Move to South Croydon/Purley from Tunbridge Wells??

[User112]

Hi Mums,

We live in Tunbridge Wells. DS is at grammar school in Tonbridge. He either takes the bus or DH drops him off on the way to work. Our twins are in Y1 and their school is within walking distance.
We live in a small 3bed house and it’s getting very tight for us. We are looking to buy, but there isn’t much on the market that suits our needs and within budget.

Happy budget : under £800k
Ok budget : under $900k
Really stretch : 1M max

DH and I run our own consultancies from home. We visit our clients offices in London 1-3 times a week. I’ve drastically cut down London visits due to me being high risk.

We’d like a 4 bed detached with at least 1 office. Good size bedrooms (no box rooms). Our main concern is DS. He is really settled in his school and loves it. He is very academic and thrives in the environment at Judd. He has the box room now and says he is happy to commute for a bigger room 🤔

There is nothing much on the market in Tonbridge/Tonbridge Wells at the moment. The roads are tight here and traffic jams are HORRENDOUS. I’ve seen some lovely houses in Purley/South Croydon. We are thinking of buying there and let DS commute to Tonbridge until he can find a place at a more local grammar.
Does that sound like a good idea? Our commute to London gets cuts down to half. We pay crazy train fares to get to London from TW!!

The OP wasnt talking about moving to central Croydon. She was talking about moving to Purley/South Croydon. Which as has been repeatedly pointed out, is very, very different from central Croydon

Yes but unless you’re on the edge you’ll still have to deal with the centre. I’ve lived in various bits for 10 plus years and half my family is from there, I’m aware of the layout. I’m just trying to help, op needs to get to Tonbridge. I think personally that journey is unreasonable unless you’re literally next to a (main) station, and for EC and Purley both those areas aren’t great.

It's not really about the house style or size as prices are location specific. A house like those posted would be 2m plus in Dulwich & probably don't even exist with the same amount of land. My colleague lives in a flat whereas I have a house & garden but her flats in Chelsea, no comparison!

I don't think Croydon is that bad & there are certainly some nice parts but there's a reason why it's relatively affordable & Im not convinced it's the best choice for the op.

@Sonex

Hear hear!

My God, hearing the posts about South Croydon as some crime ridden centre sums up the pathetic, Daily Mail reading hysterics who revel in being ignorant, that have given us idiots like Boris and the worst government and PM since Eden.

The highest crime in London is Westminster followed by Kensington and Chelsea, has been for years, yet amazingly the wealthiest people on the planet continue to flock to it. Most of the knuckle draggers slagging off S.Croydon couldn't afford a parking space in these areas...

For the OP, South Croydon is fine, but reading between the lines, it sounds like you may need to just keep looking for a more a local move , the future is more virtual business meetings, not less, so it doesn't seem worth the upheaval.

@Lonelycrab

The OP wasnt talking about moving to central Croydon. She was talking about moving to Purley/South Croydon. Which as has been repeatedly pointed out, is very, very different from central Croydon

Yes but unless you’re on the edge you’ll still have to deal with the centre. I’ve lived in various bits for 10 plus years and half my family is from there, I’m aware of the layout. I’m just trying to help, op needs to get to Tonbridge. I think personally that journey is unreasonable unless you’re literally next to a (main) station, and for EC and Purley both those areas aren’t great.

I disagree. I know many, many families that live in Purley, Sanderstead, Kenley, Coulsdon, Caterham, Warlingham, Woldingham etc who haven't been anywhere near Central Croydon in years, if at all. Many refuse to go there (which I think is silly). They drive to Bluewater for shopping, go to Crawley or Oxted for cinema, shop online etc. I even know one woman who drives to Lakeside to go to IKEA as she doesn't like Purley Way! I personally am fine with Purley Way and find it really handy for Costco, IKEA etc. as the traffic isn't as bad as it used to be (as long as you avoid weekend afternoons). If you're from those suburban areas, never lived in London and don't have kids at schools like Whitgift, Trinity, Croydon High etc then you quite likely never go near Central Croydon, (which is actually a shame imo, as it can be quite fun). You can even drive further to go to East Surrey Hospital to avoid Croydon University Hospital if you're really bothered. (I don't know if it's still true but when I was having my children, some of the women in my NCT groups etc that were is Croydon postcodes in Purley, Kenley etc could elect to go to East Surrey hospital instead).

All.silly middle class hysterics and perception imo, but, as I say, I have lived in or around central and south London since I was 17 and I've always worked in London, so maybe my perception is different. I'm also aware that is possible, in all areas of London (or any big city) to have very different experiences and I'm sure that a refugee coming to Croydon or someone on a budget is going to have a very different experience from a middle class family with kids at the (excellent) private schools or grammars moving out from Clapham, Balham, Wandsworth etc.

Thinking about it, the only time I have ever experienced crime was the kerb-crawling creeps trying to pick me up when I lived in zone 1 and some fairly scary police lock-ins in Brixton, back in the day.

They drive to Bluewater for shopping, go to Crawley or Oxted for cinema, shop online etc. I even know one woman who drives to Lakeside to go to IKEA as she doesn't like Purley Way!

That's crazy, they must spend their life in the car. I often go to that Ikea, it's fine.

Having said that I know an older lady who is from the Heath & lives in Mitcham, who always says she is from & lives in Surrey 😆😆

I remember the days when people used to drive up from Brighton to go to the Whitgift Centre.

Yes as a teenager Croydon shopping was good

@gattey

They drive to Bluewater for shopping, go to Crawley or Oxted for cinema, shop online etc. I even know one woman who drives to Lakeside to go to IKEA as she doesn't like Purley Way!

That's crazy, they must spend their life in the car. I often go to that Ikea, it's fine.

Madness.

Also, they've done up the Vue on Purley Way recently - all the seats recline, it's quite a pleasant experience! The escalators still only work intermittently, mind.

@Enko

Living in this area I find it hard to get you are struggling with that budget.

Have you looked at the smaller towns Frant
Wadhurst
Bidborough
Speldhurst
Also as suggested above
Lingfield
Edenbridge
East Grinstead
Oxted
Also
Hever
Leigh
Crowborough

You won’t find anything for that space/ budget in: Frant, Wadhurst, Bidborough, Hever, Speldhurst. Actually you’d be lucky to find anything in any budget, especially Frant.

Further into East Sussex you get an awful lot more
for your money - Crowborough, down the Hastings line eg Stonegate, Robertsbridge. But obviously that is because you’re further out.

You have my sympathies, fellow person in the area who needs more space!

Have you considered Maidstone or somewhere along the trainline to Tonbridge? More house for your money

Lower Road, East Farleigh
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/117386759

Further into East Sussex you get an awful lot more for your money - Crowborough, down the Hastings line eg Stonegate, Robertsbridge. But obviously that is because you’re further out

None of those are going to fulfil the brief for easier and cheaper travel into London though.

It's a tough ask and if you find the roads and traffic horrendous in Tunbridge Wells OP I'm struggling to imagine how comfortable you'd be in the areas you mentioned, let alone how realistic a school transfer would be.

I'm musing as to if somewhere like Paddock Wood might work for you? I don't know it that well, but the train station might suit both school travel and your commute, plus some of the houses available have work from home spaces.
www.zoopla.co.uk/new-homes/details/60186319/?search_identifier=83844ddf06f91f56bb01d048db413256

There's also a semi for sale that looks tiny from the front, but has an annexe behind which would be perfect for wfh or older teens private space as they grow.

@sallywinter you really will get a 4 bed detached with space for office in those locations. You might have to wait a while, it might not be a mansion but you absolutely can get what the op has requested well within £1m. I still think if the traffic of TW is an issue (& totally understandable as it is hideous) plus wanting more for your money then you'd be better of heading to Tonbridge or as another poster has suggested look at Paddock Wood.

99% of people who live in proper South Croydon wouldn't go anywhere near West Croydon, why would you?!
Lots of lovely areas and houses in South Croydon and the South End strip of restaurants is great. Lots of green space, fast to central London and countryside on your doorstep. South Croydon is definitely underpriced compared to most of Greater London

Paddock Wood is a giant caravan park. Fine if you like that sort of thing. It's soon to become part of a giant building site if the plans for 2,800 new builds at Capel go through.

Surprised not to have seen anybody here suggest Shirley or West Wickham.
Shirley is a short drive or bus ride to East Croydon station, West Wickham is just up the road with a good high st and a station of its own. Both lovely areas, I would stay here if I could afford to buy here!!!

@User112

Hi Mums,

We live in Tunbridge Wells. DS is at grammar school in Tonbridge. He either takes the bus or DH drops him off on the way to work. Our twins are in Y1 and their school is within walking distance.
We live in a small 3bed house and it’s getting very tight for us. We are looking to buy, but there isn’t much on the market that suits our needs and within budget.

Happy budget : under £800k
Ok budget : under $900k
Really stretch : 1M max

DH and I run our own consultancies from home. We visit our clients offices in London 1-3 times a week. I’ve drastically cut down London visits due to me being high risk.

We’d like a 4 bed detached with at least 1 office. Good size bedrooms (no box rooms). Our main concern is DS. He is really settled in his school and loves it. He is very academic and thrives in the environment at Judd. He has the box room now and says he is happy to commute for a bigger room 🤔

There is nothing much on the market in Tonbridge/Tonbridge Wells at the moment. The roads are tight here and traffic jams are HORRENDOUS. I’ve seen some lovely houses in Purley/South Croydon. We are thinking of buying there and let DS commute to Tonbridge until he can find a place at a more local grammar.
Does that sound like a good idea? Our commute to London gets cuts down to half. We pay crazy train fares to get to London from TW!!

If you get fed up of the traffic in TW Purely / South Croydon will drive you totally mad! It's very busy, and it can take you ages to get anywhere. Whilst there are some nice houses you generally get lot more for your budget out here so if you are seeing bigger nicer houses for less than you would pay here you need to ask yourself what the catch is... I used to live in South Croydon and am now in the TW area. I don't know what the Schools are like in Croydon but there are some quite deprived parts of that area and when I was there it could be very rough in the town centre, especially at the weekend. I once saw a fist fight take place in the middle of a the pedestrian shopping area on boxing day afternoon! There was always a riot van parked up in the town centre weekend evenings. If you want to reduce your commute why don't you consider Sevenoaks or Orpington as a compromise?

Coulsdon is lovely - although I might be a bit biased as I grew up there and am currently trying to sell my late parent's home!