Moving out of London

[sarahspeaking]

Hi all,

My partner and I are hoping to move out of London this year and have been looking at some areas in Surrey and West Sussex that have trains into London Bridge.

Does anyone have any opinions on Haywards Heath, Horsham, Redhill/Horley and Tonbridge/Tunbridge Wells?

These areas all seem to have a reasonable commute and houses within our price range.

Thanks in advance!

Redhill is undergoing a lot of investment but still quite mixed area, very good secondary for those with religious connection. Horley has a lot of new builds and a run down High Street(but a Waitrose! ) good primaries, not so secondary. Both easily commutable. What housing are you hoping for, for what budget? Any other criteria.

Thanks @LIZS we're hoping for a semi-detached house, budget around £450k. I think we just want somewhere with a little bit of life, a few pubs etc but family friendly for future additions!

@sarahspeaking

Thanks *@LIZS* we're hoping for a semi-detached house, budget around £450k. I think we just want somewhere with a little bit of life, a few pubs etc but family friendly for future additions!

I had to read your post twice because it looked like it could have written by me a year ago.

We also wanted direct trains into London Bridge with the exact budget you have.

Horsham: I asked on mumsnet and was advised against it due to the Southern trains

Horley: I visited last weekend for the first time and I actually really liked the high street

Tonbridge/Tunbridge Wells: We looked at a couple of houses here. Less value for money compared to Redhill / Earlswood. Expensive trains.

Redhill: It was what we settled on in terms of area. Great trains from both Redhill, I'd recommend looking at Earlswood as well.

We ended up buying a 4 bed terraced house at Reigate, 25 minutes walk to the Earlswood train station. Send me a direct message if you want to chat more!

Watching with interest - going to visit Haywards Heath soon but also interested in other areas!

Thanks @littlecontis so nice to hear your thoughts! We've mainly been looking at Redhill/Horley because we love Reigate (ideally we would live there but it's not so great for the train), but since the market seems to be slowing thought it might be best to branch out to some other areas to have a few more options.

I think another scouting mission might be in order

They are adding another platform at Reigate and are expected upgrade the number of direct London trains. Having said that you would struggle to find much for that budget within walking distance of the station. 25 mins to Earlswood is not great as many trains do not stop between Redhill and Horley.

@sarahspeaking yes keep us updated!

@LIZS we take the train to London Bridge and I think there's one every 30 minutes which works for us.

Tunbridge Wells is lovely, and trains are very fast and reliable from there compared to Southern Trains.

I wouldn’t recommend Tonbridge, or even the Southborough end of Tunbridge Wells.

Hayward’s Heath itself isn’t particularly attractive in the town centre (but not awful) but has a decentish range of shops and a whole range of housing stock. The two Secondaries are decent. My parents had a house there briefly in the 90’s and my closest friend lives there. Honestly it never did it for me as it’s just a commuter town really but to be fair, I like towns with older buildings. It’s fine as a base. Next door Lindfield and Cuckfield are more attractive (which is reflected in the property prices).

Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells have different feels. For commute time and housing price, Tonbridge is the clear winner. However Tunbridge Wells has a lot more shops and facilities and is somewhere you want to go out of an evening. The centre of Tonbridge doesn’t really have the same range of shops and restaurants (and the ones it does are usually at the Bonmarche end of the market). North of the river though in Tonbridge it’s really attractive so I’d look at properties there. Of the two towns, I prefer Tunbridge Wells but I do feel Tonbridge gets a bit of a bad rep locally and is nicer than sometimes it is made out to be. Obviously with Kent you need to figure in our Grammar system. Only 25% of kids get into them so if you are planning to go State, be careful with the area. Tonbridge has one boys grammar, two girls grammars, one girls comprehensive which is good.. but a mixed comprehensive and an all boys comprehensive both of which aren’t great. Tunbridge Wells has 2 boys grammars, one girls, a hugely oversubscribed faith school and a decent mixed State. So if you boys OP, Tunbridge Wells might be the better option.

‘So if you have boys’ that was meant to read!

Have you actually visited any of these places? Personally I would choose London over Tunbridge/Tonbridge any day.

🙂 I lived in London for over ten years and I wouldn’t now!

I lived in London for over ten years and I wouldn’t now!

Why not? London is fabulous!

Friends are in Tunbridge wells. Nice selection of shops, restaurants and pubs. Some areas are steep and hilly though, so if you have little ones in push chairs, it can be a nightmare if you walk to the school run. Parking can also be an issue- pending on the location and whether you are relying on street parking outside your house. I often got a snobbish vibe, but I'm sure there are nice areas.

@lllllllllll I take it you live in London?

Loved it and wouldn’t have wanted to live anywhere else in my twenties & early thirties. I lived in East Sheen so a nice area. But we couldn’t afford the kind of house there we have here (and I’m hands up snooty about location) & I love the fact me & the mutt can be in open countryside within five minutes. At 51, this works for me much much better. I can get into London in 50 minutes for friend meet ups, theatres, shopping etc. Going to visit friends in London these days, it just seems too busy and pretty grimy and dodgy in places. Very glad to have escaped the whole London Secondary school competitive madness as well.

But it’s horses for courses. There’s no right or wrong here. London obviously works for you.