The big move: Ruislip to Hertfordshire

[Moonmom39]

Hello,
Anyone out there who can share ideas about moving to Hertfordshire?
Currently live in Ruislip and have a dd who is 6. An outstanding school (CoE preferably) in the new area will be a priority or being able to commute back to Ruislip for school so easy access to A40.
Budget for a 3 bed semi or detached is £425k.
I’ve seen some places in Stevenage but I haven’t heard very good reviews about it.
I think Letchworth is lovely, as is St Albans.
Thanks for any ideas and input.

You won’t get anything in St Albans for £425k, you’d need at least £700k for a 3 bed semi in somewhere like the Fleetville area of St A. You might be able to get a house in London Colney but it won’t be detached. There are no outstanding schools in LC, there are a couple of ‘good’ ones. Most of the schools in St Albans are oversubscribed, so getting a 6yr old in would be very tricky. I don’t know Letchworth. I’d look in Welwyn Garden City rather than Stevenage as it’s nicer.

You could look At Berkhampstead, Tring, Harpenden...maybe Chesham?

I'm from the opposition side of London by I've recently looked through schools in Harpenden and they're fantastic so that could be a good spot if affordable.

Hi,
Thanks for your input.
I’ve had a look and for the budget I’m working with (425) the areas you’ve suggested aren’t feasible.

I’m now having a look around Rickmansworth / Maple Cross. There’s an area in Rickmansworth called Mill End where there seems to be a few things on the market and I wouldn’t need to change schools! (Big bonus).

I don’t suppose there’s anyone with some info on Mill End / Oxhey / Carpender’s Park areas at all?

I have a friend who lives in Mill end. I've visited her many times and it's a pleasant place. Just about walkable from the tube but it's quite a walk. Her daughter is at private school.

What about Bedfordshire? You'll get much more for your money.

We looked at Stevenage and decided not to move there. We felt it lacked character.

You could look At Berkhampstead, Tring, Harpenden...maybe Chesham?

The first 3 of those listed are really nice, and have good schools but think OP would really struggle to find anything within budget. I think Chesham is more affordable.

Back in the late 90's/early 00's when I moved to that area we avoided Oxhey and Carpender's Park like the plague as they were pretty rough back then. I'm not sure what they're like now though.

I'd suggest that any houses that are affordable that close to the Middlesex border is likely to be in a less desirable area. I think the Mill End part of Rickmansworth is also considered the less desirable end of town, though that's not to say there's anything wrong with it. It's just a cheaper part of town.

How about Abbotts or Kings Langley? Not sure what the school situation is like around there, but there are a few houses around that way:

- Kings Langley
- Abbotts Langley

Hello all,
Thanks for your responses, ideas and suggestions. I’ve take a few days to mull them all over and realised that for the reasons which I’m moving out of Ruislip, feasible to my personal circumstances, but needing access back into Ruislip for school, mean that places like Hemel Hempstead, Luton, Dunstable, Kings Langley and Watford are my options.

Would anyone happen to know which of these isn’t the worst place to live? Has a mummy feel about it, with quaint walks, nice shops, and lots of green areas around?

A friend lives on the edge of Hemel Hampstead overlooking the Chiltern Hills. Lovely views and some good schools around. I've never been to the town centre to be able to comment on that.

Why do you want to commute around the worst part of the M25 twice a day - why not look directly up the M40 from Ruislip - places like Thame etc. What’s your max commute and what time do you need to be at work?

What do you want and need from the move?

I wouldn’t drag a 6 year old on an M25 or M40 commute daily - also it would be difficult if DC has play dates / weekend parties etc. Not fair socially. Also would double check your catchment criteria if you move a significant distance

Hi mums, we are considering relocating to Rickmansworth. There are many unknowns related to the area, would appreciate if you could share your experience .
Our situation - Me and hubby both commute , occasionally to Canary wharf or to Welwyn garden for work . My son will be going to secondary next year. Our budget for house is under £600k.
We like Rickmansworth but not sure if it will fit our commute / house/ school requirements ? Is private school ( Merchant Taylor’s) more popular among locals than The local state schools ? Are there not so nice areas to avoid ? General opinions about positives and negatives of being in Rickmansworth will help . Thanks in advance.

You’d get a decent 3 bed terrace in Chesham for that kind of money. The commute to Ruislip wouldn’t be terrible using the Met line.

@SimplyMum007

Hi mums, we are considering relocating to Rickmansworth. There are many unknowns related to the area, would appreciate if you could share your experience . Our situation - Me and hubby both commute , occasionally to Canary wharf or to Welwyn garden for work . My son will be going to secondary next year. Our budget for house is under £600k. We like Rickmansworth but not sure if it will fit our commute / house/ school requirements ? Is private school ( Merchant Taylor’s) more popular among locals than The local state schools ? Are there not so nice areas to avoid ? General opinions about positives and negatives of being in Rickmansworth will help . Thanks in advance.

You'd be best to start your own thread to entice new traffic.

But Rickmansworth is very nice. Great for commuters (Met Line and M25). Houses can be pricey, but you've not got a bad budget.

There are some good secondary schools too, depending on where you'll be living, St Clement Danes, Reach, Croxley Danes, Rickmansworth. The first and last of these are partially selective so your son might need to do the entrance exam (South West Herts Schools Consortium), which usually sits in Sept but has been pushed back this year, be warned - you might already be too late to register for the exam. But all schools also take students based on distance too, albeit very small catchments,

As I say, start your own thread and you'll get some good insightful responses,

Thanks , I have registered for Hertfordshire exam. I was wondering if you could highlight a few other points about Rickmansworth except from the commute . How is it better than some of the other nearby places , like kings Langley, Watford , garston etc ? Sorry too generic question but we trying to finalise a place for long term so really need to get it right

Kings Langley is prob the greenest of those areas for your budget. Worth a day trip to explore. Watford actually very pricey near the park and the more affordable areas - id stay in Ruislip! Hemel town centre very mixed. Some lovely walks etc around there though.

If you are targeting parmiters you could look at living in garston though it’s not a great area, full of busy roads. Chiswell Green might be an option but 425 will be a very small semi.

Thanks, very useful info. I didn’t like Garston as such . Torn down between Rickmansworth and kings/ Abbots Langley but then the properties seems too pricey for both , so wanted to have opinion of someone who knows about the places.

Hemel Hempstead isn’t the best place to live I’d pick Kings Langley over Hemel any day!

Cheers , so any recommendations on kings/abbots Langley or Rickmansworth considering our work/life/ family situation

Ricky is nice but I think pricier than Kings Langley due to better train connections. A strong family area definitely.

Thanks 😊

Kings Langley has mainline station to Euston. The station is actually closer to abbots langley, but in reach of both.

KL and AL both have a strong community vibe, more so than Watford or Hemel. Watford is more cosmopolitan than Hemel in terms of coffee culture, nightlife etc. Some spots of Hemel are quite 'village-y' such as Boxmoor.
All of these areas have loads of green space and close to excellent walks, cycle rides etc, as is Ricky.
If schooling is your top priority, do lots of homework. Secondary spaces can be in short supply some years and it can be a very fraught process. Either be very confident about your DC's academic or sporting or musical ability, or be very close to the school you prefer or be prepared to be satisfied with whichever school you are allocated and accepting there may be a commute.

I lived in Rickmansworth for 15 years and it's a lovely area. Nice high street and the aquadrome is beautiful. I went to secondary school there and my dc1 went to one of the local primary schools.

Thanks @Gazelda thanks @twittawoo3