Can you find me a house for £900K?

[Wheretoeast]

Calling all Rightmove enthusiasts! I hope you can help me find a home and an area that both DH and I can agree on.

We cannot afford to live in London and require a bigger house so that we can get an au pair as family on both sides are unfortunately not in a position to help us with the kids. My ideal location would be Edinburgh and surrounding areas, but husband won’t agree to this. He says it’s too cold up there.

Extended family live north and east, so relocating south or west of London not an option for us. We looked at Cambridge but we wouldn’t be able to get more for our money there.

Any ideas? Musts are a 4 bed, good sized garden and preferably a period style property, although I am open to ideas. Eldest is 5, so good school a must. Ideal would be to live in an area with good links to London as DH has the odd client meeting there. I’m a NHS worker and can find work wherever we may go......which only adds to the problem of where should this be?

Help!

Leamington spa?
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-66819682.html

How close to London do you want?

Musts are a 4 bed, good sized garden and preferably a period style property, although I am open to ideas. Eldest is 5, so good school a must. Ideal would be to live in an area with good links to London as DH has the odd client meeting there

So basically you are the bog-standard Home Counties buyer then?
Everybody wants a naice/period-style house with good commuting and space and schools. Nobody wants to accept they are one of millions all hankering after the same thing so supply is short and price is high.

What are you willing to compromise on and what are your dealbreakers?

Bishops stortford: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-80638571.html

Chingford:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-81003761.html

High Barnet

Cumbria is fab!! And good train links to London!! Carlisle and surrounding areas will have more than enough of the type of house you need!!

You can have mine for £900k. In fact, you could also have the houses either side! Only 15 minutes from city centre Manchester, nature trail and National Cycling route on our back doorstep, outstanding primary and secondary schools within 10 minutes drive. Within 30 minutes drive of 5 big hospitals.
If you knock through all 3 houses you'd have just what you're after for half your budget 🤣

£895k, 4 bed, moat (no visible duck house!) 2 acres, excellent motorway links, 1hr47 train to Euston

Don't discount Cambridge. If you look at a radius if about 20 miles out (it's not far driving wise in time) there are lots that would get you what you want for your money. Cambridge North station is good for parking and trains to London.

Look up the east coast mainline - it's pretty speedy so you can go a long way north and still reach London in a couple of hours.

If you go as far as Lincolnshire, I think they still have state grammars for secondary - this may or may not be a good thing, depending on your pov.

South Downs

Little Drove Cottage, Singleton, PO18
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-77255750.html

We’re half an hour from Cambridge in a very affordable village. It depends if you have to live in the centre of Cambridge. As a PP poster said, if you can live in a surrounding area you’d afford a decent house easily (we paid 250k for a four bed detached five years ago). So 900k would buy you something huge.

Sorry missed the 'not South of London'

If I had that money I would buy this.

Outskirts of Cardiff. Excellent schools. I have been lusting after it.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-76125824.html

How about Bristol? Easy to get to London and good links to M5.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-78712688.html

Also Bristol: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-69521941.html

I’m sorry for 900k you can buy almost anywhere in Essex or Kent or Surry. The desire for period features is silly- often a home with period features means badly insulated and draughty with lots of expensive work required. Get a modern 4-bed near a main-line station, or go for somewhere like Loughton or Epping or Upminster. You’ll be 25 minutes from the centre of London by train but still be able to get everything else for 900k.

Eg all of these less than half a mile from Epping station:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=STATION%5E3278&insId=1&maxPrice=900000&minBedrooms=4&retirement=false&primaryDisplayPropertyType=detachedshouses&radius=1.0&propFeature=Garden&propFeature=Parking&googleAnalyticsChannel=buying

Slightly under budget, but I love the original features, it has a beautiful garden and it’s in a terrific area. (Best area of Birmingham in my opinion)

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-80722610.html

Anything on the East Coast main line, or East Midlands line
Sheffield
Leeds
York
Leicester
Derby
Nearer to London
Peterborough

Worcestershire is nice - good transport links to the north and to London and Birmingham, excellent schools. Get plenty more for your money there.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-80761997.html

East Riding of Yorkshire?

Train station in brough direct to London in 3 hrs with all day parking for £5.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-53946540.html

It's beautiful up North

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-61298619.html

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-79675670.html

Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield - North of Birmingham with excellent rail lines into Birmingham centre and beyond. Schools are excellent and highly sought after in this area.

I agree with hidden, that’s why I suggested Chingford and Bishops stortford. 900k will get you a five bed no problem.

Although I also love Worcester and that house and 'garden' look amazing!

for 900k you can buy almost anywhere in Essex or Kent or Surrey

Really??

I think that might be a little bit of a stretch!