Potential new job, moving down south, where to live?
Discussion
Gents,
In the early stages of recruitment for a rather well known company.
Currently live in Germany, the opportunity is good but represents a large paycut, after tax differences it isn't so bad, plus I get to move back to the UK, but the biggest differential is the housing cost.
The company is based around Woking, looked at commuting from somewhere like Basingstoke along the M3.
We do OK but I just cannot grasp how expensive housing is, a 100 odd sq/M detached house / garage around Basingstoke is over £400k? that's incredulous, we can get a bloody mansion for that in N.Wales.
I really want to progress with this job but where can I live that means I wont spend 2hours in the car each way each day, or get at least reasonable value for money.
In the early stages of recruitment for a rather well known company.
Currently live in Germany, the opportunity is good but represents a large paycut, after tax differences it isn't so bad, plus I get to move back to the UK, but the biggest differential is the housing cost.
The company is based around Woking, looked at commuting from somewhere like Basingstoke along the M3.
We do OK but I just cannot grasp how expensive housing is, a 100 odd sq/M detached house / garage around Basingstoke is over £400k? that's incredulous, we can get a bloody mansion for that in N.Wales.
I really want to progress with this job but where can I live that means I wont spend 2hours in the car each way each day, or get at least reasonable value for money.
Edited by Trexthedinosaur on Monday 6th March 14:49
Basingstoke is cheap compared to Guildford.
Where is the job? central Guildford or one of the surrounding towns/villages.
If you can avoid commuter towns that have mainline stations the price will be lower for houses and generally the further out the cheaper (but not always).
What do you want need from the local area Schools? shopping, commute for the Mrs?
Where is the job? central Guildford or one of the surrounding towns/villages.
If you can avoid commuter towns that have mainline stations the price will be lower for houses and generally the further out the cheaper (but not always).
What do you want need from the local area Schools? shopping, commute for the Mrs?
Garage
Garden
Quiet
Be nice if there was a town nearby for shopping / Mrs to get a job, no kids.
Its actually in Woking, sorry, was looking at Guildford on the map as I had put it in Rightmove!
Yes 400K in Guildford is essentially nothing.
Garden
Quiet
Be nice if there was a town nearby for shopping / Mrs to get a job, no kids.
Its actually in Woking, sorry, was looking at Guildford on the map as I had put it in Rightmove!
Yes 400K in Guildford is essentially nothing.
Edited by Trexthedinosaur on Monday 6th March 14:51
As above, that is actually quite cheap by ridiculous SE standards.
The train line factor is huge - Basingstoke is 50 minutes into Waterloo and people could spend several times as much on a house to reduce the commute to London by living closer.
You have the advantage of needing to get to Guildford rather than London, so look for places with the worst commute to the capital by still doable by car to Guildford.
That said, I still can't think of many places that are going to be significantly cheaper than Basingstoke and still work for you. Aldershot, maybe?
The train line factor is huge - Basingstoke is 50 minutes into Waterloo and people could spend several times as much on a house to reduce the commute to London by living closer.
You have the advantage of needing to get to Guildford rather than London, so look for places with the worst commute to the capital by still doable by car to Guildford.
That said, I still can't think of many places that are going to be significantly cheaper than Basingstoke and still work for you. Aldershot, maybe?
Trexthedinosaur said:
Basingstoke is over £400k? that's incredulous, we can get a bloody mansion for that in N.Wales.
It's a long drive 
There are shedloads of jobs within driving distance of the M3/M25 junction and it's commutable to London, so the prices are relatively steep for the nicer areas.I'm in Farnborough and there are some nice areas, the Mytchett side would be a quicker driving commute to Woking although if it's near the station then the train would work out easier.
£400k would not get you a large *detached* house anywhere in the area, but it would get a very decent semi with garage in Farnborough.
Trexthedinosaur said:
Gents,
In the early stages of recruitment for a rather well known company.
Currently live in Germany, the opportunity is good but represents a large paycut, after tax differences it isn't so bad, plus I get to move back to the UK, but the biggest differential is the housing cost.
The company is based around Woking, looked at commuting from somewhere like Basingstoke along the M3.
We do OK but I just cannot grasp how expensive housing is, a 100 odd sq/M detached house / garage around Basingstoke is over £400k? that's incredulous, we can get a bloody mansion for that in N.Wales.
I really want to progress with this job but where can I live that means I wont spend 2hours in the car each way each day, or get at least reasonable value for money.
The traffic around Woking, from any direction, is absolutely horrendous. Basingstoke to Woking could easily take 90mins despite being 30miles. In the early stages of recruitment for a rather well known company.
Currently live in Germany, the opportunity is good but represents a large paycut, after tax differences it isn't so bad, plus I get to move back to the UK, but the biggest differential is the housing cost.
The company is based around Woking, looked at commuting from somewhere like Basingstoke along the M3.
We do OK but I just cannot grasp how expensive housing is, a 100 odd sq/M detached house / garage around Basingstoke is over £400k? that's incredulous, we can get a bloody mansion for that in N.Wales.
I really want to progress with this job but where can I live that means I wont spend 2hours in the car each way each day, or get at least reasonable value for money.
Edited by Trexthedinosaur on Monday 6th March 14:49
Make sure where you live is on a direct train route to Woking and then prepare for being on some busy trains as they will all end in London, unless you travel from east of Woking against the commuters to London
I'm in Sandhurst and Woking would be doable from here and surrounding villages. It's still not cheap mind but as we are not on a mainline it's better than towns that are.
My office is actually in Weybridge and if the M3 is screwed I will often skirt around the top of Woking past Horsell Common.
My office is actually in Weybridge and if the M3 is screwed I will often skirt around the top of Woking past Horsell Common.
Hurray for Basingrad, don't move to Brighton hill where my friends currently live as it's abit of a hole.
You might want to look for a smaller town and see if you can get housing abit cheaper? When I bought (admittedly looked in Winchester first) I saved £10's of K's choosing a town 7 miles away.
To stay under the M3 (therefore getting near the A31/A3 for an alternative to that wretched motorway) you could try the following:
Alresford
Four Marks (has had some building done in the area recently)
Farnham
Alton is very expensive so rules that out I'm afraid.
You might want to look for a smaller town and see if you can get housing abit cheaper? When I bought (admittedly looked in Winchester first) I saved £10's of K's choosing a town 7 miles away.
To stay under the M3 (therefore getting near the A31/A3 for an alternative to that wretched motorway) you could try the following:
Alresford
Four Marks (has had some building done in the area recently)
Farnham
Alton is very expensive so rules that out I'm afraid.
Thanks, will do some more research and see how it goes.
First sums do not make it worthwhile due to distance, traffic, size of house, etc.
£600k seems to make a bit of a bigger dent but I don't want to sell my cars.
ETA; I am sorry but those houses are awful, they look like Council Houses, the below is more what we have been looking at!!!
Shocklach, Malpas, SY14 http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
Or around Woking I can get a 3 bed terrace!?
Not sure I can bring myself to spend that ... perhaps renting ...
First sums do not make it worthwhile due to distance, traffic, size of house, etc.
£600k seems to make a bit of a bigger dent but I don't want to sell my cars.
ETA; I am sorry but those houses are awful, they look like Council Houses, the below is more what we have been looking at!!!
Shocklach, Malpas, SY14 http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
Or around Woking I can get a 3 bed terrace!?
Not sure I can bring myself to spend that ... perhaps renting ...
Edited by Trexthedinosaur on Monday 6th March 15:22
Edited by Trexthedinosaur on Monday 6th March 15:23
Trexthedinosaur said:
the below is more what we have been looking at!!!
Shocklach, Malpas, SY14 http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
Good luck finding anything remotely like that for that price in the area. House prices are just ridiculous as you're finding out. Shocklach, Malpas, SY14 http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
We moved into the area (coincidentally from Germany) back in 1998. We stretched ourselves to the max back then for a 4 bed semi, since 'upgraded' to a detached bungalow, but if we came back to the area now there is no way we could a house big enough or that had enough appeal. We'd have to go up north I think. I agree with you about social mobility. I work with a lot of recent graduates and they are so frustrated they can't get on the property ladder unless assisted by the bank of mum and dad. And as for renting - the bungalow over the back was on the rental market for £1600pcm!
Bullett said:
Basingstoke is cheap compared to Guildford.
Er, no it isnt!!! Just launched some 5 bed houses near me, single garage, tiny gardens, £615k apparently - http://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/thames-valley/t... - its POA on rightmove.Or the other option on new build here - http://www.lindenhomes.co.uk/developments/hampshir...
It depends what you are looking for though - schools, transport, shopping, resturants. There are alot worse places to live than Basingstoke or its surrounding villages.
Check
TommoAE86 said:
Hurray for Basingrad, don't move to Brighton hill where my friends currently live as it's abit of a hole.
You might want to look for a smaller town and see if you can get housing abit cheaper? When I bought (admittedly looked in Winchester first) I saved £10's of K's choosing a town 7 miles away.
To stay under the M3 (therefore getting near the A31/A3 for an alternative to that wretched motorway) you could try the following:
Alresford
Four Marks (has had some building done in the area recently)
Farnham
Alton is very expensive so rules that out I'm afraid.
lolYou might want to look for a smaller town and see if you can get housing abit cheaper? When I bought (admittedly looked in Winchester first) I saved £10's of K's choosing a town 7 miles away.
To stay under the M3 (therefore getting near the A31/A3 for an alternative to that wretched motorway) you could try the following:
Alresford
Four Marks (has had some building done in the area recently)
Farnham
Alton is very expensive so rules that out I'm afraid.
Alton is expensive and Farnham and Alresford are not?
Farnham is probably TWICE as expensive as Alton.
@coolcurly - 615k is peanuts for Guildford I should think. Basingstoke is probably one of the cheaper towns about, mainly because its grim, but it has some nice villages around it. What sort of price is Hook these days? Again, not a lot going for it apart from transport, but it always used to be cheap.
Edited by okgo on Monday 6th March 16:19
CoolCurly said:
Er, no it isnt!!! Just launched some 5 bed houses near me, single garage, tiny gardens, £615k apparently - http://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/thames-valley/t... - its POA on rightmove.
Or the other option on new build here - http://www.lindenhomes.co.uk/developments/hampshir...
It depends what you are looking for though - schools, transport, shopping, resturants. There are alot worse places to live than Basingstoke or its surrounding villages.
Check
There are good/bad, cheap/expensive parts of every area.Or the other option on new build here - http://www.lindenhomes.co.uk/developments/hampshir...
It depends what you are looking for though - schools, transport, shopping, resturants. There are alot worse places to live than Basingstoke or its surrounding villages.
Check
I am not that familiar with Basingstoke, but I do know there are some nice places around there. I'd still have thought that it is quite a lot cheaper than Guildford if compared on a like for like basis (similar house in an equally well-thought-of part of each area).
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