Waterloo commute- where would you live?

[Latinatta]

Hello all,

Not sure if this is the right place for this but here goes! We currently live overseas but will be returning to the UK late next year. We used to live in London but are returning with a baby and hoping another won't be too many years away.

DH will be working in Battersea, so a train getting into Queenstown Road or nearby would work well.

We hope to get a mortgage for about £850K and would love to buy a house to see us through several kids, their (state) schooling, and many years working in London to pay off the house! So ideally a 4 bedroom with a garden, close-ish to a station so I can commute, near good schools, ideally more towards West London to be closer to family in the South West, but would prioritise getting the right house. Open to London/'burbs but would like somewhere with a good local feel.

On my (very random) list so far are:

Brockley (feasible but commute not great)
Wandsworth town (beyond our budget for what we want)
Windsor (long commute and also possibly too expensive)

Does anyone have any bright ideas? Keen to start researching areas sooner than later!

Thanks so much!

Honestly miss those pizzas. Nothing even close where I live now (out of London but moving back in the next few months to non Basilico area as I can't afford it but would consider sending DH the 25 min drive to get one as a take away when we move)

Strike through fail

Oh my goodness how I love Mumsnet! You have all inspired a mammoth spreadsheet! Might be finally time to learn to use excel...

Seriously, thanks so much. Planning on doing some reconnaissance trips when we next go back to the UK and should be well-armed by then.

Will let you know when we decide, although imagine there are many hours to be spent with Rightmove between now and then!!

Another hayes (bromley) vote. Lots of great schools here too and £850k show get you a nice house! Train into Waterloo east. Also talk of extending tube down here one day. 20 mins to m25 and 3 mins to countryside!

Seconding raynes park and north Kingston
Also Colliers Wood/east Wimbledon if you want pick an area with houses prices likely to rise

Surbiton. Fast train to Waterloo. Lovely area

I would also say that you can browse and look a little above your budget too as there may be deals to be done. I know two people in East Sheen that have struggled to shift their houses as that middle part of the london market is a bit static. Not many of us can afford it unlike our parents x years ago so now the generation trying to downsize from family homes in those areas have less buyers available.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-66496067.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-50589630.html

The advantage of raynes park is you can get out of London very quickly on the a3 to the m25

You would get a fabulous house for 850k in Epsom. Epsom is the best of both worlds, amazing countryside with a quick and frequent service to London.

Another vote for North Kingston. I was born in SW London and have lived in the area all my life. Settled in NK as it has everything and is great for families.

Agree with the poster above about opting for a 3 bed with room for a loft conversion later. A bit above your budget, would need some updating (and is now sold) but someone got a good deal on this house: www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/60004567

Forgot to say, there are lots of these detached villas in North Kingston (I live in one) and they're fabulous for families as you never have to worry about noise!

Surbiton, Berryland especially, is not great for boys schools. Ok if you have girls though. Ewell/epsom is lovely, good schools, can get fast train from Epsom but still only 23 mins to Vauxhaull from the Ewell stations.

North Kingston doesnt have everything. Its transport is shit.

You may need a bus to Kingston station and certainly need a bus to Richmond. Although lots of trains from Richmond, the traffic on the roads is absolute hell on the roads to Richmond in the morning and although Kingston station may be nearer there aren't that many trains from Kingston station to Waterloo and they stop everywhere.

I'd definitely recommend Guildford over Windsor, much faster trains and it lacks the aircraft noise. And you can get a 4 bed for your money.

No, I'd disagree re Kingston transport. Lots of North Kingston is walkable to the station (Kingston or Norbiton). The 65 bus to Richmond from Richmond Road can be quick (obviously depending on time of day) or the train takes 19 mins. I've lived here for 7 years, commute into C London each day and it's generally fine.

I guess it depends on your definition of good transport. If you live in a rural area then trains every 15 mins will seem pretty good (more frequent at peak times) and the journey to Waterloo is around 30 mins - obvs less for Queenstown Road. The new train operator have promised more peak services and if you're in it for the long-term then Crossrail 2 will be awesome.

I think the only problem with North Kingston to me is the traffic on weekends or rush hour, particularly in winter when the park is closed when it gets dark.

Buses are fine and it's really not a long walk to the station or Rotunda. Haven't been there in years but I'm sure Kingston has night buses from central too and wasn't the 65 24 hours?

The 65 bus on Richmond Road as a good commute

Commute from hell. Park closes at dusk so winter is hell as too much traffic and they are constantly digging up the bloody road outside the dysart so single file traffic and temp traffic lights for weeks on end happens an awful lot

North kingston is not good for commuting t0 richmond station

Beckenham is nice place to live, good for family. Lots of nice cafes, restaurants etc and plenty of amenities
New beckenham and clockhouse overground into Waterloo east

Ah, it wasn't my intention to recommend the 65 for a commute (although I did use it during the SWT works and it's ok around 7am). I'd get a train from Kingston and change at Clapham Junction for Queenstown Road or nearby Battersea Park.

Middle, night bus from central London to Kingston sounds fun

Having said that, when we chose to move to Sutton, I viewed a night bus from Trafalgar Sq as a defnite perk. Luckily, these days the tube runs at night so it's easy enough to get down to Morden + a few mins in a cab from there. Presumably, it works similarly in North Kingston - the tube to Richmond + a cab if you're penny pinching and not getting a cab all the way.

JoJoSM2 it's ok because they finish there so if you fall asleep you know won't be far from home 😂

Tell that to my DP who slept through the Morden turnaround & ended up in Colindale

I meant Kingston but Morden was the end of the line

I've done that before. Got on at Waterloo, promptly fell asleep, did the Morden turnaround and woke up at erm, Waterloo.

Ha! The idea of a baby-free snooze on a train sounds like heaven to me, irrespective of final destination!