Moving to Kent - please help

[KandN]

Dear all

Hope you're all well and safe.

We are considering moving further out of London as we will get better value for money and possibly afford a house/bungalow outside the M25. Budget around £550k and looking for a 3 bed house. Need train station to London as we both work in London but not essential as we can wfh a few days a week. We are looking for a relatively safe location (i.e low level of crime, petty thefts, burglary and yobbish behaviour) and in a posh/affluent area if possible. Safety and an upmarket area is important to us.

We are looking at areas fairly close to Sevenoaks such as Wrotham and Borough Green, West Kingsdown, Hildenborough and West Malling/Kings Hill.

Anyone local to these areas that would be able to offer some insights and their own experience of what's it like to live there? Please do share your "not so nice" experience. Any areas/towns/streets I should avoid?

Thanks

K and N

Sorry forgot to add that I have a car, so don't really need to be close to shopping facilities. And we don't mind somewhere quiet as our clubbing days are well over.

I'd look at Bearsted - your money will go further and that's exactly the type of community you described.

Tunbridge Wells

Thank you all for the recommendation!

Please feel free to share any information you have.

I have heard that Gillingham is pretty bad.

I cant remember where my sister looked in kent...a few places...said in day time looked lovely but come evening...hoody gangs all over the place...go visit at night time to check out first.

I was very keen on West Malling myself, but not Kings Hill as too soulless and estate like.

We actually moved to Hampshire but I do know quite well the areas you mention.

Wrotham nicer than Borough Green. But they are pricey as it’s near M25 land and access back into London.

West Malling is the gem in amongst them all but I don’t know what the property market is like there now. I’ve always found Hildenborough a bit lacking in anything, but that’s just personal preference.

Whilst I know that Headcorn is further out, and has had significant development in terms of new build, have you looked there? The train is an hour into London, a large village that some refer to as small town, easy access to both Maidstone and Tenterden. You would get more for your money there and there are some roads with good bungalows. Bearsted is also worth a look.

As with all things, you push further out and get more property for your money but the downside is the cost of commuting even say two days a week.

We did a similar move on a similar budget, ended up in a village near Headcorn (London Bridge in 57 mins). Feel free to PM me if you like x

An hour's commute will be tough going and increasingly expensive.

Thank you all. I will have a look at Headcorn and Bearsted. They do look much further out on Google map so if I can't find anything in Wrotham and West Malling then will definitely consider these areas.

Bearsted / Weavering / Grove Green are much nicer than Wrotham - I’ve no experience of West Malling .

I'm in Tunbridge Wells - I had a quick look and there are quite a few 3 (and 4) bed houses in budget for sale here. Trains are frequent (but expensive) and we have two train stations so you have a choice. Tonbridge would also be a good shout and you'd definitely get something in budget there (and have a shorter train ride).

(The nicest places on your list are Wrotham, Hildenborough (but as someone else said, a bit of a ribbon village with not much there), and possibly Borough Green...the others not so much.