Where to move .in herts or bucks

[Fredthefrog]

Hi all

We are planning to move out of north london. We'll have about £600th to spend on a house and a toddler we want north and north west due to family but dont really know any of the parts well. Planning to visit but if you live in these areas where are you and what's good /bad about your town/village. Help to narrow down would be great. Thanks

Chesham’s lovely - nice parks, walks (is in an area of outstanding natural beauty), farmer’s market, theatre, great community and on the London Underground network.

Be aware that Bucks has a fully selective secondary system - so about 30% to Grammar and rest to Secondary Moderns known as Upoer schools - the Uppers don't all have very good reputations. There are no Comps in Bucks. For those interested in Grammar, most of yr 5 is spent preparing out of school with tutors or home prep. Many people say it is hideous and wish they could avoid it.

Herts has a couple of schools which take a percentage of children on ability but rest based on location to school/siblings but is mostly Comps and there are some very good ones.

So regardless of town or village just think about which if these educational systems you might prefer.

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/find-a-school-in-england

Bucks does have some very good non-selective schools too.

Berkhamsted or Tring

Actually 30% of Bucks DC don’t get into the Grammars! Lots of the places go to DC who live elsewhere, eg Milton Keynes or Hertfordshire. In the north of Bucks it’s nearer 20% go to the Grammars.

Berkhamsted’s lovely but you don’t get much for your money.

Trying is better value. Chesham isn’t that great. Amersham is much nicer! Berkhamsted is best but expensive, like Amersham. You could look at Thame or Haddenham nearby. Princes Risborough is ok but the secondary school isn’t wonderful. Thame has Lord Williams and that is a great school. You could also look at the St Albans area. St Albans is really expensive but again you could look in the area. Hemel Hempstead is cheaper but not as nice!

I would vouch for Thame and Lord Williams School having first hand experience of both but it’s not really Buckinghamshire or Hertfordshire

Berkhamsted is most expensive of all but that’s also due to good schools and ease of reaching London

Hemel Hempstead is only the next stop on the train line, actually closer to London, but you do get more for your money there and it’s reputation is much improved from 10:15 years ago.

At Albans is lovely and pretty but nightmare to actually live there due to traffic.
If you never needed to use a car the it might be ok.

I would agree that Chesham would be bottom of my list.

Thame & Lord Williams come under Oxfordshire I think? Happy to be corrected.

Chesham Bois is a yep, Chesham is a no!
Amersham is so much nicer.

I’d avoid High Wycombe too although go 7 miles out in any direction and you’ll be in nice areas.

I live on the herts/bucks border and know several of the places mentioned well.

However, I think your biggest stumbling block is going to be cost. Sorry to say you won’t be able to afford St Albans/Tring/Amersham etc on £600pcm rent, sorry. I’m assuming that’s what you meant by £600 on a house? Having had a very quick check on rightmove, even a one bed apartment in Chesham is £800+. Hemel is a little cheaper starting at £700+ for one bed flat.

You might need to go further out. I know a few families locally that have moved out towards Leighton buzzard to get more fur their money. I don’t know anything about it, except two families in our village have moved that way due to cost.

I assumed it was £600k