Please clue me up about Godalming

[2gins]

Bit bland

We've been everywhere!

[Topper_Harley]

Tried Ashtead?

[FurryExocet]

2gins said:

Farnham's nice but a bit out of budget. One we're watching though. Guildford is an area we'd go for but don't know much about it, when we had a little poke about it seemed most of the housing we'd be able to afford was in Burpham/Merrow and wife thought she'd end up driving to the station for the train, which isn't ideal. Our opinion is the middle is mainly shops and offices or smallish terraces with street parking, and everything else is more than a mile from the trains. We went into Godalming by accident having failed to find anywhere to park and getting fed up!

There seems to be a strong mummy scene in Godalming, maybe not café centred but there's plenty going on from what we've heard and seen.

Burpham is very nice, Merrow is OK and both close to the station (London road railway station isn't that far)

[2gins]

swerni said:

I'd have though coming from Richmond Places like Weybridge, Walton on Thames, West Byfleet. Pyrford etc would be of interest.
Brilliant train links and easyish commute to Slough, just down the A3 to Godalming

Does all depend on budget though

I missed a couple of posts from p1. We've looked at Walton but the houses we csn afford are next to the estates, bit snobbish perhaps but I'd worry about keeping a nice car around there, and there's the school thing to consider too. Byfleet isn't great and not a lot cheaper. Sunningdale and Camberley have been ruled out ad soulless, and I know enough about trying to cross the A30 not to want to live on it!

[2gins]

It's a fair question! We can get to 500k. 3 beds, off street parking, garage or at minimum room to build one or a car port, i.e. a house with space down the side. Ideally > 1000 sq. ft - not set in stone, but everywhere we've looked at with less we'd struggle We have 650 now and we're bursting out of every cupboard. State school catchment, 15 min walk to a rail line into Waterloo. Nice neighbourhood. It's more about what we don't want.

Ex-council
Allocated parking
Service charges
Rough/dirty areas - every town has at least one
Flats
Small, poky

[SFV]

I lived in Godalming for a couple of years. Found it very civilised. I was commuting into central London every day and the train service was very good and reliable. Regularly came home late at night and always felt safe walking home from the station. Big Sainsburys and Waitrose were useful, and the high street as you have seen is characterful. Guildford is an easy 15 minute drive for more shops. Also easy to get to the A3 for heading further afield.

[Panthro]

Wokingham? Easy to get to Slough and on the Waterloo line. It's also a nice place to live especially for a family.

[KrisP]

2gins said:

It's a fair question! We can get to 500k. 3 beds, off street parking, garage or at minimum room to build one or a car port, i.e. a house with space down the side. Ideally > 1000 sq. ft - not set in stone, but everywhere we've looked at with less we'd struggle We have 650 now and we're bursting out of every cupboard. State school catchment, 15 min walk to a rail line into Waterloo. Nice neighbourhood. It's more about what we don't want.

Ex-council
Allocated parking
Service charges
Rough/dirty areas - every town has at least one
Flats
Small, poky

So I moved out of Godalming circa 2 years ago now. A lovely place to live, and as you say has pretty much everything on your doorstep. If you live in the right place, getting into town, train station (assume Farncombe station) etc are all walkable. The problem with Godalming is that the houses cost serious £. We wanted to move upwards to the next house after a baby, and I refused to buy a house that didnt have a garage/off road parking - I preferably wanted detached also. And therein lay the issue - for the money, you don't get a lot in Godalming, so whilst I miss being able to walk into town through the park, listen the band playing there in the summer on Sunday's etc, I do have a much better life overall with the house I was able to afford elsewhere.

For what its worth, I commuted to Chiswick on a daily basis, and whilst the inward journey could be very good in the summer holidays when the kids were off, the homeward bound leg was always miserable, no matter the time of year or season. The A3 through Guildford and up the hill was always queuing, and round the Heathrow section of the M25 was never great (even though I do a shorter bit of the same now to get down the M3). For me personally, the improvement in the commute by being up the road in Camberley was night and day different and that was the difference that we both needed

[bracken78]

Godalming is very nice. This has already been covered however I really think you would be making a big mistake due to your commute. The A3 around Guildford is rubbish. My only suggestion is try to stay North of Guildford and you have some great suggestions already.

[outnumbered]

How about Twyford ? It's cheaper than Wokingham, and the village is big enough that it has every shop you might need for most day-day requirements, it's on the main line with a good service to Slough and some fast trains to/from London at peak times. Local schools are all decent.

[2gins]

My folks live around Portsmouth. Before kids I used to do a long weekend back there and commute straight into Slough on Monday morning; I know the A3 and the Guildford stretch well enough. As long as I was through that stretch by 7.30 I'd be OK, that was around 2 years ago. At any rate if we do this move I'd be gone by 6.30 latest so I don't envisage any issues with the morning commute. I'd be aiming to finish work no later than 3.30, which should make the journey an hour - that route would probably be cross country to M3 J3, then A331/A31. Took an hour and 10m last week, half that was getting out of Slough because of the Crossrail works making Heart of Slough even worse than usual and the carnage around M4J6. That won't last forever. More trial runs this week.

For context, my current commute to Richmond usually takes about an hour, that's half the distance. On Friday in the rain it took me 2 hours, 30 mins to get out of Slough and an hour from J4a to J2 M4, most of it being cut up by black cabs and Addison fking Lee. I can't do this st anymore. The travelling time is the last of the worries, top of the list is the number of sheds I'm going to go through!

I don't know anything about Twyford really, I think we had a look online but weren't that taken. I suspect it won't be as nice or any cheaper - Crossrail has destroyed the property market around the Thames Valley, depending which side of the fence you're on. Commute will probably be slightly better, but that's the compromise I'm considering.

Edit - just had a look at Twyford - we did look before. It's OK for me but there's no comparison really. Remember, she grew up round Richmond and is a dyed in the wool London lass. Not one of those ridiculous Sloaney types, just likes a bit going on and to be out.

Edited by 2gins on Tuesday 19th April 21:26

[MrMT]

What about Ascot? I'm in a similar position to you working in Slough and the commute outside of peak hours is <25 mins. Ideal if you are working late or something. Lots of very well to do people (and associated cafes) so the mrs should feel right at home coming from Richmond.

It's obviously not cheap, but if you can find a place in budget in South Ascot then it is a very nice place to live.

[2gins]

Stumbled across my own thread looking for something else ...

So last week it took an hour to reach the Bagshot stretch of the A332 on a trial run down to Farnham which was a bit of a reality check on this commute. As there's nothing really coming on the market in Godalming a the moment I drew up a list of all the places on the Waterloo line, with the journey times and ticket prices. Then wrote off all the places without primary schools, tickets > £25 and journeys > 50 mins.

Top of the list?

Woking.

Mrs likes Horsell, and is quite taken with Sunningdale as well which came as a surprise.

[E24man]

We relocated from Chester to the Guildford area exactly one year ago and landed in-between Send and Ripley. It's 10 minutes to Woking Station, 10 mins to Guildford, and easy access to the M25.

[Technomad]

Lived for 20+ years in Guildford, Godalming & Hindhead. All were good. Godalming & Hindhead were great. In Godalming we lived on the Herontye/Landings development by the river, lovely spot and houses which aren't bad for modern houses, if you like that sort of thing. Easy access to both Godalming & Farncombe stations. I'd definitely echo all other posters in saying "avoid Farncombe!" If you can afford Haslemere, that is worth a look - it's developed a really fantastic range of shops and cafés. Godalming does indeed have a large mummy scene, but a decent range of pubs & cafés and, of course, the essential Waitrose. Recommended.

[Mr Tidy]

Good luck OP - it isn't easy working out where to go!

I lived on Goldsworth Park many years ago, and used to be able to walk to the pub in Horsell by the Basingstoke Canal - it's a nice little place. West End near Bisley is also quite pleasant, and as a bonus you are near Martins Tyres in Bisley - always the cheapest I have found! Woking is definitely good for shopping, possibly why it appeals to the OH!

Really like Sunningdale too, but it has always been way out of my budget! I lived in Egham for 5 years and liked it there. Bang next to the M25 and easy to get to Heathrow, plus I could get to work in Windsor in less than 20 minutes! And the trains go to Waterloo. Virginia Water might be worth a look too - nice feel to the village centre.

You mentioned Bagshot - when I last moved 5 years ago I would have gone there if I could have found what I wanted for a price I could afford! But I ended up in Sandhurst (where I can walk to Waitrose!), which is OK but I would definitely avoid Bracknell! Although the town centre is getting regenerated and there is a new Waitrose that won't change the demographic of the residents! Camberley is similar IMO - just had the town centre regenerated, but there is just something about it I don't like!

Farnham is really pleasant, but as you say a commute to Slough could be a real b*ll-ache. Godalming is pretty desirable, but could have the same issue.

Quite like Wokingham, but the one-way system in the town centre is a PITA! I thought Twyford was a good shout - but again traffic gets snarled up in the rush hour!

Wargrave is a lovely place, it's near Henley and the A4 and is on the Thames, but I'm not sure about prices and the railway is a spur onto main lines to Paddington.

Hope you manage to find somewhere you both like!

[2gins]

Thanks for that... we'll get it done, we sort of have to to get the sprog into school (Jan cut off).

Fortunately, whether its because of the clamour for housing ahead of stamp duty changes, the referendum, holiday season or a lovely combination of all 3, asking prices are only going one way at the moment and it works in our favour. Some places are still well out of reach though.

My mrs would agree about Bracknell and Camberley, call it snobbery but there is an air about certain places. Do I want my children going to school with these urchins and their tracksuited minders?

[Philemon]

2gins said:

Thanks for that... we'll get it done, we sort of have to to get the sprog into school (Jan cut off).

Fortunately, whether its because of the clamour for housing ahead of stamp duty changes, the referendum, holiday season or a lovely combination of all 3, asking prices are only going one way at the moment and it works in our favour. Some places are still well out of reach though.

My mrs would agree about Bracknell and Camberley, call it snobbery but there is an air about certain places. Do I want my children going to school with these urchins and their tracksuited minders?

Erm - have a look at the house prices in the Copped Hall Estate and you won't find a tracky-bottom in sight!

[2gins]

For thread maintenance

Subject to contracts etc its Sunningdale.

Yes I know... all that from 'er indoors about cafes etc and we buy in Sunningdale!

Nice 11' x 18' garage and decent flat driveway.

[Dizeee]

Frimley and Sandhurst offer huge value and are right on the expanding line of prices from London.