Leaving London...but where?

hazyjo

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Warley / Hutton are amazing but highly aspirational...again perhaps out of the £500k price bracket?

We paid significantly under that in March. Four beds, four floors. Definitely achievable. A good time to consider Brentwood/borders, I think.

Jx

Brallaqueen

You get quite a bit of bang for your buck in Northampton.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-29776381.html - Abington has two parks and you can walk to the train station in 20 mins. Northampton School for Boys/ Girls are both great state schools, and Northampton High School for girls is a well regarded fee paying school.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-31034749.html - Dallington Village (note, estates around the village are a bit grotty)


http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-35007905.html - Duston Village is a bit further out but is gorge - on the outskirts so close to harlestone Firs nature park and lots and lots of greenery

lynzpower

BBriton wrote: »

I know you fancy out of London but how about that out of London feel but actually with a London postcode. Have you ever visited Wanstead in East London? Great community, victorian properties, your traditional highstreets, excellent schools, safe and loads of green. It's on the central line so you can have the best of both worlds. Check it out. Wanstead the secret gem of East London

Agree wanstead is lovely ( bit closed down at the moment though, few too many vacant shops when I was last there! Is great there and that vietnamese resturaunt is just great.

Theydon bois is nice! Might be a bit out of budget though!

I really like Loughton personally, right on the doorstep of the forest, just lush setting, its is a bit "essex" though

VfM4meplse

lynzpower wrote: »

I really like Loughton personally, right on the doorstep of the forest, just lush setting, its is a bit "essex" though

OMG I have a near-orgasm every time I drive through Loughton, a serious case of property envy! But again not below the £500k mark.

lynzpower

VfM4meplse wrote: »

OMG I have a near-orgasm every time I drive through Loughton, a serious case of property envy! But again not below the £500k mark.

dunno you know! our phil would say "there may accept an offer"

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-31103686.html?premiumA=true

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-29390347.html?premiumA=true


http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-30851983.html

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-30983650.html
amazing yet slightly inconvenient location,that pub is lovely as well!

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-31280380.html

plenty going for less, wistful sigh... loughton is lovely....

cathh70

Market Harborough? Direct line to St Pancras, under 1hour. Again lots more for the money.

ruggedtoast

hazyjo wrote: »

LOL one of the funniest posts I've read. Not really sure how you can judge the whole county, but there you go, each to their own

In defence, I've lived and stayed in quite a few different areas and am finding Essex (Brentwood/Warley) to be one of the friendliest! Went to our old local in East London for around four years - no staff knew our name. We've been here four months and feel like part of the community already! And, no, they don't just drink more and talk to anyone, and, to clarify, I'm not some ol' lush who's in the pub every night

I've found people to be far more courteous and helpful than elsewhere. Even the EA we bought through was wonderful!

Jx

Well let me explain. Its like when you have a pot noodle and you say "I dont like pot noodles." and people accept it as being a general indication of your preference for hydrogenated noodle snacks, without expecting you to try every pot noodle every manufactured.

Also known as inductive reasoning.

But hey, knock yourself out, have all the Essex you want.

VfM4meplse

lynzpower wrote: »

plenty going for less, wistful sigh... loughton is lovely....

The ones that get me excited are on Alderton Hill. Most houses on the road have much grander back gardens, though.

ruggedtoast wrote: »

But hey, knock yourself out, have all the Essex you want.

Don't be dissing Essex!

Scully38

cooltt wrote: »

Starting a family at 40? if that were a woman a few eyebrows would be raised. 50 year old dad at age 10?

Don't be such an old fart nothing wrong with being a mum after 40 these days, i'm 39 still not had kids, but I don't have a problem having kids now. And what's wrong with embarrassing your kids?

cambridgeshire area is nice and only an hour to London.

sunshinetours

Depends on how important the housing is at £500k as you will get a tiny little place in some areas mentioned and a detached palace in some of the others!

Also being an Essex boy i would have to say some areas like the Southend areas (not central area) like Thorpe Bay and Leigh, Chalkwell for instance can offer the type of Victorian property you mention and you will get something of decent size (certainly not mansion sized in those areas) for £500k. Good grammar schools and good primary schools a plenty but non grammar schools in area do suffer slightly.

From next year Easyjet flying out of "london" Southend so convenient holiday options on your doorstep as well arguably with business/tourism benefits to area. Southend seafront also had a lot of money invested recently and definitely smartened up in many ways and very nice to have a large promenade and access to beach etc year round. We often use it with kids bikes/scooters and wrap up even in mid winter on sunny days and have a stroll - its a lovely thing to have on your doorstep

Brentwood and surrounds is also lovely although you may get slightly less house for your money than some if you want Victorian "character" Very convenient for M25/M11 etc and OK for commuting into London although Shenfield better as direct fast trains. Great country parks and facilities o doorstep

Follow the london Fenchurch St to Shoeburyness (great train line - most punctual in country for past few years) and London Liverpool St to Southend Victoria (not so good) train lines to get an idea of various are locations and maybe ask from there

Other suggestions such as North Kent coast or Sandwich areas also lovely as is mid/north Essex and Suffolk borders all which are easily commutable within your two hours

What I would say is try and cut your cimmute as much as possible before you have children otherwise you will never see them apart from weekends! My biggest plus of my job and not choosing to work in london despite it being easily commutable is my 20/25 drive to from work which means I have always see my kids in the morning and evenings (with few exceptions obviously!)
Don't underestimate that aspect