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Original poster

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

179 replies

Yoozanaim · 05/04/2019 16:54

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.

OP posts:
Original poster
Yoozanaim · 07/04/2019 21:36

Sound pretty similar indeed! I hope we don't outbid each other! Grin

We'd rather be south, as opposed to north of London - I have been to St.Albans and it is lovely though.

OP posts:
Original poster
Yoozanaim · 07/04/2019 21:39

voice, why would it not to be good to live there and be right on the doorstep for cycling? He can always cycle out and then back in!
I do fancy something waterside - though these are seemingly above budget from my searches so far.
Thank you for that list - we will have a good look around.

OP posts:
Usingmyindoorvoice · 07/04/2019 21:44

Also as your children are still quite young don’t overthink the getting around independently stuff as they will adapt to the environment, and you can’t know yet what they will be keen to do. They may be home birds or interested in an activity that needs your taxi input eg elite swim squad, or drama company

Original poster
Yoozanaim · 07/04/2019 21:47

Thanks - very true. I do feel I have signed up to be a taxi service til they can drive. Also I guess public transport could improve in ten years!

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Usingmyindoorvoice · 07/04/2019 21:50

It was a bit of a leg pull!
Surrey is a MAMIL magnet and every day the roads are full of people re- creating the Olympic route, or at least that’s what it feels like.
If only they were just cycling 2 mins to the station and back... but it’s always a peloton of Lycra buttocks

TickVG · 07/04/2019 21:55

I spent the few months before we found our Surrey house visiting Surrey towns every weekend. It was pretty tedious but we knew we needed to get more of a feel for the places than we could get from all our internet searching. Are you able to do that OP? Pyrford house looks good. It's a nice little village with WB station still within cycling distance for DH's commute. I know I'm biased but I was so pleasantly surprised by how good the commute is here. In the mornings it's 45ish mins but you always get a seat because most trains start at Woking where people have option of fast trains. Then in the evening there are reasonably regular fast trains which take 25 mins. It's fab.

Original poster
Yoozanaim · 07/04/2019 22:24

Oh I see! :)

Yes, we will have a really good look around before investing £650k, don't want to get it wrong, and I want for this to be our forever home (til kids fly the nest, at least.)

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Usingmyindoorvoice · 07/04/2019 22:45

I don’t know the Woking area so well, but my dcs used to love the leisure centre, Woking town centre itself is under going a massive development with high rise blocks etc, but has a top theatre, great library and much more culturally diverse community than most of Surrey, due in no small part to the first British Mosque having been founded there in Victorian times. It’s a very lovely building.
West Byfleet seems nice enough, but to be honest it’s a place I only ever drive past to get to Woking.

TickVG · 07/04/2019 22:54

I suppose I just meant we didn't focus in on a few areas, we did an exhaustive search - even of places that we thought we probably wouldn't like, and ended up in one of the places that we'd ruled out. Good luck with the search anyway - hope you find somewhere good

Original poster
Yoozanaim · 07/04/2019 23:23

I will have a good look around, as much as possible. Though it feels like you don't really know a place until you live there.

OP posts:
gleegeek · 07/04/2019 23:54

I think the Guildford/Godalming area would suit you well. I believe there are thriving home ed groups, lots of culture, easy access to the countryside, great pubs and cafes, the Spectrum is well used by our teens as is the cinema. The lido in the summer is gorgeous!
The trains are reasonably frequent up to London or down to Portsmouth. Buses are usually 1 an hour out in the villages but the children seem to cope!
It's such a pretty area and not entirely peopled by Surrey mummies!

DdJames · 08/04/2019 00:23

If you fancy a project!? Walking distance to two main line stations, one to London Bridge the other Victoria.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-76235855.html

LIZS · 08/04/2019 07:47

Be wary of waterside properties in that area of Surrey. Very bad flooding a few years ago in central Guildford and along the rivers Mole and Thames. Mickleham is a cute village just off A24 between Leatherhead and Dorking, has a station within walking distance, good pubs and near Denbies winery and Box Hill. Access point to Box Hill for cyclists though so can get busy at times. There are decent secondaries with 6th forms in both towns.

partofthewind · 08/04/2019 09:15

I do think Dorking ticks most of the boxes you want if you have to have a villagey vibe as well as good transport, countryside and stuff going on. There's even a TFL bus that goes from Dorking to Kingston (465). Although the train journeys are longer you have the option of trains from Dorking Main to Waterloo, Victoria and some to London Bridge, you can change at Epsom for more options, and trains from Dorking Deepdene go via Gatwick/Redhill. Theres even a third Railway Station on the other side of the town.

I also think the Woking area and surrounding villages fit the bill, while Woking is built up these days it's a lot nicer than it used to be, plus places nearby like Brookwood and Chobham are very nice. Trains into Waterloo are very frequent and fast. Also you'd not have to use Southern Railway who are the worst and put me off living anywhere in East Surrey (they are the reason my sisters family moved away from the Oxted area as the East Grinsted line was a nightmare for getting into London).

Great Bookham is lovely if you are over 65 Smile. Certain areas of Leatherhead and Ashtead are close to the M25 but it's not true that you can hear it from everywhere. I think Ashtead is probably also a good bet for what you're looking for.

Definitely come and visit.

partofthewind · 08/04/2019 09:16

When I say villagey about Dorking I don't mean quiet and quaint, but there is a bit of community there, much more so than in Leatherhead.

NK493efc93X1277dd3d6d4 · 08/04/2019 10:40

Don't think Cheam is what you're looking for at all.

Original poster
Yoozanaim · 08/04/2019 10:43

gleegeek, I already saw they had a lido - my two LOVE a lido, so thank you for reminding me - it looks really great, as does Spectrum.

Dd thank you - I already have that one saved - I really like it a lot. I even love the coloured bathroom suite! Just to decide closer to London or more out to real Surrey!

LIZS thank you, I will remember about the flooding concerns.

wind, thank you, that's really helpful.

OP posts:
Original poster
Yoozanaim · 08/04/2019 10:47

xpost. Thanks, NK49.

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letsdolunch321 · 08/04/2019 11:29

I moved from Cheam 3yrs ago, I would never move back to this or surrounding areas.

If you are on Facebook you could add yourself to groups in the areas you are looking to move to. This may give you an idea of what the area is like

MrsBertBibby · 08/04/2019 12:36

To be fair every facebook page I have ever seen is just people moaning.

Original poster
Yoozanaim · 08/04/2019 21:29

Ha, lol. Yes, same as here, eh!
Thanks - have followed a Surrey page, will get more focused.

OP posts:
lilyfire · 08/04/2019 21:40

Sorry late response to your question re home ed. It’s not just the transport but there are quite a few home ed groups around this area.

Original poster
Yoozanaim · 08/04/2019 22:01

That's great, thank you.

OP posts:
Orchardgreen · 09/04/2019 02:27

You can look all day on Rightmove, OP, but you won’t get much of an idea about Surrey unless you actually go and look round. You can’t afford a detached house in a pretty village with a green. In reality there’s miles of suburbia, same as anywhere else in the UK. It’s overpriced and over valued.

memememe · 09/04/2019 13:40

for home ed and commuting purposes i would seriously consider guildford/woking area, tons for the kids to do and regular buses/trains. lots of home ed stuff goes on in guildford and surrounding.

im nearer epsom and there is a few he families here and its also a fab place to live with good public transport so id concentrate on those 2 areas. can give more specific advice if needed. but i know the areas very well!!