Thinking about buying in Ashford. Good idea?

ukbondraider

Isnt that the Eurostar service though?

My understanding is that there is a Eurostar train for the international journeys which will commence in Nov 2007 but then there is also the Southeastern fast commuter train that is to commence in late 2009 which will use the same track but is essential a totally different service (called the channel tunnel rail link). Am I correct in that these are two different services?

Therefore the trains from London to France (i.e Eurostar) through Ashford is being reduced but nothing has changed for the southeastern fast commuter train that will run from London to Ashford and to the coast of England.

MissBehaving

First of all we have just bought in Ashford! And admittidley I did think twice when I heard about the comments such as a previous poster calling it 'Trashford'. --- Dont we just love to slate people and places!!!!!!!!!!! :mad:

However, we have been here a year and I love it! Yes, it does have a lot of new builds (I live in one) but so does Maidstone, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells etc. Whereever there is greenery there will be some developer trying to build on it.

I guess it depends on what is important to you. I have a company car and I cover the whole of the South East. OH works has a base near Brighton so does that commute every day. However, on the weekends we dont need to venture Westwards.
However, if you are commuting into London, then I would suggest staying up the M20 (Larkfield/West Malling etc).

Canterbury is 15 minutes down the road and so are the port terminals to france.
Yes, the Eurostar is changing things... and trust me.. we are all peeved off about the change in their routes. However, they are still continuing to keep some trains stopping in Ashford on the way to France.

I am happy where I live... and I do believe that a home is where your heart is!! ...

Red_Panda_2

ukbondraider wrote:

Isnt that the Eurostar service though?

My understanding is that there is a Eurostar train for the international journeys which will commence in Nov 2007 but then there is also the Southeastern fast commuter train that is to commence in late 2009 which will use the same track but is essential a totally different service (called the channel tunnel rail link). Am I correct in that these are two different services?

Therefore the trains from London to France (i.e Eurostar) through Ashford is being reduced but nothing has changed for the southeastern fast commuter train that will run from London to Ashford and to the coast of England.

Thats what I thought

zar

My understanding is (but its a bit confusing as they seem to change their minds) is that the trains from East Kent (including Ashford and Folkestone etc) to London will still be going ahead, but the number of trains going to Europe will be reduced to one a day and it won't go to Brussels IIRC. So if you are only interested in the links within Britain it probably doesn't affect you.
(edit: oops spent so long on reply that this point has already been addressed!)


I must admit to not warming to Ashford as much as other towns down here. If you want posher areas then I would say you might like Hythe/Sandgate or some of the villages such as Wye that others have mentioned better. These would all add slightly to the journey time by the high speed trains but they are going to stop at these places (i.e. you wouldn't have to change). But as others have said, any of the other places would be more expensive - I wouldn't say Ashford is particularly green, although I can see it from the Downs so I guess they can see the downs in Ashford. Hythe is quite green near the town centre - look at the photos at this property for example. But if you want fields you'll probably need to be looking at the edges of towns and villages.

Debt_Free_Chick

South East Trains have details on their plans for commuter train services using the high speed train link.

zar

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

South East Trains have details on their plans for commuter train services using the high speed train link.

Saw you post this earlier in the thread, very useful thanks, especially the list of stations it'll be stopping at. Can't see where it says how much more it'll cost to get one of these high-speed trains though (I've heard it'll definitely be quite a bit more?)

ukbondraider

I agree with alot of your comments misbehaving but with all the negativity I am still forced to think twice about Ashford.

Just when you think you may have found a potentially suitable area do things always turn for the worst. Why is house hunting so hard. There is such a lack of info available out there even on the internet.

Regarding dodgy areas I was brought up on a rough council estate so in some sense will probably be able to handle dodgy places. My council upbringing is probably the reason why a key criteria in my home search is 1st the style, size and look of the house as oppose to location. I would rather pay £400K in a one of the nicer areas of Ashford that to buy a 1 bed hut in Chelsea or Wimbledon or a 3 bed ugly old terrace in Tunbridge Wells.

Still with the amount I am spending I will strill be trying to aim for a nice area for the sake of my future children when I have them.

Debt_Free_Chick

ukbondraider wrote:

OK Thanks.

I intend to visit the area after xmas but would you say it is a particular green place. i.e are there plenty of houses where if you walk into your garden you would find yourself overlooking many acres of hills/farmland or greenbelt land?

Towns will never be green, though. If you are very lucky, you might find "the last house on the edge of the town" and that might overlook the surrounding countryside. But you are not going to get a plot of countryside in the middle of town - or on housing estates.

If you want to be surrounded by countryside, then you'll need to look at the villages around Ashford. But then you won't get a modern house. Development in villages in the South East is very strictly controlled and new houses are almost unheard of (with a few exceptions).

You are going to have to compromise, somewhere

I am mainly looking for a modern, large house with a big garden based in an area that has a lot of greenary but where I can commute to London.

Would you consider a village within driving distance of Ashford, instead?

zar

ukbondraider wrote:

There is such a lack of info available out there even on the internet.

I find that knowhere can give you some insight into an area.

But on a more serious note you're right in that people look for different things in an area. There's no substitute for actually going and looking round yourself and seeing if it appeals to you.

Debt_Free_Chick

OK - this might not be exactly what you want, but this property is an example of what you could get in a village near Ashford.

Shadoxhurst is about 15 mins drive to Ashford Station.