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Original poster

Areas to move outside London - cold feet about moving in London

40 replies

planforeverything · 27/08/2019 08:05

Been in London overpaying our mortgage and saving like a dog for the past 2 years, all working towards buying a house, which we thought would be in Barnes.

Viewing another one this week and all of a sudden getting cold feet and want to think of some alternative areas and potentially move out of London. My husband has said the next place we move to he wants to stay for minimum 5 years but more like 7-8 and looking at the space we can get in Barnes I’m not sure I could stay for this long.

With our budget of £1.2m we still can’t buy the house we want, in the exact area we want and it feels like we are compromising on all aspects of what we want our house to be. I.e Looking at anything in Barnes that’s within our price range but in reality I don’t actually like any of the houses we have seen.

Can anyone recommend some areas that match our requirements below. I’ve spent an age trawling the internet:

  • high street with some shops, ideally a boots, waitrose, some independent cafes, restaurants. Want to avoid village with 3/4 shops and having to drive everywhere
  • pretty/quaint/nice town that feels safe. Marlow and Henley really appeal to me in this aspect as they are both so nice
  • Within reach of London (ideally less than an hour) but DH doesn’t work in London and I WFH many days
  • DH works at Heathrow and our family live in Cardiff so we’d prefer to be west of London. We use the M4 to get to Cardiff abd M40 to get to Scotland regularly.

Areas so far I like:
Marlow - if the housing stock was better I’d probably move here
Henley
Teddington - whilst it’s closer to London I do like it but have heard it’s getting overcrowded.

Other areas we like but couldn’t move to (so you can get what I’m looking for) West Bridgeford in Nottingham, Clifton Village in Bristol, West End of Glasgow etc

Ideally want a 4 bed Victorian detached or semi with off street parking and a big garden within less than 20 minute walk of shops and amenities.

Don’t have any children at the moment (and potentially can’t have any) so feel free to factor this out.

OP posts:
LizzieMacQueen · 27/08/2019 08:19

Esher. Though I have zero idea what the high street is like there. Friends of friends live there.

Daffodil2018 · 27/08/2019 08:24

Why don't you have a look at the Waitrose map of where they have stores and use that as a starting point? I know that might sound ridiculous by the way but I am not actually joking! They are very careful about opening stores in posh/prosperous middle class areas so that would immediately give you some suggestions.

Kamma89 · 27/08/2019 08:47

Daffo...Really! A waitrose store map? They just announced closures so crazy to base house purchase on such things. Also, they have a fair sized one in Croydon next to the stabby McDonalds so not sure about your posh/prosperous criteria.

DustyDoorframes · 27/08/2019 08:59

I think the Waitrose storemap is an excellent thought- you don't have but a house in every spot, do you, but it may well show up places you haven't thought of to look into. Specially since the OP specifically mentions Waitrose!

Iggity · 27/08/2019 09:03

The Waitrose store in Marlow is closing.

NisekoWhistler · 27/08/2019 09:05

We looked for ages in Barnes and then decided on East Sheen, all the facilities but definitely a few more square feet for your money! Sorry if that's not helpful

Iggity · 27/08/2019 09:09

If you decide to use the Waitrose map, I’d use a certain amount of caution. The store by the M40 and the one in South Harrow are not ideal places to live. With your budget, Ruislip would be an option although the High St has gone down a bit after the M&S closed. You’d probably get your detached house but unlikely to be Victoria. Ealing might be another option but costs a lot more.

HabbyHadno · 27/08/2019 09:13

There's a Waitrose in Stevenage and that's definitely not posh Grin

Original poster
planforeverything · 27/08/2019 09:29

Thanks for your posts so far.

East Sheen - on our radar but looking for some moves potentially that little bit further from London (already been viewing in ES).

Someone mentioned Summertown in Oxford, close to a bigger city but just a sub-area with its own little high street. We could get a lot more for our money here. Can anyone vouch for this area/what it’s like?

Any reviews on living in Henley, Marlow, Teddington?

Just had a call from the agent about the one I’m viewing this week in Barnes - already got 4 offers on the table and 2 above asking, which means we’re probably back to the drawing board again there.

OP posts:
SRK16 · 27/08/2019 09:40

Berkhempsted? Gerrards Cross (not sure if there’s a Waitrose). Maybe too north, but St Albans?

SRK16 · 27/08/2019 09:41

Rickmansworth also nice

Muddlingalongalone · 27/08/2019 09:44

Beaconsfield?
Ridiculous as if sounds not sure how much your £1.2m will get you though, but I would live there (or by the sea) if I won the lottery.

SerenavanderWoodson · 27/08/2019 09:46

Berkhamsted would meet your requirements. Alternatively St Albans or Harpenden.

NotSoHotBot · 27/08/2019 09:58

Teddington is lovely - I wouldn't say overcrowded. Have access to the river and Bushy Park, regular (though slow) trains and easy access to Kingston and Richmond. Cheaper than Barnes but I still think expensive.

Lots of parts of Marlow and Henley not particularly nice. I (personally) think Henley is a bit up itself.

In your shoes I would look at Surbiton, Esher, Molesey (could get a house on the river with that budget), Hampton (as in Hampton Hill), East Sheen, Mortlake.

Then out of London if you want to be W/NW look at Tring, Berkhamsted, Aylesbury, St Albans and the villages around Oxford near the Cotswolds

Ariela · 27/08/2019 10:08

Waitrose is closing in Marlow I think...try Henley - they're hard to come by as they don't come up often, but the houses around St Mark's Road fit your bill - this is a larger corner plot so a tad more expensive than your budget but is lovely. It's a more or less level (depends how far up St Mark's Road) 10-15 min walk to the shops.
Houses don't come up along here often and you pay a premium for these roads.
Alternatively something again a short walk to town (uphill home) a bit more modern but a nice size garden www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-62617938.html
Also have a look at Wallingford

Orchardgreen · 27/08/2019 10:14

25 years ago I was looking in Barnes. “Little Chelsea” area was the very top of my budget and I thought it looked cramped and very very overpriced for what the houses were. Nothing’s changed!

JoJoSM2 · 27/08/2019 10:59

OP, sounds like you’d like a London suburb or a town really?

Teddington is by the river with a little posh high street. Bushy Park is lovely and big but I find the fact there’s a road going right through it a bit off-putting. IMO, Teddington is built up and busy and could as well be in some 3.

Esher is prime mansion land but there’s a dual carriageway going through the middle and I’d hate to sit there with a coffee/brunch listening to the traffic and inhaling fumes.

I don’t know the areas West of London much but have 2 recommendations near the M25 on London/Surrey borders.

I think you could really like Reigate. Lovely town with period charm and in a beautiful setting. The high street has a good range of independent eateries and boutiques. It’s very near the M25 for road links and commuter trains in Redhill.

My other recommendation is Cheam. It’s just within Greater London. Villagey centre with a nice range of eateries and shops. There’s a large Little Waitrose. There’s also a super lovely Nonsuch Park. It’s largely an interwar suburb but there’s a bit of history and charm to it. Your budget will get a detached house - Victorian stock is limited so you need to get very lucky to get one but there’s are some charming Arts and Crafts and Edwardian properties.

Oly4 · 27/08/2019 11:04

Horsham
Reigate
Guildford

FastAway · 27/08/2019 11:10

ST Home supplement had a feature about living along the Thames going out of London.... which sounds up your alley. I always say Surbiton because I love it but not sure about the housing stock plus budget you gave.

I would definitely look at Weybridge, Windsor, Datchet, the villages around Reading, Pangbourne and Goring.

FastAway · 27/08/2019 11:18

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-63693270.html Fab location a stones throw from Waitrose, the river, the lovely restaurants and farmers market. Walk along the river to Kingston in fifteen minutes.

Another good road www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-81799421.html

That’s probably it in Surbiton, it tends to be cottages and flats near the centre or huge Georgian piles for 2 million up.

FastAway · 27/08/2019 11:41

Sorry, me again.... another place to look at might be Cobham. Chobham also lovely. Somewhere often overlooked is Egham, although it has a sweet high street and surrounded by the beautiful Royal Landscape. If you can do a 25 mins walk to the high street then Englefield Green is so pretty and quiet. Sunningdale has a Waitrose but it might be a bit red trousers for you over there coming from Barnes.

sleepwhenidie · 27/08/2019 11:49

Have you considered looking North, into Hertfordshire? Rail links into Kings X are excellent from Hitchin, St Albans, Harpenden...

JoJoSM2 · 27/08/2019 12:02

Has Cobham got a high street? I thought it was just miles of mansions and you’d need a car for a pint of milk.

FastAway · 27/08/2019 12:25

Yes it has sweet little high street with a Waitrose (obvs) and many other shops, including bizarrely some high street chains but in tiny premises. Everyone in the high street is dressed in active wear.