Commute to Liverpool St thoughts?

zpargo

Hi 
My budget is around £250-£260k for a FTB. 
Where can I get a house with a commute of about 45min to an 1 hour to Liverpool st? 
Prefer not a run down area and diverse. 
Looked at Bishops stortford but don't want to be close to airport and heard not best place.
Broxbourne I know nothing about.
Thoughts welcome
Thanks

Ditzy_Mitzy

You aren't going to get a house of any sort in Bishop's Stortford for that sort of money, sorry.  You might be able to get a two bed flat or a nice one bed, but that's it.  It's an expensive area.  Chelmsford is the same, houses have got very expensive there recently.  You can probably get something in Witham, but wouldn't be looking at particularly nice bits.  Colchester might be better.  There are terraces and things available for that sort of money, but you'd be stretching the hour's commute a little unless you discount time spent getting to the railway station.  Are Essex and Hertfordshire diverse?  Perhaps, but you aren't going to find many significant non-white areas outside the M25; the populations are fairly well integrated.  

dinkylink

If you are after a house, you should be able to pick up something half decent in Witham or by Colchester north station for £260kish, maybe a touch more. Both areas are 'okay'. Both diverse in the sense that they have signifcant eastern european popualitons. But yes, also mostly white. Bishops stortford is definitley nicer than both, but definitely out of your price range I'm afraid.

If you are looking for more of a village then there's also hatfield peveral and kelvedon. These areas are also probably nicer but I think also probably slightly out of your price range. And also probably less 'diverse' than Witham or Colchester.

dinkylink

And just to note re the Colchester commuting time, it's about 50 minutes direct from north station

hazyjo

Stansted Mountfitchet - just about! There's one long leasehold house in your budget. Near the airport but surprisingly little noise from my experience.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/89826658#/

There are 2 or 3 one bed options in Romford. I'd not rule that out in your shoes.

If too small, you need a bigger budget to get anywhere half decent, or you need to compromise and get a flat/maisonette (which many of us start off with!).

ChilliBob

Closer in then you could get a flat in Chadwell heath, or perhaps Brentwood for that sort of money, sadly not a house, unless it was rather small and needs lots of work 

Ditzy_Mitzy

hazyjo said:

Stansted Mountfitchet - just about! There's one long leasehold house in your budget. Near the airport but surprisingly little noise from my experience.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/89826658#/

There are 2 or 3 one bed options in Romford. I'd not rule that out in your shoes.

If too small, you need a bigger budget to get anywhere half decent, or you need to compromise and get a flat/maisonette (which many of us start off with!).

That's not half bad, actually.  

amanda_p

I live in Hatfield Peverel. Sorry you won't get anything here for that money. All that is on offer are a few flats right next to the A12 and a small terraced house on a main road. Kelvedon is the same. Also the trains to HP are not that frequent. Somewhere like Tiptree would be better but you then have a 4 mile drive to Kelvedon station and the not insignificant cost of parking.
Colchester is your best bet but should you be somewhere like the Lexden area this is a long way from the station so you would have the same problem of driving and parking.
Just make sure you do your homework on what is available when you come to buy.

JamieJ89

Is somewhere on the C2C Fenchurch line not an option? Train line is cheaper, more reliable and trains have air con in the hot summer months. Fenchurch St is a 10min walk away from Liverpool St Station so maybe an option?

Arfa__

JamieJ89 said:

Is somewhere on the C2C Fenchurch line not an option? Train line is cheaper, more reliable and trains have air con in the hot summer months. Fenchurch St is a 10min walk away from Liverpool St Station so maybe an option?

Yep, good call. Also, some C2C trains go straight to Liverpool St, though not usually your commuter times, more often at weekends or when there's engineering work.
Otherwise, maybe somewhere along the Liverpool St, Romford, Gidea Park, Shenfield line. However, as that's going to get the Crossrail soon, it may already have inflated prices beyond your budget by now.

ChilliBob

On the c2c line you'd have to be out further than Upminster for the budget. Perhaps Horndon on the Hill is worth a look. 

C2c, imo, is way nicer than Liverpool Street line.