£350-400k, 3 beds with garden within 2 hrs direct train to London

[breadwidow]

Inspired by another thread where the OP got lots of suggestions, I need some suggestions for towns for relocation options. Quite typical story, moving out of London to free up some £, and to a place where DH could afford to set up longed for bakery. I will keep my job in civil service (which I love) so need to get to London fairly easily, for travel at least twice a week but likely not every day (hence happy with 2 hour journey)

So looking for locations:
Within about 2 hours train journey to London (I would stretch over that for the right place)
With decent schools (the biggest wrench will be leaving my sons outstanding primary)
Where houses with 3-4 bedrooms and decent size gardens, ideally within walking distance to the station, cost £350-400k

Even better if it's a location where you can see an artisan bakery doing well and extra marks for being near some wild / dramatic country side (this may be asking for the moon on a stick but I miss the landscapes of mid wales near to where I grew up)

[LadyGAgain]

Edge of southdowns, I hour fast train to Waterloo, outstanding schools, 10 miles from the coast. 4 bed detached, off road parking. How does this sound?

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-63337267.html

Does this link work? (I honestly have no idea how to make this work from a mobile device )

[breadwidow]

Thanks, great suggestions

I wouldn't get a season ticket I expect as likely make 2 return journeys a week and book in advance (or one return and stay overnight in London - though obv that comes with other costs despite having family to stay with likely in exchange for babysitting )

Salisbury is already on the list, despite recent events

[ProfessorSprout]

You’d get 5 beds for that price in parts of West Mids eg Stafford is 1hr15 from Euston

@GingerAndBiscuits I was about to say a 90 minute commute from Stoke on the train, you could buy a huge 5 bed in the countryside of Staffordshire.

[Loopy9]

Oh come to Berkshire. Twyford or Wokingham or even Bracknell would absolutely love a bakery and it’s easy for you to get to either Paddington or Waterloo.

[Lowdoorinthewal1]

North Dorset

Needs a bit of work.

[FraterculaArctica]

Baldock in N Herts? Much closer to London but you'd get a house in that price range and schools are good.

[Japanesejazz]

Bingham, Nottinghamshire. Voted best town in England to raise a family. 1.5 hours to kings cross. And I have a 5 bed detached about to go on the market for £350k for a quick sale

[furlinedsheepskinjacket]

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70263857.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-52183815.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-53317683.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-71118770.html

[Lowdoorinthewal1]

This is right next to the hill in the famous Warburtons advert. Perfect bakery vibes!!

[Flibbertyjibbit]

Cardiff is 2hr 15min to London Paddington. Lots of lovely 4 bed houses with garden in your budget. Artisan bakery would thrive in Cardiff suburbs. Wild countryside stone's throw away too. Good schools too.

[Squashpocket]

Some lovely places to live in south Warwickshire, slightly over an hour on the train to London. I would have thought a season ticket would cost a bloody fortune though!

[MrsBertBibby]

Stood or Rochester, or further out along the North Kent coast. All rather lovely in places. But grammar schools, which may not be your bag.

[Alabasterangel6]

Another one for Staffs. stone, uttoxeter, Stafford, etc all have train stations. And outstanding schools 😉. Lichfield is really lovely.

This is in a semi rural village between Lichfield and Stafford:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-50886057.html

This is more central in Stafford itself 5 mins from station:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-71762558.html

[caperberries]

Framingham?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-50406558.html#_full-description

[Brittanyspears]

Hassocks? Haywards Heath?

[BonnieF]

Market Harborough in south Leicestershire is a lovely market town 1 hour from st Pancras, and well within budget.

[wobytide]

Dorset/New Forest smaller places like Christchurch still get mainline trains but have slightly more character and a more quirky high street with quite a few artisan/deli type shops(has a food festival each year too if he wants a stall I guess!). C. 2hrs to London and a lot of upheaval in councils in the area with reforming all Dorset's councils along with Bournemouth and Poole

[TheClitterati]

Folkestone !

[TheClitterati]

55 min to Kings Cross

[TheClitterati]

I mean St Pancras

[TapStepBallChange]

Ely? about 1hr 15 into Kings Cross, nr Cambridge, if you slightly further up the line, such as Littleport or Downham Market are even cheaper

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-69696350.html

[thereinmadnesslies]

Bishop’s Stortford in herts - we need an artisan bakery 😂.
You could get a three bed semi within your budget and the commute to London is approx one hour. Loads of good schools as well.

[Waterlemon]

Canterbury? Or the smaller towns/villages near by.
Thanet

Horley,
Crawley
Horsham
Hove

Although the southern towns will seriously stretch your budget!

You could even manage to find something within budget in sw London suburbs eg parts of kingston, Merton, Sutton, Banstead, Epsom, Ewell, cheam.

[wonkylegs]

York 2hrs 12mins direct train into kings cross

You should get something in your parameters and you also get some wonderful countryside and a beautiful city

[Strawberrylaceaddict]

Milton Keynes? Good schools and around 45 mins in the train, although south mk is much nicer, making it more expensive. We moved to wootton which was half the cost and only 20 mins drive away, Northampton train station again is not far from here and the schools round here are excellent. You could get a very good sized 4 bed here for that sort of price range.