Where to live to commute to London -£750k

[Justsayno123]

Where would you live if you essentially had a huge choice of areas but wanted a decent quality of family life?

Backstory - lived in London for about 7 years when establishing our careers, moved up north a couple of years pre-pandemic, had babies. Timed perfectly for COVID and the WFH change of lifestyle. However, if either of us want to progress in our careers, it would be so much easier if we could regularly be in London (at least 2-3 days per week) so we are considering the move back to the South East.

Household income now is £180k plus bonuses, which are not guaranteed, hopefully this would increase shortly after a move. Budget for a family home (ideally 4 beds) is 750-800k ideally, maybe could stretch a little. Good schools necessary. I would like easy access to Kings x for trains back up north if possible. I'm working on the basis that we probably can't afford London itself so curious if anyone has any suggestions for other ideas, please?!

Hitchin, Harpenden, or Letchworth garden city. All lovely, safe and easy to get north or into London. I have family not far from Bedford, wouldn't live in the centre but villages outside like ampthill are really lovely.

Bedfordshire villages.

You can afford a nice four bed in Orpington/Petts Wood, or closer in, in Forest Hill or Sydenham. Probably Streatham too.

Harpenden is very expensive!

If you like the Bedford houses do check out the town. I know it well and would happily live there.
The Clapham road one is on a busy road and a bit HMO. Kimbolton Rd you can still walk to station and also Bedford Park, Mowsbury Park. Town Centre. And yes Universal Stidios in a few years will make Bedford a place any visitors will like to come.
Season ticket is expensive but not massively more than St Albans etc plus you’d be 1-2 hrs into your journeys back up North compared to suggestions south of London.
Bedford countryside is dull and flat. Town centre also a bit dull. But plenty going on for families and river area is lovely. The most sought after area for Londoners is around Castle Rd but I prefer old Bedford Park/saints area. I would live on Kimbolton rd or Park Avenue.

Do take a look - the market has really slowed, and £800k would get you a very good place near the trainline.

Gidea Park is a lovely zone 6 suburb, on the Elizabeth Line (fast trains right through London, stopping at e.g. Liverpool St, Farringdon (one stop from Kings X), Tottenham Court Rd and out to Heathrow and Reading. We have fantastic secondary schools (single sex, which I didn't think I'd be keen on but the reality is we couldn't have wished for better), lovely green spaces and all the amenities you could think of, plus it's super easy - and affordable - to get into central London for work or a day or night out.

You'd get a nice 4 bed semi for your budget.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/161697752#/?channel=RES_BUY

You won’t get much for 750k in either of these places … more like 1.75m!!

Why do people write such nonsense. Of course there are houses in Beckenham & Bromley for less than 1.75m and in the OPs budget.

@Justsayno123

You can definitely afford London. Do you want private schools or states?

Streatham is a possibility.

Great primary schools, good secondaries, good transport

Streatham doesn't have great secondaries unless you are catholic & the area is one of the worst impacted for falling rolls. Not good for any of the schools.

We would like the optionality of both - need decent state schools, and we'll stay state for primary either way.

Most of London has loads of good primary options.

Secondary is harder, you have the grammar options which are very competitive. Are you catholic as that will give you more options? Richmond has some great state options you can access for parts of Kingston.

Bromley you access some of the Kent grammars

A lot of Stevenage is grim, particularly the town centre. Hitchin is far nicer, also more expensive but worth it.

You have to be very careful where you buy in Bedford, some areas are lovely, again some are less so and have high levels of crime. Bedfordshire villages are generally a lot nicer.

Luton is frankly to be avoided at all costs imho. There are some lovely looking houses on the Old Bedford Road but again the town centre is grim and there are high levels of crime.

Cambridge is beautiful but expensive.

Because I’ve spent the last 8 months trying to find a decent 5 bed detached in the nicer parts of Bromley ? I have about a million to spend and I’ve seen nothing that is remotely as nice as my house now unless I’m finding at least another rhalf a million. So I said it based on experience.

I’d avoid Bedford though, it’s really not that nice a town anymore.

@MellowPinkDeer the OP is not looking for a decent 5 bed detached though? There are plenty of smaller houses in those areas in budget.
5 bed detached are rare so obviously have a higher premium but you would still probably get one for 1.2m although who knows your definition of decent.

Letchworth. 35 mins to London kings x. Easy walk to the station from this house. Best place ever! https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/166060484