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Original poster

Where to move outside of London to commute in

126 replies

Fruitandveg3 · 16/08/2023 08:43

Hello,
we are currently living in Richmond/Kew and are thinking of moving out of London for more space but cannot figure out the best area to go.

Checklist:

  • husband commutes to London (works near city of London) so ideally not longer than an hour, 1.5 max
  • husband travels a lot for work so we can’t be too far from Heathrow airport
  • We have two young boys (1 and 3) so need a place with good school options: private and mixed gender
  • we have family in north London but we don’t necessarily need to be so close to them, but a huge plus!
  • Really want a community-feel but still near a lively high street, things to do such as restaurants, cafes, pubs, library, shops, museum (plus), etc.
  • In an ideal world I would love to find a location that has semi-rural feel but also has a big enough town/high street nearby as I don’t know if we are ready for very isolated/rural life but I dream of a house with a lot of green/garden space that isn’t on top of neighbors
  • budget is high (range £1.75-2.85)
  • area near green space/parks
  • family-friendly with lots to do for kids

We love Richmond but struggling to find a place with lots of space in budget. Kew is nice but DH hates the district line as it ALWAYS has issues and he sometimes ends up commuting 1.5-2 hours having to find alternative ways. And he feels like we are living in an awkward in-between life: we are quite outside of central London, living in Kew has a village-y feel but we are not living in a large house with large garden that you can get when you live more out of London and end up having a better commute.

Would love any recommendations! Thank you!!

From my own searches I’ve thought of checking out:
Kingston/Surbiton/Thames Ditton (is this even worth the move as not too far from where we currently live?)
Esher/Claygate
Weybridge
Farnham
Guilford
Marlow
St Albans
Mill Hill (still London)
any towns near Oxford?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
10
MNetcurtains · 16/08/2023 17:47

lovewoola · 16/08/2023 13:02

@MNetcurtains budget up to 2.8m

Well, that gives you plenty of scope. Unless you want a 20 room mansion obvs. Sorry, I missed the 'budget' in your OP. Berkshire sounds like it could work.

beachbitch · 16/08/2023 18:28

With that budget you’ll get everything on your list in any commuter town but not a lively town. Not by London standards anyway. Commuter towns are are sedate at best and boring at worst, I wish someone had explained just how different living in Suburbia is and with your budget I would stick with London. Am very jealous OP , I wish you luck in your house search.

Frosty1000 · 16/08/2023 18:58

Berkshire is lovely but avoid Reading as it's horrible, Henley is just a bit blah and mostly small houses, no green space like Richmond. Don't give up on there.

North Hampshire is lovely, only 50 mins ish to Waterloo and I like Farnham as the countryside is nice around there.

MargretThatcher · 16/08/2023 19:00

Siberia

MissPettigrewIsWFH · 16/08/2023 19:10

Winchester, or villages nearby

BumbleNova · 16/08/2023 19:13

Have you considered Tunbridge wells? That ticks all of your boxes. It's an easy commute into the city and an hour to Heathrow, 45 mins to Gatwick. Beautiful large town and great private schools. Near enough to the M25 (15mins) that you can get to north London without a major journey.

MumofSpud · 16/08/2023 19:15

Windsor would tick your boxes
There is a direct line into Waterloo
Near LHR
Elizabeth line goes through Slough (6 min train from the other Windsor station)
But IME the Elizabeth line line is v problematic - there isn't a week when there aren't severe delays / cancellation ms
But when it works, it's great! I can be home in under an hour from central London

CuriousGeorge80 · 16/08/2023 19:18

St Albans ticks all your boxes but the schools are inconsistent and so you need to be targeted with your house search. We’ve just moved to Harpenden for the schools but I miss St Albans and I expect you would find Harpenden too quiet.

LivelyBlake · 16/08/2023 19:31

Amersham is 1,15 h to Liverpool St by tube and handy for Heathrow. Faster on the Chiltern Railway train to Marylebone. Then you need the tube to the city.

Other options on the Chiltern line are Thame, Wendover, Great Missenden or the Chalfonts.

Tring or Berkhamsted on the line to Euston.

Synecdoche · 16/08/2023 19:36

Essex or Essex/N London border - Chelmsford, Epping, Leyton etc.

Whatsthepoint1234 · 16/08/2023 19:40

Diss in Norfolk (1h30 into Liverpool Street)

JollyJolene · 16/08/2023 19:55

Thames Ditton/Long Ditton is worth looking into, as well as the Southborough/Lovelace areas in Surbiton. I know of a few people who have moved that way from Richmond for more outdoor space.

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/65375778/?search_identifier=98009b61281b6c707ea8d075279fe8207008ab58fd31640128482cff27271dab

Berrylands in Surbiton is also highly sought after.

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/61600538/?search_identifier=98009b61281b6c707ea8d075279fe8207008ab58fd31640128482cff27271dab

hopsalong · 16/08/2023 20:27

St Albans is a good suggestion. Countryside around Brighton? People seem very keen on Brighton College.

Oxford? The commute isn't great but can be done in 1.5 hrs to the city if you restrict house-hunting to within a mile of the station. All other boxes ticked and then some. It is very expensive but you have a very large budget.

Z0rr0 · 17/08/2023 00:57

Windsor, Datchet, Suniningdale, Wokingham.
I live on the Windsor and Reading lines near Egham and it's about 40 minutes into Waterloo but everyone I know from the burbs this side of London is moving out to Alton area and that is only 1hr 10 from Waterloo.

lookingforhomemum · 17/08/2023 01:16

Fruitandveg3 · 16/08/2023 08:43

Hello,
we are currently living in Richmond/Kew and are thinking of moving out of London for more space but cannot figure out the best area to go.

Checklist:

  • husband commutes to London (works near city of London) so ideally not longer than an hour, 1.5 max
  • husband travels a lot for work so we can’t be too far from Heathrow airport
  • We have two young boys (1 and 3) so need a place with good school options: private and mixed gender
  • we have family in north London but we don’t necessarily need to be so close to them, but a huge plus!
  • Really want a community-feel but still near a lively high street, things to do such as restaurants, cafes, pubs, library, shops, museum (plus), etc.
  • In an ideal world I would love to find a location that has semi-rural feel but also has a big enough town/high street nearby as I don’t know if we are ready for very isolated/rural life but I dream of a house with a lot of green/garden space that isn’t on top of neighbors
  • budget is high (range £1.75-2.85)
  • area near green space/parks
  • family-friendly with lots to do for kids

We love Richmond but struggling to find a place with lots of space in budget. Kew is nice but DH hates the district line as it ALWAYS has issues and he sometimes ends up commuting 1.5-2 hours having to find alternative ways. And he feels like we are living in an awkward in-between life: we are quite outside of central London, living in Kew has a village-y feel but we are not living in a large house with large garden that you can get when you live more out of London and end up having a better commute.

Would love any recommendations! Thank you!!

From my own searches I’ve thought of checking out:
Kingston/Surbiton/Thames Ditton (is this even worth the move as not too far from where we currently live?)
Esher/Claygate
Weybridge
Farnham
Guilford
Marlow
St Albans
Mill Hill (still London)
any towns near Oxford?

Hi there. I can't help much, because I am basically asking the same question but with a budget of £550k. I really hope you and I find our home!! I am just wondering though, since you have a large budget, do you intend to spend all of it on a home? :) I'm just interested because I've always wondered what it would be like it i had that budget and just interested to see why you wouldn't just buy a lovely big house for about £800k in Surrey/St Albans that would be big enough for a family of 4. No judgement whatsoever, just super interested in your thinking and also wishing you the best with finding your home! It is so stressful regardless of budget!

Original poster
Fruitandveg3 · 17/08/2023 05:15

lookingforhomemum · 17/08/2023 01:16

Hi there. I can't help much, because I am basically asking the same question but with a budget of £550k. I really hope you and I find our home!! I am just wondering though, since you have a large budget, do you intend to spend all of it on a home? :) I'm just interested because I've always wondered what it would be like it i had that budget and just interested to see why you wouldn't just buy a lovely big house for about £800k in Surrey/St Albans that would be big enough for a family of 4. No judgement whatsoever, just super interested in your thinking and also wishing you the best with finding your home! It is so stressful regardless of budget!

Show quote history

Hi! Ideally, definitely not. We’d much prefer to find something at the low end of budget so 1.75. I gave a range of what we COULD possibly spend just in case there were very expensive areas with spectacular house options that we could find as a dream home to make reality haha.

I do hope you find the right home you are looking for as well!! House searching as well as searching where to be is overwhelming! All the best

OP posts:
lovewoola · 17/08/2023 08:09

just interested to see why you wouldn't just buy a lovely big house for about £800k in Surrey/St Albans that would be big enough for a family of 4.

Tbf 800k wouldn't necessarily get you a big house in St Albans & parts of Surrey although big can be subjective.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/135677570#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/136407740#/?channel=RES_BUY

lovewoola · 17/08/2023 08:10

@Fruitandveg3 you could definitely find houses at the lower end of your budget in Wimbledon/Coombe. You don't need to move out, you can afford to stay 😆

Spendonsend · 17/08/2023 08:14

I think st albans.

Cheerfulcharlie · 17/08/2023 08:21

Definitely look at Beaconsfield.

Troglodytes · 17/08/2023 08:34

Goring or Streatley.

Officially are villages, but Loads to do. And close enough to Reading and Oxford for vague amounts of civilisation.

T'other half has commuted to the city for the past 15 years; it's a lot easier since the Lizzy Line has come in (albeit you only take it from Paddington).

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138364469#/
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137936918#/

Check out this 6 bedroom detached house for sale on Rightmove

6 bedroom detached house for sale in Fairfield Road, Goring on Thames, Oxfordshire, RG8 for £2,300,000. Marketed by Davis Tate, Goring

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137936918#/?channel=RES_BUY

Newgirls · 17/08/2023 08:38

st Albans and Harpenden. Luton airport is fairly close for travel

Original poster
Fruitandveg3 · 17/08/2023 08:42

Yes I think you’re right! It seems like you can find some nice large garden homes around there. Unfortunately as someone else said that surely we can find that in Richmond with our budget, you actually cannot find homes with decent gardens which is really what we want or they have and they are expensive but need a ton of work done. I’ll look more closely at these areas. Thanks!

OP posts:
Original poster
Fruitandveg3 · 17/08/2023 08:43

Fruitandveg3 · 17/08/2023 08:42

Yes I think you’re right! It seems like you can find some nice large garden homes around there. Unfortunately as someone else said that surely we can find that in Richmond with our budget, you actually cannot find homes with decent gardens which is really what we want or they have and they are expensive but need a ton of work done. I’ll look more closely at these areas. Thanks!

Oops this is directed to @lovewoola

OP posts: