is much like a lot of towns, good and bad parts.
I would not say that it is not a nice place for families, not sure why anybody would say single it out.

We diver has excellent schools. You could also look at Stoke Mandeville - it is cheaper. Or Haddenham for Haddenham/Thame Parkway. High Wycome is good in parts.

Wendover that should read.

just to be clear, there are trains that go from bicester north to marylebone, and bicester village to marylebone. These stations are not far from each other, and provide a number of rush hour trains to london.

on week days, if you consider both stations, trains depart at 06:46, 06:56, 07:11, 07:16, 07:34, 07:39 etc, and typically arrive 45-55 mins later in london.

i suggested bicester because of your budget, which, although low, might just stretch to a small terraced, or even semi-detached house. there are nicer places, among which i would include wendover and haddenham, but the challenge will be your budget.

high wycombe can be hit and miss - i lived in one of the villages just outside for a few years, and loved it, but tended to avoid the town centre. problem will likely be what (and where) your money can afford to buy you a place.

worth bearing in mind that many bucks villages have excellent state primary schools, and access to the grammar school system when the time comes (and if they still exist then!).

Thanks a lot for all the new comments!! They are really appreciated.

Wendover and Haddenham are getting out of my bufget...if I check those area lot of properties are more in Aylesbury in that budget..

I am having a look in Bicester, its true we can actually get better value for money than in Hemel hemstead..its also true that if the job change from Marylebone area then we have to add another 20mins for a different location and the journe will be in a "good day" 90 mins.

HH will guarantee 25-35min to central London and from there my wife can actually go "everywhere" in London...

Any thoughts re this comparison Bicester - HH?

Thanks

You will get a lot more more for your money in Leighton buzzard over Hemel hempstead. Trains take 35 mins into Euston (fast ones that only stop at Watford and Euston. It also ticks all your other requirements.

I was going to suggest Leighton buzzard too. Much nicer than Hemel and should tick your boxes.

Goodmorning everyone and we are really happy all the people are helping our "dream".

We spent a weekend in Henel Hempstead and we notices lot of shops in the town centre. We also ate in the Old Town and was cosy and nice the pub.

OK, we agree that is not the faciest place ever but we did not notice some sort of decadence around. Streets were clean more than in some parts of London.

Lets consider and this might be important that we are from Kilburn area and not lets say Westminster or Bayswater or the Barbican :)
The locals advised us to have a look to Berkhamstead and Tring too.

Guys, Leyton Buzzard looks very good but I do not fancy to go that further and drive for more than 1h if I consider the traffic...from Hemel in a bad day is 1hour, in a good one 35 min (google says...). I was thinking about "1h MAX drive (with traffic)"

We decide to have a look to a town every weekend with the excuse of a lunch out :)

Other ideas and comments are welcome, also from mums please with children that live in the areas.

Also Chesham might be good perhaps..

Any other comments from mums and dads?