First time buyer in Guildford area - help!

nunovalente

OK, I have been offered a job in Guildford, but the employer wants me to BUY within six months of starting work in Guildford if I am to benefit from their (rather substantial) relocation package.

This does not bode too well on the mortgage front for us, as I will be the only one working (the wife is staying at home to bring up our daughter), on approximately 37k per year. As we have been working abroad for the past three years on cack salaries, we have little capital between us but should be able to stump up a 10k deposit.

On top of this, to benefit from the package (which would cover moving costs along with all solicitors fees, etc involved in a move), we have to live within a twenty mile radius of Guildford.

So, are we doomed to live in a 1 bedroom apartment in Aldershot? There must be affordable, decent areas within the area to live? Also, what about mortgage? Would the fact I have lived out of the UK for four years have a bearing on this?

Help me, I need your help! I have to make a decision at the end of the week.

Ian_W

Hi nuno,
The employer wouldn't be a Russian geezer with an Italian sounding first name, perchance?? :rotfl:

I'd go and see a mortgage advisor to find out how much could borrow and whether your time at barca would cause problems with a mortgage application. Rec from family or friends is best but you can locate one close to you on https://www.unbiased.co.uk. Make sure they're whole of market and find out whether they charge fees or work on a commission from the lender.

Once you know what is possible I'd search https://www.rightmove.co.uk for within a 10 mile radius of Guildford at £20K above what you can afford. I've just done that at £150K and the good news is ... quite a few 2 bedroom flats in Aldershot!! As well as Farnborough and some other places but mostly 1 bedroom closer to G/ford.

Don't think there are many cheap area in those parts!! _pale_

BoL.

mummytofour

Shared ownership...

funkydom

North Camp is a fairly cheap area and is much nicer than Aldershot (and a lot cheaper than Guildford).
The wife and I bought a flat in North Camp, just south of Farnborough in '04. Before we moved, a couple of people who live in the wider area told us that it wasn't a nice place but we have been very happy. Lots of random shops and an interesting high street, and its right on the border with Surrey so you avoid the high prices. I think it once may have been dodgy, but things have improved a lot, and the prices seem to have stayed quite low.

Guildford is a 10-15 min drive away, and the missus even cycles in the summer.

Oh and if you want somewhere a bit "posher", south Farnborough (north and east of North Camp) has some great properties and i'm sure its cheaper than anywhere in Surrey.

beckstrous

I can't offer any advice on mortgages (I am only about to dip my toe into that water so I have very little knowledge), but I was born in Guildford, work here and have lived in the area all my life.

Someone else suggested shared ownership - I was on the Guildford Borough Council shared ownership list for a while, and recently they changed the way it works. You used to have to wait for them to select you to be invited to look at a property, but now you can look and apply online. However, they do give preference to those who have been on the list longer, and 6 months might be too short a time (when they used to write to you it was just over a year before I got my first invitation to look at a property!). There is a very high demand.

Guildford itself is really expensive, as you probably know. As is Godalming, which is a really nice area (shame). Woking is slightly more affordable (try Knaphill/Brookwood - maybe Goldsworth Park, but it's a very big estate if estates aren't your thing), but still expensive. You might also want to look at Farnham. It's a really nice town but again, not cheap.

I would steer clear of Aldershot. As someone else has said, Farnborough is cheaper than Guildford and isn't too bad. The town centre is a bit depressing but there are parts of it (South Farnborough) that I believe are perfectly OK. In Guildford itself, places like Stoughton (north Guildford), Merrow and Burpham can be cheaper. Parts of Stoughton are walking distance (well, 20-40 mins) from town. Merrow and Burpham are probably a bit more upmarket than Stoughton but I lived in Stoughton as a kid and again as after graduating and it was fine.

There are some lovely places in Waverley - villages to the south of Guildford like Bramley, Cranleigh, Shamley Green and Wonersh - but all quite expensive. Probably because they are Surrey! So you might be better off looking to Hampshire, West Sussex (try Broadbridge Heath, which is just inside that 20 mile radius - my sister works in Guildford and lives there - it's a 25 minute journey), or even Berkshire. I live in Sandhurst (Berks) and property is a lot more affordable than in or around Guildford borough.

Hope that helps anyway, and good luck.

simon_lse

beckstrous, we have just put an offer in on a house in Sandhurst, but I don't really know the area that well. Is the area quite nice? Its so hard to tell when you know nothing.

We are first time buyers and I found Sandhurst to be cheaper than many of the surrounding towns especially ones in Surrey. And the train journey to Guildford is quite quick.

lauraaurora

I used to live in Sandhurst - College Town to be precise. I like it there, and it's got a lovely community magazine that they send round occasionally. If I'd have lived there longer, I would have got involved with some of the things they do. Sandhurst are the World Tug of War Champions!
It's in a good postion for Camberley, Reading and Guildford. And of course, a massive Marks and Spencers and Tesco, so it's handy for lots of things.

beckstrous

Hi Simon,

Sandhurst is fine. Really handy for the motorways and also the trains. If you want to go to London you have to change at either Guildford or Reading but you can get to either of these towns really quickly (Reading is about 18 mins I think, and Guildford maybe 25 mins or less).

I agree the community magazine is good and I think they make an effort with that sort of thing - there's a park (I think it's called the Sandhurst Memorial Park) where all sorts of activities go on, and the local football club plays there too.

The Yorktown Road is the main road going through the town and it's quite busy/noisy. We live in a flat that has double glazing but you do still notice the road. However, we are actually ON the road.

Crime is below the national average I believe - and Bracknell Forest Borough Council is in my opinion a really good local authority. I think they have also won a Plain English award for their communications with the public. They have various recycling schemes and we quite often get leaflets from them telling us what is going on locally.

There are a few pubs in the town - I have been to both the Swan (good for watching football if you like football) and the Wellington Arms. Both are alright. Sandhurst also has TONS of takeaways - for me this is neither a good nor a bad thing (I don't eat them that often) but if you do move there and like curry then you should try the Raj Tandoori, which is good.

Sandhurst itself is not rural or beautiful but it's right on the edge of some really lovely countryside areas like Finchampstead Ridges, The Lookout and other nice rural areas you can go walking in and lose an entire day. Also, I go running frequently and as a woman I've never felt unsafe there.

We are looking to buy now and Sandhurst is on our list of areas to look at, so I'd certainly say it's a decent place to live.

Hope that helps :-)

simon_lse

Thank you so much for your help. Much appreciated!!