Leighton Buzzard?

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Discussion

mr_spock

Original Poster:

3,340 posts

214 months

Monday 10th April 2017
quotequote all
Hi all, still looking for a new place post-divorce...

Leighton Buzzard appears to tick many boxes for me - commute to kids school, family and friends, easy for London, M1, M5, found a place near the golf course with lots of dog walking. 4 bed house with big garage for 400K ish.

However, is it a nice up-and-coming commuter town or chav infested satellite to Luton? Or somewhere in between?

Failing that I'll end up further up the A1 in Alconbury or one of the villages round the A1/A14 junction, Graffham, that sort of thing.

Mezzanine

9,148 posts

218 months

Monday 10th April 2017
quotequote all
Have a look here

mr_spock

Original Poster:

3,340 posts

214 months

Monday 10th April 2017
quotequote all
Interesting , thanks. Search didn't find that! Looking at the Plantation Road end which seems the better part.

counterofbeans

1,061 posts

138 months

Monday 10th April 2017
quotequote all
The problem with LB is that the town infrastructure cannot cope with current demands (actually couldn't cope when I lived there several years ago) let alone with the huge amount of development going on.

So good luck with shopping, doctors etc. or just driving through the gridlock.


Christmassss

650 posts

88 months

Monday 10th April 2017
quotequote all
My friend lives in LB, she has big boobs.

That is my entire experience of the area

counterofbeans

1,061 posts

138 months

Monday 10th April 2017
quotequote all
Christmassss said:
My friend lives in LB, she has big boobs.

That is my entire experience of the area
It's better than mine.

Yipper

5,964 posts

89 months

Monday 10th April 2017
quotequote all
We sometimes visit a relly nearby. Best housing is found in the satellite villages around LB, like Great Brickhill. Some prefer Tring, because it is in the posher Chiltern Hills and still on the main London rail line. Just don't stray too close to Aylesbury, which is Luton-lite.

Mezzanine

9,148 posts

218 months

Monday 10th April 2017
quotequote all
mr_spock said:
Interesting , thanks. Search didn't find that! Looking at the Plantation Road end which seems the better part.
Linslade end is generally far nicer, you can't go too wrong that end of town.


mr_spock

Original Poster:

3,340 posts

214 months

Monday 10th April 2017
quotequote all
Ah. Well, money is an issue then. Is Plantation road not so good?

counterofbeans

1,061 posts

138 months

Monday 10th April 2017
quotequote all
mr_spock said:
Ah. Well, money is an issue then. Is Plantation road not so good?
Plantation Road is very nice indeed (the golf course end) and so are the little roads off it.

tiggerjaguar

60 posts

190 months

Tuesday 11th April 2017
quotequote all
We moved to LB some 30 years ago from Luton. Looked on the Planets estate but decided it was to near other well known and not desirable areas. Bought a nice 3 bed detached in Bideford Green area. Very happy here for 8 years or so. No issues , decent neighbours etc.

Moved across town to the Plantation Road area by the golf club. Paid a reasonable price ( no more expensive than Cotefield Drive and the like) . Absolutely love it. Peaceful , good neighbours, great lower schools ( Dovery Down).

Won't move again.

Mezzanine

9,148 posts

218 months

Tuesday 11th April 2017
quotequote all
Mezzanine said:
mr_spock said:
Interesting , thanks. Search didn't find that! Looking at the Plantation Road end which seems the better part.
Linslade end is generally far nicer, you can't go too wrong that end of town.
mr_spock said:
Ah. Well, money is an issue then. Is Plantation road not so good?
Sorry, some crossed wires here...I think of Plantation Road as 'Linslade end of town', so that is a good thing and Plantation Road area being a very good choice smile

I wish we lived there!

mr_spock

Original Poster:

3,340 posts

214 months

Tuesday 11th April 2017
quotequote all
I went to see a house this morning, and ... it's a project. I don't really feel up to taking it on, so have decided to keep looking! Thanks for your thoughts!

counterofbeans

1,061 posts

138 months

Tuesday 11th April 2017
quotequote all
mr_spock said:
I went to see a house this morning, and ... it's a project. I don't really feel up to taking it on, so have decided to keep looking! Thanks for your thoughts!
What did you see? We might be moving back there and a project might be an option...

mr_spock

Original Poster:

3,340 posts

214 months

Tuesday 11th April 2017
quotequote all
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

My thoughts, FWIW:

Inverted layout works well
Wall between kitchen and dining room is a stud wall, easy to make a kitchen diner
Floorplan is misleading - utility and upstairs cloakroom are not at the same level as the kitchen
Garage is smaller than on plan - measured at 17ft deep by about 15' 6 wide
Easy to make a gate leading directly onto the nature reserve, could be awesome
Kitchen/bathroom need replacing. They're bad. It's been let for a while, now empty
Everything needs decorating
Solar panels are owned
Hallway was originally open to the outside, now enclosed, so 4th bedroom has window into hall

It was up at 500K, then let, now 425 with no offers so far. Agent hinted vendor would take 400.

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Monday 24th April 2017
quotequote all
Christmassss said:
My friend lives in LB, she has big boobs.

That is my entire experience of the area
Maybe you should post a picture of said friend, you know, just to confirm that it's true wink

pmanson

13,374 posts

252 months

Monday 24th April 2017
quotequote all
mr_spock said:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

My thoughts, FWIW:

Inverted layout works well
Wall between kitchen and dining room is a stud wall, easy to make a kitchen diner
Floorplan is misleading - utility and upstairs cloakroom are not at the same level as the kitchen
Garage is smaller than on plan - measured at 17ft deep by about 15' 6 wide
Easy to make a gate leading directly onto the nature reserve, could be awesome
Kitchen/bathroom need replacing. They're bad. It's been let for a while, now empty
Everything needs decorating
Solar panels are owned
Hallway was originally open to the outside, now enclosed, so 4th bedroom has window into hall

It was up at 500K, then let, now 425 with no offers so far. Agent hinted vendor would take 400.
Leighton Buzzard resident here. If you're interested in that property give Gavin @ Quarters a call (it's on with them as well). Quarters are very well respected and sell 8 out of 10 properties locally. Gavin is also a big car nut.

That house was up for sale this time last year when we were looking. I didn't actually go and look at that one (drove up the road though), From memory its at the end of a cul de sac. However there is a lot of double parking at the top of the road which you may find irritating.

It's not far from a very good (but expensive) pub The Stag so getting on to the main road may be difficult in the mornings/evening.

We ended up buying on Cotefield Drive (closer to Heath & Reach). There is one house for sale there at the moment - http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Re. Leighton Buzzard as whole, we moved over here 10 years ago (from Wendover), having lived in Aylesbury for a bit. Personally i'd avoid the new build estates and try and stick on the outskirts (getting through town at the weekends is slow progress).

There are a few PHers locally so i'm sure one of us can show you around!


mr_spock

Original Poster:

3,340 posts

214 months

Monday 24th April 2017
quotequote all
Thanks!

I decided to move further away, find somewhere that's not a project and save a bunch of money. This would be a good one for a keen DIYer looking for a great family home with potential.

Not for me at this point in my life!


Christmassss

650 posts

88 months

Monday 24th April 2017
quotequote all
300bhp/ton said:
Maybe you should post a picture of said friend, you know, just to confirm that it's true wink
I think most of the pics I have are NSFW!

rufmeister

1,332 posts

121 months

Monday 24th April 2017
quotequote all
We clean windows all over Leighton Buzzard, and if I had to choose, it would be the Plantation Road/Cotefield Drive area.

Some lovely houses up and around Plantation Road, some with pools too.