Hiya, we have started having a little think about where to buy next. This won't be for a couple of years but after having picked location badly with our current house I'm keen to do some proper research on areas this time. We both work in central (hopefully only a few days a week going forward) so would need good links to london without it costing an arm and leg. It would need to be reasonable distance from the west midlands (1hr 40min max driving) as we have family there.
With regards to the area, having lived in london we want somewhere with things to do- good shopping, cafes, restaurants etc but also with good green spaces and good motorway access. We want a house with a bit of character (victorian/Georgian is my dream!) with a decent garden. This would be where we want to start our family so good nursery/schools and low crime is ideal.
Our budget is 450k max and we'd want as many bedrooms as we can get! (although if there is potential for an extension in the future we'd be happy with that)
Are there any areas people could suggest as good starting points for research in line with our budget and expectations? (..if it exists 
)
Thank you!