First time buyer, but I am fairly young.

economic

Harper123 wrote: »

Except that's not true. There are lots of lovely areas in Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire and Kent with very good transport links, countryside and community spirit that they can afford on their budget.

I would much rather live in these places than in Zone 2 or 3.

That's why it's all about personal preference.

Some peoples idea of a good location is another persons idea of hell.

how much are 2 bed flats/houses in these nice areas you menton? within the £240k the OP mentions? how often do they come up?

Smodlet

Of course, they're within the price range, what would be the point, otherwise? And they are all 3 or 4 bed houses, I just did a quick search on RM and found 15 of 'em. Some, I personally would reject as being in the less des, newer part of the area but again, it is personal preference. Believe it or not, economic, not everyone shares yours.

Harper123

economic wrote: »

how much are 2 bed flats/houses in these nice areas you menton? within the £240k the OP mentions? how often do they come up?

Within the £220,000 the OP mentions. And all the time. That's the point

Smodlet

Is the OP even interested, any more, I wonder? Why are some incapable of getting their brains around the fact that other people's tastes and opinions differ from theirs?

economic

if thats what the OP wants then OP should buy it. im just saying given OPs age at 27, i would have thought he would want to stay closer to central london then live outside london. yes not everyone agrees with me. however i think its fair to say most people at OPs age would rather live closer to central london then the outskirts.

i personally think the OP would get very bored in the areas you mentioned. and hating the commute for work as well as the commute for nightlife in the weekend.

Smodlet

I take your point, economic. You are quite right, one's own perspective cannot help but colour one's judgement. I was thinking medium to long term investment and saleability rather than night life. There is some but I cannot attest to its merits or lack thereof, given the thought of "nightclubs" makes me look upon visiting the dentist with favour. :rotfl: There were some nice pubs, though. Can't speak as to now.

Thank you for the lesson.

cashbackproblems

economic wrote: »

disagree completely. depends where that one bed is and where that house is. i much rather own and live in a one bed flat in a nice area in zone 2/3 then a 2 bed house further out in a not so nice area.

+1 there is no reason why you can't get a nice 1 bed flat in a good leafy area of SE London or East London for your budget, maybe even a 1/2 bed house in need of work.

The money you spend on trains can go towards the mortgage and you can always move out in the future when you can use your london money to buy a bigger place etc

[Deleted User]

Really great points being made, and many of them are valid, I mean personal preference does weigh in quite a bit, some people have different things in mind when finding a place to live.

I have done some heavy research since starting the thread and obviously will take my time and continue to work hard towards the goal of finding the right place to stay.

I have found great areas just outside of london that would suit me very well - for example on the east side near Essex areas, Basildon, south-end on-sea, corringham Chelmsford, Rayleigh all of these areas have very affordable apartments and even some terraced houses in the 200k range and less.

They have great transport links into london, you are looking at anywhere between 30mins to 1 hour maximum, and you get to live in a near countryside style of environment, much more leafy and less fast paced like london.

I never liked london anyway, for it's fast pace environment, If I can move out so some beautiful leafy areas such as these, for a nice price and easy commute to the job capital (London) than I am content with life.

I'll have to make a few compromises maybe on the arew stats but I can't have everything right? Just a place that is a few minutes walk from the station, and 45 mins into London and I am happy.

I will work hard to achieve this over 12 months, maybe even less, but I gotta a lot of learning to do and keeping my eyes on the game.

[Deleted User]

Thank you for your reply, I think personal preference is key, I grew up in greater london, and worked in central for many years, I never liked Londonds fast paced lifestyle, but my work and education has always been there.

If i can find a quiter, more leafy, less fast paced environment outside of London to live in, while still being able to commute into london without hassle I'll be a very happy man.

I've looked around the essex area, and on the other side near Guildford and Aldershot area's and there seems to be a lot of potential there for good prices and good commutes into London.

I would personally love a quieter place to live in than London, and I'll compromise on some of the advantages London gives in return for quieter, cheaper living, and peace of mind.

[Deleted User]

Definitely still interested, and there are so many factors involved in the decision making, it does depend a lot on personal preference, but practicality is important too based on your essential requirements, mine were:

- Easy commute to London
- Something affordable, that won't cause me problems or stretch my budget down the line of 5 years or so.
- A safe investment, a home that won't lose me money or put me in a financially awkward situation if I had to sell up quickly or something.

I think these places exist, surprisingly, when you go outside of the M25 ring commuting back into central London is not as bad as I thought it was! there are many affordable areas with 30 min to 1 hour direct train to Central London.

I live in Wimbledon (Greater) and it still takes me 1 hours door to door to get to work in central.

If I find a place I am interested in I defo do some dry runs on the train to get a real feel for it, easy commuting to London is a major investment for me, as I should nearly always find work there.