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Original poster

Help us find good place to buy house under £350K

55 replies

msbhatti · 20/12/2019 12:48

Hi there,

We are renting flat from last 5 years, Rather than spending more dead money in rents, we were thinking of buying atleast 2 bedroom house (not flat/apartments) under £350K in a good locality that's safe to live in, commutable from central London under an 1 hour and 10 minutes, and has good affinity for schools (my our son is 2 years old now).

We have checked online and shortlisted few areas like

Hemel Hempstead
Harlow
Cheshunt

Barking & Dagenham
Thurrock
Romford

Kent Areas like : Dartford, Grays, Tilbury, Erith (or any recommend in surroundings of these areas)

Crawley
High Wycombe

Farnborough or Bracknell
Slough

Personally we love Sutton, Carshalton, Wallington area but unfortunately those areas are out of our budget.

Would people living in and around London/Greater London advise of some good, safe, commutable areas to buy a house?

Many thanks!

OP posts:
Original poster
msbhatti · 23/12/2019 10:49

Thank you everyone

So far I have found these areas are within our budget and recommended by different users/experts in this forum. Few other areas recommended here are too far for us.

Hitchin
Bishops Stortford
Letchworth
Welling
Bexleyheath

East Grinstead
Burnham (outside of slough)

OP posts:
Fere · 23/12/2019 16:08

There are houses coming up in Wallington for under 350K, but very rarely (I live on one of them, 3 beds, quiet road, but v.small garden), maybe 2-3 a year, on our street. But yes, I agree it is very hard to get one.

Batqueen · 23/12/2019 16:15

Slough would be my choice of your options for the following reasons

  1. Cross rail cutting commuting times
  2. Possible extension to Piccadilly line being planned to slough for people going to Heathrow

Slough is a lot cheaper than surrounding areas and would be my top pick as an area that will go up in price if you buy soon

mumwon · 23/12/2019 20:15

Bishops Stortford isn't to far - many people who live there commute - fast trains stop there 38minutes to Liverpool Street - or you change at Tottenham Hale to get on tube - & very good schools - near to Stansted Airport too

mumwon · 23/12/2019 20:17

Although Harlow itself may have a bit of a reputation Sawbridgeworth &Old Harlow (Harlow Mill station) is fine & newer areas on outskirts are worth considering.

Henlie · 23/12/2019 20:22

Have you looked at Tonbridge (Kent) op? Great train service and schools.

MikeUniformMike · 23/12/2019 20:46

Farnborough or Bracknell - check commute times for these.

Slough - less than 20 mins to Paddington. Not the nicest of towns but has grammar schools. Burnham is nicer, or Cippenham.

Reading might be an option.

MikeUniformMike · 23/12/2019 20:53

Had a quick look and think that the properties coming up as Burnham might be the Britwell estate, but there are houses in your price range.
You can get properties close to Slough town centre for under £350.
Areas close to Slough tend to be £££. Datchet, Horton, Colnbrook and Langley are the only ones I can think of likely to be within your budget.

MikeUniformMike · 23/12/2019 20:55

Langley and Burnham have stations, Datchet does too but it's on the line from Windsor, so you won't get the fast train links.

MikeUniformMike · 23/12/2019 20:56

Hitchin and Letchworth are both nice.

PettsWoodParadise · 23/12/2019 21:28

This three bed terrace is an ex LA property but in a small development that is now mostly owner occupied on the edge of a nice part of Orpington (the Knoll) in the London Borough of Bromley, up for £375k but might get it for less www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-62310327.html

Zone 6, 35 mins to London, quicker for the fast ones which run occasionally. Excellent primary schools nearby. For secondary you have grammars of Newstead and St Olaves or non-selective Ravens Wood for a boy, less better options for a girl’s comprehensive.

Original poster
msbhatti · 24/12/2019 14:39

Thank you @MikeUniformMike yes Hitchin and Letchworth both looks nice.

OP posts:
MikeUniformMike · 24/12/2019 14:55

Of the two Hitchin is nicest, but both ok as places to raise a family. I'd check commute times, and I think it's the Northern line there.

Somewhere you haven't mentioned is West Drayton.

isitfridayyet1 · 26/12/2019 09:13

@pinksquash13 actually
Thurrock isn't too bad. People are often snobby about Thurrock but it's very close to m25 has good train links to London and a lot of activities to do for young children. Also good primary and secondary schools too.

Lonelycrab · 27/12/2019 05:18

I’m in Fleet and it’s really quite pleasant. You’ll find a 2bed for 350 but the market is very slow here. Farnborough not as nice (still ok imo) but lots more on the market. 40-45 mins to Waterloo.

EmmaGrundyForPM · 27/12/2019 05:45

I'm not sure why you think Royston is too far. The fast trains into Kings Cross take 45 minutes. You would get a decent house for your budget
www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/64685505

www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/87747779

EmmaGrundyForPM · 27/12/2019 05:58

Also have a look at St Neots. There's a very good fast train service into Kings Cross, and it's a nicer town than lots of the ones mentioned on here

www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/84180182

www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/86941064

Iwww.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/87232376

cece · 27/12/2019 06:14

Woking. Commute is less than 30 mins to Waterloo

Original poster
msbhatti · 27/12/2019 10:11

@cece Woking no doubt is too good, but i don't think it will fit in my budget.

OP posts:
cece · 27/12/2019 10:16

Quite a few houses for £350000 or below on Rightmove

Original poster
msbhatti · 27/12/2019 10:34

@EmmaGrundyForPM train time is 45 minutes, but ticket price is high - that's why i was saying it's bit far.

OP posts:
Flamerouge · 01/01/2020 18:53

I'm in Old Harlow - as pp have said, other parts of Harlow are not so good, but Old Harlow is fine. Very villagey feel but in five minutes you have every service you need in Harlow itself. Excellent for motorway access and bike paths, also easy access to the countryside.

I have lived in Sawbridgeworth, too - also good (and better train service than from Harlow Mill) but very little housing stock comes available. Nothing between newish estates or million pound plus.

Bishops Stortford is pushing just a bit far for me and the parking and traffic getting to the station would put me off.

One big negative for all these places is the train line. Greater Anglia are terrible and you do sometimes lose the will to live when you consider what you are paying for a train ticket...

Flamerouge · 01/01/2020 18:55

Oh - you will generally get a lot more for your £££ in Harlow than Stortford or Sawbridgeworth. We have 5 beds (2 en suite) and a hot tub in the garden - which we got for £570000 five years ago. You could look at the New Hall estate, too - has won lots of architectural awards and much nicer than the usual new build estates.

ListeningQuietly · 01/01/2020 19:19

If the house is cheaper and the schools are reliable
(so not a grammar area)
then that offsets the train fare

JoJoSM2 · 01/01/2020 19:51

@ListeningQuietly

Some grammar areas have better non-selective schools than most of the country.