Your top tips when researching a new area

[Onthemoooove]

We've decided we want to move from the London suburb we've lived in our whole lives to Bucks/Oxfordshire in the next couple of years. We're in our late 50s so don't need to worry about schools etc but very daunting as scared of getting it wrong!

So far we've taken a few drives out exploring likely areas, set up Rightmove alerts so we can see the kind of property coming up in budget and started compiling a list of the different towns/villages we are considering with their pros & cons.

Any other tips?

Thank you 🙂

Flight paths.
Flood risk.
Development plans - LA, roads etc.

Local Facebook groups can be enlightening!

Crime stats. If we did that we'd have known our corner co-op is a hot bed of crime.

As well as doing a few drives that you’ve already done, I’d suggest spending some time in the proposed areas at different times of the day as week as weekends and week days. It will give you a feel for the general vibe and traffic at various points as this will vary. One place we rented in the past was a nightmare during rush hour as the road seemed to be a short cut for those getting to work!

GP’s
ease of access to hospitals
public transport

when you’re used to living in London a lot of these things are taking from granted. It’s very different outside major conurbations. I’m in my 50’s too and the above is something I consider as we get older and health needs increase.

Definitely local facebook groups - I’m in the process of relocating and I’ve found them really useful just to understand what goes on locally. Although I do know the area I’m moving to as I’ve spent a lot of time there over the years.

I currently live on the Bucks / Ox borders so shout if there’s any places you want the low down on! I’m only moving for a change of scenery now DC are adults and I’m post divorce.

I’d also think about HS2 impact (it’s a nightmare in some places but if you think you could put up with it, there’s houses that are absolute bargains sadly for the current owners), flooding, loads of new houses being built, transport links, proximity to shops etc.

If you have children... find the local school admissions policies, catchment areas etc. The area we moved to had fixed catchment areas so we narrowed down schools first, then looked at houses in the right catchment areas.

The house prices just a couple of roads away could be quite different due to the catchment lines.

Infrastructure
Traffic
Public transport
Shops and facilities within walking distance.

You may not need those things now, but think to the future, when you may need to be able to use public transport or get to shops on foot.

Maybe have a holiday in the area which you have narrowed it down to. I know I woukd like a large supermarket in walking distance so I can shop for fruit and veg daily. I am a real foodie.

Also you ,Ishtar not need schools but it can make a house more saleable if near good schools.

Ah, thank you. We are looking at Thame and surrounding villages, had lunch in a lovely pub in Worminghall yesterday 🙂

Currently live in an area impacted by HS2 so definitely very wary of that.

Yes, we don't care about schools (more bothered about a good pub!) but we (or our kids) will need to sell it one day.

Thank you, some great points here. Will definitely join the local Facebook groups if they'll have me. I know our local one is enlightening (lots of moaning, sadly for good reason, hence wanting to move 😫)

Our kids are adults but we do need to think about resale, even though we don't need to be in catchment.

Visit the local supermarkets and check whether or not you have to put a pound in to use a trolley.

It may sound silly, but it can be quite a helpful barometer of rough or naice areas!

Thank you, will do that! Fwiw a pound is needed at our current local supermarket, I thought that was the norm these days!

Thame is Waitrose anyway 😊As an example for things to consider, Thame is hellish for parking. So unless you bought a place in walking distance (would mean less immediate countryside) you need to think about how you’ll get in and out without parking stress every time. I like it a lot, but this puts me off a permanent move.

Yes, I agree.

Think about what you want to do when you move - Do you want areas for walking ?
Access to London?
Theatre?
Nice shopping area?
Access to the coast?
etc

I’d do a bit of reading about the oxford - Cambridge Arc. There is a tremendous amount of development planned along its route. 1M houses, roads, employment sites. It’ll all take decades no doubt, but it’ll happen eventually.

Oh and think about where your children live/are likely to live. Most importantly “Will you have to use the M25, if so how much?”

Thame is lovely, but agree with a PP that parking can be crap. But it’s got a lovely high street, with nice shops and places to eat.

Near there I also really like Watlington - smaller more villagey-vibe, but a number of independent shops and including a Co-Op (I think it’s a Co-Op); you probably wouldn’t do your main shop there but you’re not far from both Henley and Wallingford which both have large Waitroses. And are also lovely towns.

Agree with PP that Thame has dreadful parking but is a nice place. Would to choose to live there personally though

Wouldn't touch Watlington with a barge pole! It's a huge traffic nightmare.

Chinnor is nice but busy, can be hard at times for parking and traffic, and getting a GP appointment isn't always easy.

But in the locality of these places are lots of other options - Long Crendon and Haddenham off the top of my head, are both places I'd consider if we had the budget for what we wanted.