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Original poster

If I have a £500-600k budget, can I buy a nice 4 bed house anywhere in the South East?

61 replies

frnf · 25/05/2022 17:38

Inspired by a thread I made today - I need to move from my current house.

I'm currently 25 mins max from London Bridge. I need to get away from horrible neighbours but remain within an hour/less (ideally 30 mins but I think that's unrealistic) of London by train for work reasons.

I have a fairly big house but in the cheapest area - 3 reception rooms, 5 beds (4 doubles, 1 single), a decent garden (60ft x 30ft). Worth maybe £550k, maybe up to £600k if I did some renovations. I'd like to reduce my expenses when moving if possible, so £600k would be the very max for new house, ideally closer to £500k.

As one of the big reasons to move is my neighbours, I'd want ideally to be detached, and 10-12ft minimum away from the neighbouring house, but still with a similar garden (or bigger) to now.

Is it possible? Or do I just need to stay put?

OP posts:
Fere · 26/05/2022 00:23

@frnf there's link to a 4 bed detached in Redhill in one post above. You don’t need to go to Crawley for it.

Original poster
frnf · 26/05/2022 00:47

Sorry the ones in Redhill are not really for me, the distance to the neighbours is very much like what I have now and it doesn't really work for me. I feel I'd be no better off potentially.

For personal reasons, Burgess Hill is a definite no.

I have seen a couple of possibles in Colchester, I think it is probably going to be too far though. Which to be honest was kind of what I expected, that I can't get a house much better than I have now even if I go quite a bit further out

I"ll keep looking but I think I might have to try and put up with it here a while longer.

OP posts:
starlingdarling · 26/05/2022 06:41

If you use Rightmove on a laptop or desktop Pc you can draw a search area rather than choose a town plus X miles. Might be easier to get a shortlist that avoids the areas you already know you don't like.

Ballsaque · 26/05/2022 07:17

Don’t forget to factor in extra rail costs if moving further out.

also,you could move and your new neighbours could be just as bad or worse. It’s a lottery.

Original poster
frnf · 26/05/2022 07:51

Yes rail costs is something to bear in mind.

I appreciate you can get annoying neighbours anywhere, but from experience proximity is often the main issue. My current neighbours would be significantly less annoying if they were 20ft away rather than 6ft. In fairness, when we bought this house, their house was an annex with a single occupant. I didn't foresee ending up with 6 people living there.

Anyway it's why ideally I want something with as few neighbours as possible (being at the end of a road with park or field behind for example would be ideal) and as much distance from me to the nearest neighbour as I can get. Still no guarantee of a quiet life but it should definitely improve the odds!

OP posts:
JTro · 26/05/2022 09:24

We had the same search criteria - easy commute to London, detached, neighbours are on the distance.... sorry for saying this, but that's impossible for 500 000

RidingMyBike · 26/05/2022 09:38

It's worth looking at semi as well as detached. We're in the middle of moving (currently renting to break the chain) and wanted detached but very little available. It's also turned out that the few detached on the market are actually worse than some of the semis , depending on how they're set up. So a 'link detached' newish build is very very hemmed in by neighbours, lots of potential for noise and garden overlooked.

We're (hopefully!) buying a semi - but the bits of the house that connect to the other are all insulated by built-in wardrobes and cupboards. The garden isn't overlooked and they're actually quite well spaced.

Of course, that level of nuance isn't possible in a Rightmove search which means we've spent hours staring at pics of semis! Smile

INeedNewShoes · 26/05/2022 10:03

I second the suggestion of Leighton Buzzard and surrounding villages. You won't have a massive choice but should be able to find a 4-bed for £600k. 20 minutes into Euston on the train from LB. It's still a bit rough around the edges but I went there recently and thought how pleasant it was walking around. It feels nicer than it did ten years ago when I opted against living there. I would now, especially if I was going to need to go to London regularly.

Original poster
frnf · 26/05/2022 10:43

I'm starting to think I need to leave this for 5 years until I can move further afield.

Moving to another, smaller, semi (even if it does mean getting rid of the bad neighbours) doesn't feel like enough of an improvement for the upheaval and cost. My neighbours on the attached side now are pretty much silent - no guarantee of that in a new place.

I think I'm going to have to try and make the best of this house really. Just can't believe the prices of other houses outside of London, compared to my house in London (albeit the very outskirts).

OP posts:
starlingdarling · 26/05/2022 12:19

Anyway it's why ideally I want something with as few neighbours as possible (being at the end of a road with park or field behind for example would be ideal)

If you do find something like this make sure you check plans for building in the future. There are a few houses for sale in my village that look over fields. None of the Rightmove adverts mention that there are approved plans for 500 houses to be built on those fields nor the new railway line that will come across the end of the village high street. Several other villages have similar development plans. Your solicitor would pick it up in the searches but a quick Google would save a lot of time and money.

FragileConsequence · 26/05/2022 12:36

I'm in North Herts (so North of London obvs) and you can occasionally get detached houses for that much, but less likely with a big garden. Occasionally one at the end of a road so you might get the distance, but it's rare. And they sell quick. So you'd have to have already sold to be in with a chance. There's nothing right now that fits.

MindatWork · 26/05/2022 12:46

Have you looked along the Tonbridge/Paddock Wood/Marden /Staplehurst line OP? They’re all small semi-rural towns or large villages, lots of new builds going up if that’s your thing, or older detached family homes.

Plenty of facilities and access to good schools

eg:
Staplehurst
Paddock Wood

IndigoC · 27/05/2022 16:22

What about Sandgate or Hythe in East Kent? The high speed train is under an hour to London. We lived there for 9 years until moving to Gloucestershire a few months back.

LadyJaneHall · 27/05/2022 16:37

Dartford is Kent and in your budget but if you don't like Medway, you won't like Dartford. Anywhere in Kent/Surrey within an hour of London at your price range is likely to be in a poorer area. Horsham is nice. What's wrong with Horsham?

Original poster
frnf · 27/05/2022 19:50

I live not far from Dartford now. Id rather live in Dartford than Medway. Unfortunately I can't get the sort of place I want in Dartford for the budget I have, prices have risen too much.

OP posts:
Fitterbyfifty · 27/05/2022 19:55

If you are happy with the area you are in maybe look there? Have you tried speaking to the neighbours?

StageRage · 27/05/2022 20:08

Norbury www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/119678642#/?channel=RES_BUY

HeddaGarbled · 27/05/2022 20:08

Royston Herts & Biggleswade Beds.

MrsJamin · 27/05/2022 21:10

There's a bunch of 4 bed detached houses in Reading, eg www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/96592771 - I think it's doable. I live in Reading and like it a lot. We are just at the end of the new Elizabeth tube line.

ArticHare · 27/05/2022 21:40

House prices outside London are just as much as London. Unless it's really in the sticks (then you might as well move to the Hebrides) or has serious issues like terrible area, no decent school, structural/noise issues, etc.

Ive looked at Kent, Surrey, Hertfordshire and bits of Bucks. Can't deal with Essex or West. There is no real benefit for what we can get so staying put in London Zone 5 for now.

Original poster
frnf · 28/05/2022 11:25

Yes I've realised that whereas years ago there was quite a drop off in house prices as you got further from London, it's much smaller or non existent now. I would have to go much further out (3 hours away) to get what I want on the budget I have.

It's crazy because within 1/4 of a mile of me, houses same size or smaller than mine are £900k, yet I'd be lucky to get £600k for mine. Which is about what houses of the same size are selling for 10 or more miles further out!

I'm going to try and work on loving my house more (and getting some jobs finished if I can ever get anyone to do the work) and appreciate the pluses like the proximity to public transport, shops, London and open space.

OP posts:
starlingdarling · 28/05/2022 11:39

It's crazy because within 1/4 of a mile of me, houses same size or smaller than mine are £900k, yet I'd be lucky to get £600k for mine. Which is about what houses of the same size are selling for 10 or more miles further out!

Why is your house so much cheaper than your neighbours?

WombatChocolate · 28/05/2022 13:36

That Redhill detached 4 Bed for £550k is good. It’s about a 12 min walk to station snd trains go to LB and Victoria in about 35 mins very regularly. That area is fine although the road is reasonably busy.

There are also lots of properties with 4 beds for less than that price if you will consider town houses on the new estates. You can get one under £500k again in walking distance of station.

What you want is achievable and doesn’t have to involve a full hour commute or need to drive to a station.

JorisBonson · 28/05/2022 13:40

I think you're in my area OP. We're mid terrace at the moment and having issues - DH and I think people round here physically don't know how to do anything quietly 🤣.

We're stuck as well for a few years until we (hopefully) make enough money to do what you're trying to do.

WombatChocolate · 28/05/2022 13:45

Oh, just seen you don’t like the look of the Redhill ones.

Well, I guess the situation is that detached property is available that meets your criteria of distance (and could be within a 40 min commute) and size, but it won’t be the fanciest locations within those places.

Both those Redhill houses are proper detached houses. You wouldn’t hear the neighbours through the walls. Yes, if you were all in your gardens you would hear them. If you need to be further away from neighbours and have a large amount of land between the properties, you really will be looking at moving g significantly further out.

Your budget is tight, but it is doable for a detached. The more fussy you are about business of road, space between houses etc, of course the mire expensive the properties become. You will have to choose if the compromise for you lies in going for a semi, which will give you access to more locations or whether the detached and journey time is the big deal….in which case, you might find it’s a detached which is close to its neighbours…..in reality most detached houses are still close to the neighbours, unless you’re looking a huge piles - and those are not close to your budget.