What's Redhill like?

[PistonReg]

Currently living in Farnham, Surrey and work in various locations across South London and wouldlike to move somewhere nearer.

I've go a budget of 250 and need a 3 bed house with off road parking and good road & train links. South London is pricey except places like Croydon which is a dump. Redhill looks promisng so far after my initial scouting trip.

What's Redhill like? Anyone live/d there?

[PistonReg]

Blimey - so many posts. Thanks folks!

Epsom seems to be strongly suggested. I'm gthering Redhill is pretty similar to Croydon, the latter of which is probably the most depressing place I've been in the South.

I've considered Gildford, but can't really afford it and it's also a good hour plus trek to South London by car.

I definitely need:
a 3 bedroom house
off street parking for a few cars, so ideally a semi
Train links aren't terribly important, but would be a nice to have, partly to assist with an easy resale in a few years.

I'm not bothered if it's in a rural or remote area, although the nearer to South London I can be the better.

Looking on Rghtmove, there seem to be a couple of places around 250, but I've been there before and it's nice and the location would be perfect. I can see I'll have to talk the OH into a little Sunday afternoon rive there to check it out ;-)

[PistonReg]

scenario8 said:

PistonReg said:

Blimey - so many posts. Thanks folks!

Epsom seems to be strongly suggested. I'm gthering Redhill is pretty similar to Croydon, the latter of which is probably the most depressing place I've been in the South.

I've considered Gildford, but can't really afford it and it's also a good hour plus trek to South London by car.

I definitely need:
a 3 bedroom house
off street parking for a few cars, so ideally a semi
Train links aren't terribly important, but would be a nice to have, partly to assist with an easy resale in a few years.

I'm not bothered if it's in a rural or remote area, although the nearer to South London I can be the better.

Looking on Rghtmove, there seem to be a couple of places around 250, but I've been there before and it's nice and the location would be perfect. I can see I'll have to talk the OH into a little Sunday afternoon rive there to check it out ;-)

If I may...

Redhill really isn't that nice. That nice compared to other options you have, that is. But it isn't Croydon, which is a not particularly nice part of London (ie very big, very full of people with lots of facilities but might feel intimidating and not particularly lovely. Redhill is a not very nice largish town in Surrey in the same way that Crawley is a not very nice largish town in Sussex. Reigate is a conjoined twin to Redhill but is much much more middle class and lovely, but correspondingly 20% dearer. Epsom is also a much nicer largish town in Surrey. Dorking, Ashtead and Leatherhead are nice smaller towns in Surrey. Banstead is a nice large village.

Basically, once you go outside the M25 you will find increasingly nice small villages, once you come inside the M25 you are in effect in the London area. We could go on for ever about the nice/bad places of South London and there would be many arguments. Next door to the borough of Croydon you mention is the borough of Sutton which is a bit less Londonish but still might feel unwelcoming. Next door to Sutton is the borough of Kkngston, but you'll be ublikely to find many options in that borough. Further in from these outer boroughs I suggest you would dislike even more than Croydon (the bits you could afford anyway). If you want I could break that down even further for the nice bits of the boroughs.

Your biggest problem is going to be finding a property which fulfills your requirements within your budget. I know it isn't much help (and I'm sure you've thought of it already) but the best way would be to visit the areas to see what you think. Then come back and report and we'll start the disagreeing again.

I sniggered at the snow sculpture too. Will we ever really grow up?

Thanks again for all the advice. I thinkI needa good couple of days exploring. Housing is forever the case of "if only I had a bit more". I've got a good deposit and income to get more, but I'll then pay a higher rate currently and also run my own business which is pretty cash intensive. I could possibly stretch to 300 if it meant I could live in a better area., but it really wouldbe strethcig it!

Thaks again folks and I'll post back after my search.

[PistonReg]

Been havinga look at places in Epsom over the weekend and it seems if I stretch the budget there are some nice 1930s semis with parking for a few cars and some even have scope to extend/add a garage. I could afford teh payments on 300k and would probably lock into a fixed rate for the first 3 years.

I'm going to head off in eh car to explore further with the OH this weekend. Are there some general pointers about which areas are going to be worth avoiding and which shuld be within a 300k budget for a nice 1930s semi (or similar)?

[PistonReg]

Thanks for the pointers guys - looks as if you need to stay west of teh trainline then? Sounds like Guildford actually - north of the A3 there is pretty pikey and not great, almost everything south is nice enough.

Am I right in thinking that it's broadly speaking the 30s semis in Epsom that re good and the council estates that are a bit less pleasant?

It seems that in this world we live nowadays, it's impossible to live anywhere without pikies... I've spent time in both Gildford and Farnham which are very pleasant but not without their fair share of folks who want to impose their anti social behaviour on others.

Thaksn for your kind offer of visiting Kermit Power. My partner and I are considering a scouting trip soon (although I'm buying alone) and as I'm currently coming to the end of developing a flat and looking to do another, it would be very interesting to see your work in progress if you don't mind! I'd actually like to buy a house that needs modernisation and ideally an extension that I can work on when other work's quiet, so pretty much the sort of work you're getting upto on yours.

[PistonReg]

Kermit Power kindly showed me around Epsom/Ewell village on Saturday and I was very impressed for somewhere so affordable and close to London and also within zone 6. I'm looking to start serious house hunting in about 3 weeks time and will definitely be looking at the Epsom/Ewell area. Thanks again Chris and thanks for your pointers Tonker!