For those considering buy in the South East, West or North East

MortgageMamma · 12 August 2006 at 5:32PM

I just found this article on MSN whilst browsing and its a list of the top 25 places to live in the UK

http://money.uk.msn.com/MyMoney/Insight/Special_Features/Pennywise/article.aspx?cp-documentid=759023

I've only ever seen Horsham out of all these places, so would be interested in peoples opinions in the rest of places as I might be relocating myself in the coming months...

TT9 · 12 August 2006 at 7:00PM

MortgageMamma wrote:

I just found this article on MSN whilst browsing and its a list of the top 25 places to live in the UK

http://money.uk.msn.com/MyMoney/Insight/Special_Features/Pennywise/article.aspx?cp-documentid=759023

I've only ever seen Horsham out of all these places, so would be interested in peoples opinions in the rest of places as I might be relocating myself in the coming months...

Good Afternoon,

Thought I would pitch in with a rare post from down here in Cobham, Elmbridge where I live.

I have lived here for over a year now, and get well appreciate why the area lists as ticking the correct boxes. My opinion would be that the locals here in Cobham, and our neighbouring villages of Oxshott and Weybridge are of that satisfied kind of mentality if you see what I mean - successful in their lives and fields of speciality. This should equate to happiness I would presume as you are not continually fighting yourself to move up to the next ring of the housing or social ladder or anything like that. I can't see where one would go from here to be honest - the houses are enormous, the schools are excellent, the country pubs plentiful, grasslands to be found on every corner, and no sign of any crime.

So why then have I decided to re-locate back to the suburbs of London ? Well, first and foremost the place is soooo expensive its incredible. Million plus pound houses are ten a penny round here. The local St George's Hill health club want an eye watering £700 joining fee (that's if you pass the newcomers interview!). Cobham village has a couple of furtniture shops offering you niceities for your room, whilst lightening you in the region of up to £10k for the temptation.

There is an undercurrent of success around the place. Lot of executives (not the FTB type

!), self-mades, bankers, celebs, Chelsea footballers round here. Great if your are of that ilk, but for this normal working early thrity something, just something about 'keeping up with the jones' about the place.

So Elmbridge gets my recommendation for those afluent sort looking for happiness and a high quality of life. Recommend 'The Tilt' area of Cobham and the nearby Downside village. Check out the 'Cricketers' public house for lovely outside eating and tranquil views across Downside village green. Those of lesser fortune like this young boy might just be better of 'slumming' it in sub £1500p/m rental accomodation for a while yet

Just IMHO of course.
Regards.

mummytofour · 12 August 2006 at 7:32PM

I had lived in Horsham all my life until march this yr. It has a lot going for it, house prices went up just over 9% last month there. It has good schools, nice town centre a pretty good council and its clean. The problem is more and more ppl are moving there from london, as its nicer and cheaper than London, this is putting the house prices up, so the locals are moving out.I guess I would still be there if I had, had the money to buy a bigger place.

MortgageMamma · 12 August 2006 at 8:30PM

Well TT9 Elmbridge sounds lovely, but it also sounds incredibly snobby and clique. I don't think I would like to live there, as I'm common as muck (good quality muck though, more of the manure variety lol). That said, it doesn't mean I can't do my job well!

Horsham, well yes I've been there a few times as I used to live in Sutton, it seemed very nice but again expensive (like most places in the south) . In fact property prices in the south on the whole frighten me a bit - hence the hesitance to relocate - I live in a place in Lancashire called Colne, you can get a fairly decent house here (and in the surrounding pretty villages) for £120k By that I mean a 3/4 bed terr/semi with gardens and private parking.

Its a bit of a weird area and as I am originally from Manchester I find living this far out frustrating as its a bit behind the times. You can't even get a decent coffee at a starbucks or anything for miles. As for crime its minimal but there are a lot of people with drink problems for some reason, which shocked me, being from a city!

Anyway, can't wait to get away from the place but doubt I could afford to live comfortably within 50 miles of the M25!

JennyW_2 · 14 August 2006 at 8:38AM

MortgageMamma wrote:

Well TT9 Elmbridge sounds lovely, but it also sounds incredibly snobby and clique. I don't think I would like to live there, as I'm common as muck (good quality muck though, more of the manure variety lol). That said, it doesn't mean I can't do my job well!

I have to disagree with TT9's comments. I've lived in Elmbridge all my life. Grew up in Esher (council house I may add) and currently in Walton on Thames but moving this week to Thames Ditton. I'm not snobby either

It's not all footballers and cricket green views either

there are certainly more affordable areas other than Weybridge and the St George's areas.

For those considering buy in the South East, West or North East

Comments

Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

🚀 Getting Started

Categories

Is this how you want to be seen?

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free