Where to buy to start a family around London (750-900k)

[AX35]

Hi,

We are in our mid thirties and would like to start a family but before that we'd love to buy a house to avoid being moved around at random by landlords.

We both work in tech so we need to be in the office twice a week max but we'd like to be able to get there within roughly an hour (Canary Wharf and Liverpool Street). We currently don't drive so we would need somewhere walkable to a train station.

We are looking for 3-4 bedroom houses with garden in an area with a nice community vibe and independent shops and ideally not too small (Berkhamstead is lovely but didn't vibe with us for that reason)

I've done plenty of research but as an EU immigrant it's hard to judge a lot of those places without first hand knowledge.

We love St. Albans and had an offer accepted already before the seller pulled out and we are still looking there but there is nothing reasonable on the market right now.

Other places we looked at but can't really tell if it would be a good fit are Tunbridge Wells, Beaconsfield, Harpenden, Seven Oaks, Guildford or Maidenhead but not sure about those as we haven't visited them yet.

Does anyone have any recommendations, any places we should be checking out or should be avoiding with our criteria?

Should say *some of the best secondaries in London (grammars and private in particular)

Hi there, from Godalming/Guildford you can get to Canary Wharf in around an hour if you can walk to the train station. Jubilee line goes direct from Waterloo. When freelancing I’ve even got to Brick Lane in 1.5 hours which isn’t a bad commute from the Surrey ‘sticks’ to central London.
It’s definitely worth visiting a few places on your list to see if you like the vibe.

Brentwood, Shenfield, Billericay, Chelmsford, Maldon.

All lovely towns with good commutes.

If I was going to live outside of London and commute in relatively infrequently I'd live in Leigh on Sea

Try Blackheath Standard / Westcombe Park / East Greenwich. We live in Charlton (which is ok) but those three areas next door are better. Works brilliantly for the commute to Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf, lovely independent pubs, shops etc., the big retail park for more practical shopping, fantastic green spaces, a quick shot on the A2 to the Kent countryside and beaches (when you do start driving).

@AX35
If you want recommendations:

Peach is nice for coffee/ breakfast.
Pircio is lively for dinner/lunch
The Hadhams (especially Much Hadham) or Standon for a country walk/pub lunch.

@AX35 I forgot to add that further up the train line in Surrey is Woking which is only 20-ish minutes into London. Faster trains, plus new shopping centres, leisure activities etc but still on the edge of leafy countryside. We have family in Woking and they love the life there.

It's quite a broad search criteria! Do you want to be close to family or friends? Or near the Eurostar or airport so you can travel back quite easily?

There are some lovely houses in Haywards Heath or East Grinstead. If you want to be closer to the action in London but with lots of green space, check out properties near Riddlesdown and Sanderstead stations.

It is that's why it's so hard to narrow down where to look.
We don't have any real ties in the UK, our friends are spread all around London and commuter towns.

Getting to the airport is not a big deal for us, takes 1.5 hours right now already and that's fine.

But thanks for the recommendations, haven't heard of any of those places so will do more research on them!

What are the state primaries like there?

I would go for surbiton- nice local stuff, good schools , good commute, still in zones and great shopping in kingston - easy for other places too. I'm a big fan of Guildford (much prefer to St Albans) but the fact is St Albans and Guildford are not cheap commutes as neither in zones.

Wimbledon area also very good if you can find within budget

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/133780316

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134847536#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137087915#/?channel=RES_BUY

Here's some examples

Lots of good options. A few black spots so you need to be mindful of where you buy but overall pretty spoiled for choice on schools.

The places suggested are poles apart from living somewhere like Leytonstone. Do you like living in Leytonstone? I say this because a lot of the places suggested while nice are very suburban & have a very different feel to East London. I grew up in the commuter belt & now live in Walthamstow (have kids).

Brentwood is lovely. Great schools, great transport links. There is a lovely feel in the town. Also nice villages surrounding such as pilgrims hatch, kelvedon hatch if you wanted it a little more rural.

It's okay, we probably like our house more than the area which I think is a bit overhyped to be totally honest (same as Walthamstow).

We spent quite some time in St. Albans already before making the offer and after going through the buying process and we 100% prefer it over Leytonstone as long as we are fairly close to the train station and city centre.

@AX35 I would go and have a look at Surbiton and kingston if you don't know it, lovely by the river in both.

Also pop to Guildford, kind of like a bigger St Albans except hills in background- I like it a lot. I've checked and it's well within budget for a very good house indeed

@AX35 , sorry I forgot the bit where you said you liked St Albans. In that case a lot of the suggestions on this thread would probably suit you. I know people that have moved from East London to places like Sevenoaks & Tunbridge Wells & it’s a bit of a shock at first (very middle class, conservative & affluent). Beautiful countryside though.

Yeah those two are one the list as well. I think for us it just needs to be a certain size, we looked at Berkhamstead because we heard good things but that was too small and too White British for us and we felt we wouldn't fit in at all.

But thanks for confirming those places :)

I grew up in one of those places mentioned (middle class, affluent, leafy, conservative, mono cultural) and I think that is why I love East London so much and have no desire to go back there, but I can absolutely see the attraction for people who are looking for that lifestyle.

I think it is worth checking out Tunbridge Wells, particularly the “village” area near the Pantiles. Some very attractive houses, decent pubs and cafes, and easily walkable to the train station to commute in to London. Decent grammar schools as well if you end up having kids and selective single sex education is your thing.

Bushey, Hertfordshire

Keep looking in St Albans, it's lovely!!
Otherwise, maybe consider Hitchin, Welwyn Garden City, Hertford.

I grew up in one of those places mentioned (middle class, affluent, leafy, conservative, mono cultural) and I think that is why I love East London so much and have no desire to go back there, but I can absolutely see the attraction for people who are looking for that lifestyle.

@Pandor that's interesting. I grew up in South London & live there now, my brother has bought in East London. Certainly the streets we live in lack socio economic diversity & my part of S London was far more diverse overall when I was young. Gentrification & house prices have meant huge changes. If you are paying 900k for a house in London it's going to be an affluent, middle class area. My neighbours freak out when someone walks down the road in a hoodie with the hood up 🙄

very very good state primaries - some outstanding, others good. All quite middle class - requiring some "voluntary" contributions.

We are very similar Pandor! I grew up in Sevenoaks & went to school in Tonbridge. Also know Tunbridge Wells quite well. And now living in East London.
OP, Sevenoaks particularly is great in terms of commute in to London (just under 30 mins to London Bridge). It’s got great schools & I think there is a bit of diversity there. My parents still live there & have some nice neighbours moving from London. Good luck, I hope you find somewhere that suits you 😊.

Is Tunbridge wells really more diverse?

I can't speak for the rest of Surrey, but surbiton/kingston are definitely diverse.