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Original poster

Watford- good Forbes raising a family and buying a home?

56 replies

camcam1 · 14/08/2018 15:58

If anyone can advise, I would really appreciate it. We moved a few years ago to Waltham Cross and for various reasons really don’t like the area (not enough shops apart from one M&S and Tesco, and our specific area is not very diverse, no cinema, poor quality parks...).
Within our budget up to £350-425k we were looking into Watford (my eldest ds senior school is near to Watford). Please inform me what the best postcodes are and which postcode to aviod? I have seen some terraces for about £350k I’m WD18, I just don’t want don’t want to repeat the same mistake again. Also insterested in secondaries for my youngest ds in a few years, are there specific roads for WGSB? I would also get him to sit the entrance exam as well.
Any help or advice would much, much be appreciated x

OP posts:
Original poster
camcam1 · 14/08/2018 15:59

Please excuse the typo, I meant for- not Forbes!

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2moveornot2move · 16/08/2018 07:59

Hi. I have lived in Watford all my life as you say, there are good and not so good areas. The best schools are Parmiters and Boys/Girls Grammar and St Michael's (though you need to be Catholic with a certificate of Catholic practice to get in) All of these schools are heavily over subscribed.

After these I would say Queens, Rickmansworth and Bushey Academy.

Francis Combe has a bad reputation. However, most of the children I have known to have gone there in recent years have done very well and been very happy there.

You would need to check the school websites for catchment areas.

Hope that helps a little. X

Original poster
camcam1 · 19/08/2018 08:27

Thank you so much 2moveornot2move. Very useful information. I will defiantly check these schools postcodes. Is the WD18 postcode good? The prices seem reasonable and it’s by the boys grammar. I am just really worried about buying again in an area I end up not liking.

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Original poster
camcam1 · 19/08/2018 08:28

If anyone else could help/ has more information about Watford and facilities/ parks it would be very helpful indeed! Smile

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SleepFreeZone · 19/08/2018 08:29

I agree. I lived near Watford for 15 years. Went to the grammar school and it really does depend on whereabouts in Watford.

2moveornot2move · 19/08/2018 09:32

I lived in Wd25, all within walking distance of home, 5 parks, the leisure park which includes Vue cinema, bowling, Gambado amd a couple of resturants, a tesco express, co-op, spar, post office and other local shops and leisure centre with swimming pool. There are loads of clubs for all ages starting with the children's centre all the way up to adult netball teams.

The town centre has Cassiobury park and the centre itself is undergoing a refurb that will include another cinema.

We love st Albans which was very easy to get to from WD25 and would spend many weekends there, or in the other direction at Rickmansworth aquadrome.

Also within easy reach is Hemel Hempstead with a Cineworld, indoor ski slope and the XC for other indoor activities.

Watford is actually a fab place to raise a family! My preference being Wd25 to WD18.

Original poster
camcam1 · 19/08/2018 11:49

Thank you so much! Yes we too live St Albans, but I don’t think our budget will get us a decent sized 3 bed house.
Will share this invaluable information onto dh. Once again, many thanks x

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PaintedHorizons · 19/08/2018 12:06

I know it fairly well. It'd certainly be on my list of places to move to.
Be aware that that public transport can be poor - especially further out from the town centre and if you are not within walking distance of a station you can find yourself a bit stuck.

SinglePringle · 19/08/2018 12:14

I know it fairly well. Great transport links to London. Town centre undergoing HUGE refurbishment (currently abbuilding site but will be finished soon and looks like it’s going to be good).

St Albans Rd (the end towards the town centre) has good terraced roads on either side. Nascot Wood is very desirable. Lovely houses.

No idea about schools but the Grammars have great reputations.

2moveornot2move · 19/08/2018 12:18

In response to PaintedHorizons above post. We have found public transport to be amazing, buses run every 15 mins, 30 on Sundays, to the town centre/Watford junction. We have actually said that it is a perfect place to live to get easily to anywhere in the world, with the airports and motorways very close by.

Dh and Ds1 worked in central London and it was a relatively simple journey. Dh cycled to the tube station (for a cheaper journey) and Ds1 took the bus to Watford Junction.

user1499523365 · 19/08/2018 13:41

Watford is a posh Luton. I would never move there. I would look at Abbots Langley instead.

user1499523365 · 19/08/2018 13:43

You could look at Hertford, Ware or Welwyn Garden City with your budget. St Albans or Harpenden would be out of budget.

2moveornot2move · 19/08/2018 14:00

@user1499523365 I think that is a very unfair comment. Watford is a large area with good and bad parts, as are most areas. The area I have been talking about, WD25, borders Abbots langley. The issue with Abbots langley is it doesn't fall in to catchment for any decent schools.

SleepFreeZone · 19/08/2018 18:37

Abbots Langley was always pretty tough when I knew it. I wouldn’t want to live there.

SleepFreeZone · 19/08/2018 18:38

*rough

FishesThatFly · 19/08/2018 20:46

Watford born and bred. ..but now moved Grin

I wouldn't live in Wd18. The area around the hospital is a community within itself.

FishesThatFly · 19/08/2018 20:50

There are new estates by the Harry Potter Studios and also into Abbotts.

The catchment for the select schools has got so small now. For example l lived in North Watford and went to Parmiters... but friends who live in the new estate which is walking distance to Parmiters probably won't get in

Gazelda · 19/08/2018 20:55

The best schools are definitely very tricky to get into. Commuting into London is fab. Parking can be very difficult - watch out for permit areas. Lots of open space, shopping, cinemas and leisure.
Where do you need to get to for work/close family etc.?

user1499523365 · 19/08/2018 22:04

Sorry, don't mean to offend but Watford is not a desirable place to live.

No sense of community, big ring road, ugly architecture, heavy traffic...

I'd probably go for another area with lovely state schools, rather than focusing on Parmiters.

What about Hitchin or Kings Langley?

SleepFreeZone · 19/08/2018 22:12

I was in Kings Langley recently and it’s a giant car park now.

TangelasVine · 19/08/2018 22:12

I'm not sure how long ago you lived here user but I find it has a fantastic sense of community. Everyone is so friendly.

Moved here a few years back mainly due to easy commute into London. If you commute worth considering living in easy distance of the junction.
Cassiobury park is beautiful and bigger than Hyde Park to give context.

Shops - there are the large supermarkets like Asda, Sainsburys and big tk maxx.
The town centre is being refurbished and has an intu centre with John Lewis and others.

I think the best bet is to have a look around and see what you think.

Main downside is parking can be a nightmare.

Original poster
camcam1 · 19/08/2018 22:57

Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply. It should be our last move for the next 20 years+, so it’s cruical it is the right one, this time.
User- Hitchin, Abbots Langley, Ware, or Kings Langley are a bit too far out as dh needs to drive for his job in London and ds school senior school is in St Albans. But I Will look into Welwyn, thank you. I have been there a few times. However Watford would be more convenient. And I don’t mind if the architecture isn’t appealing nor if there a big ring road. Just want to buy in a decent postcode, with decent and accessible amenities and good senior school. Smile
FishesThatFly- please may you explain why you wouldn’t live in WD18 and what Watford postcode (if any) would you recommend?
TangelasVine- re the parking; I’m thinking we need to try and get a drive as when we drive to the Intu Watford I noticed no drives (obviously) for the terraces. We will be coming back from work/ school late on weekday evenings so I can imagine the reasonably priced terraces are somewhat reasonable due to lack of private parking.

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TangelasVine · 19/08/2018 23:14

Yes we're in a terrace with no parking. We have got to know who lives on the road vs commuters parking for the station and patterns to it and where spaces appear so we usually get a space now. It's like cracking a secret code Grin
They do talk about getting residents permits but it never actually happens.

FishesThatFly · 20/08/2018 04:29

I don't frequent West Watford anymore as l don't have a need to but the last time l was there l was struck by how it is all one way, restricted parking due to the close proximity of the hospital. Also there was an extremely high asian population which of course isn't an issue in itself but having a high ratio of EAL puts a strain on nearby resources eg schools.

FishesThatFly · 20/08/2018 04:40

It is really difficult to say which are good and bad as there are "good" roads but the next road may be awful.

I personally would not want to live somewhere where l have to struggle to park ourside my home. So that would rule out most of central Watford and any terrace house.

I grew up on a naice road in North Watford and my parents are still there - however it may not be classed as naice to you as it's a very busy noisy main road now.

Same with the known council estates like the Meridian - in my childhood it was known as a really dodgy place but l have a friend who has been given a house there and is really happy.

It's very difficult to say which is good or bad and l moved away decades ago so my info and opinion is based on old experiences.