London or Surrey

[Imogen97]

Hi everyone,

I would love some advice please.
Struggling with knowing what the right decision of where to live is.

I’m currently pregnant with our first child. We need to upsize our house. Right now we are in a leafy area of outer London which we do love but I’ve always preferred the countryside / rural life.

House prices in London are absolutely crazy and we really need at least a 3 bed + a garden for our dogs. My husband works in London so we can’t go too far, but we are looking in Surrey (near Cobham which, despite some negative connotations, is lovely IMO). We’ve found a beautiful home a 10 min drive from Cobham. It’s got a lovely garden, 4 beds and so much space. It’s basically an old farmhouse sort of place. We love it.

However, I’m worried about not being able to walk from our front door to anywhere. We’d have to get in the car to go to cafes, shops etc. Only a 10 min drive but is this going to be very tedious?

If we stay in London, we’d have to buy somewhere much more cramped. But the pros are being in walking distance to so much, and also my mum (my favourite person) would be very close by (walking distance!). Cobham is only 35 mins from where she is (drive) but I know the importance of family and help etc.

The schools in both areas are good, but of course I’d prefer my child to grow up a bit more rurally (lots of outdoors, animals, etc).

we could stay in London for 4 years and then move but it’s just so, so expensive!!

Any suggestions? Is the driving going to be too much or am I overthinking??

we also have a dog.

TIA

If you are used to being able to come out of your house and walk a little bit to shops/amenities then having to drive for every single journey is a pain in the arse and not worth the extra space imo. Also as your def grow they can’t just walk to school or pop to the shops. I stayed in London but yes prices are ridiculous. I would have moved to another city/large town before choosing a rural location.

Have you checked the school admissions distances? It can be a bit tight in that area (all info on surrey website).

Also school run time = crazy traffic.

I live near Cobham, wouldn’t exactly call it rural, but it’s a nice town, traffic in and out can be bad. They’ve just completed major works to the turn off for the M25 at Wisley which should help with traffic.

We had a similar dilemma when our children were small, and eventually moved to a 5-bed detached house in a village. It’s 15 minute drive to school, 20 minutes into the nearest town. But like you, I’d always preferred the rural life, as did DH.

Yes, the driving can be a pain, but for us it’s been worth it for the size of the house we could afford, and for the peace & quiet! I know villages vary, and you see a lot of people moaning on here about them, but ours is fab - lots of great people, and a strong community.

Kids are now teens, and I drive them a lot. The car is a great place to have their attention (captive audience!), and it’s where we have our best chats! They love living here, and it hasn’t been limiting for them. They love roaming the fields with their friends, dog-walking, horse-riding etc.

I’d hate to live somewhere where we have to drive all the time. At all stages. With little kids walking to school, walking to the shops, rather than piling everyone into the car all the time. With older kids they can walk to school themselves, walk to their friends houses, walk to scouts and back, meet up with friends in town and get back under their own steam. We can also walk in green areas from our front door and drive short distances to lots more green areas.

Feels like there should be more-rural-than-London yet not “having to drive everywhere” options around - keep looking?
(we’re in Horsell and it works great for this).

10 mins drive to get a pint of milk after being accustomed to London conveniences will be a nightmare for you! Especially with young children. You want schools and a shop in a walkable distance in my opinion.

You don’t need to move as far as Cobham though. What about Oxted, Godstone, Warlingham, Caterham? Westerham is nice but no train station, likewise Biggin Hill. All very near beautiful countryside but with loads of modern conveniences 👍

If you are already in a leafy part of outer London then you probably have a mix of local amenities & green spaces not far.

I do, but unfortunately a 3 bed house around me is around 1.3 million for somewhere very cramped. Hence why moving out is appealing. Plus I’m a big horse rider and we would love chickens etc etc. But I agree, it’s just hard to find somewhere rural ish but walking distance to a local shop / cafe. My husband can’t be too far from Clapham as that’s where his office is.

the school we love the look of near Ockham is only a 5 min drive which isn’t bad. But that’s way into the future!

There are cheaper parts of outer London though & it’s good to be mindful of schools as it comes around quick.

Yes, schools are not way into the future!

35 mins is nothing IMO. There are plenty of places in Surrey where you can walk to both vast countryside and amenities. I’ve got hours of countryside, doc, dentist, schools (primary and secondary) and shops on my doorstep and am a 10 mins drive from: cinema, ice rink, aerial hoop class, art galleries, shops, theatre, great pubs, sports facilities. There’s everything you could think of. And trains - 45 mins into Waterloo. Everyone here either grew up here OR moved here from London (us too) so it’s a really nice mix of diverse, and also people stick around, which is really nice.

We don’t have a shop within walking distance, but it’s never been an issue. Lived here 14 years and we’ve never run out of anything to the point that I need to urgently go out and get a replacement. But we do have two Tesco deliveries a week so that helps!

i would highly recommend doing your research on schools in the area. Cobham free is very good but small catchment. If you are close to the town centre then it’s no issue and you can easy get most things you need on your doorstep. It’s possibly worth looking in Guildford as also a lovely area with good train connections.

Think I’ve found the house, if it’s the one I’m thinking of it’s beautiful!! But I agree with PP - we did the London to Surrey hop and are now on the edge of Guildford. Supermarket within 5m walk but 15 mins and I’m in rolling countryside - best of both worlds :)

Tbh in your position I’d keep house hunting. Being out of London, getting more space for your money and being more rural sounds great at this point in your life- but not so rural that you literally need to get in the car to get to a shop or cafe. That would be a pain in the arse for me. There’s a happy medium - more rural but with amenities within walking distance. Once your child is born you’ll really appreciate having a bit more going on on your doorstep and not having to get the baby in and out of the car constantly

Is your mother likely to consider moving anytime soon? It sounds as though that’s a significant concern for you and your mum may be keen to downsize .

OP what did you decide in the end?! We moved from London the Surrey when I was pregnant and I'm regretting it so much. Keep fantasising about how fun life was when we had infinite pubs, cafes etc nearby. Also 45 mins from family. But maybe I'm romanticising pre-kid life.