Where to live commuting to Basingstoke

PipPip

I may be offered a job in Basingstoke in coming weeks and we will need to relocate, although I am not a great fan of the town so we are looking around Hampshire. We've got 2 young chidren, aged 2 and 4 years old and I've been searching for nice areas to live within a reasonable commute (by car). Winchester has been recommended by a few people as it has great schools and is a lovely town. Yes, all true, but its eye wateringly expensive and it seems to me that you pay a huge premium for being near a train station to London, a facility that I do not need. Ideally we would rather not spend more than £400k on a house and would like a semi-rural location - quiet with country walks nearby but a bit of a town on hand since my wife is currently not working and would hate to be stuck with a 2 year old in the middle of nowhere. My own research led me to Alresford, which seems to be a nice market town with good schools and 4 bed houses on the newer estate within budget. Anyone got any better ideas?

Tygermoth

Hi Pippip,

Basingstoke is not that bad (on the whole) I cried when I was told we had to relocate. However now I love the place.

I live on the outskirts on the road to Alton (Black Dam end of town) and its semi rural, we have chickens and allotments behind with a lovely community but still is a 5/10 min walk to the town centre.

Regarding where to live depends on what you want on the whole and Rightmove allows you to see where and what 400K will get you.

From there you can review schools:

There are some very pretty villages for example Bramley, Sherfield on Loddon, Statfield Saye but they are a bit further out from Basingstoke itself.

Within the town there is a lot of building and regeneration and as such there are quite a few new build 'villages' cropping up some of which are quite pretty (depending on taste!)

Good luck with your move!

EatingGlitter

Waterloville and the surrounding area (Lovedean, Denmead etc?)

cuthbert_the_octopus

I agree with with Tygermoth has to say.....

Additionally what about

Cliddesden or Dummer - just south of Basi

Oakley? Whitchurch?

As well as Bramley or Sherfield what about Mortimer?

Or even Reading?? - but you will pay moving from Hampshire to Berkshire!

Or you could cross the border into Surrey - this will also increase the house prices - Farnham? Alton? A village in between.

Aquatronixjenny

Hiya,

I'm in Fleet which is a 10 minute drive from Basingstoke. My sister lives in Winchfield which is even closer and is only 2 stops on the train from Winchfield station.
Or the best place is probably Hook. Its 1 stop on the train, or a 5 minute drive.

PipPip

Thanks for the suggestions. Do all these areas have good primary and secondary schools? We really do not want to have to move again and one of the attractions of Alresford and Winchester come to that is that they have great primary AND secondary schools. I've seen some of the other areas mentioned, and did think about looking at both Whitchurch and Dummer (if name fits, live there) but was not sure about schools. Surrey does not appeal as surely things get more expensive as you move nearer London? We used to live in Ewell in Surrey and whilst it was OK, we were not that happy with the place and moved after just 20 months there. We have no need to be closer to London, far from it, we want to be away from London.

thriftychap_2

I live in Basingstoke and love the place. Lots of recent and ongoing investment. Unemplyment is non existent, superb local amenities, loys of beautiful countryside on your doorstep, short commute to london or south to the coast.

Personally, the areas in and around Basingstoke i would live are:

• Old Basing
• Bramley
• Mortimer
• Sherfield - has a private school close by
• Chineham
• Lychpit
• Oakley
• Whitchurch
• Sherbourne St John

To name bit a few. Basingstoke is a great town with good schools (I am a teacher) Good local schools (secondary) are Testbourne, Bishop Challoner, The Clere, to be honest I would only avoid 2 or 3 (Everest, Fort Hill, The Vyne)

If you dont mind a commute Alton has a good school called Perrins.

I honestly believe Basingstoke is well underestimated. Of course Winchester/Kings Worthy is lovely but the cost of housing is significantly more.

Good luck with your search, I am happy to help if you have any questions.

TrickyDicky101

You could even commute from Salisbury which has a similar historical setting as Winchester but which is significantly cheaper (main line train into Basingstoke). I wouldn't choose to live in Basingrad given the choice but the surrounding area and villages are beautiful.

thriftychap_2

Just read your second post.

Winchester schools are excellent (Kings School). If i had to choose one in Basingstoke - Testbourne! Easy if you live in Witchurch/Dummer

skater_kat

could try tadley , aldermaston or pamber heath, short commute and cheaper than the nearer villages

i grew up in silchester - lovely but more expensive there though.

cuthbert_the_octopus

I would say the schools in Basingstoke are not as good as elsewhere - my next door neighbour moved to Reading to get his son into the Reading Boys Grammar School.

Bishop Challoner - is a Catholic school.

My understanding about Basingstoke Schools is that the primary and secondary schools are linked, and living in Dummer would put you in with the Hatch Warren Schools, which link in with Brighton Hill Community College.

Whilst viewing houses in Bramley / Sherfield on Loddon I learnt that the parents were sending their kids to Hurst School in Tadley (there is a bus) rather than Everest CC which is linked to Bramley CofE Primary School.

We did also look at houses in Whitchurch, and if I recall the distance on the map looks small, but takes longer than you think on the commute. If you are interested in Testbourne School I would live in Whitchurch and then commute to work in Basingstoke, and not the other way around.

We have recently bought our house and I know when the time comes we will have to move! However, at present we live in a good house in a nice area, close to one of the schools that ThriftyChap said to avoid!