Locations on direct trainline to Liverpool St, London please!

[CookieDoughKid]

Dh is getting fed up of his long commute from Oxfordshire to Liverpool St. We live completely the wrong side of London!

Ideally, would like to rent, possibly buy a large family home in a more suitable location which will have a direct train journey to Liverpool St. and avoid the tube if possible. Our budget to buy would be about £500K absolute max and for that, would like everything - 3 or 4 bed, garage, garden if at all possible! Would consider commutes up to 50mins but ideally less.
Please help!

Oh, and we would definitely need to be in catchment of a decent state secondary school for dcs!

Any ideas suggested towns or villages? Thanks!!

Bishop's Stortford area nice, about 35 mins by fast train from Liverpool Street.

Hertford? You might get lucky with a house that ticks every box. It's direct from Hertford east into Liverpool Street and it's a lovely town.

Ware might suit you. I don't know it too well but have friends there that love it and the train goes into Liverpool st.
They bought a really nice house for a similar budget to yours (I think it's a 4 bed)

Chelmsford in Essex

Brentwood and shenfield or harold Wood, gidea park in Essex. 35 minutes on train.

Cross rail will also be running in that part of Essex so your hose value will increase.

Brentwood or Shenfield- good Secondaries (and not far from grammar schools).

Saffron Walden is Lovely! Trains from Audley End

What about Moorgate? That's only a few minutes walk. You can look at Welwyn Garden City, Potters Bar, Hitchin and Knebworth.

but once cross rail is open, it'll be an easier commute?

Rayleigh. 40 minutes into LLS. Two ofsted outstanding secondaries. You'll get a lovely 4 bed for that money.

Ware is lovely-40 mins to Liverpool st.

Rayleigh, Southend as pp said 40 minutes to London. Has added advantage of also having a line to fenchchurch street so not stuck if there are train problems

Brentwood, Shenfield, Billericay, rayleigh, Hockley, Leigh on sea, all have nice high streets, and great schools.

Ooo lovely. Rayleigh looks to be affordable. Essex side and Brentford is expensive compared to Didcot. Thanks so much for your views, I need to start researching!!!

Highams Park or Chingford are only about 20 mins to Liverpool Street.

Friend has moved to a village in Essex, outside Colchester. Walkable to station, on direct train line to Liv St. Kids are in an outstanding primary (and loving it) and I think there are decent secondaries around there too. I'm not sure exactly which village it is, but I think it's nearish to Marks Tey?

Wivenhoe. On the river outside Colchester, several pubs, a few restaurants, various shops, sailing club, arty, mainline station.

Can't he get a new job? Surely that'd be easier? He could get made redundant tomorrow and the move would be for nothing

Not sure Shenfield would be possible on OPs budget - prices have gone mad there already because of cross rail

Hutton in Shenfield would be- it is catchment for St Martin's and walking distance to the station.

I also wonder how stable the job is, given that no job is stable. Wait for cross rail?

Colchester is very slightly further out than you've asked (52 mins on the fast train). But you could easily get something where you could walk to the station for your budget. For example:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-54275971.html

If your kids are grammar school material it's a good place to be too, but there are other options as well.

Sorry, that ones a bit over twee. Try this one instead...

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-54405847.html