Family friendly commuting town that is also affordable?

[Marghe87]

DH and I are planning on buying a property soon but as we have a LO at nursery full time and a low deposit, we cannot take on a large mortgage - infact, a fairly small one (at least for London and surrounding areas).
I was looking into Reading as we’d need somewhere that is very well connected with central London (frequent and fast trains) for our jobs but then I read a few things that put me off it. I’d like somewhere that is safe and childfriendly, with good schools as well as ideal for commuters. AIBU?
Our budget is £300K for a 2 bed.

Thank you!

Reading is a dump, there are some lovely villages in Northamptonshire that have great train links to Londin and are affordable. My cousins live there and have travelled into London for years.

How long a commute will you consider? This may be a bit left field, but I have a friend who commutes to London from South Wales . Less than 90 mins on the train to Paddington. You’d get a 4 bed for £300k!

The thing is that because we both work in London and LO is in childcare, we need to move somewhere with a quick commute (ie: 1 hour door to door - we work in central London) to pick her up.

I have connections in Northamptonshire, there are lovely villages and Oundle / Market Harborough the later just in Leics are lovely towns the rest are a bit soso at best these days. However, an annual season ticket with underground is currently C £8.5k and 1.5 hours into central London each way. For 2 travelling its a heavy burden,

Look at the fares carefully! An hours travel seems doable but fares can be eye watering eg £10k a year! I would look at what's available in zone 6 south London as it's probable that you are better off than further away

Bath and Bristol have direct trains to Paddington. Slightly over the hour commute requirements, but not much over.

Ashford is 38mins to St Pancras and you can get a 3 bed for £300k. The town is awful but villages and countryside around are beautiful. And you're only 30 minutes to the beach in summer.

Milton Keynes or Northampton 😀

Newbury? 45 mins into Paddington. Your budget is sufficient for a house in the town.

Lovely countryside, a smaller and friendlier town centre, reasonable schools.

@Shehasadiamondinthesky

Reading is a dump, there are some lovely villages in Northamptonshire that have great train links to Londin and are affordable. My cousins live there and have travelled into London for years.

Oi! Reading is not a dump

Just as everywhere there are nice areas and some not so nice areas. I live in a lovely village outside Reading (10 mins from village station to Reading or Basingstoke) so gives you an easy commute into Paddington or Basingstoke.

Didcot. Good schools. 2beds under 300k might even get a 3 bed. Lots of amenities and an improved shopping centre.

Its not quaint like it's rural market town neighbours but it has way more stuff and good transport links.

Biggleswade?

The big issue is train fares as someone else has mentioned.

Bishops stortford

Palm Avenue, Sidcup
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-85598842.html

Sidcup London Borough of Bexley is green and safe. Good transport links - 20 minute trains to London Bridge from New Eltham/Sidcup. Great schools. Zone 5 Oyster card so not the huge commuting costs of further out.

Lots of two beds in the DA15/DA14 area.

Reading is not a dump at all - you just probably wouldn’t want to live right in the town centre. You can get a 2 bed for 300k but if you wanted it to be in a nice area then it wouldn’t be a very big two bed. Didcot will probably get you slightly more but it is quite soulless.

I think the tricky issue is, anywhere that’s commutable to London is going to be expensive, especially if you add in wanting good schools etc . The only other thing I’d add is find a train line that’s really reliable , there’s nothing worse than worrying you won’t get to the nursery by pick up time because the trains are delayed .

www.commutefrom.co.uk is a great help. The Thameslink line from London to Brighton has vastly improved over the past couple of years and there are a few places near those stops worth checking out.

I grew up in Reading, it's crap. I now live near Brighton and it's fab but perhaps a bit too far for you - I commute into the City and it takes 1hr20.

If you are both commuting on the same days I would urge you to stay in London so you can at least get a cab if all else fails. Even the most reliable train lines fail and being stuck not able to get back to collect your child is AWFUL.

Horsham

Leighton Buzzard is half an hour to Euston on the fastest train. You'd get a 3 bed for 300k. Nice market town, good schools, nothing especially exciting but you've got London for that.

Flitwick is good!

Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire. Only 20 odd minutes into Kings X.

@Watto1

How long a commute will you consider? This may be a bit left field, but I have a friend who commutes to London from South Wales . Less than 90 mins on the train to Paddington. You’d get a 4 bed for £300k!

You can't get to London in less than 90 minutes from S Wales, it's 2 hrs from Cardiff and 1hr 40 from Newport.

Flitwick is good! In what way?! It’s a giant housing estate with a much too small Tesco and very little else.

@Hoolihan that’s that worries me the most :( but the it will be the same for many many years to come with school etc. Need to find a compromise. It’s hard.