Affordable commuter towns to London

[sunshineonarainyday6]

Hi all, currently in Sutton outside London but looking to relocate with my young family. We have a budget of around £750k and would like to be in a nice area for raising a young family with decent school but commutable within 90 minutes door to door from Central London and ideally get a 4 bed house with off-street parking for that. We are really unsure whether to focus on Surrey, Hertfordshire or Berkshire. Where would people recommend please? Thanks

Burnham, Maidenhead, Taplow.

Will be on the Elizabeth line, making your commute into London dead easy. But you’re still in a rural(ish) area - depending on exactly where you pick (Taplow is v villagey but expensive, Maidenhead a town, Burnham a bigger village but avoid the Slough side).

4 bed detached with a drive should be relatively possible, although I suspect what you get for your money will be similar (maybe less?) than Sutton...

Which stations do you want to come into?

Folkestone, Kent is only 50 mins from Kings cross, St Pancras.
Hidden gem!

Thanks all. @Iggly we aren't too bothered really, any of the main ones would be great.

Maidenhead,Folkstone,Bedford,Milton Keynes,Stevenage

@Mger2 and @Chuechebache what is Maidenhead like please? Does it have a nice town centre? Thanks

Budget too low for St Albans. How about Brentwood in Essex? Or Upminster? Such good schools to choose from. Easy journey to London.

Good budget for somewhere like Bishops Stortford (Liverpool Street/Tottenham Hale for Victoria line/Stratford) and other places on that train line like Sawbridgeworth, Newport, Stansted Mountfitchet, etc.

Might be enough for Hitchin (King’s Cross).

why are you leaving Sutton as there are good schools there & you have a healthy budget?

For Berkshire one of Martins Heron, Bracknell, Wokingham, Winnersh. They are all on the same slow line to London (1 hour ish to Waterloo) most stations are walkable from the nearby estates.

Thanks all. That's really helpful. @fillitup we don't love the town centre and have no family ties to the area so can go anywhere as long as it is commutable to London. I feel we might be able to find nicer areas and would love to be somewhere slightly more rural and with less London traffic and perhaps a nice high street etc.

Twyford should be manageable & it'll be on the Elizabeth line

fair enough @sunshineonarainyday6.

I was in Tonbridge & Tunbridge Wells recently & that was really nice but no idea if commute.

Thanks @fillitup. I'll do some research on those areas.

Liphook, Liss, Petersfield.

You’d get a really nice house for your money in these areas and the countryside is wonderful. Near the sea at weekends as well! Great schools.

Could look at Berkhamsted, Amersham, Chesham, Borehamwood (would be a semi), Kings / Abbots Langley, Welwyn (NOT welwyn garden city but Welwyn itself is quite nice), also Chelmsford.

Maybe a little further out, with your budget you'd get something great. Milton Keynes, Rugby, Coventry. All decent places to live for schools etc and an hour to London on the train.

Just remember that fares go sky high once you are outside the m25. Market harborough would get you a lovely house, 55 mins to kings cross but the fare is extortionate

@sunshineonarainyday6 Maidenhead town centre isn't brilliant. I mean, it isn't horrible, but it isn't really somewhere people choose to go shop / spend time. Having said that, there is a lot of new development going on, and the east side of town is improving. But mostly as associated cafes / restaurants under new blocks of apartments.
It has some lovely areas around it though - both areas within walking distance of the town centre, but also in the villages around the outside. I think it is a great mix of convenience for shops / cafes / the station, and lovely countryside / riverside areas.

For example, this house is in quite a nice area:
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110499818#/?channel=RES_BUY
This one on the edge of town near the fields:
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/118742606#/?channel=RES_BUY
On the Bray side of town (I have a friend who lives on this road):
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/116361068#/?channel=RES_BUY

Not a huge amount around in your budget though.
Primary schools in Maidenhead are good. Secondary schools, less so for boys (the girls school is very good, the co-eds are ok... IMO). Do your research on school catchment areas!

Good bits and bad bits to Maidenhead. Like everywhere.

Nice places along the river and in Bray. The town itself is not remarkable - you’d go to Reading if you’re bothered about shops I imagine. But it’s also not unpleasant.

It’s definitely a town though. Whereas Taplow and Burnham are villages. If budget can be stretched Taplow is absolutely gorgeous, but comes at a price.

@NoLongerATeacher

Liphook, Liss, Petersfield.

You’d get a really nice house for your money in these areas and the countryside is wonderful. Near the sea at weekends as well! Great schools.

I second these areas as well. They meet all of your criteria.

Another vote for Folkestone here. We moved back to the UK from overseas a few years ago and after searching high and low plumped for Folkestone. Thrilled we did. There’s so much going for it and it’s so beautiful. We love it!

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110305448#/?channel=RES_BUY

Not the mostly aesthetically pleasurable decor, but this is an indication of what 750k can get you in Folkestone - detached with sea views well within the catchment for outstanding grammars and a decent non selective…

Tonbridge.

Tunbridge Wells is now too expensive. but Tonbridge still might have what you want for the price. You could also look at somewhere like Orpington.

Horley, Crawley or Redhill? We're in Horley and really enjoy it - we've got a young family :)