DP and I currently live in East London and are thinking about moving out. For various reasons West Sussex and the South Downs works well for us as a broad area. We’re looking primarily for countryside (we’re both outdoorsy and keen walkers) but also to live somewhere that has a few amenities, and importantly, isn’t too far from an arty/cultural community (however small). We’d also like somewhere that is a little more multicultural if possible - DP is of South Asian heritage (I’m white) and it’s really important to us that we move somewhere that is welcoming to him.
I know all this screams somewhere close to Brighton, but aside from being too expensive, it is too much a party town for us. We’re in our 40s (no kids) and our partying days are largely over!
Our budget is £550k for a 3 bed house. We have been looking at Worthing but we’d like to be a bit more inland if possible, though we realise our budget rules out some of the better connected South Downs towns. I’ve recently been looking at Haselmere (which I know is in Surrey) but not sure if it has the cultural element we’re looking for. I will need to commute into London once or twice a week at most (London terminus not relevant at this point) so being closer to a station would be helpful.
Can anyone recommend areas to help us focus our search/investigate? Thanks!