425k - where to live - London/Kent/North west?

[Nightlite888]

Seeking ideas!
in midst of divorce but anticipate that should be able to buy property of up to£425k. Have a young DS so will need a 2 bed.
Currently in sw London where ds goes to pre prep - hd will be finished there july 2024. Likely that will not be able to afford private education going forward (without a bursary!) so looking for good state schools. Ds very bright and 11+ definitely realistic option at this time.
need to put a plan together as to where u live ….I love sw London, need to be in Bank x1-2 per week for work and family are based in north west England. I don’t drive and lookinh for somewhere with good transport links and culture/parks.
any ideas please ? Will consider midlands and Kent but not sw/ne England as too far to get anywhere/from familiy.
thank you !

I mean, there are loads of excellent state schools in SW london but I can understand why you'd consider elsewhere as your money will no doubt go further in Kent or the NW.
What about the child's dad? Do you need to be nearby for that?

If the dad isn't in the picture, I'd be tempted to go to the NW to be near family and get more for money property wise, but it would be an epic commute to bank twice a week, would you have family who could mind your child etc?

Lancaster - great place to live and there's the boys grammar.

I am confused. We are in the NW and my OH says it's less accessible to get to London than the NE, where there is the East Coast Mainline or something like that, which is direct. How is the NW more accessible? Which bits of it are?

What's the maximum amount of time you would be prepared to travel door to door?

@KievLoverTwo Manchester to London is just under 2 hours. My family are based south of Manchester

@TheYear2000 I currently work in hybrid basis and could negotiate maybe 2 days in office every fortnight. Family would look after ds though I would time it to spend as littlf time away from ds as possible.

don’t want to say too much as potentially outing but ex is abusive, have injunction against him and impossible to co-parent with. Currently sorting out child arrangements/finances with him hence relocation is at forefront of mind. I have next to no support here in London and do worry about being ill and unable to look after ds alone.

You could look at Sutton/Kingston if you want grammar's. Sutton you could also access privates eg Whitgift if bursaries were an option.

Or move near family for the additional support.

In your situation I’d go for the family support. A 2 hr train journey to London twice a fortnight is eminently doable. (Obvs co may need to be flex around train strikes etc but expect most are these days).

Id go for somewhere within a 20 minute drive of family.

If you want grammar near Manchester, Trafford is your only option.

I'd move back to Manchester. I know plenty of people who live miles from London if they only have to be in the office a couple of times a month.

You need a support network (and to be far from your son's dad by he sound of things too)

Thank you all.
there is of course the risk that ex will not agree and Court will not grant order to allow me to relocate so far…
any ideas as to back up location?

i love Oxford but state schools seem to be dire.

I think max I can buy for will be around 425k

You should be able to get something modest in Cambridge for that price. Most of the state secondary schools are good (but check catchments etc) and it’s an easy commute into London. I have friends who have to get into the city for work occasionally and they arrange for their kid to go to afterschool club and then be collected by a babysitter until they get home (7-8pm) but you may not be as late as that. Then you’re at least the right side of London for travel up to NW England.

Definitely Manchester it's fabulous here and outstanding public transport. £425 will get you a small house in Didsbury. Several outstanding primaries and excellent state senior school which is streamed. For pure Grammars I would recommend living in Trafford. Stretford is nice and on the tram lines - also cheaper (a little). Not sure about other parts but hopefully someone can advise on here

I don't understand where Kent comes in? In your OP. Surely Kent is not convenient for Manchester at all?

Also, London is too expensive for your budget unfortunately. I think personally that you would be be better off moving North where properties are more reasonably priced and where you would be closer to your family as it doesn't sound like you need to be in the office much. I'm sure the Court would understand that you need to be close to family support (& childcare) at this difficult time.

@Twiglets1 thinking about tunbridge wells /Sevenoaks as alternatives to London due to proximity to city and good schools

I'm sorry OP, that sounds really tough. I really hope you can move north to have the family support.

For thinking about if you can't move north, how about Streatham Hill for good schools and easy access to city?

This three bed flat is in a gorgeous block. I think it would be in catchment for Dunraven, an outstanding primary and secondary.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138848486

Or finding a flat in the catchment of whatever preferred good schools in london? Then you'd hopefully be able to maintain existing friendships and networks for your son and yourself, rather than starting completely from scratch somewhere else?

Unless you really don't want to be in a flat, in which case I can understand looking further out and at Kent :)

I know that block in Streatham, I wouldn't buy there as the prices haven't changed much over the last few yrs.

If OP is happy with a flat better to buy in Tooting & have access to tube & Graveney.

Also, London is too expensive for your budget

there are flats in London in OPs budget. Of course OP may prefer a house

@TheYear2000 rhsnk you and yes that’s a lovely flat!
i am not wedded to the idea of a house. I’m actually researching good state primaries in sw London atm with a view to catchment of good secondaries too. It just feels very tough being completely alone with a fighting ex whereas I could in principle have a nicer home bd closer to parents and good schooling for ds

@gillygeey yes graveney springs to mind. Though I was thinking more about access to the Richmond secondaries (Orleans and grey court) as also somd fantastic primaries

Tunbridge Wells you could get a house. Not sure you would in Sevenoaks if you need to be walking distance to the station

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134085620#/?channel=RES_BUY

There are, but they will have a seriously limited choice in London compared to anywhere else, a flat not a house and normally one with compromises.

With OPs budget, I would prefer to live outside London and get a really nice flat or a house.

If you don’t drive I would buy nearer Stockport and get the train from there to London. Lots of threads on the nice areas. The Altrincham grammars are doable from there and there are private options too including those with generous bursary systems.

@Nightlite888 yes the Richmond schools are very good but I think the catchments are tiny. Graveney at least as the option of getting in on test score so you could live a little further away where it's a bit cheaper.

With OPs budget, I would prefer to live outside London and get a really nice flat or a house.

which is fair enough but I was just disagreeing that London is too expensive for the OP...