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I want to move south and live near woods, where can I afford?

279 replies

Neednewwellies · 22/01/2020 14:07

We live in the North. It’s cold and damp and I’ve come to hate it when I used to love it. We have 3 children, one in senior school (y10) and two in junior school (Y3&Y1). Our eldest is very academic but also easy going so would happily move somewhere else for Alevels. So my biggest issue would be looking for catchment for an excellent senior school for all 3. We are very urban here with not much greenery and for health reasons I want to take a step back from work and get a dog. I’d really love to be walking distance to woodland or if not then maybe some coast but not a commercially built up seaside town. Ideally I’d like to be in Hampshire or Sussex but open to ideas. We need 4 bedrooms and DH would need to get to London 2days a week. I don’t want to be somewhere too build up so just what we have here but further south if that makes sense. I crave more space around me but I also know with a teenager, we can’t be in the middle of nowhere. Our absolute max budget would be 700k but ideally no more than 675k. Is any of this doable? Is my head in the clouds? Where we live is expensive and that gets us a good size 4 bed but I know it’s far more expensive in the SE. Any help appreciated and we’d be looking to move when my daughter finishes GCSEs so next summer.

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actiongirl1978 · 25/01/2020 19:19

Herringbone my kids are at school in Romsey and surrounded by woods. Up at the top of the hill on the way out of romsey in ampfield I regularly walk my dog in the gorgeous forestry Commission woods! Definitely walking distance.

And hilliers gardens and then Braishfield. And Farley Mount is pretty woody Grin

TheletterZ · 25/01/2020 19:20

I’m in Hampshire and there is plenty around here that might suit you.

Robert Mays school in Odiham is very good and near m3 and train for access to London.

Egger’s school in Alton is also good, again with train station.

Some nice houses available and lots of walks available.
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-88497386.html
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-86080061.html
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-85932425.html

DimplesMcGee · 25/01/2020 19:20

Cirencester or Burford, in the Cotswolds. Burford has an excellent secondary school and I’m sure you could get a decent four bed for £700k

itsgettingweird · 25/01/2020 19:24

Hampshire.

Have a look at beach front properties in lee on Solent or down by stokes bay.

Bay house school has a 6th form and out performs local areas. The secondary is also excellent and so are the secondary and primaries in this catchment.
There is wooded areas around and just 30-60 minutes drive north you are in the South Downs areas etc.

whitenblk · 25/01/2020 19:28

Essex!! Epping is lovely, otherwise further afield posh areas are Brentwood, Chelmsford and Leigh on Sea. Best schools in the country too and 40mins to central London!

Neednewwellies · 25/01/2020 19:30

@Sunshinegirl82, thanks. Can you walk into the woods from Alton? I really want to walk to the woods. But Alton is somewhere I’ve put on my list to consider.

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Neednewwellies · 25/01/2020 19:32

@TheletterZ, thanks. I was looking at Odiham. Can I walk into the woods from there? I couldn’t see from Rightmove.

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DimplesMcGee · 25/01/2020 19:32

Hmmm I’ve just looked on Rightmove and maybe I was being a bit optimistic about finding somewhere for £700k in Burford! Lechlade is just down the road and it’s much more affordable though.

itsgettingweird · 25/01/2020 19:33

homes.trovit.co.uk/cherque-farm-lee-solent

10 mins walk from beach.

Over the rad from woodland and an adventure park.

Community feel

Neednewwellies · 25/01/2020 19:35

Thanks @itsgettingweird. The South Downs look great but I want to be able to walk to somewhere like them within 5-10minutes of walkjng out of my house. Where I am now is surrounded by NT places and green space but only if I’m happy to drive for 10minutes. I want to be able to walk. I don’t know if the South Downs border any small towns or large villages.

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Neednewwellies · 25/01/2020 19:36

Thanks @DimplesMcGee. Can I walk to the woods from Lechlade? If so I’ll check it out. Thanks

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Sunshinegirl82 · 25/01/2020 19:43

@neednewwellies if you're in the right part of it you can. Chawton would be my first thought and possibly Selbourne.

Yumsnet · 25/01/2020 19:52

Would you consider a doer-upper? This is on the West side of Marlow & is couple of mins walk max to woods/fields. 10-15 mins walk to town and the Thames path. Excellent grammar v close & very good secondary a bit further. Plenty of woodland to explore in the surrounding Chilterns.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-85815272.html

eavers · 25/01/2020 19:59

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-63254070.html

Woodcote in South Oxfordshire

Neednewwellies · 25/01/2020 20:01

@Yumsnet, yes definitely. However, that one is already 50k over max budget and a bedroom short so I don’t think we could afford it sadly. But in principle, yes.

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DimplesMcGee · 25/01/2020 20:02

@Neednewwellies, yes, you can definitely get to countryside on foot, though I don’t know how extensive the woods are! You can also get to the Thames path too... But it’s about 5 minutes’ drive from Buscot Park, which is gorgeous, and 15 from Badbury Clump, which is a lovely wood, and you’re maybe 25 minutes from the White Horse of Uffington and Waylands Smithy, so ample opportunity for nice long walks.

Whathappenedtothelego · 25/01/2020 20:46

Tadley might be worth a look. North Hampshire, bit more affordable . You can definitely walk along the pavement and straight into the woods from town. Town has supermarket, shops, swimming pool, schools etc.

Mrspig86 · 25/01/2020 20:49

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-63833238.html

Thinking outside your box, but Malvern is lovely and the malvern hills walks are on the doorstep of this house.

JurassicShay · 25/01/2020 20:58

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-61869420.html

Dibden Purlieu - 10 minute walk to the new forest & 10 minute drive to the beach!
Lots of lovely houses in the area.
Schools good

Historyisdifficult · 25/01/2020 21:04

You've remained very patient with all the kind posters offering the sea, hills, etc when all you want are woods!

JurassicShay · 25/01/2020 21:08

You can walk to the new forest & the schools in 10 minutes from the houses I posted.

Mrspig86 · 25/01/2020 21:11

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-83947397.html

This one has woods nearby

DownstairsMixUp · 25/01/2020 21:13

There's lots of Kent coastal towns that hVe the benefit of being by the sea but having woods close by like blean and thorndon woods are super close to herne bay and Whitstable