Rainham (Essex) Property advice

[DrSyedAliTarek]

Hello friends 👋

Need a little advice. We are trying to find a nice family home in a quieter place. At the moment we are in Woolwich (0.4 miles to the station).

The house/bungalow we like is www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/58930515/

Lovely house and done to a high spec. I am a bit worried about 1. Diversity in Rainham (looks mostly White British, we are very liberal but how welcoming the neighbourhood is towards Asians?- please don’t be offended)

1. Quality of secondary schools. Our daughter is going for 11+ exams later this year. I can not find any selective school around. What are the alternative schools?

1. Price, do you think it is too high for the area? Vendors expecting £610k.

1. I travel frequently to Tower Hill and Gants Hill station areas for work. I use public transport. Journey planner indicates 7 min walk from home to bus stop then a short 6 min ride to Rainham station. How reliable are bus services and rain services to London?

1. Finally, is it worth leaving Woolwich and move to Rainham.

Thank you so much friends for reading the post and really appreciate your feedback.

Thank you 🙏

I can't answer most of the questions (my children are only just primary age and I don't use the Rainham transport links), but we're looking in the area and my advice would be to avoid Rainham, tbh. It's quite a run down area, under the flight path (we actually looked at a house near to the one you link and the plane noise is quite noticeable) and near the dual carriageway. If you have that kind of budget for a three bed, why not consider Hornchurch/Elm Park? They have the advantage of being on the District line, so easy access to Tower Hill - Gants Hill more of a pain, but you can change at Mile End and head back maybe. Perhaps something like this? www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/107583377?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard

In general I think the area is great - plenty of green space, a lot of country parks around but equally still on the tube and within London. I don't know Woolwich very well so can't easily compare, but I'd recommend Havering :)

Hi OP

I live really close to the house you have posted. I'll try to help with your questions.

1. I think Rainham is becoming much more diverse. I just looked at my reception child's recent class photo and half of his class are not white. I do notice at pick up time that there are groups of parents of the same ethnicity sticking together, but I certainly don't feel this is due to any kind of unrest.

2. We don't have grammar schools in this area. The Harris Academy appears to have good results (my children are still in infants so I haven't researched fully yet). Coopers school in nearby Upminster is a very good school. We're not in the catchment area but they did used to use a wider criteria for acceptance, sports or musically gifted etc... but not sure if this still applies.

3. I do feel that house is probably at the very top end of it's market value. They have obviously spent a lot of money on it and are trying to recoup. I personally wouldn't be offering over 600k, but if you love it and are planning on staying for a while it's not really an issue. House prices in this area are always rising, but not at the rates of neighbouring areas such as Upminster and Hornchurch.

4. Public transport here is very reliable. I'd assume you'd take the train to Upminster then from there to Fenchurch Street? Really fast journey. I'm very slightly nearer Elm Park station so I tend to take district to Upminster then pick up Fenchurch Street train or I change at West Ham for jubilee, depending on where I'm going.

5. I'm not that familiar with Woolwich but I'd assume Rainham may be perceived as 'safer' perhaps? If that's the case then I'd certainly consider a move. Havering in general is quite a good choice for it's proximity to the city.

Hope that helps a bit!

@CellophaneFlower

Hi OP

I live really close to the house you have posted. I'll try to help with your questions.

1. I think Rainham is becoming much more diverse. I just looked at my reception child's recent class photo and half of his class are not white. I do notice at pick up time that there are groups of parents of the same ethnicity sticking together, but I certainly don't feel this is due to any kind of unrest.

2. We don't have grammar schools in this area. The Harris Academy appears to have good results (my children are still in infants so I haven't researched fully yet). Coopers school in nearby Upminster is a very good school. We're not in the catchment area but they did used to use a wider criteria for acceptance, sports or musically gifted etc... but not sure if this still applies.

3. I do feel that house is probably at the very top end of it's market value. They have obviously spent a lot of money on it and are trying to recoup. I personally wouldn't be offering over 600k, but if you love it and are planning on staying for a while it's not really an issue. House prices in this area are always rising, but not at the rates of neighbouring areas such as Upminster and Hornchurch.

4. Public transport here is very reliable. I'd assume you'd take the train to Upminster then from there to Fenchurch Street? Really fast journey. I'm very slightly nearer Elm Park station so I tend to take district to Upminster then pick up Fenchurch Street train or I change at West Ham for jubilee, depending on where I'm going.

5. I'm not that familiar with Woolwich but I'd assume Rainham may be perceived as 'safer' perhaps? If that's the case then I'd certainly consider a move. Havering in general is quite a good choice for it's proximity to the city.

Hope that helps a bit!

Thank you for taking your time in giving such invaluable advice.

1. Yes, many of my Asian colleagues have moved to Rainham in the last 4 years - new station, better houses etc. I note your remarks on the current diversity profile, very helpful and it's not concerning.

1. I think Essex in general has not to well performing schools, not so sure why. I found Dagenahm and Upminister areas have good schools.

1. Similar houses in Upminster and Hornchurch will set me back £800k/£1m. This house is of very high spec. Quite a conincedence that even their carpet and underlay is same as our current house.

1. Thank you. Good to know. It is a must my Lecuring starts at 9:00 and looks like I have to start 15 min early from home compared to my current timing which I can live with.

1. Woolwich has seen quite a growth. We lived here for 13 years. No issues ever. We can even keep the door open where we live but too crowded place and lots of unhappy people around.

Thank you again. Very kind of you.

You're very welcome Please feel free to ask any more questions should they arise.

I grew up in Upminster, then moved to Hornchurch, then to where I am now. Those areas were my first choice, but as you say, they're expensive! I could have afforded a house there, but it would have been much smaller and I really prioritise space. Honestly have no issues with this area though, and I've been here over 4 years now.

Good luck with whatever you decide

@Househunting21

I can't answer most of the questions (my children are only just primary age and I don't use the Rainham transport links), but we're looking in the area and my advice would be to avoid Rainham, tbh. It's quite a run down area, under the flight path (we actually looked at a house near to the one you link and the plane noise is quite noticeable) and near the dual carriageway. If you have that kind of budget for a three bed, why not consider Hornchurch/Elm Park? They have the advantage of being on the District line, so easy access to Tower Hill - Gants Hill more of a pain, but you can change at Mile End and head back maybe. Perhaps something like this? www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/107583377?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard

In general I think the area is great - plenty of green space, a lot of country parks around but equally still on the tube and within London. I don't know Woolwich very well so can't easily compare, but I'd recommend Havering :)

Yes, very much agree. Rainham takes us back to a time when Stratford was a dump and we would categorically avoid that place, look at it now! Woolwich is on a similar trajectory. Rainham appears to be getting a makeover but at a slow pace, by 2030 perhaps, when most of the key development will complete. Flight path is quite a concern, did you check that from flight routes, or it was noticed during a viewing?

I want a detached and ready to pay a premium. Have seen enough of Neighbour problems, seems like we live in a growing unhappy world (overly generalised) :)

Thank you so much. Apologies for late reply.

I grew up in Rainham, I now live south of the Thames so have travelled in the opposite direction to your planned move.

The house is overpriced for where it is. Rainham is basically split into several different and quite distinct areas, and there's a definite perception as to which areas are better than others. If you were going to live in Rainham, the preferred area is the roads leading off Upminster Road North.

That said, I moved for good reason and I wouldn't recommend moving there now; there are resourcing issues (GP surgeries have closed with patients now travelling some distance to be seen, the swimming pool has also shut although is allegedly going to be rebuilt, and there are various further housing developments planned which will strain local services further). Schooling is also not ideal; Coopers and Sacred Heart, both in Upminster are the best non selectives but have always had very small catchment areas.

This part of Essex is not very ethnically diverse, although as pp have said this has improved in recent years, I think you would find it very different to Woolwich though.