Moving area need recommendation

[Madisonsha]

Hi, we are planning to move near London approximate distance should be around 1hrs to 1.30hrs from the area to to London. We are looking for 4 bedroom semi or detached house.I have seen some properties at Milton Keynes (bletchley), Kent Ashford, Sittingbourne, Grays, Basingstoke. Since I have 3 young kids , looking for good schools nearby. It's so hard just can't decide on area. Any recommendations?

What is your budget and where I central London are you commuting to? It will make a big difference to be on a train that goes directly to that area rather than train plus tube

450k and got family in London so occasional visit once or twice in a month. Currently we are in Southampton. Mostly we travel by car .

Which bit of London do you need to get to? London is very big, and a location that is 1.30 from Milton Keynes is unlikely to also be 1.30 from Kent.

Will you still be travelling by car to see family once you move, or will you need a train/tube?

@sweetpickle2 newham. Only by car. Checked the area bletchley, mk it shows 1h 25 min to my family . Am not sure about this area and school. Even kent about an hour and so.

I have friends in Milton Keynes.

Their kids started in state school but they were unhappy with the support and they now send them private.

Basingstoke is the wrong side of London for that commute (Newham as in Dagenham area?) and not doable in 90 mins- could take an awful lot longer than that depending on the m25.

Id have thought if you’re in Kent surely you’ll end up paying a lot to cross at Dartford? Wouldn’t Essex area be more realistic?

@Lonelycrab barking area. Thought of Essex but not familiar with areas. Please suggest few with good schools .

So no need to go into London, rather you want to be within 60/90 minutes of barking?

Essex would make a whole lot of sense. Only costs £2.50 to cross at dartford, so hardly a deal breaker once a fortnight, but traffic at dartford can be horrendous.

Chelmsford was the no.1 place Londoners moved out to last year apparently so why not look round there? Essex is a big place so depends if you want village, town, rural, beach etc.

@SD25 checked Chelmsford crime rate its say 600+ . I don't know still finding it hard

@CultOfTheAirFryer what area you recommend in Essex for families and school?

Kent is a grammar school area - are you aware of this? The villages around Maidstone are good, and there are lots of train options (

Maidstone has three stations, plus nearby Paddock wood, so lots of choices for getting into London. Two boys and two girls grammar school. Lots of lively villages around with good primary schools - Loose, , Bearsted, , west Malling, etc

Tonbridge - very quick and easy to get into London

Have you considered Bedfordshire - Leighton Buzzard, Flitwick etc, or Newport pagnell near MK?

I work in Newham! Many colleagues live in Essex. Upminster is popular. You can also go up the M11 and live anywhere all the way up to Cambridge with the parameters you have set.
Royston is a nice town, small but has the facilities. Cambridgeshire schools are pretty good. My cousins stayed there when I moved out for University, they say a lot of new folks moving into the villages for family lifestyle reasons.
It's a lovely place to grow up and the family pubs and restaurants and village social scene was great as an older teenager.
And there isn't any crime. Unless you count littering and right wing opinions. (This is a joke btw.)