Returning To the Uk - Child friendly and easy commute to canary wharf and oxford. Help me frind an area.

[MrsHarrisonFord]

we are returning to uk and i need to find somewhere to live. I need somewhere that

1. HAs good state schools for a 4 and 6 yr old or affordable private ( max 6K per yr)

1. Dh has a job at CW so easy commute there either rail or underground

1. some family in aylesbury so we would visit every six weeks

1. We want a house with garden for about 600K

Am I in cloud cuckkoo land or is this possbile?? and if so where should i narrow down my search.

you need to define easy commute - how long? how many changes?

not really sure how hideous commuting is in LOndon so the shorter the better.

Is 20mins realistic with our budget?

20 mins door to door? I would have thought that means living in the inner city and then you will probably find it harder to find good state schools. I would have suggested moving a bit further out into Essex and then you would also be able to access the motorway network easily for trips to Aylesbury.

which bits of essex should I start looking at ?,

Does anyone know hampstead heath/ golders green /swiss cottage?

I don't know Essex well enough to give recommendations. The areas of London you have mentioned are expensive, not sure what the commute to CW would be...

useful thread here

Buckhurst Hill, Loughton for Essex - far end of the Central Line

Hampstead Heath you will struggle for £600K

Do you need to be within commuting distance of Oxford as well?

No not commuting distance but just easy access for family visits, every 6 weeks.

eldon thanks for thread links

Another question - do you mean 20 minutes door to door commute or 20 minutes on a train?

20 mins on a train please

my brain is burning with choices

Swiss Cottage fits your criteria. I know people who moved there specifically for the commute to Canary Wharf. I live not far from there. It is very child friendly - great leisure centre with lots of activities including an outdoor space with a big water fountain for the kids to play in the summer. I have no idea about the schools as we home school. As to house with garden for £600000, it would be a struggle. You might get a garden flat for that.

Sorry, forgot to say about Golders Green: it is way further north than swiss cottage. It is also not on the Jubilee line. If you want an easy commute to Canary Wharf, you would be better looking along the jubilee line going north. We are currently house hunting in the same direction so I know the prices. West Hampstead is LOVELY but pricey. You could probably get a garden flat there for that price. If you go further north along that line, you get more for your money.

Crash - IlanaK did you decide where you were going to end up in the end? I was on your earlier thread in the same situation as you and have been wondering how you got on.

You could try Dollis Hill. I live in W Hampstead and you would only get a flat here for 600k but I think it's a fair bit cheaper there. Other alternative of course is to go out the other way to Essex - or you could go to South London. You could probably find something there for your budget and your DH could get the overground to London Bridge and pick up Jubilee there. Probably get a lot more for your money too

Blameitonthebogey - we have decided on West Hampstead/Kilburn area. It seems we can afford a garden flat in these areas (at a push) but there is soooo little stock on the market at the moment.

Hyjack alert! spicemonster - can I pick your brains about West Hampstead? We are looking in that area. A lot of excouncil places are coming up. Are there really grotty areas to avoid?

That's a great area Ilana. We're probably going to end up in Maida Vale which I like too but the compromise is a flat instead of a house.

Spicemonster someone was telling me recently about Dollis Hill. I don't know it at all, is it nice there?

Sorry for hijacking your thread MrsHF

How about Greenwich? I don't think you'd get a huge garden for 600K but it would be worth a look. Very short commute to Canary Wharf on the DLR. Probably a horrible trip to Oxford though.

IlanaK - I would say to steer clear of anywhere too close to Kilburn High Road tbh, particularly the bottom end which is really pretty grotty especially around Kilburn Park. It is generally nicer between West End Lane and Swiss Cottage to be honest but I live between Kilburn and West Hampstead ie not the posh bit

I don't know Dollis Hill massively well - just been to the park there a few times which is really nice and have met some nice mums in the playground so might be worth a go.

I like Maida Vale, but it is almost as price as where we currently are and less conversions (more mansion blocks which is what we are moving out of) than West Hampstead/Kilburn area. I am also desperately trying to stay on the Jubilee line if possible.