Commuter Towns for London. Bedfordshire.

Oliviab21

Hi, 
Currently myself and OH live in East London and are looking at buying a flat or house in a commuter town around London. 
We were initially looking at Hertfordshire but have been looking at Bedfordshire area as seems you get more for your money. 

Budget is around £325k max. Ideally looking for a 2-3 bed house. 

Have looked recently at houses in Bedford (Castle road area as read this is nice area)
Leighton Buzzard (Linslade side of town near station?)

We want somewhere in walking distance to a main station, safe area, would like a few independents around (pubs, shops, cafes) and nice walking spots. Not too fussy about having a super nice town center as I know this can be hit and miss in many commuter towns. 

We haven't visited any of these places yet but have been to St Alban's and really liked the town - it it just too much out of budget.

Would appreciate any advice  

1980ds

Bedfords not the greatest or safest. What about Biggleswade, ashwell, Sandy, letchworth, Royston etc? All on the main lines into kings x or Liverpool st

westv

This will give you a rough idea of the better areas
https://maps.cdrc.ac.uk/#/geodemographics/imde2019/default/BTTTFFT/10/-0.1500/51.5200/

dunstonh

The traditional flow of people is that the East End moves to Essex.  Essex people move to Suffolk as too many Londoners. And Suffolk people moves as far as North Suffolk as they don't want to move to Norfolk but want to avoid the Essex people.

Plenty of villages (or what gets classed as villages nowadays in Essex) around the A12 and following the railway line.  Up to Colchester, you get mainline and commuter trains.   The further you move out,the better the house will be but the longer the travel.  The age old issue

Brynsam

Oliviab21 said:

Hi, 
Currently myself and OH live in East London and are looking at buying a flat or house in a commuter town around London. 
We were initially looking at Hertfordshire but have been looking at Bedfordshire area as seems you get more for your money. 

Budget is around £325k max. Ideally looking for a 2-3 bed house. 

Have looked recently at houses in Bedford (Castle road area as read this is nice area)
Leighton Buzzard (Linslade side of town near station?)

We want somewhere in walking distance to a main station, safe area, would like a few independents around (pubs, shops, cafes) and nice walking spots. Not too fussy about having a super nice town center as I know this can be hit and miss in many commuter towns. 

We haven't visited any of these places yet but have been to St Alban's and really liked the town - it it just too much out of budget.

Would appreciate any advice  

You'd probably fare better on another part of this site, since this particular board is frequently by those sad souls who love talking pensions!

DairyQueen

dunstonh said:

The traditional flow of people is that the East End moves to Essex.  Essex people move to Suffolk as too many Londoners. And Suffolk people moves as far as North Suffolk as they don't want to move to Norfolk but want to avoid the Essex people.

used to be but...

Essex folk rarely migrate far north of the A12 so easily avoided by Suffolk folk. Londoners, however, are now skipping Essex on their migration into Suffolk. They have also spread to the hinterlands from their usual nesting grounds on the East coast. So widespread is this London influx that Suffolk people have even been known to cross the border into South Norfolk. 

Londoners beware. The roads are too narrow for Range Rovers, you must travel miles for takeaway, sketchy fast broadband, no 5G, and almost entirely free of Covid vaccinations.

zemarcopolo

Have a look at Hitchin or Stevenage. 
With your budget, you should get a nice 2-3 bedroom house in those areas. 

[Deleted User]

Anything from Peterborough downwards on the Thameslink line or the more expensive East Coast line. I live 10 miles from Peterborough station, I can get to Kings Cross in 1 hour 15 minutes including the journey to the station.
5 Bed detached 1930s house small village, £310,000
We have loads of Essex, East London and Hertfordshire tradesmen move here as well.

westv

Deleted_User said:

Anything from Peterborough downwards on the Thameslink line or the more expensive East Coast line. I live 10 miles from Peterborough station, I can get to Kings Cross in 1 hour 15 minutes including the journey to the station.
5 Bed detached 1930s house small village, £310,000
We have loads of Essex, East London and Hertfordshire tradesmen move here as well.

The OP hasn't indicated where they need to be when they get to London. That could add extra travelling time. Anyway, as has been said, they might be better of asking in the house moving section.

dunstonh

 Londoners, however, are now skipping Essex on their migration into Suffolk. They have also spread to the hinterlands from their usual nesting grounds on the East coast. So widespread is this London influx that Suffolk people have even been known to cross the border into South Norfolk. 

There was a time when moving from Suffolk to Norfolk or vice versa was just a no no.   And if you cam from London you were not accepted for at least a decade and there would always be the occasional dig about being a foreigner. 

We have indeed seen the London influx into our area.    However, its mostly West End and Metropolitan rather than East End.  Second-home buyers rather than house movers.    They buy a place because its quaint with its local pub and old fashioned small businesses.  Others do the same.    They only visit the place once a month at weekends and then wonder why the local pub, shops and businesses close leaving behind a ghost village.

michaels

The Bedford train line can be very expensive with few options if the trains are broken.  There were fast trains from bedford not on the thameslink franchise but these were stopped for operational reasons at one point but I think the original plan was to reinstate them.  Having not travelled since the start of lockdown I am pretty out of touch.  I guess the usual questions apply such as does being in the catchment area for good schools matter, one of the reasons St Albans is much more expensive than say Hatfield.