Outer London/Surrey - London or Surrey, best of both?

[Yoozanaim]

Hi
Further to my other posts regarding relocating (so thank you again those who contributed there) I am weighing up my options - 'proper' Surrey (Guildford/Godalming/Oxted etc), or Surrey/Greater London borders.
DH will be commuting in to London so I am factoring in commute times and costs, but also finding the right area for us to raise our children. I had my heart set on a pretty Surrey village but am a bit put off by some previous comments about how isolating that could be for independent teens, so am rethinking that, as well as a tedious commute into London.

So I have started looking at the Greater London area which is London-ish but also Surrey. I'd love some input please into the following areas - primarily - how nice they are, do they feel proper Surrey or more like London (or a good combination of both/neither/or what), do any have a pretty high street and a nice village green, do they have a nice community vibe, are they safe? Anything I need to know (apart from schooling.)?

• Tadworth
• Caterham
• Cheam
• Kenley
• Old Coulsdon
• Warlingham
• Chaldon
• Banstead

(I am not closed to any other similar areas - have listed these as I have identified affordable properties that fit our requirements there.)
Thank you in advance.

Haslemere is 45 mins into Waterloo. It's a commuter town

As per below comments Farnham is nice. Or if you jump slightly into Hampshire; Liphook or even Bordon (which is on the up) you can get a lot more house for your money than Surrey

I think West Byfleet ticks all your boxes including nice community, commute time and budget (though would have to be a do-er upper). Ditto villages around Woking. I had originally been looking at Walton but realised could get closer to station and bigger house for same money. I love it here- thought I wouldn't fit in/find it suffocating but it's a lovely, easy place for families.

Some of the areas you have mentioned are within London zones, so the travel will be cheaper, generally faster and more regular. They'll also feel more suburban but they do not in anyway shape or form feel like London.

You probably need to decide do you want the travel links? For example Warlingham will have the East Grinstead line (Upper Warlingham) and the Caterham line (Whyteleafe) so has good transport links and those stations are a stones throw from each other. However, it's London buses, Zone 6, less rural.
Whereas Oxted is only the East Grinstead line but will cost more as out of the London Zones, has a less reliable bus service etc but feels slightly more country. Neither are particularly village-y any more however due to housing development.

Not much less rural. This is Whyteleafe park and Riddlesdown common.

A previous poster said not Tadworth, it certainly used to be pleasant, but I left there many years ago. How about the Tattenham corner area? There's a station there, but also access to lots of countryside.
I always liked Dorking and the surrounding villages, some of them are very pretty, but also expensive. Ashtead is pleasant as well.
It's a shame that a lot of areas were blighted by the M25 - like Headley and Walton on the Hill. Areas south of Epsom Downs always felt really rural before they were ruined by road noise.
Anyway, that's my trip down memory lane. Hope you find what you're looking for op.

I do quite fancy Godalming - have seen a few properties there I like.

2919, we have moved several times and always lived attached - and had problems every single time.
One neighbour wouldn't tolerate my toddler crying when he fell over and hurt himself - and would bang on our walls every single time he made a noise. It was very stressful. She was actually a lodger and the owner kicked her out over this (think it was actually the last straw and owner was happy to be rid)
Other times it's been us that have felt frustrated with noise or something - one neighbour had the loudest barking dog in the world, and it barked every time someone walked past the house.
Another house, we lived next to a smoker who'd open his windows to smoke and it would waft into our home through the vents - let alone we couldn't open our windows in the summer as it would be even more full on.
Another neighbour, well, I'm blushing at remembering the noises of that couple. That was before we had our own kids and I don't want to have to explain to my four year old what those kinds of noises are all about.
I just don't want to have to put up with any of that again, or be the one who has to feel I have to shush my children for being children - I spoke to a few people about that neighbour and all said she was unreasonable and we should ignore her, but it really got to us and was so stressful - he seriously wasn't an especially loud toddler, but they get hurt and cry and without exception, she'd be banging on our wall about it. I am sure there are lovely neighbours to be had - we had some on the other side of the banging wall woman and that was wonderful, but I don't want to risk it again and waste 650k and be unhappy.

YetAnotherThing - that is very interesting indeed. I can't imagine we could afford anything within z4. I am also a bit concerned about traffic pollution and feel being out in the country would be better for that. I guess Richmond is very green and that would be idyllic, however, way way out of budget - I'd probably need a whole extra million!

Thank you Albus - I have already bookmarked that one! :)

Village-like would be ideal, I accept I won't get everything I want. :( So Kenley is a possibility as the larger homes with decent-sized gardens are coming up within budget. But I do not have my heart set on Kenley.

I do fancy Farnham. I worry that even though people are listing commuter towns, if a train has issues/cancelled/line disrupted etc, it will mean a horrific journey home (or in) - or does this rarely happen and I don't need to worry about it? At least to Kenley he could get a taxi home without breaking the bank or relying on a replacement bus service that would only get him home at midnight having left work at 6.

Thanks Tick, will keep an eye on West Byfleet.

Thanks for transport info, Berry.
Is there a website that helps me narrow down which stations have good train services? I am currently inputting everything manually into trainline.com and it's taking ages.

MrsBB, that looks lovely!

Ah thanks, bat. I do feel a lure towards Dorking and the surrounding area. Though I heard the trains were rubbish.

What about Godstone, Bletchingley or South Nutfield? They are all just out of Reigate / redhill so would need to drive for a wuick train line but do have the village community and decent prices that you are after?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-60677550.html

This is a lovely house if you could stretch the budget slightly...

Open to all of those!
And LOVE that one you linked to - thank you!

Trains aren't rubbish from Dorking. It is the Epsom train.

Yes, when trains anywhere go wrong it is frustrating but I don't think it happens more on this line than anywhere else in the country.

Esher
Cobham
Oxshott

Have you thought about down the Brighton main line? As a previous poster suggested bletchingly and Godstone there’s also West Sussex. One of the places served by the Gatwick Express (and that serves towns and villages all the way to Brighton) so the commute time may be better than some of those Surrey towns on the branch lines you’re looking at.. Obviously might not be Surrey yummy mummy enough down here ..

trains in West Sussex are operated by southern and Surrey is SWT which is more reliable on the whole.
I wasn’t a fan of the Surrey mummy culture as stated, but others seem not to mind it (or even like it).

If you’re planning on continuing home educating then there’s definitely an argument to say better to be on Surrey/London borders. I home ed with teens now and am near Carshalton. It helps that it’s not too hard for them to get into London. There are quite a few home edders around in the area and quite a lot going on for them.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-79266158.html
How about this one op?

I live in Epsom and we love it. 35 mins train journey into Waterloo, or you can go to Victoria or London Bridge. Great sense of community, lots of activities, starting to get better shops, easy access to lots of countryside, the Downs, lots of parks, very good schools (state and private). Take a look at the What's on in Epsom facebook page for events etc. Definitely not like London! Houses are expensive though. If you like new build there are lots of new developments on the old hospital sites. Livened up annually by the Derby which is tremendous fun in the town. Ashtead also nice but you can hear the M25 from pretty much everywhere and it is smaller and quieter. There are some Ashtead community facebook pages you could look at to get a feel of what happens there. Dorking is lovely, it has a super high street. How about outskirts of Woking as an alternative?

I am looking at everyone's suggestions, thank you all very much.

What is a Surrey Yummy Mummy?! I am probably not very yummy. Oh well.

lilyfire, is it just the access to London that you say focus on the Surrey/London area for home ed, or is there more to it? I am hoping to continue home ed and not have them in school, just have school as an option (can't see it happening, but they are young and remote chance they may choose to).

I have been looking at Epsom a bit more, looks like a good option, (though I'd only go to the gates of the Derby to protest it!).
Also keen on outskirts of Woking - seeing affordable options for us there. Just ironing out details like train times and costs.

Epsom is more attractive imo than Woking. The downs are really lovely, with stunning views. Epsom has quite a nice town centre, and it is easier to get into London.

I’m not sure the Surrey mummy type is terribly yummy, but it is quite a homogeneous culture. If you have the temerity to be as important professionally as your husband (or -whisper it - even more so) you will automatically be suspect. Also if you have an old car. People were genuinely shocked that I drove a 15 year old car.
It’s all coming back to me now. V glad I’m not there anymore.

Also they appeared to have no sense of humour at all. I dont think I heard genuine mirth the entire time I was there.

Just going to chuck something a bit more urban into the mix - there are a few detached options in Ewell/Cheam etc but this one is in central Sutton:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-69820633.html

Epsom is looking nice, and I think it possibly has the balance we need.

Ha! Well, I'm not important professionally except to my children with who I home educate! And our car is 10 years old. I'm also hilarious! I'll fit right in!

Ooh I like that Sutton one - thank you! It's promising that there are options around our budget.

Sutton is beyond horrid as a town centre, but that house is more like Carshalton. The grammar system may not suit you, though, with the home ed aspect.

Surrey is no more infested with rich mums than anywhere else.

Right, I was wondering what Sutton was like/Carshalton.

I think we are leaning towards being slightly further out, and getting more house for our money.