Help! Where to live with 5 day a week commute

[Caracal]

Looking to buy in London or surrounding areas, we have always lived in central London but now with one DS and a second on the way we need to upsize from our 2 bed flat and can't afford to stay where we are. Our main requirements are:

• budget of approx 1 mil
• 3 or 4 bedrooms
• in a catchment area for good state primaries
• under 1 hour commute to Canary Wharf (door to door), we both need to be in the office 4-5 days a week
• walking distance to a station as I don't drive

We like SW London (Richmond, Wimbledon, Balham etc) but not sure we can get a decent place for our budget. Not interested in a massive renovation project. Not keen on Greenwich/Blackheath etc even though appreciate they are convenient for CW. Further out, we like some parts of Surrey but most towns seem to be 1 hour plus commute to CW.

Any suggestions? Are my expectations totally unrealistic? Thanks in advance!

Shenfield is lovely.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146556092#/?channel=RES_BUY

I loved living in Teddington but it wasn't a great commute. I think people have different tolerances for commuting but the minute my kids finished school and went off to university I moved further in to make the commute more bearable!

A few other thoughts

• given you are both 4-5 days in office I would try and keep your commutes as short as possible. And with as frequent trains as possible. If it were only one that would be slightly different.
• will you always be commuting in rush hour or would late working/entertaining etc be something to consider? If so look carefully at what time trains run to and if they become infrequent.
• I used to work in Canary Wharf and colleagues who used to come in via Waterloo or London Bridge said it was a standard occurrence to have to let several jubilee line trains pass before you could board. Canada Water also difficult to board. Which adds on another say 7 minutes to commute. Perhaps better now with Elizabeth line but I would carefully check and do several trial runs at rush hour before signing up to relying on that so you have a proper accurate view of timing and not what google maps may say which may underestimate.
• you probably want somewhere where two working parents is the norm, not one and a SAHP. Schools with large SAHP communities typically have limited pre and post school childcare options. Unless you’ve got a nanny and intend to keep through primary.
• if you’re interested in grammars then perhaps look at catchment maps for them but also check whether a journey to them would be realistic from where you are thinking of. Wanstead/South Woodford are in catchment for Redbridge grammars for example. But depending on kids age do think about whether you think getting in is likely to be realistic for them - many of the London grammars are very competitive
• friends in Shenfield enjoy it and the Elizabeth line extension makes commuting easy and quick even though distance wise it is quite a long way
• are you always going to work in CW? Or do you need to keep options open for the City or West End?

Here’s another possibility on Telegraph Hill.

Needs a bit spent on it but nothing major.

Half a mile walk to NXG or Brockley station, then overground to Canada Water, & Jubilee to Canary Wharf. It’s actually cycleable too via the Greenwich foot tunnel.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/149610494#/?channel=RES_BUY

East Sheen is a good bet especially as it has Richmond Park on your doorstep.

I work in Chiswick and live in Forest Hill. The commute is a horror. I'm waiting for a position closer to home. Do not live out SW of London it's a trial, an hour plus.

Have you looked at Essex? Trains out of Stratford are quick.

Wanstead's lovely. I know someone who lives in Woodford, which is ok.

If you fancy Surrey why not Guildford? Dorking? Leatherhead? Esher? Thames Ditton? Trains are about 40 mins, some less, and go to Waterloo.

b

Another vote for Shenfield. A really easy commute and nice area.

I know you said not Greenwich but for slightly over budget, you get a ready to walk into 5 bed house with a small garden and Greenwich Park playground within 3 mins walk and train/DLR/Tube and river boat options to Canary Wharf.

The local state schools are all rated good and there are private options too.
You are completely future proofed and you have space for grandparents and au pair/live in nanny. The street has lots of families on it too and Meridian School is very highly regarded.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/147420728#/?channel=RES_BUY

Why? They are much much nicer than Hanwell or Ealing Broadway, neither of which are particularly convenient for Canary Wharf.

Orpington has good transport links - the fast train to London Bridge takes 16min. also lines into Cannon Street and London Victoria, possibly Blackfriars too.
There are some very good primaries and secondaries grammars (St Olave's for boys and Newstead Wood for girls) but also the Bexley and Kent grammars (Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and others) are not that far.

Nice areas near the station are Goddington and Knoll.

Acton on Elizabeth line

Putney commute on boat

Surbiton has fast train to Waterloo then jubilee to c wharf

I previously suggested Shenfield, as did a few other people, but I've got a bit of a wildcard suggestion too:

Leigh-on-Sea. Great primary schools, grammars for secondary, the vibrant broadway plus historic Old Leigh, beautiful Belfairs Woods, loads of kids activities and cultural events, and fast trains to Limehouse or West Ham (a short hop to CW).

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/149875094#/?channel=RES_BUY

Leigh on sale has some great stock

This is a nice house in a nice road / location. Probably exceeds the OP's commute criteria a touch but ticks all other boxes.