Help me choose (or discover!) in East Sussex

[Soniarc]

Let’s ignore the fact that mortgages are in turmoil at the moment, and pretend like we would be able to move from North Manchester to East Sussex with our 18MO in 2024 like we want to.

I know there are people on here that are very good at this. Where would you move toon Wast Sussex based on the criteria below? We are between Uckfield and Crowborough at the moment. Our budget is £550K or just over for a 4+ bed detached with a large garden.

Must haves:

• Within a 30min drive to Heathfield (where my in-laws are)
• With a train station to commute into London should I ever lose my job (or an easy drive to one with easy parking)
• Safe, community feel, with plenty to do for our little boy. I want to be fine with him going out with his bike alone when he’s 10 or whatever.
• Good coverage/wi-fi service as husband and I work from home
• Good nurseries that don’t have waiting lists for the next 20 years

Nice to have:

• Waitrose (they’ve already done their demographic studies for me 😂)
• Tennis club for me
• Nice walks
• Good train service (I know this is a lot to ask for… I don’t commute to work at the moment but that could change in the future)
• Walkable into town
• Some kind of big supermarket nearby

Mumsnet, work your magic! We are going down to suss out the areas in August, so would be open to hearing of more places.

Following your footsteps! Moving from Prestwich to the area.

Don't move to Crowborough, it rains a lot, not as much as Manchester.

It was the best move we made, it's so nice in East Sussex.

I work in Crowborough, used to live in Uckfield. I'd chose Uckfield out of the two as it has a nicer high street and to me, a better 'feel'. Crowborough has some lovely walks though.
Heathfield is getting better for public transport (now a bus to Brighton, but it takes well over an hour) but without a train station and the high street is a bit meh. Tiny leisure centre, but there's a private one not far away that's okay.
Lewes is expensive as it's near Brighton and on the train line. It's popular and has a lot going on. Ditto Tunbridge Wells (apart from being near Brighton) - though both have rough areas, as does anywhere.
Hailsham is cheaper than all of them, for a reason.

yes the weather down here is terrible

this is my garden just niw

The weather is beautiful today and your garden is lovely, but it does rain more in Crowborough, we lived there before moving nearer Uckfield.

It's definitely dryer than Manchester though.

I love it in the South East, my kids are southerners with the occasional northern mannerism.

Don’t move to hailsham - it’s got all sorts of social problems and the schools are no good.

Uckfield is nice BUT you cannot rely on the train station and it’s not that diverse. Has a waitrose and a tesco. I quite like the high street.

Lewes is fab and ticks all of your boxes but…it’s jolly expensive and you won’t get a detached 4 bed at that price.

Ringmer is spitting distance to lewes and has a good primary and secondary school - cheaper than Lewes to live it. Good community feel but also very small so you would find yourself heading into Lewes/uckfield a lot - especially for the train.

Tuunbridge Wells is a lot bigger, ticks all of your boxes and bigger Spanish community.

Tonbridge and Sevenoaks are too far from Heathfield.

You might like Seaford but it doesn’t have a waitrose.

Tonbridge is pricey, I wouldn't describe it as rural or close to Heathfield.

I moved to the Uk from Mallorca, so I suppose the weather doesn’t bother me too much! But I hear what you’re saying, and also that it snows a lot more in Crowborough!

That garden is just beautiful, thank you for sharing! My SIL arrived up here from Brighton and said it’s so much colder in Manchester haha.

Tonbridge is cheaper than TW or Sevenoaks and the shopping is better for everyday stuff. The journey from Heathfield is not the worst, you just have to work round the edge of TW to get to the A21 and then you're practically there.

Tonbridge is nice, also Robertsbridge and Battle. Bexhill and Eastbourne used to be considered to be God's Waiting Room but they have a younger population and quite a lot to do now for kids.
I like Heathfield but I live in Hailsham and can't afford to move out. Hailsham is not all bad btw, but there are pockets that aren't very nice and we do have a Waitrose 😇
We have a lot of lovely walks within driving distance. And the beach too.
I love East Sussex and I have lived here all my life. We're never short of things to do.

Personally I think the weather's poor in both Sevenoaks and Crowborough compared to other nearby locations. Something to do with height and cloud. I also think the south eastern rail network is better than southern, or at least, historically it has been, but the further down the line you go, you need to check as all trains don't stop at every station.

To get a close as possible to everything on your list OP I think I'd be looking around Tunbridge Wells but at your budget you'd have to compromise on the property and garden size. One big thing in its favour is the number of parks it has, so access to lots of good outdoor space.

Tonbridge has its own Waitrose, although they do deliver all around the area so not many places feel the lack, and it's also closer to London, so cheaper and less time should you need to start commuting. Another larger Waitrose is in Paddock Wood, which is also a commuter area further east

Depends on the likelihood of you going to London regularly versus how often you and your inlaws visit each others' homes. Something will have to give if you don't drop the list or up the budget I'm afraid because all the things you'd like are budget bumpers.

You’re right, something needs to give, and I’m trying to figure out what. It doesn’t help that my employer mandated back in April that we all needed to go back to the office 3 times a week. I got a verbal exception but am now battling for it to be written down (it’s been four months and I’m about to put in a grievance about it).

The Waitrose thing is because they’ll have done the audience studies for me. The people I want to live near are those that shop at Waitrose. I have never shopped at Waitrose in my life, to be clear 😂.

Tonbridge might be an option, as we may still find something within budget (properties are being discounted heavily at the moment). I’ll take a look. I think I won’t need to rely much on the train… unless I get fired or my employer insists on the 3 days a week malarkey.

thanking everyone for their comments, I’m learning lots. Something I haven’t explored is perhaps living a tad more rurally, and just having an easy 5-10drive into a train station. I’m a nervous driver (especially in East Sussex, there are some very aggressive drivers around, not to mention horses, tractors, and other things to share very narrow roads with!).

Hi OP. I don't know whether you'd be looking for modern or character, but as an example, this house in Eastbourne has everything on your wishlist.https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/140792957#/?channel=RES_BUY
In this location you're less than 5 minutes from Waitrose, walking distance to train station, very close to the South Downs national park, and about 5 minutes from Gildredge Park which has a lovely play area for kids and great tennis. Several nurseries in the area. It shows that the things on your wishlist are achievable on paper anyway in Eastbourne.
Good luck with your search!

Tenterden is lovely x

If you need to commute to London you would be better off looking at Battle. Uckfield trains are once an hour at best, and I'd much prefer to be on a line with two or more trains an hour. Uckfield line is single track so when there is a problem, there are no trains and you end up going to TW or Haywards Heath and spending £50 on a cab home.

This is an intersting one. I'd be tempted to make a cheeky offer ( might be over the border into Kent but ticks a lot of your other boxes).

or this one Bodiam is lovely
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138460337#/?channel=RES_BUY

@Flockameanie where did you end up moving to? Do you like it there?