Moving Advice - East Sussex?

[sleepsuit]

Looking for advice on where to move please!

Currently live in Dartford. Have done for some time and it's not an area we particularly enjoy living in anymore. Very busy, overcrowded and lots of traffic as well as many other reasons. We've got very young children and are looking to move to a smaller, quieter town with some good schools and a nice place for them to grow up in. A slower pace of life!

East Sussex appears to suit us for lots of reasons, mainly because of our jobs. We can't go to too many other locations, i.e. much further out into Kent is a no-go.

We want a quiet village/town that has things to do, e.g. coffee shops, a leisure centre, places to walk outside and parks/woods etc. Needs to feel safe. Bonus if it's well connected but not a must. Want a larger house with more spaces budget is £550k.

Uckfield and Heathfield look nice, also fairly close to the coast which looks good? Also like the feel of Horsham in West Sussex. We are planning to visit and spend some time in these places but would appreciate advice from people who know the areas well and what to avoid, where to visit.

This would be a big move for us and I know nothing about these areas so any advice is appreciated!!!!

Uckfield and Heathfield are great, you might also consider Crowborough which is slightly closer to London on the Uckfield train line.

people always suggest Lewes on these types of threads, it’s a lovely town but you’re budget won’t stretch as far there. Do you need to think about schools? Where in London do you need to commute too?

Thank you for your response!

Yes, children will need a primary school. Although being near a good secondary is a bit more important to me! Don't need to commute to London, but partner works in Crawley. My job is more flexible.

You'll probably get more for your budget in Uckfield and Heathfield than in Horsham.
We currently live in Crawley but are moving to Horsham soon.
We like that it's got a characterful market town centre, but has plenty to do leisure wise, and (especially compared to where we live now) a feeling of safety. It's also on the doorstep to the countryside and not far from the coast.
Good transport links to Crawley for your DH, and up to London and the coast as necessary.

Seaford. Right by the sea and great bus routes.