Left London for the suburbs - hate it

[Whereishome22]

Feeling miserable about this situation so want to at least have hope on the horizon! Moved from a part of London I loved to zone 6 suburbs end of last year and absolutely loathe it. It's a cultural wasteland, nothing to do, need to drive everywhere (which I can't yet), takes ages to get into work, and no local parks or playgrounds (two small kids). Suffering serious buyers remorse but anywhere I'd live in London has shot up in price Vs here, which has stayed steady.

So I want to leave and start anew in a town/ small city and want your help!

Budget is £850k, need at least 3 bedrooms but ideally more/annexe. Want a house with period features (not cottage more Victorian/Edwardian/1930s), at least 100 foot garden, good schools (this doesn't necessarily mean grammar schools) within walking distance, things to do, cinema, swimming pool, fruit and veg market, actually useful shops rather than gift shops and to be able to get a nice coffee, vegan food every now and then. Family in the South so don't want to be too far from them (i.e. Wales, Scotland, NE/SW England) and will need to commute to London one day a week (but don't mind it being a long one)

Places on the shortlist are:
Folkestone
Norwich
Tonbridge
Faversham

Any other ideas?

@Floomobal we felt the same and did 12 months there and moved to Bath. It's a very marmite place- some love it (I think OP might) I found it scruffy , a bit threatening and a fag to get around , full of wannabes who didn't do much- a lot of trustafarians. . I quite liked Clifton and white Ladies road, but that was it. My H is from there and it was he who fancied it- but he admitted a day trip there wasn't the same as living there and he found it not the same as when he lived there. On the other hand we loved living in Bath

So she can live around university students...

@waltzingparrot now that's a very nice house!! I've heard good things about south sea

There are places in London - 3 bedroom 30s style, 120 foot garden, 25 minutes from the centre. Thinking SE20, SE3, SE7, SE18.

You would have to drive to live in Tonbridge/ Tunbridge Wells.

I grew up in Tonbridge...just don't.
My sister lives in Sevenoaks...mid Victorian terrace with 100 ft garden..had it valued recently at 800k. She loves it though and would never move.

Horsham
brighton
cambridge
hertford
haslemere
hurstpierpoint
Guildford and surrounds

I live in Brighton. I’ve lived in Oxted- don’t recommend it - it isn’t even a town really, though countryside is pretty there.

Hitchin is lovely - it has its own identity and lots of good, non-chain restaurants and shops, and proper pubs too. I’m sitting on the train from Blackfriars to Hitchin as I type - easy, frequent, not overcrowded. Expensive- £29 peak return without tube but then only 1 day a week so all good. I moved here 6 years ago and love it.

@gatehouseoffleet Actually we thought Guildford was less than we expected but I do admit not if you want a massive house or huge gardens!!

In all fairness I've seen houses no better than the ones I posted in nicer areas in midlands and 'upnorth ' for similar money.

Same goes applies to Bath

I’ve lived in both Bath and Bristol. Both very different cities.

I prefer South Bristol to the north so I’d look at Southville or Totterdown area, but as people have already alluded to schools in Bristol aren’t the best at secondary - Redland Green is THE school to get into and has a very small catchment. Cathedral School is also good and right in the centre but the catchment is basically the whole of Bristol so would be a bit of a lottery!

Some of the houses shared further up for Bath are outside in villages or not the best location. You’d get what you want in Bath - I’d look around Bear Flat lovely Edwardian terraces although the garden would be smaller than you’d like. There are two allotment patches very nearby though. Also all secondary schools in Bath are pretty decent.

Otherwise upper Oldfield Park you can get a bit more for your money, avoid the lower part of Oldfield Park though as it’s very studenty and lots of HMOs. Another area would be Lower Weston - short walk to Victoria Park and flat walk to the centre.

Also, loved zone 6 in Kingston, Surbiton, Teddington area. Very different to Croydon so I wouldn’t necessarily rule out.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/126571931#/?channel=RES_BUY

The problem with Worcester Park/New Malden/ Cheam and the like is they no longer seem to have their own identity. They all just merge into one with horrendous traffic to boot. Worcester Park esp has got dire over the years. The high Street used to be lovely now it's a scruffy mess. When little pockets of suburbs get like this you find kids activities get stretched too, so Brownies is in Cuddington, nearest soft play in New Malden, 'normal' supermarket North Cheam

Tbh this sounds no different to me now in Z3. Some friends recently moved there & have found kids activities/sports are more accessible.

Oxford. Specifically East Oxford. Lots of vegans and flat whites there. Very buzzy. You won't find many houses with 100 ft gardens but there are some (they will tend to be quite narrow though).

Or possibly Petersfield for something a bit smaller/gentler but still with plenty going on for a young family.

Move to Marlow.

I was going to suggest Faversham or Rochester. Norwich would be good too.

I’m Essex based so this neck of the woods I would say:

• Braintree
• Chelmsford (there’s loads to do with young kids here - I don’t drive either) good schools and grammars, parks are great, we frequent 4 regularly and many more. I don’t drive and we can get over Essex but it is time consuming (1.5-2h on public transport compared to 20-30 min drive)
• Colchester as above poster mentioned also have good schooling
• Leigh on sea - again lots to do with young kids, lots of school options (inc multiple grammars) only on fenchurch line but I believe Blackfriars is on the circle line? Couldn’t be more than 1.5h. Leigh broadway is Pilates mum central with lots of sourdough and smoothie havens. Fantastic vegan restaurants there and further into Southend. Parks are great all around Southend. Crime coming in from London to the beaches is an increasing problem though. Parking is diabolical (although not important at present)

Lots of lovely villages but would not recommend without a car. We aren’t as bad as you would think. Pretty similar to Kent.

Other suggestions as some others have said:

• St Albans
• Watford (although when we were here wasn’t the best for public transport)
• Cambridge
• Bristol (although doable is a lengthy commute) the train station is about 30 mins from town (if I remember correctly).
• Reading? But close than Bristol.
• Norwich

Biggest piece of advice? If you have a partner or friends/family who can drive get yourselves out for lots of day trips to areas your interested in, ask locals in cafes, find local Facebook groups online and ask questions.

St Leonard’s! My brother lives in Worthing and I find it dull as dishwater, but St Leonard’s or Hastings are great. Amazing community feel (think Bristol vibes), loads of great food, bars and music. Good primary schools, secondary not so great but there are other options out of town, gorgeous surrounding countryside and great beaches (when Southern water is pumping shit all over them…).

We moved from very dull Muswell Hill and have never looked back.

Sounds like you live where I currently do! I hate it too! No parks, no community centre, no community anything. You need a car and don’t drive like you, or have to walk for thirty minutes plus along a main road with pollution blasting you in the face to get to a park, an hour to get to a shop. My lungs are bad and I feel like I can’t breath here!

I love Surbiton/Teddington but the journey doesn't work for me as I work locally.

Have you looked at Anerley and Penge? - v close to Crystal Palace which is jolly. Even Norwood maybe in budget. Personally I'd really look fora pocket of London that can get you a decent 3 bed w a garden.

OR Bristol.

Not Norfolk or any of the places you mention, because as I am sure a thousand posters have told you, if you think Croydon is dull, you have no idea..

So you’re Coulsdon or Purley then. Houses and gardens are lovely but everyone drives to go out, there is nothing to do. I grew up there and spent my teenage years on trains into Croydon or London. Farthing Downs is lovely if you’re looking for somewhere to take the kids for a nice walk or fly a kite. And Marlpit Lane park in Coulsdon used to have a nice playground, no idea if that’s still the case?

Cambridge is much better, tons to do museums, restaurants, parks, festivals and you’re a only couple of hours to the North Norfolk Coast.

There’s also the added bonus of the Brighton train that goes into Blackfriars direct from Cambridge. Or you can change at Kings Cross over to St Pancras and then onto Blackfriars.

New Malden has its own identity if you know it well. Worcester Park is a more leafy and spaced out but they’re both unlike Cheam which is grim. NM and WP both have Waitroses so there’s hardly a supermarket problem. NM has an amazing Korean butcher/fish shop with whole sea bass for £4 and 12 quail’s eggs for £2.50.

Kingston’s got a lot to offer but the journey to Waterloo is longer.

Oh to have a budget of £850,000 and still not know where to live or consider myself rich....

Taking a slightly different tack, but a village with quick train to Reading (which in turn has fast service to London). Village itself is fairly small but has a decent number of shops, restaurants etc and strong sense of community. Then easy access to centre of Reading, London.
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/124809449#/?channel=RES_BUY

I live in another nearby village, but I think Pangbourne has more of the types of houses you are looking for.

I’m in a similar situation so feel your pain

however have you considered learning to drive and getting a car instead of moving it really opens up your vistas x

@IrisVersicolor are you in that area?