Help - Buying in Orpington

[itsmehere1]

Hello all. We have been planning to buy a house for almost 6 months now but don't seem to be getting anywhere. We are planning to have a child next year. We have three requirements:

1. Min. 3 bed house with 1 bath and 1 down-stair toilet (if possible) near to the Orpington station (10-12 minutes walking) as we both work in the city (Tower Hill and City Thameslink)

1. House to be in catchment of good primary (maybe Tubbenden?), good secondary (maybe Darrickwood) and also near to grammar schools (maybe St Olaves/Newstead) if possible

1. Budget of 500-575k

Hoping someone with good knowledge of Orpington area can help us here. If someon can point to good streets/areas (we have seen Ridgeway Crescent/Tubbenden Lane). We are also open to Hayes (Pickhurst/Hayes Secondary) with same criterias. Thanks.

We are selling our 5 bedroom house in orpington. Please pm me if you would like details

Is it just Orpington you are looking in?

Thanks. We are open to other locations.

You could possibly get something to suit you in West Wickham. It also has good schools. The prices maybe a little higher than Orpington but with falling prices there's houses in your price range. Bromley also is a little cheaper. Shirley has nice houses, much cheaper but not sure on schools.

Which lane Would you refer to in Bromley/ West Wickham ?

In West Wickham the Coney Hall area can be quite cheap and also near Hayes station for commuting. I'm not sure of specific roads but just look what is available on Rightmove and not too far from West Wickham station, and possibly advertised as Langley catchment area.
For Bromley, look within reasonable distance of Bromley South as it's good for fast trains.

Orpington has plenty of houses in that price range. The bus station is right next to the train station so you could go a little further out, say look around Green St Green or Farnborough. There is a nice new development at Broadwater Green in Farnborough. Or Petts Wood is nice and also has a fast train service. Otherwise, plenty of houses up to a miles walk from the station. It's a pleasant surburban place. There is a poster on here called PettswoodParadise who is very knowledgeable about this area.

There is a Bromley schools league table online.

Itsme I don’t know Orpington that well, but yy West Wickham lovely high street some good restaurants & coffee places, also excellent schools & family friendly , Shirley is cheaper but further from rail services schools are pretty good.

Thanks for the recommendation MrsPatmore.

I have replied to OP’s pm and just to put in the public domain, Petts Wood is a great place but won’t suit everyone. It lacks the edginess some people say they like. It has a great primary school in Crofton. However it can be a secondary school conundrum depending on what you are looking for. All my friends have found great secondaries for their children but there is no single ‘catchment comprehensive’. Some end up at Kent, Bexley or Orpington grammars. Boys who opt for non-selective often at Ravenswood, girls for non-selectives end up at Coopers, Chislehurst School or girls or Bishop Justus.