Kent or Essex

ERICS_MUM

gazzabboi wrote: »

Get yourself a nice hotel one weekend and have a good look round. I think chelmsford is fairly similar to colchester, except houses are better value in colchester. Nice 4 bed detached newbuild under £250k.

not in Chelmsford sorry. Property prices might be the deal-breaker here, the market has been stable throughout the recession and now very buoyant - new builds sell very quickly.

I don't know Kent at all so I can't help with a compare-and-contrast. It's a big decision, I agree with spending some time in areas you fancy - weekend day and evening, near to and further out various towns.

would you have the option to rent for a few months in a location that you think might be "the one" before you buy (or decide not to). ?

gazzabboi

Plenty 4 bed new builds in colchester.

http://www.taylorwimpey.co.uk/newhomes/east+london/thequarters/newhomesforsale/

http://m.bloorhomes.com/developments/roman-green/ (new phase coming soon)

http://m.persimmonhomes.com/nightingale-gardens-2300/homes

phoebe1989seb

BornAtTheRightTime wrote: »

If you are likely to drive to see family regularly, then think about which side of the Dartford crossing would be better for you.

Mid- to North-Essex, and Kent, both have lovely villages commutable to Stratford. If Essex I'd avoid anything south of the A127 (estuary accents and TOWIE). However move northwards towards or beyond the A12 and you've got some of the prettiest parts of England. Essex is definitely a county of contrasts.

Both Essex and Kent have the grammar school system which because they are heavily over-subscribed means many of the other surrounding senior schools are also very good - full of those 4-in-5 smart kids who didn't quite make it.

If Essex then most people agree Hatfield Peverel, which has nice housing within a few minutes' walk of the train station, is a great option. Further up the A12/train track is Witham which is not as nice but there are a few gorgeous (read: expensive) hamlets and villages nearby. Wickham Bishops is known as London-ville locally and has a highly-rated primary school.

And most importantly, John Lewis are moving into Chelmsford.

Good point re: visiting family. We moved from Hampshire to North Essex and absolutely detested the journey back and forth to visit family during the three years we stuck it out. Once we got as far as the Dartford Crossing we really felt as though we'd had enough, yet there was another hour's drive ahead of us before we reached *home*. There are some very nice villages, I agree, but the A12 is a complete PITA

Edited to add - ERIC'S MUM is right about renting first, although I'm the first to admit it's not for everyone and wouldn't have worked for us personally, but if you can't rent at least do a bit more research on your chosen area than we did!

skint_chick

Dimey wrote: »

Have you considered places like Bishops Stortford on the Essex Herts border or some of the nice villages outside Harlow in Essex?

Good luck finding any 3 beds to buy for £250k! For this kind of budget you're looking at Harlow, which is horrible and chavvy, or a terrace in Stansted/Sawbridgeworth if you're lucky, but the fast trains don't stop there so it can add significant time to your commute. Not all the trains go via Stratford, some go via Tottenham Hale. It's £346 a month for a season ticket as well!

Chelmsford is nice enough although again your budget isn't going to stretch to many 3 beds, there would be more choice in Basildon/Wickford or in Braintree - although that does involve a train change but is still only an hour's journey.

JimmyTheWig

gazzabboi wrote: »

I think chelmsford is fairly similar to colchester, except houses are better value in colchester. Nice 4 bed detached newbuild under £250k.

ERICS_MUM wrote: »

not in Chelmsford sorry.

I think that was gazza's point - it's better value in Colchester so you can get a 4 bed for under £250k.

ERICS_MUM

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

I think that was gazza's point - it's better value in Colchester so you can get a 4 bed for under £250k.

oh yes I realise that, although he didn't actually say it wasn't poss in Chelmsford, which is the point I made.

hazyjo

Chelmsford over Colchester any day (partly why it's so much pricier, as well as being closer to London). Good fast trains from Chelmsford.

Stansted Mountfitchet is lovely - got a real soft spot for that. It is on the fast Stansted Express route, but that's probably a very expensive commute - better off on the slow train price-wise. Still quite reasonable.

Don't always go on distance from London either, cheaper to get into London from Leigh on Sea than say Billericay (possibly Chelmsford, too).

Wouldn't necessarily go for the flat above the shop that fancyjancy's renting out, but the area might be worth considering. South of London Road is considered best generally. I seriously thought about buying there cos I could see a very bright future there with excellent investment potential (yes, it's a home, not an investment, but to buy in the right area and make money when you sell is usually a good thing).

Apparently, Leigh on Sea had the highest price rises in the UK(?) or maybe England this year (vague - something my BF read in the Standard, I think).

Jx

fashionlover10

I've lived in Chelmsford and am now living just outside of Colchester and I'd definitely recommend Chelmsford over Colchester.

Chelmsford is slightly more expensive than Colchester but there are obviously good reasons for that. To me the shopping is much better in Chelmsford, it's quieter and the traffic isn't as bad.

InhaleMood

I am completely biased as I grew up in Colchester and am in the process of moving back there from London.
There are some lovely parts, and so close to beautiful country and sea side.
If you have children, the maldon road area is lovely and in a good catchment area for schools.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-43219973.html
I grew up in Stanway, which is lovely and close to the A12, but a bit difficult for the station.
I would avoid Greenstead, Old Heath, Abbott's Heath areas.
Hope that helps and good luck!!!

Alpha58

DTDfanBoy wrote: »

Tonbridge...is just down the road, but it's nowhere near as nice as Tunbridge Wells;)

Hogwash. TW is overpriced and apart from a few nice little enclaves, it is actually quite dreary in terms of housing, although it is a much better shopping centre than Tonbridge thanks to the local authority policy of agreeing to every charity and £1 shop that wants to start up in Tonbridge (14 charity shops and I think 5 £ shops at the latest count).

Personal choice? Aim for the Hildenborough side of Tonbridge as it still has the "country" feel but is a little further from the town so prices are lower. It has its own railway station but not all the trains stop there.

DTDfanboy likes Southborough - good for him and there are some nice areas there but is has no station closer than High Brooms which does not have the same level of rail service as either Tonbridge or Tunbridge Wells.

Paddock Wood is cheaper but that's for a reason - it simply isn't very nice. There are villages near it such as Brenchley and Horsmonden, but this is not realistic in terms of the budget mentioned.

What Tonbridge has is unbelievably good schools across the full spectrum from comprehensive to grammar to top-end private, and very, very good rail connections as the Dover and Hastings lines merge there. It's on top of the A21, (10 minutes from the M25) has a Norman castle and lots of green space, and is a nice place to live as well as being practical!

I am hopelessly biased in favour of Tonbridge, largely because there is so much history behind it (http://www.tonbridgehistory.org.uk/) but is also a very practical place to live. Good luck with the search and I hope that wherever you choose, you are happy!