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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.

OP posts:
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Mrspig86 · 22/01/2020 21:02

I live in North Hampshire, in a house very similar to the one I just linked to. It is really heavily wooded around here. It's a lovely area

SummerSazz · 22/01/2020 21:03

My old family home in Surrey is due to go on the market soon. 3/4 bed (one is downstairs), excellent secondary (Howard of Effingham) school, 100ft garden and close to the South Downs and Polesden Lacey (NT). 40 mins from London on the train from Leatherhead. It will be £635k and needs some updating (likely knock through the non load bearing wall from kitchen to dining/family room and install no-folds etc) but could easily do within budget.
Love the New Forest also...
Good luck!!

Neednewwellies · 22/01/2020 21:26

@CottonSock, lovely house but 100k over my budget sadly.
@Mrspig86, yes, I think I’m keen on Hampshire. North Hampshire seems very expensive though.

OP posts:
inthekitchensink · 22/01/2020 21:27

New forest, new forest, new forest! I have my heart set on it when I’m able to move.

( www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-58531701.html )

Neednewwellies · 22/01/2020 21:28

[grin]@HeronLanyon, I’m currently in the thick of the wettest part of the country!

OP posts:
inthekitchensink · 22/01/2020 21:29

Or ( www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-71151781.html )

inthekitchensink · 22/01/2020 21:31

Or (weeps) here. I’m so jealous you can move! I have a folder with printed out brochures of all the houses I like in the new forest, and I often just sit and look at them and dream. Pathetic!

( www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-86493389.html )

inthekitchensink · 22/01/2020 21:33

And finally, if I ditch everyone else & just live here with my books and a dog.

( www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-84051356.html )

FenellaVelour · 22/01/2020 21:34

The New Forest.
Puddletown in Dorset (forest on the doorstep)
Dartmoor.

reefedsail · 22/01/2020 21:34

Between Burnham Beeches and Black Park. Live in Stoke Poges?

Or Crowthorne. You can walk into Swinley Forest and from there across miles of the Royal Estate.

inthekitchensink · 22/01/2020 21:35

That last one I drove past the other day, it’s just heathland and the odd pub and roaming ponies. Heaven. Right that’s enough being weird! Good luck!

Winecheesesleep · 22/01/2020 21:37

How about Marlborough, surrounded by woods and lovely walks. It's not too far from the M4 for access to London. Might be a bit too Wilmslow-like though.

www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/76105255

reefedsail · 22/01/2020 21:39

This house appears to be IN the woods!

monstermissy · 22/01/2020 21:40

Thetford or surrounding villages? Thetford forest is lovely 😊

wheresmyrunningshoes · 22/01/2020 21:40

Would your DH need to catch the tube or just get to a mainline London station and walk?

An annual season ticket incl. Underground from (for example) Sussex would be somewhere in the region of 3-4k.

For just two days buying dailies could be cheaper. Its 34 per day incl. tube but if its just going to a mainline station c.25 per day.

Its bloody expensive basically :(

FenellaVelour · 22/01/2020 21:42

Honestly you’d have to go a bit to beat the New Forest in my view, though. Love that area. Would love to live there myself.

Potcallingkettle · 22/01/2020 21:44

What about Alton? Start of a commuter line to Waterloo and nice properties in price range. Woodland accessible on the west side of town. Properties like www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-66043995.html

VinandVigour · 22/01/2020 21:44

Anywhere around the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, one of the biggest areas of countryside in the South East, 6500 acres. Almost unknown, it is home to Winnie the Pooh! I used to work there and loved it! Your budget should be fine. I would start with Crowborough or Uckfield, both nice ex market towns. Forest Row, smaller and a bit alternative.

ivykaty44 · 22/01/2020 21:47

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-65816133.html

Walking distance to station and it’s 1:20 to Marylebone
Across the road is the site of the old priory, with woodland and monkjack
5 minutes in the other direction is the racecourse- woodland in the middle for walking around

crummyusername · 22/01/2020 21:47

New Forest - it really doesn’t rain any more or less than the rest of southern england! Good trains into London eg from Ashurst, loads of open forest. Can’t help with schools info though.

Thislittlepiggywentto · 22/01/2020 21:47

Where I live is perfect for you but dear god the schools are dire... would you pay for private?

crummyusername · 22/01/2020 21:48

Not RTFT but also part depends where in London he needs to get to. Can easily be an hour from one side to the other.