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!

Some more food for thought. Thanks again.

JoJo - I’d prefer to leave London. I’d rather live outside of London than the suburbs.

Thanks Sally and Newname for coming up with a few ideas. I wasn’t aware about the airlinks.

Putyourbackintoit - that house is incredible! Shame we cannot move west.

The Shelton surrounds is also a good suggestion.

I think we now need to try and narrow our search area, and decide whether we go for commuter belt or somewhere further out.

If / when we are able to work remotely and only go to the office once a week, we are either heading to Edinburgh - or Norwich.
I really like Norwich, there's a lot going on, good links to London (although not a daily commute dye to time/money, so out of the commuter belt), and some gorgeous houses. Plus the Norfolk coast is stunning.
DH prefers Edinburgh, which I also love, but I worry it is too cold for me long-term, and our family are in Essex/East London so Norwich is closer.

OP I suggested looking outside of Cambridge. I do have working knowledge and do the commute into town 4 days a week. However I live nearer Newmarket/Bury St Edmunds as it's really not long to get to Cambridge North by car.
The shelfords are lovely but really an expensive area to live. It really depends on how often you are to commute into town as to the distance you are prepared to go.

Put houses between 800 and 900 in Rightmove for County Durham and you'll get a very nice 9 bedroomed house with self contained annex for au pair. County Duran is lovely.

Milton Keynes has plenty of houses within budget

Look anywhere in Rutland in the Stamford, Oakham, Uppingham triangle.

Go on, move to Edinburgh - you know you want to espc.com/property/51-gilmour-road-mayfield-edinburgh-eh16-5nu/35760549?sid=222780

I live in Leicestershire and have lived in s Cambs and brought up in London. It's certainly friendlier here (didn't like s Cambs so segregated between the people born there who hated all incomers.) Had friends in Great Shelford we lived 2 villages along.

The main downside to Leicestershire is that trains to London are expensive, but house prices are probably 1/2 the cost per square metre than Cambs - really nice 5 bed on 1/2 acre costs about £750k. Traffic is significantly less here and I'm shocked every time I drive south. Schools vary but most people with means have their kids in Leicester grammar (from age 3)

Cambridge villages would be a good option £900k would get you 4-5 bed detached with lovely garden. Different villages have different vibes and depends a bit on what you want in terms of amenities and proximity to trains. Out East Dullingham area is very pretty or the Swaffhams (prior and bulbeck). The Wilbrahams are very nice and a touch closer to Cambridge. Out west Barrington is a beautiful village, Haslingfield, the Eversdens. Foxton & Shepreth are on a Trainline. South the Shelfords are within easy cycling distance of Cambridge.

There are massive building developments going on near Bourn and Longstanton - so personally I would avoid.

Rush hour traffic to Cambridge can be a pain. But we cope - it's normally 30-40 mins from where we live out east around 10 miles away.

Cambridge is pretty in the centre. Nice mix of diversity and culture. But it's also a strange place - if you're not working for the university or colleges a lot of the nice places aren't all that accessible. It's a long way from the coast. Surrounding countryside is beautiful in parts but also a bit meh in others. And many of the suburbs are pretty ugly. Families will spend 90% of your time at either Anglesey Abbey or Wimpole.

My current favourites:

High Street, Barrington, Cambridge
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-81656909.html

Common Road, Weston Colville
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-81209093.html

Hall Lane, Great Chishill
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-54269067.html

Should also say the Edinburgh property is in the catchment for Sciennes primary school which is excellent.

Wansford, near Stamford. Close to A1 and Peterborough train station. Pretty village, nice pubs. www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-82192346.html

Burley, near Oakham. www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-75689249.html

Seaton, near Uppingham. www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-60342774.html

Goes without saying that all 3 towns have fantastic schools.