Moving to oxford

[meaningofnight]

Please help any Oxford people out there. We are planning to move to Oxford or surrounding area and want a period house or cottage (preferably 3 bedrooms but might go for 2 if house nice). Can anyone recommend a good area/nice village?
Saw a property today -really nice village - nice garden, but tiny house with terrible bathroom and in need of decorating and some building work (390,000). Thought it seemed overpriced - are we being unreasonable?
Thanks very much.

Do you work in Oxford? And are catchements important?

No don't work in Oxford (but I hope to!). My DH just needs reasonable proximity to M40.

Catchment areas not important.

What sort of amenities are you looking for ? Theres lots of nice villages and small towns in commutable distance to Oxford, and M40 side, but all depends on whether you want good shops/swimming pool/etc close to home.

FWIW, my parents live in Wallingford, which is a nice town, lovely area, not too far from M40, and 390k for a 3 bed is not at all unreasonable for a period house there

Not bothered about amenities close to home. Would happily drive for shops, swimming etc.

Would prefer rural setting although also not averse to nice part of Oxford itself.

Dibbler is 390K reasonable for small house needing quite a lot of work to make luvverly?

Yes, Oxfordshire's not cheap. My parents recently had to pay more than that for a 70's estate house which they have proceeded to completely remodel - it was in a location that they wanted to be in with few options. 4 bed though and reasonable garden.

Problem is in terms of prices, good access to M4 and M40, Good trains up to London and also access to the Reading and Oxford areas....

Fraid so. My parents house is 1901 white lime brick with picture rails and original windows, but 3 small bedrooms and tbh needing a new bathroom, rewiring and some serious overhaul of the large garden, and they have had it valued at 500k - houses in their road sell very quickly.

The options on travel to work make it a very expensive area, and Oxford itself is horrific

Oh God maybe we have to give up this idea!!

Does your DH have to go up or down the M40 ? If you go north of Oxford, out of London commuter belt, then prices come down a lot

Has to go down M40 to west of London area.

Could go north of Oxford perhaps. Could you suggest some likely areas perhaps so I can research?

Ta!

West Oxfordshire is where I'd look, Witney especially is lovely but you're looking at £300+ for a period house, generally £350+
Oxford itself is far, far, worse!

Witney wouldn't be good for the M40 though.

Chipping Norton and area might be good - prices don't seem too bad, and it's good to get into Oxford, and not too bad to M40

thanks very much. I'll have a little look see

Witney would be awful for the M40 - the A40 towards Oxford can take up to an hour in the morning.

I would actually suggest north of Oxford, or somewhere like Wheatley/Horspath perhaps.

There are literally hundreds of little villages on rat runs towards the M40 - Nuneham Courtenay, Long Wittenham, Garsington, little Milton, Cuddesdon, Stanton St John, etc etc

If commuting is the main reason, are trains an option? Oxford is lovely, but it can take forever to get out of it in the morning, the traffic really has to be seen to be believed tbh!

Where exactly does he have to get to?

and yes - £400k for 3 bed house is commuting distance of the M40 sounds pretty standard to me, even in todays climate... sorry.. :-/

He has to get to Pinewood and Acton

Trains are not an option for him unfortunately

I would look at Wheatley, for proximity to the A40, or one of the neighbouring villages...

yes, I'd agree - ideally you want to be east of Oxford for the M40.

Lots of people near me (high Wycombe) go to Pinewood for work....it's one heck of a lot cheaper than Oxford and surrounds. With that budget you could look to Stokenchurch or maybe West Wycombe. OK - it's Bucks but it's so close to M40 and there are lots of rural villages - maybe worth a look and it would cut down on his commute.

Thank you all very much.

JeanJeanie I will have a look where you suggest. Is that the Chilterns?

Watlington is lovely and close to M40.

Crikes! If you want a nice area, you'll have to pay even more in Bucks.

Avoid High Wycombe like the plague. It's a bit of a hole. Lots of nice villages to the north of Wycombe but again you'd need to get through town to get to the M40 and it's a bit of a bottleneck.

Funnily enough, we're in Bucks and looking further up the M40 to Oxford as you get quite a bit more for your money.

Cheers I live in High Wycombe - I don't live in a hole!! It what I said - that the town itself doesn't do justice to the outlying villages. My best mate lives in Watlington - lovely but mega bucks and quite tiny properties - it's a premium for outside space.

Have a look at the N Oxfordshire villages - Adderbury, Deddington, Bloxham. They are all gorgeous and within 10 minutes or so to J10 of the M40.

this has been on the market for ages. Very nice looking house though.

If you want something old & cute, this seems very reasonable at £310k.

Anyway, just a couple of ideas - villages in these parts are lovely though

Wow! Thanks rindercella those houses are gorgeous.