Mixed middle-class family, where to live?

[JadedCantaloupe1993]

My husband and I grew up in London (he's white, I'm black), but like many others we've been priced out. We're a young family, with a 3 year old and are now looking for a new city/town to live, but we have a very wide brief so hoping you good folk could help!

We're currently based in SW London, and we generally love the community but are feeling cramped in our 3 bed flat. We'd also like to add another little one to our family, and if we move out would like extended family to be able to come over and stay the night. Our families are based around Hertfordshire and London, so it would make sense to stay where we are but we can't afford to have the quality of life we'd like to currently.

Our budget is around £450k (I know, very low by mumsnet standards!) and we're looking for a 3 - 4 bed home to last us for the next 15 years. We don't like new builds. We could possibly extend to £500k for the right place.

The search criteria is:

• Close to good state schools
• Good sense of community - we'd love to join the local football team, reading groups, etc etc
• Walkable(ish) or short train ride / drive to city centre. If not close to the city centre then with a local high street - doesn't need to be flourishing but a Sainsburys local would help!
• Commutable to either London, Manchester, Liverpool or Cardiff (by that I mean 1 - 1.5 hrs max one way)
• Ethnically diverse (doesn't need to be predominantly black, but a mix of different races would be fab if possible)
• Socio-economically diverse - we are a middle-class family (despite our family budget!) so would like to find like-minded people but don't want to be surrounded by millionaires and would happily live around lower income families (having come from one myself)
• Safe(ish) area

Appreciate that we might be asking too much considering our budget, but would love to know if such a place exists!

So far we've been looking at properties in Reading, York, Beckenham (sadly too expensive), Didsbury (Manchester), Leeds and Welwyn Garden City.

Does anyone have any suggestions - they'd be much appreciated! Thanks.

Parts of Sheffield would fit your brief. Some bits are very white but other areas are much more mixed. Crookes and Broomhill are pretty diverse. Very good schools and you could get a 3/4 bed for under budget but it might end up being a terrace because there aren't many non terraced houses in the area.

The bit of Bromley that is nearer Grove Park?

Biggleswade or Hitchin would be possible also found this in London Colney which is just by St Albans https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/165024113

Bromley Borough, Sidcup, Orpington- all areas a mixed race family wouldn’t stand out. All have good schools, green space nearby and quick links to London. I don’t know Manchester well but Didsbury, Sale and Chorlton are meant to be nice.
I also have a mixed race friend in Norwich who liked it there. You would probably be ok in most of the big cities.

There are actually a lot of picks in Hertfordshire that fit this brief so not too far from London. Watford surrounding suburbs are very easily commutable to London (not just reliant on 1 train but also Overground, Underground), and ticks all boxes.

If you looked a bit further up, around Hatfield, you'd probably get an even bigger property, but not as great transport variety, only 1 train but really easy into London.

Also look on the West bound Elizabeth line route out towards Reading; some beautiful towns there with great options for the half million mark.

Not familiar with northern cities or Cardiff but do not doubt you'd get a nice detached for that budget.

@JadedCantaloupe1993 We've been looking to move out of Greater London and downsize. Been looking in Hertfordshire - never been but having browsed a fair bit online I like the look of Stanstead Abbots. Don't know anything about the schools though, sorry. This one is bang on budget
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/165554051?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

Another vote for Reading here. I would also say Newbury, but I'm not sure your budget would stretch to it.

I don’t think £450k would go far in any of these places.

the best thing to do it work outwards from those commute locations to your max time and see where you end up!

I’m not sure Shenfield / Brentwood / chelmford would work re budget but Colchester might.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/167665379

Are you happy to come North?
Loads of places up here within that commute to Manchester. Avoid most of Cheshire, very expensive and not very multi cultural but East of Manchester into Yorkshire might work

There are 62 3 bedroomed houses in Sidcup alone under £500K! Yes, some are doer uppers but even those are liveable in. The postcodes to look in are: DA14, DA15, SE9, DA5, BR6. Welling is also worth a look and is growing in diversity from the old days. It has a thriving high street.

Fast trains to LB in 16 minutes at peak times from New Eltham station for example or 20 minutes from Orpington which has two lines through. - LB and Victoria.

Very good schools but be aware these are Grammar school areas for secondary. Easy to get to town or out into the country or seaside.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/168050060

In this road for example, lots of people have added an extension to create further bedrooms (as you can see from the house next door) or they add a loft conversion. This one is a short bus ride to Sidcup station, a secondary modern and a grammar school on the doorstep with good primaries nearby. M and S and other supermarkets nearby as are cafes etc.
Just saying the budget can stretch to a nice London area if that’s where you want to stay.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/159796637#/?channel=RES_BUY

In a good school catchment for primary and secondary, 20 mins walk to city centre and 20 mins the other way to the countryside.

Some lovely places towards the eastern end of the Elizabeth Line.

Gidea Park is a good area in zone 6, we have great schools both primary and secondary (the secondary schools are single sex, which I was a bit dubious about, but so far we couldn't be happier with them). We have every amenity you could think of, lovely parks, a great community and fast (and cheap!) links into central London. You'll get a decent 3 bed terrace or semi for your budget

Further out, Brentwood and Shenfield are nice too.

I’d spend a weekend staying in the area before making any decisions. I grew up a few miles further south (into London) and nobody I knew ever went that far out. It’s not really a village, just some shops and pubs along a road through to Harlow. Winding country lanes and boggy water, scary in the dark. You’d be bored moving from London.

Why not look at outer boroughs? cheaper travel and usually good schools