Mixed race family wanting to move out of London

[Sambkh]

Hi all,
would like some advice about options moving out of London. We are a mixed race family I am of Bangladeshi origin (born in London) and my husband is English from West Sussex. Our little one is 1 years old we are looking to relocate out of London but struggling to find where

We would require:

Diverse area very important with diverse primary schools (I don’t want somewhere where my kid is the only one of a few mixed race kids in the class
good community, young families
vibrant
green area where we can go for walks
my husband needs to get in to Liverpool Street for work (1 hour max journey ideally less)
down to earth not too snobby areas
3 bedroom

our Budget is 550,000 stretching to 600 for the right place and need a garden.

We would love to stay in London but I don’t think realistically with our price it’s possible.

we have considered Woking, Guildford, Epsom and maybe Sutton. Can somebody please offer any advice and any thoughts on the areas listed.

Thank you!

South Norwood or Penge you could afford somewhere and both very multicultural, lots of green spaces, close to proper countryside. Good transport into town. Definitely not snobby.

Thank you! I forgot to mention that we would want to live roughly one hour drive between both sets of parents. My parents are in Harrow and my husbands parents in pulborough, West Sussex.

Ah that rules out most of London proper then.

Sutton is nice. Don't know the others I'm afraid.

Yes - Woking would suit you well. Diverse, easy access to the countryside and fast trains into London

All of the areas you have suggested are diverse enough

so it’s pricing that will determine what you do. For that I would suggest Woking or Sutton- different from each other as Sutton feels more urban to me and has certain rougher parts

Reading? 25 minutes to Paddington, about 45 mins drive to Harrow, but a bit further to West Sussex. You’d definitely get 3 beds for £600k.

Slough.

Sutton is diverse but if you get as far as Oxted it's completely white. So you do need to be within the Greater London area really, unless you're going to consider a massive move eg to Manchester or Birmingham

I think you're writing off London too easily. How about this? www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/129706151#/?channel=RES_BUY

Sutton is fine and meets all your criteria but I'm not sure it's the easiest to get to Liverpool Street. I think it will be over the hour, especially if you are including walking to station. And the budget would probably be a little stretched in some areas very close to better connected stations.

Exactly. Prices are dropping. Give it 12 months and it will be a different landscape.
Personally I’d be looking for the easiest commute. Why spend 2 or more hours a day, or even 90 mins, commuting? Even if you see the folks every weekend, it’s still only 2 trips, as opposed to 10 commutes.

Stay in london

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/130258271#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/129016961#/?channel=RES_BUY

I agree with staying in London.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/127780382#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/127413797#/media?id=media0&ref=photoCollage&channel=RES_BUY

What about Reading?

You can get the Elizabeth line to Liverpool Street

Thank you all for your suggestions. I am surprised by what you can get in Bromley. I do want to be within a 1 hour drive to my parents (Harrow) and my in laws a(Pulborough, West Sussex)so I think some of the areas might not be suitable. Does anybody know much about Woking?

I think Reading might be an option but I think the journey to Liverpool Street might be more than an hour.

Also does anybody know about what Epsom or chessington is like?

Definitely stay in London! You can get a house working 600k. Won’t be 1 hour to inlaws though. But would you really want to live in Woking when you could easily live in London?

Well over an hour commute. Expensive.

It’s all mostly nice down there, but the commute is a PITA.

On a wider point I would look more closely at potential schools too as there can be a massive differential. Where we used to live the local primary was fully white apart from a handful of Chinese children. The other primary just half a mile away had huge diversity c30% children were from a mix of ethnic backgrounds.

Sutton is a london borough and the most ethnically diverse of all of the places youve considered.

Ilford? Very diverse. 18 minutes to Liverpool Street on the Elizabeth Line or you can live closer to Gants Hill for the Central Line. Valentines Park is gorgeous and you're not far from Wanstead Park, Fairlop Waters and Epping Forest for gorgeous longer walks.

You'd get a very nice 3 bed or a 4 bed for your budget.

Birmingham or suburbs. Whites are now minority in Birmingham. Takes an hour on train to London.

I am mixed race and grew up in Epsom admittedly 30 years ago but it is great for green spaces.

Woking is a good place to commute from as there is a fast train direct no stops to waterloo. The town centre is a lot nicer than when I used to go drinking there 15 years ago. Sorry never lived there so cant advise on schools etc.