FTB - advice on locations in Kent?

lis1320

Hi all,
FTB here, though not looking to buy for another year (original plan was this year but then the pandemic hit...) We're starting things off with researching the rough area we're interested in - Tonbridge/Malling/Medway/Maidstone. We'll be looking at properties up to £230k max, likely flats and ideally 2 bed so we could stay there for a few years. The area mentioned would work well for us as we need to be near Thurrock, Essex and Tandridge area of Surrey for our respective jobs - currently living and Thurrock and definitely not looking to buy here, and Surrey is too expensive. No need for a commute to London, but train links would be useful.

I've had a search for some previous threads on this and have found some from around 6 years ago, but thought maybe things have changed since then. I've got Ayelsford, West Malling, Larkfield, and Ditton on my list, and saw that Chatham and Strood should be avoided. Ayelsford seems to have affordable properties compared to many areas nearby which makes me think there must be something there causing the price drop. I've read that it's industrial in area but coming from Thurrock, we're not too bothered by that. Could it be proximity to water/potential flood risk?

We will be visiting those areas to get a better idea once everything starts opening up again. I would appreciate any advice on the topic from anyone who knows the area well - the good and the bad. Thank you!

Squeaky9

I used to live in Maidstone for many years. The north side (Allington) is nicer and if driving then you have good links but it’s a bit of a walk to the station (Maidstone East). I looked at Larkfield and Ditton but ruled them out as I didn’t particularly like them but that was personal preference (not quite as nice an area and a bit quiet for me). Aylesford was ok but no good for trains, which is what I really needed at the time. I don’t see that water would be a problem there but there’s lots of new builds going up in the area, if that could be it? It’s also another one that’s a bit quiet and some areas aren’t so nice but depends on your priorities. 

West Malling is really nice, but showed in the prices. I would have loved to have lived there but was priced out, but Maidstone wasn’t a bad bet. Avoid Loose and Tovil, but Bearsted is ok. 

l0islane

I live in Gillingham in Medway, which honestly doesn't have a whole lot to recommend it other than decent house prices and good commuting options, but it's worth looking at Rochester, it has have some lovely flats along the riverfront in your budget and Rochester itself is very pretty with lots of nice cafes and restaurants. There are multiple train lines into London including the high speed. Just stick to the Rochester high street side of the bridge. 

Lozz

I live in Larkfield and love it here. We have everything within easy reach, a big Tesco, Morrisons, smaller local shops, a big leisure centre, schools and nurseries, but still with a rural feel, it's the best of both worlds as far as I'm concerned. We have a big park plus the lakes for walks and are within easy reach of the M20. The only downside is the trek to West Malling Station unless you drive and park which is I think around £5 per day, though I haven't been near the station since before lockdown.

There's a fair few properties on Rightmove in your price range including a few terraced houses. You don't say if you're planning on driving to work, that would be a bit of a nightmare with the Dartford crossing in rush hour, but I don't think it's an easy commute on the train from anywhere this side of Maidstone to where you work, I've tried in the past to get to Thurrock/Dartford area by train and it wasn't possible without going into London and out again. That was a few years ago though.

Octothorpe

Medway, like everywhere has it's nice areas and less desirable areas.
Certain parts of Gillingham and chatham are very nice (normally further from highstreet gets nicer). Both have excellent railway links to London. Also some good green areas for walks.

Medway also has some excellent grammar schools - i know kids aren't a consideration yet, but....

There's some nice new builds around the water and St Mary's Island.

On the outskirts you have places like walderslade etc but you'd need to drive to the station.

Maidstone town centre is far nicer and much bigger than medway towns. However - driving in Maidstone is a nightmare!! Always SO busy!! And the one way around town is blooming dreadful. Also the train links are naff!!

I moved from Sussex to Medway due to it's affordability,  now can afford to move back to Sussex but have choosen to stay here.

Mahsroh

Perhaps look at Edenbridge. When I search the area on Rightmove Edenbridge generally looks a bit cheaper than a lot of surrounding areas. Would fit in well with your daily commutes to Tandridge and Thurrock. Must admit I don't know much about the town itself so you might want to research it further, but it could certainly tick your boxes in terms of price and location.

diego_94

Try to avoid Chatham and Strood, but I can imagine there are some nice places. The same with most towns really.

Maidstone is good, currently live here. Although traffic and parking can be a problem, and I would expect for your budget you may not have the luxury of a driveway for 2 cars (assuming you have 2 cars). I imagine this will be the same for most places though, so it may be something you will have to learn to live with. Most of the town will be on street parking, which may cause you a problem, just bear this in mind when viewing.

Also trafic.... Although this has got a lot better with lockdown, who knows what it will be like when things return to normal. the west side of town in my opinion is worse, down the A20 and A26 from the town to Larkfield and Barming. Before lockdown whenever I travelled over here traffic was bad, lots of traffic lights and crossroads. When I was looking a few years ago, the housing between the A20 and the M20 in larkfield /  Aylesford is cheap, but might be for a reason. Dont know what the noise from the M20 is like.

PM me if you want any advice on particular areas in Maidstone. 

betsybee

I live in Medway at the moment and am actively looking for properties outside the area, make of that what you will!

 The previous poster is right, if you are looking for a flat Rochester would be a good choice.
Rainham is also a nice area but I don't know how many flats they have, and a house in Rainham would most likely be out of you budget.
Some parts of Gillingham are okay but avoid anywhere near the high street.

Also something to consider is parking. If you need a car, parking is an absolute nightmare. A lot of roads are permit only but even then people struggle to park anywhere near their house. One person I know parks a mile away from her house every day. So unless you get somewhere with allocated parking then maybe rule Medway out.
West Malling is lovely but expensive, same with Tonbridge. Depending on how long you want to commute you could look at some of the coastal towns like Faversham and Whitstable. Also Ashford has very good rail links. 

Dark_Star

Lived in Gillingham. Worked in Chatham. Moved years ago. Will never ever live there again. There are no redeeming features to any of it. Have you looked at Haywards Heath in Sussex ? Reasonably central. I know it's not Kent but worth a look...

lis1320

Lozz said:

I live in Larkfield and love it here. We have everything within easy reach, a big Tesco, Morrisons, smaller local shops, a big leisure centre, schools and nurseries, but still with a rural feel, it's the best of both worlds as far as I'm concerned. We have a big park plus the lakes for walks and are within easy reach of the M20. The only downside is the trek to West Malling Station unless you drive and park which is I think around £5 per day, though I haven't been near the station since before lockdown.

There's a fair few properties on Rightmove in your price range including a few terraced houses. You don't say if you're planning on driving to work, that would be a bit of a nightmare with the Dartford crossing in rush hour, but I don't think it's an easy commute on the train from anywhere this side of Maidstone to where you work, I've tried in the past to get to Thurrock/Dartford area by train and it wasn't possible without going into London and out again. That was a few years ago though.

My commute to Thurrock will involve driving for a while at least. The plan is to eventually work in Kent but it’s unlikely that a specific job will come up exactly when we intend to move so trying to be realistic. Agreed, no easy way to cross via train without going into London. 

Glad to hear so many positives about Larkfield, it’s definitely near the top of my list. Thank you so much for all the info! 

lis1320

Dark_Star said:

Lived in Gillingham. Worked in Chatham. Moved years ago. Will never ever live there again. There are no redeeming features to any of it. Have you looked at Haywards Heath in Sussex ? Reasonably central. I know it's not Kent but worth a look...

It gave briefly considered it in the past when I was researching Surrey and surrounding areas. The distance to Thurrock would be a bit too much for a daily commute for me