Relocating to Rayleigh or Benfleet (or surrounding areas)

[MairyDilk]

Hope I've posted in the right topic!

I'm after suggestions of best areas to live in and around Rayleigh/Benfleet for my little family. We've considered lots of different areas based on our needs but we've now decided it'll be one of these two (or close by) but we don't know a lot about the areas, esp Benfleet we know nothing at all about so want to be well informed before making the move to our forever home.

• Would be looking at houses around the 450k mark
• Ideally 4 bedroom semi or detached house
• Good links into London for my DH's work
• Have 2 DC so would prefer to be in a catchment for grammar schools. Any info on which ones take Rayleigh or Benfleet addresses would be great.

Any help at all would be much appreciated. Overall, I want a friendly area with good primary schools and in the future good secondary too.

Thank you 😊

Most Essex postcodes will get you into a Grammar school, I would be more concerned about options if your children don't make the mark. Everyone moves to Essex for the Grammar schools and thinks their child is the brightest child going and fails to take into account their children may in fact be distinctly average. I personally would focus my search around areas with good alternative options.

But grammar schools....

I wish the government would build more grammars around the UK to stop this happening.

Rayleigh is fine and better than Benfleet. Rochford and Hockey are also fine. Better again would be Leigh or Chalkwell depending on budget.

Completely agree! We do have some family around there and it's convenient for work so the decision's not all based around grammars. To be honest, I'm not even fussed about them, it's more my husband and as it's a forever home, ideally would like to cover all bases (if at all possible).

Chelmsford has grammar schools, have you looked there?

In my opinion it's a better part of Essex.

Leigh-on-Sea much nicer than Benfleet or Rayleigh. I was brought up there and my dad still lives there.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86249991#/?channel=RES_BUY

Currently live in southend which is in catchment to all the grammars... but beware we moved before having kids and thought it's ok she'll just go to grammar.... In reality DD is not "grammar" school material and would be miserable if we tried to push her through the 11plus.
Now we are a bit stuck as all the comps are awful!

Hockley has Greenwards which is GOOD and gets good results. Hockley has more of a village feel too, but your not far from Rayleigh etc

And much much more expensive!

Benfleet is so so bland and boring. Ugly buildings/houses, nothing I’ve ever noticed of any interest. C2C is a half decent line, though! I couldn’t see myself moving into bland suburbia for no either countryside element or seaside, Benfleet has little by way of redeeming features, my friend has lived there for years and visiting it/hearing about it never interests me. Ugly high street with crap shops!

Moving to suburbia for grammar I would want at the minimum a half decent high street and/or pretty surroundings. Is Leigh affordable? I know Thanet has grammars, is that in budget? Frinton? Also as PP says, your children might not be grammar kids, it takes a certain personality type to manage and benefit from the competitive nature of getting into grammars. You’re better off making sure you’re in the catchment of an outstanding comp with good pastoral care and a community feel.

My in laws live in Rayleigh and dh has other family in Benfleet. Benfkeet is just not great. Rayleigh is much nicer, with a nice high streets with cafes and restaurants. The traffic is awful though, especially since they've build the new housing estate on the London Rd. personally I think Rayleigh is dull though. My dh couldn't wait to move from it. Though tbh I really dislike that part of Essex. It's just motorway after motorway with towns in between with not a lot going on. Everyone there seems to just have to drive everywhere. I prefer Chelmsford, saffron Walden, Dunmow or even Colchester.

I don't recognise the bleak landscape referred to by some. The only thing I would echo is traffic at certain times of the day can be grim. From Chalkwell, everything was pretty much walkable so factor this in. It is probably no worse than most urban areas but think about it in your choice of a home and schools.

Thanks all. I think Rayleigh seems to be the better option over Benfleet. But we're now considering Leigh and I think Hockley too after your recommendations.

Leigh is lovely but so busy! And getting busier. House prices are higher than surrounding areas.

Hockley is also a bit more spendy then Rayleigh and benfleet but you don't feel like your being robbed like you do in leigh!

I think it depends where in Benfleet / Rayleigh you’re looking at. All areas have good & bad - if looking in Benfleet I’d avoid around Manor.

Think you’ll struggle getting a 4 bed for 450k.

It depends what you want, if you want to be in walking distance of a decent high street then Benfleet probably isn’t best. But can easily access Hadleigh & Rayleigh - but if you want to be in walking distance of a high street, Rayleigh would probably be best.

As others have recommended, spend some time in the areas, see what you prefer.

Both have links to London, but can also easily access Leigh/Southend and Lakeside the other side!

Hello, op just wanted to know what you decided? I'm in this predicament atm. Renting in Benfleet but trying to decide whether to buy in Benfleet or rayleigh. It's us two No kids yet but hopefully very soon.

Traffic entering Benfleet is becoming a nightmare daily from about 2pm onwards you can face one big long slowly moving pile. It's becoming more annoying as the days go if I'm honest