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!

Burton Stone Lane, York, YO30
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-62231016.html

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/property/isle-of-man/?beds_min=5&page_size=25&price_max=900000&price_min=750000&q=Isle%20of%20Man&radius=0

Lots of flights to London

Belfast. Flights to London are about 50 minutes, our education system and schools are excellent and you'd get your dream home and more for £900k. Actually check out Holywood, Co Down...some very naice houses/areas/schools and close to Belfast which is actually a great city for culture, eating out, etc.

Poole........ 2 hours from London - not commutable daily, although people do, but I regularly do it for client meetings and is fine.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/map.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E1079&minBedrooms=4&maxPrice=900000&minPrice=700000&numberOfPropertiesPerPage=499&propertyTypes=detached&secondaryDisplayPropertyType=detachedshouses&includeSSTC=true&viewType=MAP&mustHave=garden%2Cparking&viewport=-1.99256%2C-1.91016%2C50.7078%2C50.7319

This one is in the same location of Cardiff mentioned further up the thread. It has it's own separate guest area, perfect for an au pair.

I live zone 5 London and agree with PPs that you can get decent house nice area 4 beds etc etc on outskirts London, Herts, Essex no probs.

£900k would get you 6 bed detached and 2/3 acre not far from me.

I'm amazed by the number of posters ignoring the "North or East of London" part of the OP.

Lincolnshire and East Anglia are beautiful in places and definitely within your budget but if you want good transport links to the north as well as to London then you'd be better off in the home counties to the north of London. St Alban's, Hitchin, that sort of area.

E.g. www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-71606842.html

maybe not cambridge but surrounding areas within driving distance

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-60084336.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70043383.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-59840181.html

I’d be determined to move to Edinburgh tbh! You could buy this and be close to Edinburgh as well as beaches and not that far from train links / airport / Glasgow etc

I Hope the OP comes back, you've all worked hard to make suggestions. Wonder what the OP thinks of all of the ideas?

Thank you everyone for your replies! And I am amazed that I have received so many. Some incredible houses here, but out of interest to those who have replied do you have working knowledge of the area? We will be relocating to a new area and as much as this is about a search for a new house.....by default we will be in many ways starting all over again, so opportunities to make friends and establish roots is also a high priority. I don’t ask for much!

I’ve not had a chance to look at all of your suggestions, but Cumbria and Yorkshire look nice and are relatively near to some family members. Can’t do Bristol or anywhere west of London due to the logistics of visiting ageing parents.

I hadn’t looked at Cambridge borders as had assumed it was too pricey. Good suggestion.

Thank you all.

Yes, I live in Ripon. I relocated to Ripon about 10 years ago.

I have friends who moved here who chose it for the schools, doing a radius search from their DH work.

Happy to answer any questions you may have. Good luck, exciting times.

I realise you say you can't do west, but I had to post this. In beautiful village with fast train to London. Not far from M5 for trips north.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-73621769.html

Lubenham Hill, Market Harborough, Leicestershire
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-67743847.html smashed it! Only an hour from London on the train. Great schools and there are private schools near if that interests you. Even got you an extra bedroom and some change!

Hale in trafford great schools, trams into Manchester from Altrincham, lots of hospitals

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-71473768.html

The shelfords just outside of Cambridge have a good community, good primary schools, quick train links to London and you’re commutable to many local hospitals including addenbrookes which has a good reputation.

yeah i heard addenbrookes a great hospital plus cambridge a very nice place.The countryside surrounding cambridge is very nice

When you say you 'cannot afford to live in London' - would you actually prefer to stay in London? There are great family areas with large houses for under 900k in outer London.

Another York person here. This is lovely. Naice area, near the river, within walking distance of the station and the city centre, good state schools nearby (and independent too, if that's what you're looking for).

I've been in houses in this street - they're gorgeous.

Ooh, this is well under your budget. Just off Bishopthorpe Road (very sought-after), and again within easy walking distance of the station and the city centre. Also very close to Rowntrees Park and the river. Excellent primary school close by.

I'm on a roll now! Last one, I promise: on Bishopthorpe Road itself..Again well under your budget (spot Jesus in the corner ).

I’d look at leeds and wakefield. It’s under 2 hours from wakefield to kings cross, plus driving you have the M1, A1 and M62 all within reach. Then you also have leeds bradford and doncaster airports close.

Good schools, both state and private. 900k would buy you what you want easily.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70614730.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-79658351.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-80059571.html. I couldn’t live in a church, but wow!

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-55819749.html

Ok one more. I lied. This one is on The Mount - a very prestigious address near the racecourse and again not far from town / city centre. Well under budget again. It's got a huge garden which needs some TLC but otherwise a bit of a blank canvas (I think one of my old school teachers lived here!)

Lichfield
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-71055031.html

2 stations offering trains to London in an hour and a quarter