Where to buy within commuting distance of London for a 475-500k budget?

[roamingcat]

Hi all,

We've been living in Croydon for several years but as we start to look towards the future and having children we think it's probably time to move. However, we're a bit limited for choice as we don't have a huge budget (for London) and both of us commute everyday so we can't live too far out. We're hoping the hive mind will be able to help us find some good options. Our current criteria is:

• 475-500k budget (thinking ahead to nursery fees we probably can't stretch any further than this)
• 2-3 bedrooms (we would like to have two children)
• Ideally a trainline which goes into a couple of central london stations, or allows for a change at clapham junction as we work in different areas of London (ideal stations are clapham junction, london victoria, london bridge, waterloo)
• For the area itself we're just looking for somewhere that feels safer than Croydon with a couple of nice independent coffee shops and restaurants, a park to go for nice walks/park run and things to do in future with kids (e.g. swimming pool). We also ideally need to live somewhere where things are relatively walkable as I don't drive but DP does.

Thanks all!

Some excellent primary and secondary options near these houses

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/153111440#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/153496391#/?channel=RES_BUY

I also would look at houses prices higher and make some offers.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/151434374#/?channel=RES_BUY

An advantage of staying closer to London is different travel options if a train line is down, easier for dc to get about independently & useful when they are older to have cheap rent whilst starting their careers.

Watching

Epsom. Walk to the station, walk to open countryside, walk to town centre. Good schools.

It's a fab place to live.

Sutton should be within budget and decent commute too

If you are fed up of vibe and people where you are you shouldn’t even consider Mitcham. It is dire.

The parts of Mitcham that border Tooting and Colliers Wood are fine.

The main thing to be mindful of in London is secondary schools. If you don’t qualify for faith options you need to make sure you are near a good secondary as there are lots of black holes. The vast majority of primaries are great.

London Borough of Sutton has really good secondary schools.

The parts of Mitcham that border Tooting and Colliers Wood are fine.

unlikely to be in budget though.

London Borough of Sutton has really good secondary schools.

Yes some excellent options, comps and grammars. A pretty safe borough too and relatively cheap although I believe prices have started to tick up.

I'm seconding Warlingham and adding Caterham - lived there for several years before getting a car with very few issues. Lovely and green, especially towards Caterham. Ticks everything on your list (quiet but things to do with kids etc... feel a thousand times safer than Bromley imo) plus great transport. Zone 6 and you feel like you're on the edge of the countryside (cos you are - ooh look, the Surrey Hills!) Trains from upper warlingham are super quick too. Your budget gets you a decent 3 bed semi.

I have friends in Caterham and Warlingham and the one in Caterham is always complaining about the train line and are looking at moving for a better secondary option but I don’t know anything about the schools. Warlingham is pretty and I know the primary has a goood rep.

we're hoping for somewhere no more than 45 mins on the train (otherwise it'll be impossible when we have kids!).

Whats your total journey time distance? Because it could easily be another 30 mins plus adding on travel from house to station and the other end to work.

Woking - 23 min to Waterloo.

Don’t just factor in the length of the train journey itself: think about the journey at either end too. With all the faffing either side, that 45-minute train journey could easily become a 90-minute commute each way. So think carefully. You could possibly try Beckenham but IDK if that would be right for your location or budget really. I only suggest it because my sister commutes to London from there and it seems to suit her. A friend of mine also lives in Cambridge (direct train to King’s Cross).

I second Caterham - for some reason property is cheaper so you get a lot more for your money and you can easily do without a car. It doesn't pretend to be London but it is in Zone 6.

Hastings

Hastings The OP wasn’t a 45 minute commute.

But if the rail fair is 10k a year for both of you would you not be better moving closer and apportioning the money to your mortgage cost

That'll be the CR postcode keeping house prices a smidge lower - it's not in the borough of Croydon though. Two Outstanding primaries that I can think of, plus other Good ones, loads of things to do with babies and kids. Get yourself down our way OP!

Because childcare is going to cost about 2.5k a month - how will you get the kids to nursery? Driving there and back to the train station etc

I live in Tunbridge Wells but came on to say I'd prob go for Tonbridge, it's lovely with the river through the town and for schools etc it's the same as TW, a lot of kids commute between for secondary school, one way or the other. If you want more serious shopping it's five mins on the train to TW but Tonbridge has a Waitrose and TW doesn't!

Agree. My husband and I moved to Sevenoaks earlier this year - a two and a half bed in your budget. 15 minute walk to the station and only 25 minute train into London Bridge, and then through to Waterloo East and Charing Cross. We love it.

We made a move for similar reasons to you. It's been suggested already up thread; but we chose Leighton Buzzard - very commutable (30 minutes on the fast train), comparatively cheap for proximity to London, and some lovely bits of south Bedfordshire countryside close by.
Your budget would comfortably get you a 4-bedroom "forever home" type house.
The trainline goes to Euston - so not your stations, but an easy connection on the Northern line to London Bridge and Waterloo. If you want to be quickly walkable to the station, the Linslade side (to the west) is the place to be, but there are some lovely period properties on the edge of the town centre on the eastern side.
We ended up relocating again after a few years, for my DH's job, so I don't know what the schools are like, but I have fond memories of small-market-town life. It's a little rough round the edges in places, but there is a proper thriving centre with a decent number of independent shops (at least while we were there, I hope it still has), a good community feel, and it's not far from the Dunstable Downs and the beautiful Ashridge estate. Plus of course, Milton Keynes up the road if you need a massive shopping centre!