Looking for a 'quiet' residence nearby Egham

CatGM

I've just spent days trying to find a decent house nearby Egham that isn't under Heathrow's many flight paths. Before I started my search I didn't realise it'd be an issue, yet now that I know a lot more about the subject I still can't pin down areas that would be manageable noise-wise. I presently live under a flight path but it is background noise, nothing like the complaints I've read about Heathrow.

I might be dreaming but I'd love to buy somewhere quiet that wouldn't include crawling through traffic for large chunks out of a working day.

Note: I'm also buying the house as an investment, so when I move it'll be a rental (and what better way to keep tenants than with a house in an area that's pleasant to live in).

Suggestions? Advice? I'm open

marksoton

CatGM wrote: »

I might be dreaming but I'd love to buy somewhere quiet that wouldn't include crawling through traffic for large chunks out of a working day.

Note: I'm also buying the house as an investment, so when I move it'll be a rental (and what better way to keep tenants than with a house in an area that's pleasant to live in).

I'd suggest somewhere on the London commuter belt / M25 isn't ideal for this!

Don't forget if you're planning on renting it out you need to factor in the higher cost of any BTL mortgage. It's an expensive part of the world to buy.

CatGM

Thanks Mark.

"you need to factor in the higher cost of any BTL mortgage"

But if I'm buying for myself to start (the plan is to live there six years) why would I opt for that mortgage? Do the rules say I have to switch when I start letting it out?

CatGM

Mark, do you know where the quiet areas are "on the London commuter belt"?

pinkteapot

CatGM wrote: »

Thanks Mark.

"you need to factor in the higher cost of any BTL mortgage"

But if I'm buying for myself to start (the plan is to live there six years) why would I opt for that mortgage? Do the rules say I have to switch when I start letting it out?

Yes. You'll get a normal residential mortgage to start with but you can't let the house out long-term with that mortgage. If you kept it and didn't tell them you'd be committing mortgage fraud.

You can get "consent-to-let" on some residential mortgages but this will be for a short time only, intended for people who are renting their house out for a short while before selling up, or because they need to work away for six months - things like that.

AdrianC

Get hold of a map. Look at where Egham is. Look at where Heathrow is. Look at where the M25 is.

If you want somewhere quiet and low-traffic, you are looking not just at the wrong town, but the wrong general area.

As far as the mortgage goes, if you're planning on living there yourself, then get a residential mortgage. When you come to let in the future, you will need to either get consent to let (CtL) from your lender, or change to a BtL mortgage. Who knows what the market will be in six years time?

Drachenfach

I grew up near Osterley Park, by the approach flight path. Whilst the planes are audible, if you are not directly under them they aren't too disruptive, even outside. Concorde was the only real conversation stopper. Take offs are much much louder than landings.

Have a look at one of the websites mapping the flight paths. Check how close houses are to the airport. Are planes still circling or coming down for the final approach?

Best of all is to go to the houses. Sit and read the paper in your car outside. Do the planes come right over or are they a background hum. The former is a pain in the !!!!, the latter will stop being noticeable within a week.

marksoton

CatGM wrote: »

Mark, do you know where the quiet areas are "on the London commuter belt"?

By it's very definition no such place exists traffic wise.

Further out Surrey does have plenty of "quiet" leafy properties. But you'll pay an absolute premium for them.

paddy's_mum

There aren't any and even if you move further round to say beyond Guildford, you then come under the Gatwick stacking loops so the problem remains.

Why do you think so many people state that they are afflicted by noise just about anywhere in the Home Counties?

PS Born and raised in Chertsey, and spent first 50 years of my life within 20 miles of Heathrow so not wild guesses.

missbiggles1

I lived in Windsor for years - you get used to the noise of the planes.

CatGM

Thanks all. A bit of background. I presently live in Thailand (so no sitting outside any houses at the moment). Last December I found a handful of houses I liked in Devon, made appointments to see them, flew in for the holidays, checked them out over a couple of afternoons, and then chose the one that suited me. Except for physically looking at houses, everything else (even hiring a property management company to handle renters) was done online.

I was hoping to do the same with this house. But, with the overhead noise, seems not. It's clear that more effort is needed and that's why I'm here asking if anyone knows of areas that have a history of being less noisy than others.

"Further out Surrey" excellent - that's the direction I prefer (away from London). I do have a wee chunk of change to throw so that's not the problem. Windsor was a thought originally but after reading complaints I shelved the idea (I'll look again). Does anyone have experience with Virginia Water or the Chertsey area? I can take some noise (like I mentioned, I live under a flight path now).