Where can you buy a house for less than £200,000 in South East?

[lovethebeach]

Just that really...
Looking for nice safe areas in the South East preferably commutable to London and easy access to M25.
I'd be really grateful for any opinions.
TIA?

Lots of 2 bed houses in Luton for £200k, some areas better than others but a very easy commute into London, around 20 mins I believe

All areas in your search have good and bad places but all will be increasing in value.

Yup. With the dockside redevelopment in Gillingham I've seen prices go up from £125k to £180-190 for a standard terrace over the past three years.

@jiggly I'd pick a house in a shit bit over a flat in a nice bit every time. No need to deal with management companies etc. Plus prospect of the area regenerating as more people are priced out.

Depends on the management company I guess Never. I've always owned flats (in houses that have been converted) and not had any management company problems. Because they were in good areas, they increased in value quite quickly and then I bought a house in a nice area.

I think the OP's need to decide what's most important to him. If he doesn't want to live in a horrible area, he might have to look for a flat

The OP's son

Don't go as far down as Havant. The housing stock is cheap because it's vile. The commute isn't as good as it should be on paper (at least 1.5 hours and via southern so strikes constantly). Havant is my nearest mainline station and my DPs live there. Cheap is because it's on the sink estate.

jiggly , you keep saying horrible area , have you actually lived in all these places ?

For sake of comparison I'm near Gravesend, it can take easily up to 45 minutes at 6.30am to reach the M25 on a weekday (compared to 15-20 minutes at the weekend). Any further out and you're looking at needing to make a 5.30 start.

St Neots isn't too far from me abd an hour into London. Lovely place.

Romney Marsh is lovely hope Weber thetravel TO the train station is ages

Cheriton in Folkestone
Hawkinge
Ashford. All commutable

I d just had a look on Right move and £200 would definitely get your son a two bed terrace.

I would second Ipswich but cost in the commute

Something like this www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-59560799.html

is typical

Also Bedford is worth a look. It's pretty big and good transport links.

Portsmouth, Havant, southampton

No, I don't live in Maidstone or Chatham @floralnomad - obviously not because I've said they're horrible. I've been to both enough times to know.

Thanks for clearing that up .

Portsmouth and southampton are v long and expensive commutes IMO.

Thanks so much again for taking the time to post - and also include links to properties. . Yes @rizlett I did post before but couldn't find a link to my post. He has saved a bit more money but as house prices are also on the increase is keen to find somewhere.
I think Portsmouth and other coastal areas, although lovely, are a bit too far out. At the moment he often leaves home at 5/5.30 in the morning and we are a five minute drive to the M25. He looked at a house near Hailsham but it took him about four hours in traffic driving there from London.
It's so difficult for people in this part of the country to be able to afford to buy anything. Most his friends are around the area just south or east of Croydon but there is nowhere he can afford anywhere near here.

North herts with a good train station? Look at Stevenage/Letchworth and then further north.

Move up North! It's nicer here runs and hides

It's really hard if he's someone who has to drive to different places for work. If he's South at the moment, I assume that north won't work for him. I think Sittingbourne is worth a look and so is Ashford. Ashford is relatively cheap right now but property there is going to keep increasing in value because of HS1. It's also not too awful to get to the M25.

I don't think he'll find a house within the M5 for under £200k though.

floral - I'm a bit mystified by your posts. I have an opinion which is what the OP asked for. I'm not sure why you're taking issue with it

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-60390169.html

this is nice

The problem is the budget.

Yes there are better areas of, for example Medway, but you're not going to get a house for £200k in any of them.

It's a case of either moving to a less desirable area or having a longer commute.

There's really no other options.

I'm not taking issue with anything , I just think it's a bit off to call places where presumably some people on here live horrible , unless you have actually lived there and experienced living there as being horrible . I don't think you can judge fairly about what it's like to live somewhere by being a regular visitor.

Have you lived in Chatham then, given you've described it as ghastly?