Please clue me up about Godalming
Discussion
Wife and I have been looking at buying a bigger house for about a year. We're currently in Richmond and running out of space. One 3 year old, another child due pretty much any day now.
Our focus has turned to Godalming. What's good/bad, where should be looking, where are the areas we'd be advised to avoid? Any poor schools?
We've been into the town a few times and really like it, and have started tentatively looking at a few houses. Not seriously yet, but you have to start somewhere.
We want 3 bedrooms, off street parking for 2 cars, plus garage or car port (or space to build), 15 min walk to rail station for her commute and on the right side of town to get onto the A3 for mine - I'll be going to Slough every day.
Milford/Witley are out. We're unsure about Farncombe.
Just after opinions and any local knowledge really!
Our focus has turned to Godalming. What's good/bad, where should be looking, where are the areas we'd be advised to avoid? Any poor schools?
We've been into the town a few times and really like it, and have started tentatively looking at a few houses. Not seriously yet, but you have to start somewhere.
We want 3 bedrooms, off street parking for 2 cars, plus garage or car port (or space to build), 15 min walk to rail station for her commute and on the right side of town to get onto the A3 for mine - I'll be going to Slough every day.
Milford/Witley are out. We're unsure about Farncombe.
Just after opinions and any local knowledge really!
We've considered the Berks/Bucks area; Slough's the pits, Windsor doesn't have housing stock with parking unless you want to be 30 mins walk from Riverside station or on top of a council estate. Maidenhead is good on paper but has a distinctly 'Hounslowy' feel about it (her words), same goes for Woking. Weybridge is too expensive and a bit of a weird mix of very wealthy and very poor. Chalfonts/Beaconsfield are a bit too far for her commute and family, which is all SW London and Hants/Sussex. Mrs needs the Waterloo connection for work really. Marlow was a goer but we had a few things fall through last year and now can't afford the area we want - mainly due to Crossrail. Wokingham is OK, but falls short; it's a compromise and we'd both rather have the peace and quiet of Godalming with longish commutes rather than the bustle of Wokingham, which is basically 'just another provincial town'.
The commute to Slough is a slight concern, but I'll move my hours from the standard 8.30-5 to 7-3.30 so I should miss most of it. I'm doing a few trials runs to test the water at the moment, combined with a few viewings. Did it in 1h8m yesterday leaving at 4, the biggest problem was getting out of Slough and across Windsor.
The commute to Slough is a slight concern, but I'll move my hours from the standard 8.30-5 to 7-3.30 so I should miss most of it. I'm doing a few trials runs to test the water at the moment, combined with a few viewings. Did it in 1h8m yesterday leaving at 4, the biggest problem was getting out of Slough and across Windsor.
swerni said:
No disrespect, by why on earth would anyone want to move from Richmond to Bracknell?
The Bracknell suggestion is logical, as is Maidenhead etc. but where my wife is concerned, it's this in a nutshell. She grew up in the area. I grew up in nice village just outside Portsmouth. I'd be happy with a village near to a big town, but she wants more of the towny stuff on the doorstep. Not big shops, just cafes and a bit of life as she'll be stay at home mum for the next couple of years. Godalming (and Marlow) are ideal.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.
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.
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!Brilliant train links and easyish commute to Slough, just down the A3 to Godalming
Does all depend on budget though
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
Ex-council
Allocated parking
Service charges
Rough/dirty areas - every town has at least one
Flats
Small, poky
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 f
king 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.
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 f
king 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
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.
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.
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?
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?
2021 update on this. Sunningdale fell through. Sellers lost their move and they decided to stay put, so we did too. Now giving Guildford a more serious look, found some info from years back here:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=51...
Can't believe it's been 5 years and we're still here. At least we're paying down a mortgage, not renting.
We're still looking at Guildford and surrounds, same reason: if we're going to pay £600-700k for a family home with a garage we want a damned sight more for the money than a tarted up 3 bed terrace at the wrong end of town. There's better value elsewhere but its too much of a compromise for Mrs 2gins to go much further. She still wants a busy town centre / social scene but now it's more about stuff for the kids to do when they hit the teens. Playgroups and swings are out, cinema and sports clubs are in it seems. I'd be happier with a village but that doesn't tick enough boxes. I just want a TVR-friendly man shed, a happy family and easy access to the A3 north.
A notable spanner in the works is my job which is moving partly up north. So half the time it'll be round the M25 to J15, but Newcastle for the other half (Tyne, not Lyme) - this would be train to Waterloo then KX, or flight from LHR, or if driving, early start and straight to the M40/Gaydon/M69. Guildford works especially Burpham (etc), and the drive is actually no longer than where we are now, it's just 10-15 minutes on the A3 to M25 J12 vs 10-15 minutes bumping through suburbia to the same point before the slog up the A1. Same story for the train/plane connections.
Other areas under consideration are M40 J5-6 which would make more sense, but Mrs needs central London at least a day a week and the train fares are insane - £50 per day return from Haddenham e.g., its almost not worth it. Can't really go further as the rest of our lives is south of London. Reading's a hole, Maidenhead has been vetoed (too much like Hounslow, apparently), Marlow/Henley are out of budget now and the trains to London are crap; plus no stuff for teenagers to do. Further round the clock face e.g. Dorking, Sussex, don't work for the Newcastle bit. Herts might work but that all looks out of budget as well.
So let's assume it's Guildford for the sake of discussion.
Guildford traffic - yep, I know, but I'd not need to cross town much and with the current trends commuting isn't such an issue. School run might be more of a problem.
Not aware of much else about actually living there though. From driving about it seems there's lots of stuff to do in the middle but nothing whatsoever in the suburbs, not even a local pub much of the time. Is that fair? So if you fancy a pint it's a 30 minute walk to the town from pretty much everywhere and an Uber back home? No popping to the local Indian for a takeaway, not much chance of bumping into someone you know while mooching about the local chops, because there aren't any (thinking mainly of Mrs here, fwiw). If 4 of you in the neighbourhood fancy a couple of beers and a match, are you all going to town?
Is Stoughton and surrounds as rough as its reported or has it mellowed, everything I can see online is years old. Is Burpham any good? QE Park? Is it all poncey Surrey cliques and 'look at my new Evoque, dahling!' and 'Serafina got AAAAAAA* for her ukelele class' or trapezoidal blokes who like rugger... Looked at a property in Merrow, also seemed very over-priced for what it is but better than where we are now. Merrow just looks like an empty 90s housing estate, with a big cahncil 70s bit on the side and a BP garage yet it seems to get rave reviews. Burpham much the same but at least has 2 supermarkets, a chippy and a chinese and I'm on the A3 within minutes. Wife likes Onslow for the central station and town but it will be a nightmare to get going North if I time it wrong, and death at the end of a 300 mile return journey.
I feel stuck to be honest. Where we are is probably the right answer but the costs are stupendous. North Yorks Moors is a better answer but completely off the cards. Long term we're going to be SE based, but that's a different conversation.
TL/DR. Might move to Guildford, please tell me what it's like to actually live there with 2 kids these days.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=51...
Can't believe it's been 5 years and we're still here. At least we're paying down a mortgage, not renting.
We're still looking at Guildford and surrounds, same reason: if we're going to pay £600-700k for a family home with a garage we want a damned sight more for the money than a tarted up 3 bed terrace at the wrong end of town. There's better value elsewhere but its too much of a compromise for Mrs 2gins to go much further. She still wants a busy town centre / social scene but now it's more about stuff for the kids to do when they hit the teens. Playgroups and swings are out, cinema and sports clubs are in it seems. I'd be happier with a village but that doesn't tick enough boxes. I just want a TVR-friendly man shed, a happy family and easy access to the A3 north.
A notable spanner in the works is my job which is moving partly up north. So half the time it'll be round the M25 to J15, but Newcastle for the other half (Tyne, not Lyme) - this would be train to Waterloo then KX, or flight from LHR, or if driving, early start and straight to the M40/Gaydon/M69. Guildford works especially Burpham (etc), and the drive is actually no longer than where we are now, it's just 10-15 minutes on the A3 to M25 J12 vs 10-15 minutes bumping through suburbia to the same point before the slog up the A1. Same story for the train/plane connections.
Other areas under consideration are M40 J5-6 which would make more sense, but Mrs needs central London at least a day a week and the train fares are insane - £50 per day return from Haddenham e.g., its almost not worth it. Can't really go further as the rest of our lives is south of London. Reading's a hole, Maidenhead has been vetoed (too much like Hounslow, apparently), Marlow/Henley are out of budget now and the trains to London are crap; plus no stuff for teenagers to do. Further round the clock face e.g. Dorking, Sussex, don't work for the Newcastle bit. Herts might work but that all looks out of budget as well.
So let's assume it's Guildford for the sake of discussion.
Guildford traffic - yep, I know, but I'd not need to cross town much and with the current trends commuting isn't such an issue. School run might be more of a problem.
Not aware of much else about actually living there though. From driving about it seems there's lots of stuff to do in the middle but nothing whatsoever in the suburbs, not even a local pub much of the time. Is that fair? So if you fancy a pint it's a 30 minute walk to the town from pretty much everywhere and an Uber back home? No popping to the local Indian for a takeaway, not much chance of bumping into someone you know while mooching about the local chops, because there aren't any (thinking mainly of Mrs here, fwiw). If 4 of you in the neighbourhood fancy a couple of beers and a match, are you all going to town?
Is Stoughton and surrounds as rough as its reported or has it mellowed, everything I can see online is years old. Is Burpham any good? QE Park? Is it all poncey Surrey cliques and 'look at my new Evoque, dahling!' and 'Serafina got AAAAAAA* for her ukelele class' or trapezoidal blokes who like rugger... Looked at a property in Merrow, also seemed very over-priced for what it is but better than where we are now. Merrow just looks like an empty 90s housing estate, with a big cahncil 70s bit on the side and a BP garage yet it seems to get rave reviews. Burpham much the same but at least has 2 supermarkets, a chippy and a chinese and I'm on the A3 within minutes. Wife likes Onslow for the central station and town but it will be a nightmare to get going North if I time it wrong, and death at the end of a 300 mile return journey.
I feel stuck to be honest. Where we are is probably the right answer but the costs are stupendous. North Yorks Moors is a better answer but completely off the cards. Long term we're going to be SE based, but that's a different conversation.
TL/DR. Might move to Guildford, please tell me what it's like to actually live there with 2 kids these days.
Edited by 2gins on Monday 15th February 22:48
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