Nice villages around m25 junctions 6 to 9

abankerbutnotafatcat

tortoiseshellcat wrote: »

Thanks we're registered with Cubitt and West and a few of the other agents in the area, Redhill, Reigate, Merstham, Bletchingly. godstone, Caterham, Oxted, Westerham, Horley and Coulsdon so can't do much more than that at the moment, c and w told me that three bed houses are most in demand and that a lot of them don't even get on rightmove. I know we really are at the bottom end of the affordability scale in the area but still want to get a good sized house with parking if possible. We also want to try and buy before house prices increase too much which I guess they will if there are more buyers than houses.

I know you haven't settled on an area yet but you're probably making it harder for yourself by the scatter gun approach especially if there is evidence that solid properties aren't hanging around. Once you do start viewing, EAs will start thinking of you and phoning when new properties go on their books.

Redhill/Reigate are covered by the same agents as, Reigate 'snobbiness' [his words] aside, they are, for all intents and purposes, one town. Merstham is a bit further but often covered by R/R EAs, ditto Nutfield but not sure about Bletchingly. So you could cover a few of your potential areas, and through viewings perhaps narrow it down, by getting to know the EAs of R/R of which Mann and C & W seem to be some of the more active. I always think Mann price theirs up relative to the others BTW but I liked their service. I actually ended up buying mine through a Reigate EA but hadn't done any of my c20 viewings through them.

tortoiseshellcat

abankerbutnotafatcat wrote: »

I know you haven't settled on an area yet but you're probably making it harder for yourself by the scatter gun approach especially if there is evidence that solid properties aren't hanging around. Once you do start viewing, EAs will start thinking of you and phoning when new properties go on their books.

Redhill/Reigate are covered by the same agents as, Reigate 'snobbiness' [his words] aside, they are, for all intents and purposes, one town. Merstham is a bit further but often covered by R/R EAs, ditto Nutfield but not sure about Bletchingly. So you could cover a few of your potential areas, and through viewings perhaps narrow it down, by getting to know the EAs of R/R of which Mann and C & W seem to be some of the more active. I always think Mann price theirs up relative to the others BTW but I liked their service. I actually ended up buying mine through a Reigate EA but hadn't done any of my c20 viewings through them.

Thank you that's useful to know Mann and co are active as haven't registered with them yet. We are actually renting in Merstham at the moment, which although many people will think is horrible, our road is not too bad and to be honest the location is perfect for the four of us for our different work destinations. We thought as we are now in a position to buy and can't afford the parts of Merstham we'd choose its the ideal time for a change of scenery, although we're restricted slightly as need to keep our jobs and my son needs to get a bus (preferably TFL) to work. I've registered with the EAs in person and some have been really good at sending info about new properties as they come on.

Interesting to hear you viewed c20 properties! Was this over a long space of time or just over a month or so?

JodyBPM

Have you considered this in Earlswood?

I know it has one parking space at the front, and knowing this road quite well, I think it will have either a garage, a parking space or the ability to fairly easily create a parking space at the back (ETA: when you go onto street view, you come up with a row of garages/sheds/parking spaces, which are actually at the back of these houses. I'm not sure exactly which bit would be the top of this particular house's garden, but its definitely in the stretch who's gardens finish around here - as you can see, if it doesn't already have a garage or off road parking space, it would be fairly easy to create one.)

It's reasonably cheap because houses on this road have long, steep, terraced gardens, which don't really appeal to the family market, but since your children are grown up, that shouldn't be a problem for you, they are a good size garden with plenty of areas to sit out and the view is amazing! A good few chicken keepers in the road too, if that's what floats your boat, given that you were looking for a villagey type area. Road is right on the edge of the lanes too, so countryside right on the doorstep. Third bedroom is very small, but its £30K under budget, so plenty left in the budget for a loft conversion as some other houses in the road have done, so planning shouldn't be a problem.

Strapped

Just to balance the Earlswood fan club - have you thought about East Grinstead? More for your money - you would easily get 3 beds for <£280k in a decent area. I think the area is nicer than Redhill myself. (* Hides from Earlswood fan club *) Lingfield or Dormansland would be even nicer but you'll struggle to get something 3 bed, and esp non-estate 3 bed there for that money.

Strapped

Edenbridge? This one has potential - I know you said "non-estate" but this area is still spaciously laid out and green and leafy - and half a mile to the train station. http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-38129929.html

abankerbutnotafatcat

Jody's suggestion is a good one, we've got a friend on Sylvan Way and he loves the elevated position and open land at the back. He has grown up children too and says he'll never move. As Jody, says, it's also virtually the last road before the open countryside to the East - next stop Priory Farm and Nutfield village!

Strapped: Redhill Town Centre is an '80s planning travesty and the town got more than its fair share of East Surrey's post war social housing requirement but that's what's kept prices such relatively good value and in Earlswood proper (I.e. not Whitebushes) you've got neither so it's a little sweet spot. Also, I may technically live in Redhill but I'm less than 2 miles from Reigate Town Centre which is probably nearer than most people live to 'their' town and Reigate is very nice.

Tortie: we were brand new to East Surrey, my first visit was c 3months before I started house-hunting, and I was looking in a 1 mile radius of Redhill Town Centre so I saw a lot of places. The c20 viewings was in a period of c6 weeks and I did it all on foot - one day I viewed a property in Reigate, one half way to Merstham and one south of Redhill (the very nice Grovehill Road) on the same day!!

James Dean of Reigate also seem very active locally (top of the high street towards The Blue Anchor I think, good pub btw).

Tortie: I'll pm you so I don't bore the thread with too much local specific stuff.

abankerbutnotafatcat

Strapped wrote: »

Edenbridge? This one has potential - I know you said "non-estate" but this area is still spaciously laid out and green and leafy - and half a mile to the train station. http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-38129929.html

That property isn't to my tastes but looks to meet all OP's practical requirements. I was actually surprised at how low the price was. I also think Edenbridge is the nicest sounding place name!! But is it only on the Tonbridge to Redhill line? If so it's do-able (I'm sat on a train that's come from there as we speak) but just needs to be taken into equation when compared to those on main lines.