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.

Had you considered Brighton? People do call it London on sea with some justification but there’s lots going on, great restaurants, frequent trains to London and if you are a home edder I think you would find many like minded peeps there.
As long as you don’t mind having that appalling Lucas woman as your MP

That Sutton house posted earlier. I actually lived/owned in this road at one stage. It was quite busy then (probably more so now), and, although there are plenty of buses up and down the road, you are a fair way from the high street. It's a real 'dormitory' area. I really didn't like it there, purely personal I know, and left after a year.

Sutton does not have a villagey feel at all if that's what you are looking for! It is more nondescript urban with suburban fringes. On the edge there are lavender farms and a 'country' air but I don't think that bit is near a station.

Lived in Caterham for many years. The valley is where the main high street and train station is. The shopping precinct has a limited number of shops but it is supposed to be regenerated at some point. Their is a good mix of schools both private and state. I would say there is a good community feel with regular community events. I would move back in a heartbeat.

I moved to Kenley 18months ago. Although I love our house and the green feel of the area. (Bought a 4 bed detached at similar budget.) I am beginning to hate the area. It's a 25 min walk to the station, there are no buses so I drive my dc everywhere. There is no real high street. There have been a spate of burglaries. Croydon council have also identified Kenley as an intensification zone so the detached houses are being sold off to make flats. My dream home will soon have flats opposite and potentially our direct neighbours are developing as seen them being "measured up". 😥

Brighton feels too far from London - I'd love to be this side of London though for regular trips to the south coast.

bat, thanks for info on the Sutton house.
And moving, for general Sutton info.

Interesting about Caterham - I have actually got two houses saved on RM there, (slightly above budget but been on ages and we aren't ready yet anyway, so maybe by the time we come to move, they'll drop). Thank you. Sorry you aren't liking where you are now though - it's an expensive mistake and hard to know when relocating. Will you move?

Any info on Fetcham/Bookham?

I’m not sure about the trains into London, but both strike me as the sort f place where you will always be taxiing older children around. Surrey buses are expensive and usually run about once an hour.
Both villages are quite pretty, and I’m sure they offer toddler groups, scouts and guides. But not much else.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-60847680.html

This is in the College Area of Epsom. Very villagey feel, cosy pubs etc but only 10 minutes to Epsom town.

That’s a good location movinghouse

Epsom has a lot going for it, 2 swimming pools, an odeon, a great library in the Ebbisham centre, a popular theatre, and you can trains and buses out it it! I used to work in Epsom and loved popping up to the Downs for a lunch time walk.

Sutton is quite horrid. I've moved out a couple of years ago and never looked back. Quite rough at night, lots of dodgy types occupying the green spaces in the summer and the high street is quite ugly.

Will focus on Epsom as opposed to Sutton then, and hope to get a doer upper - detached - and with a bigger garden.

What about Leatehrhead?
I like these two, but one is right on the M25 - am concerned about the pollution of that.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-60077652.html

or

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-61477326.html?backListLink=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FlocationIdentifier&onetime_ShowNotes=true.

This could work - what's the area like for where this s in Epsom? www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-80331260.html?backListLink=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DOUTCODE%255E1292%26minBedrooms%3D4%26maxPrice%3D800000%26minPrice%3D350000%26propertyTypes%3Ddetached%252Cbungalow&onetime_savedPropertyId=80331260#summary80331260

Avoid that leatherhead one. Unless you like living between the M25 and B&Q. Near bus routes though.

Fetcham ok. Not much transport wise and a bit bleak/samey.

Bookham is nice. Villagey. Half hourly trains. Teen social lives will be Guildford based.

Don't know about the Epsom one - is that at the top of the downs?

Leatherhead has a good leisure centre and a small local theatre, and the station is reasonably close to the town centre. It’s also close to some very pretty countryside, 5 miles, maybe less, from Box hill for example. Again if you are thinking ahead for access to independent activities for older children, it may be a bit limiting. You would be reliant on Surrey Buses, whereas London buses still do routes from Epsom into Kingston, and Sutton I think, but not sure.
Ashstead has quite a nice village feel to it, small high street with some independent stores and coffee shops but the station always seems is a bit out the of the way, but there again, I’m an avowed car user so my view may not be accurate. Sorry about the pollution!

Thanks, Titchy. No, I don't want to live on the M25! :)
Will look at Bookham then, as opposed to Fetcham.
I don't know - am hoping an Epsomite will tell me!

Thanks, voice - Surrey buses are sounding terrible. How DO the teens get around, if their parents can't drive them and the buses are so bad? Do they just languish at the local park? I am now leaning back towards Epsom as opposed to further out - especially if the one I linked to above is in a nice area - it will probably sell before we are ready but it's good to see that doer uppers come up in our price range. Though I actually LOVE the pink suite and might not even change it!
And ha - I'm not anti-car - I rely on ours - but I don't want to live so close to the biggest motorway and have my kids breathe in excess fumes.

Teens use trains....! And buses - even if buses are infrequent most teens can look at a timetable and work out that they need to be on the 6.15 otherwise they'll have to wait an hour for the next one. It's not that big a deal tbh.

The first Epsom one was better, walking distance into town. And close to a very nice pub I used to go to with colleagues 😉
The other is a bit out of the way, and the road it’s off is very up hill and down dale, good for total body workout but I think you would be mums taxi

Ok, I was meaning more if there were no near train stations - not an issue here but further out there are no trains in some areas for miles.
Thanks, voice - I'd sacrifice easy walking distance to town for the bigger space - bigger garden too, and detached too. I do need to get fit too!

The Epsom house is not hat good for trains (slow Victoria service rather than Waterloo)

We live 2 stops up from Epsom near Cheam and Ewell - very nice but prices have gotten ridiculous and you can barely get a 4 bed semi round here for your budget

You will either have to sacrifice space in house, transport links or location I think to get a detached house

If you're sacrificing easy walk to town that means you'll be the taxi...

Oh dear. Well I just can't have it all and something will have to give. The kids need a bigger garden than the small semi/terraced property - they are both keen gardeners and love growing things, as well as just being outside in their own space. I guess they can always cycle! Or I somehow need to acquire an extra £200k!

How old are your dc? Would an allotment work for you?

You could always get an allotment and compromise slightly on garden space? There are loads of allotments around the Epsom/Ewell area and the waiting lists are not that long.

A good way to get to know people too,