Where in Southeast London or Kent for a 600k 3bed house?

[FrenchforHappy22]

I’m hoping to get advice here on nice family areas close(ish) to London Bridge, or at least on a train line, so south-east London or Kent.

We’re looking to buy a 3-bedroom house (with parking), around 600k.

We both work from home so no need to go into London daily. We don’t have any reason to live on a train line to London Bridge, but hubby has family in Hither Green and thought this area was easiest. 🤔

Looking for somewhere with a bit of green space and villagey, so we don’t have to leave the area to do things. Park, occasional dinner nearby, coffee shops to get out of the house. Won’t be going into London daily but should be close enough for it to be manageable. Good primary schools, secondary not essential at this stage.

Reading here, Eltham and Bromley have come up. Couldn’t find much in that budget in Eltham. Bromley more promising but wondered about the commute. Penge too but someone said it’s hard for cars. Interested in other areas.🤓

Great Dunmow, Canfield, Bishops Stortford.

Coggeshall, West Mersea (Colchester school)

Aren't those all NE of London?

Can you not get what you want in Hither Green at that price these days?

You could have a look down the train lines from Hither Green. So Grove Park, not sure you'd get anything in Elmstead Woods or Chislehurst for £600k but you might, Petts Wood and Orpington. These trains go on to Sevenoaks.

Then also the Sidcup line - Lee, Mottingham, New Eltham, Sidcup, Albany Park, Bexley. These ones go to Dartford I think and then on to Strood.

Lots of nice places to look at on those train lines.

I couldn't find many on Rightmove. Hoping to go a little further out and get more bang for our bucks.

Hayes, West Wickham?

Bromley commute is easy, fast to Victoria
Beckenham, Elmers end, Eden Park, West wickham, Hayes.

Yes those are the lines I'm looking at and the Hayes line. Any thoughts on narrowing it down? High streets to look out for?

Hayes is nice, few coffee shops, Old Hayes is just up a hill with the library, pubs, few shops. Walkable to woods, Keston nearby is lovely for pub lunch and walks, good primary and secondary schools, frequent buses to Bromley,

Hayes and West Wickham are both nice (I live here). On the LB train line, excellent schools and good access to countryside. Elmers end, eden park are further in on the same train line. Penge is much more urban and less nice in my opinion.

Hayes and WW are both v nice and have excellent primary and secondary schools.

I really like Bexley village and also Sidcup/Albany Park are nice. Bexley borough is a grammar area though which might be a plus or a minus depending on what you feel about that.

Petts Wood is lovely and is also on other train lines (Victoria, Thameslink etc) so really well connected. Excellent primaries, better choice of secondaries if you have a boy than if you have a girl. Lots of kids go to Bexley grammars from there.

Lots of support for Hayes 😀@anicecuppateaa how are the trains to LB? Is it a long journey? Crowded? Is it easy to get back late?

Mottingham, Lee, New Eltham, Sidcup, Bexley, Wellington - transport is fabulous, close to main roads, nice schools ... Chislehurst and a lot of other places in Bromley will be outside of your price range I'm afraid but the above mentioned are actually all really nice :)

Half an hour, last train back about 22.30pm but you can go to bromley later and get a bus or cab, the station is on the high street, trainline will show you the train times, put in Hayes Kent.

Chislehurst, Sidcup, Orpington, Bickley - all lovely. Or West Wickham/some parts of Bromley.

Norwood junction is non stop fast train to London Bridge, and overground

If you both work from home, is there a reason why you seem to be so fixated on the commute and trains???

Hayes. Start of line so always get a seat in the morning. If there is a problem get the bus to Bromley.
Great coed school. Lots of parks. Great restaurants (Thai, Turkish, Indian, 2 pubs).
Bus to Bromley for shopping.
Also near West Wickham (Langley single sex schools) and Beckenham.
Did live near clock house, but schools were not so great. Although quicker to get to London.
Also not sure about cars in Penge? Easy to drive around!

Last train home is at 12.15 am!

Tonbridge is a small town but nice park, primary schools and secondary schools and college, leisure centre, few chain and independent shops.
Paddock wood is a small town/large village with park, nice cafes, primary and secondary school, independent shops.
Marden is a village, primary school, park, few independent shops, a cafe,
Staplehurst the same as marden really, all less than 1 hour to London Bridge on the same railway line, the further down the line you get more for your money with house, but the commute costs more.

Getting on at hayes or west wickham means you will always get a seat (Hayes is the start of the line). Hayes is slightly more expensive so I think you’re more likely to get a 3 bed for 600k in west wickham. Hayes has 2 high streets both of which are lovely, but West Wickham high street is more practical - it has a WHSmith, boots, Clarks, 2 big sainsburys and multiple cafes. Also, I’ve just signed my 3 dc up to an nhs dentist and got them all appts with a week.

Another vote for Hayes. Lots of options for getting home late. Last Hayes train is 1215 from London Bridge, but you can also get home late via Victoria (fast train takes 15 mins) or East Croydon then the 119 bus which runs 24 hours. My dc went to Hayes primary and secondary. Both great schools.

Petts Wood is lovely - villagey feel, very green and safe and very well connected with trains to London Bridge, Victoria, Charing Cross, Cannon Street as well as the Thameslink line.

Meopham, culverstone, instead ris, lots of little villages around here, train is an hour to London Bridge from meopham

I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/144336794

I would go and look at this. It's on a really nice road, nice area. You'd get it for £580,000 I reckon