Move to Surrey

[ThisNewAnt]

Looking to relocate to Warlingham or Woldingham areas. Advice needed on where’s best. Are these nice places to live? Have a dog that needs off lead walking. Also looking for somewhere with community vibe to meet neighbours so do not want to be isolated.

Thanks for this info. Looked into other places people mentioned but too built up. Yes will be driving and about 7am so hoping it’s around an hour. That’s fine as will be a couple of days a week. I think Warlingham will have enough going on and as we do not know anywhere we will enjoy driving to all new places. Somewhere in the centre to walk and get a coffee or takeaway. Also Blanchmans has been recommended for dog walking? Are you familiar with it?

Warlingham is great! Having left London, I’m very happy here. Easy driving, easy parking, fresh air, green spaces. A Sainsbury’s where they trust you to return your trolley rather than make you find a pound for it - that’s always seemed to me to be a sign of a nice neighbourhood 😂

There a nice ice cream place in Warlingham Green which does great milkshakes!

Are you poster who was originally looking in the new Forest?

No we were looking at Cobham/Stoke dAbernon/Horsley areas originally as we liked it but too far of a drive with heavy traffic. Was recommended Warlingham area so we went last week for a few days to check these areas out as far across as Meopham but are favouring Warlingham or Woldingham. We went into Caterham Waitrose which seemed a nice centre and easy to park. It’s a new start for us and excited to have less rain than Lancashire!

I live nearby and would say Warlingham is quite built up in parts. You’d need to choose area carefully, but the Green is pretty with shops.

It really depends on your budget tbh, there is a huge difference between Warlingham and Woldingham (the latter is very lovely, great for walks but not much for kids, and very expensive). They have a very different feel to each other so would definitely recommend visiting both to compare.

I think driving to East Dulwich in an hour would be a push, even at 7am, because you’d have to contend with Croydon rush hour traffic.

Good luck with wherever you choose!

If you’re set on Warlingham look for places in Farleigh as it’s literally the countryside. Surrounded on all sides by fields but right near Warlingham and ready to get to Selsdon (more shops) and Sanderstead (Waitrose) too. I live slightly further in in South Croydon but spend all my free time heading further out, but there’s so much green around here

Keep the info coming! Will check out Farleigh as seen it on the map and the other places for shopping. Noticed lots of houses are on hills or have sloping gardens. Daily checks on Rightmove as our house sale is going through and will need to decide. Are properties sold quickly in those areas or are you finding they are being overvalued? Getting daily emails for “reduction in price” and wondered why?

OliveCat25 yes think Woldingham might be too quiet though sounds great to walk the dog if we lived there. We are looking around Overhill and Tydcombe Rd area as they are not as close together than other areas there. We won’t know anybody and so hoping we could chat to a neighbour or other locals. Also I currently volunteer for a hospice shop so would try and get involved with this in my spare time and volunteering with the Xmas lights set up on the green.

Warlingham is nice with lots of shops including a big sainsburys and nice garden centre. Beckenham busier with better transport links but almost villagey. Round the town centre it can be rarer for houses to come up for sale but they do come up. Lots of 1930s type houses near town centre, a few Victorian too.

That is a scary road to drive up or down whatever the weather!

Ha! Succumbed Hill! Rite of passage on driving lessons for local 17y olds. There is a knack and I do it every day now without hesitation 😆.

Succomb! but sucombed to many a lorry driver 😁

i’ve noticed for sale signs lingering. The market isn’t particularly hot, so you shouldn’t struggle. How exciting, a great big move from Lancashire!

I second that Farleigh is great. Also there’s Great Park if you like that sort of thing - small private back gardens but set in a fabulously beautiful country park estate. This one has a lovely setting…https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/174375503#/?channel=RES_BUY

is there a community vibe to Farleigh? Shops? Anything going on? We are coming down in a couple of weeks so will check it out along with Woldingham. Looks lovely on the map. Will need a fairly big garden for the dog.

Farleigh is just a countryside part of Warlingham. It’s back to Warlingham for the shops. There is the Harrow pub, Farleigh Golf Course and a bowling green plus a little prep school you could volunteer at.

DD lives in Woldingham. Very hilly not much going on. We are just frequent visitors. Have you thought of a short term rental in the area so that you can get a feel for it? I always liked Godstone and Oxted is lovely.

If you like walking, I can recommend a really lovely ladies walking group. They walk in Warlingham a lot, and frequent the local pubs in Warlingham for post walk food / drinks. Lots of ladies of a similar age / life stage to you, and so welcoming and friendly, so ideal way to meet new people. Dogs welcome too and also do other things, theatre, games, day trips.

I second Godstone and Oxted too, also Westerham is lovely. I’ve lived in the area 25yrs, Riddlesdown, Purley, Whytelafe and Caterham. Very safe and nice area, and lots going on. I would avoid Woldingham personally as so little going on.

Its very small, a pub and no shops. But very close to Warlingham for shops. More rural feel.

yes renting would be the best idea and we have been looking at that but so much messing about as there are no short term lets and we have a lot of furniture to go in storage down there. We would ideally prefer to find the village and area by asking and then going to visit. We have been down a few times and stayed in Eynsford and Tatsfield so have driven round eventually liking Warlingham. Westerham we liked the green and shops but absolutely no properties suitable on the market.

also Godstone and Oxted a bit further to drive

Coulsdon / old Coulsdon?

Go and park at the Farthing Down car park, walk your dog down through Happy Valley, miles of off lead walking in beautiful surroundings. Old Coulsdon village. Maybe Caterham?

Thank you this is great to hear! Godstone and Oxted just too far as my husband will be driving up to Catford and East Dulwich and Peckham Rye areas to help with property renovations so every mile saved is a bonus but we don't want to be in a very built up area. Woldingham looks lovely on google maps as it is similar to where we live now. You can just walk out and into fields and let the dog off the lead. Only 3 properties for sale in our budget and not suitable tbh and Westerham the same - properties in our budget not great. With Warlingham we were targetting Tydcombe Rd area which was quiet residential yet walking to centre easy and drive to Caterham for bigger shopping centre close by. Just felt like it had everything. I realise we are not going to achieve this with a lovely centre and pretty shops in walking distance. We do like a takeaway at weekends and walk into a centre so Warlingham seemed to have all this and not too far to drive for dog walks and to get into south London. We are happy to drive an hour as this is similar for us going into Manchester.