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Thinking of moving to Faversham

17 replies

Mumofboys78 · 02/02/2022 22:00

Hi, is there anyone here who knows Kent well and can help us? We live in Basingstoke with our 2 young children and are thinking about moving to Kent to be closer to family in Rochester. My husband absolutely does not want to live in Medway as he was bought up there and wants a new area to explore. We were thinking Faversham could be a good move as it's about 30 mins to family, we'd be close to the beach (although we love woodland walks too and are not sure if there's many of those around), Canterbury isn't too far for shopping, it's on the trainline to London and seems to have ok schools. We were thinking maybe Maidstone as well, but it seems more expensive and our max budget for a 4 bed house is £550,00. Does anyone live in Faversham? Is it a nice area to raise a family? Does anyone have any other suggestions? Thanks all x

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KookyNotOoky · 02/02/2022 22:17

Gosh I've trekked from one of Kent to the other more times than I can count. Generally it's wealthy though with the odd run down town (by southern standards - nothing to compare to some of the run-down places I've been to up north). There are tons of train lines and stations and also ferries to France as well, though it still feel 'Kent-ish' if that makes sense, as opposed to say Surrey or Hertfordshire which just seem like extension of London.

Faversham is nice but very small and slightly 'villagey'. Not sure if that's what your after? Sittingbourne is nearby, more of bustle to it, though not the most exciting place.

Maidstone is ok - fairly nondescript place tbh like Basingstoke. Decent enough little town.
Ashford is quite similar just further out (though with a high speed rail link into London).

Of the Medway towns Rochester is easily the nicest.

Tonbridge, Canterbury, Sevenoaks - nice places, expensive.

Some of the coastal town in Kent are great - Ramsgate, Broadstairs, Herne Bay, Folkestone, Deal, Sandwich etc. A lot of DFLs (Down From Londoners) are moving there though so property price are rising all the time in whatever the latest 'trendy' place is (e.g. Margate).

Gravesend, Dover are likely cheaper but runs down in parts. Dover in particular is probably the worst town in Kent... such a depressing introduction to England for visitors.

Beyond that there are of course countless villages, most of them lovely, though generally expensive and of course much less going on and probably quite boring for teenagers.

Bear in mind also that most of south-east London was formerly Kent and many there still identify with the county. Bromley, Beckenham, Bexleyheath, Orpington etc. all decent places with a suburban feel though of course prices will be quite high given that your're in the M25.

Brushyourteeth · 02/02/2022 22:44

We made the move from London to Faversham just over a year ago. We really like it here. It is quiet, which is what we were looking for at the time. Like most places to live it also has its desirable and not so desirable areas.

There is quite a range of things for younger children to do, good primary schools and two secondary schools, one of which is a grammar school. There isn't so much for older children I would say and, how can I put this, we have sometimes felt there is a bit of a 'village mentality' but people are generally friendly.

There are some nice walks and Seasalter, Whitstable and Herne Bay are not far away at all. Canterbury is good for shopping.

Train into London takes just over an hour but is expensive especially at peak times (and on the high speed service).

Mumofboys78 · 02/02/2022 22:47

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. Wanting to be no more than 30 mins from Rochester, not wanting to live in Medway, with a decent train line to London and not the biggest of budgets doesn't give lots of options 😬 I'd not considered Sittingbourne so thanks for that. My boys are young right now but we definitely want them to have things to do as they get older so lots to think about! Thanks again x

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Brushyourteeth · 02/02/2022 23:04

Good luck with your search! I do understand how you feel. We had a few stipulations when we were moving and looked at quite a few places in Kent before settling on Faversham.

Feel free to message me if you've got any more questions - happy to help!

KookyNotOoky · 02/02/2022 23:06

Forgot to mention Dartford... ok town. Though I'm guessing more expensive as it's closer to London.

If you really want to get off the beaten track and have a car there's the Hoo peninsula or the Isle of Sheppey :D

Mumofboys78 · 03/02/2022 07:27

Thanks to you both, really appreciate it! :) Going to spend some time driving around and visiting areas. @Brushyourteeth I do have more questions so thank you if you're sure you don't mind me messaging you x

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propertealady · 03/02/2022 07:33

I have family in Faversham and it's absolutely lovely. I also grew up in a rougher part of Kent and wouldn't touch Medway or anywhere North of Rochester. I'm at the other end of the country now but Faversham would be top of my list if I moved back to Kent.

hesbeen2021 · 03/02/2022 07:53

Having lived there, I'd say Faversham sounds ideal for what you need.
I too would never live in the Medway towns nor Sittingbourne although some fo the surrounding villages, eg Tenyham, are really nice. So have a look at the villages between Faversham and Sittingbourne
Canterbury is the best! And it'll take 20 minutes to drive there from Faversham but you're right it's getting very pricey

RhubarbCrumbled · 03/02/2022 15:15

I think Faversham is the best bet for the area you want to be in. I've lived here for 12 years and love it. There's lots locally going on (when covid hasn't shut everything), the schools are mostly great and the surrounding countryside is glorious.
I wouldn't touch Sittingbourne. Maidstone is fine but much bigger than Faversham and not so much community minded.
Have a visit and mooch around the area!

itwasntaparty · 03/02/2022 15:17

Faversham is the best bet, I'd avoid most of the area tbh.

Mumofboys78 · 03/02/2022 16:11

Thanks again everyone! Sittingbourne has a few negative comments - I had heard some bits are nicer than others but I've never been there. We'll definitely drive around and have a look to get a feel for places x

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DancingQueen2018 · 07/02/2022 22:20

We’ve lived here for about 8 years now, moved down from London, though I’m from Kent originally .
We love it here it, spoilt for choice with primaries. You can get to huge numbers of places within half an hour. Small enough to know loads of people (that villagey feel) which doesn’t suit everyone but I do like.

They are doing a huge amount of building though which I think may change the character of the town somewhat, but I wouldn’t move for anything.

Maidstone has a very different feel, a much larger town with everything on your doorstep. Sittingbourne is quite a simile eel to it.

Feel free to message me if you want to know anything else. Happy house hunting!

Sunandstar178 · 03/05/2022 11:09

Hi, we are looking to move to Faversham from London and would really appreciate honest insights! We have a 2 and 7 year old -what are schools like, esp secondary? Is The Abbey School good or is Queens where you’d rather your child went? Are there lots of things for children to do out of school?
Also looking at Canterbury- again, any and all help would be great!
thanks so much

Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies · 03/05/2022 11:14

The trouble with Faversham’s secondary schools (as is the case with most of Kent) is the selective system. People will tell you about the great grammars. In many cases, they are reasonably good schools. What they don’t talk about is the 75% of children who aren’t assessed as ‘suitable for grammar’.

JaneAusten32 · 14/05/2023 19:18

Personally, I love the Isle of Sheppey.
It has a great community atmosphere, it's quiet and safe and there's minimal through traffic, of course.
It's well connected by rail and road and one is never to far from the coastline.
Best wishes x

Jcmars01 · 17/06/2024 05:53

hiya, I know this thread is very old but wondering if you made the move? We are thinking of doing exactly the same from London to Faversham. Do you still commute/how do you find it?

askingneverhurt · 26/07/2024 09:14

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