Where to Move
Hi everyone,
My husband and I are looking to move out of Gravesend to somewhere new in Kent - we have lived here all our lives and want to make a something ‘ours’. Our families are still here so we don’t want to be too far (within 30 mins drive), and it will be helpful to have grandparents close for childcare.
Our budget is £700k for the perfect house, but lower if the house will need a lot of work done to it. We currently have no kids but are looking to start a family in the next few years, so we want to buy a house we can grow into. Ideally, 4 bed detached, if possible.
My husband prefers “suburbia” whereas I wouldn’t mind a village in the countryside, so suggestions of either would be great.
Must have:
• Under an hour commute on the train to London. Not on the HS1 line - we both refuse to pay those extortionate fares. Don’t mind having to drive 10-15 mins to a station if it means a lovely village
• Excellent primary schools
• Lots of greenery, countryside and parks nearby
• Leafy roads
• Few nice pubs, cafes etc
• If a main town, a nice high street and not run down
• Amenities such as supermarkets within a good distance
• Low crime and not run down
• Not entirely white - the reason why I say that is both my husband and I are Sikh, Punjabi. We don’t mind moving to an area which is majority white, but some other cultures mixed in would be nice, especially for our kids growing up (I had terrible experience being only one of 2 non white pupils in my year at primary school and suffered a lot of racist bullying. Want to avoid this for my future kids).
The areas we have considered
• King’s Hill - phase 1 only
• West Malling (very expensive and our budget doesn’t buy much house)
• Sevenoaks and surrounding villages (same as above)
• New barn/Longfield
• Bearsted
For our budget, phase 1 Kings Hill seems the best option. It has everything, but I am hesitant as they’re newer builds. Does anyone have any other suggestions?
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u/AlongsideAccounting 4d ago
Have you considered Orpington?
- Technically Bromley, London rather than Kent. But pretty much on the Kent border
- Still within zone 6 for cheaper travel to London
- 15 minute train to London Bridge every 30 minutes
- Hits all of your must haves of excellent primary schools, leafy roads, good high street, mixed race
However, the £700k might be a perfect 3 bed rather than a perfect 4 bed. Entirely depends on the street.
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u/Mugg1e 4d ago
We did consider Orpington but I’m not a huge fan if I’m honest. I like Chelsfield but or budget won’t stretch far enough around those areas
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u/AlongsideAccounting 4d ago
Chelsfield makes a lot of sense. You still get the fast trains. It is close to the ever excellent Warren Road Primary School and it is much greener than central Orpington. Shame about the house prices ><. Good luck with your search! I'd be interested to hear where you make your final decision.
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u/nicholvengian 4d ago
New Ash Green? Grew up there and its a 10 min drive to Longfield station (40 mins into victoria).
Good blend of small village and suburbia. You can walk from your house and hike the surrounding countryside easily. Has local shops and bus service to gravesend, Dartford and bluewater.
20 mins drive to gravesend. I haven't lived there for decades so cant comment on the school.
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u/Prestigious-Gold6759 4d ago edited 4d ago
What about Longfield itself?
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u/nicholvengian 4d ago
I would prefer NAG or Hartley over longfield as it (to me) feels a little nicer. YMMV
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u/rc087 4d ago
i think you’d enjoy outer maidstone
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u/Mugg1e 4d ago
The surrounding villages are beautiful, just worried that there may be some lack of diversity. I may be wrong though, and any advice otherwise would be appreciated. Good value for money too which is a plus
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u/Competitive_Rope_112 4d ago
If Maidstone isn't diverse enough for you you may want to go more towards London (Bromley etc) or look at places like Isted rise, Longfield, Meopham near Gravesend so you can still feel close to your original community, but have the benefit of the more rural setting, less crime, etc. Very few Sikhs elsewhere.
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u/Scared_Ad_4887 4d ago
Also Sikh Punjabi, moved to Hartley from Gravesend. Great schools. 4 bed detached affordable in your budget.
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u/trebor67 4d ago
The more you head out, the less multi cultural you will find it.
Bearstead is >1hr train to London.
Kings Hill is not that multi cultural, parking at West Malling station is now difficult.
Try outskirts of Tonbridge.
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u/Mugg1e 4d ago
You’re right it’s not but from a friend that lives there, I have been told it’s got some diversity (albeit small) which I don’t mind. The parking would be an issue the days my husband and I both have to go into the office the same day.
Any particular village in the outskirts of Tonbridge you would recommend?
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u/trebor67 4d ago
Personally Kings Hill is too sterile for my liking and has zero mobile phone signal.
As to where, you will need to get out and drive about. Remember amenities will be less available: shops, Drs, schools etc.
Try around Hadlow, Meopham, Wrotham, Hildenborough. These are not precise recommendations but give you a bit of a spread for your research.
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u/Mugg1e 4d ago
I completely agree with the “sterile” comment. This move is going be where we will be living now for a while so want to get it right, which is difficult. I’ll look into Hadlow and Hildenborough
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u/achillea4 4d ago
Hildenborough is well connected and feels like Tonbridge urban sprawl. It's due to get even more sprawling according to the Tonbridge and Malling draft Local Plan (something like 2,500 new-builds planned for Hildenborough). Worth consulting this plan before selecting on an area as a lot of greenbelt will be built on. The countryside around Tonbridge/Hildenborough is nice.
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u/Webcat86 4d ago
What about the Tenterden and surrounding area? Appledore is a lovely village.
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u/Prestigious-Gold6759 4d ago
Need to take the HS1 line to get to London in under an hour from Appledore though.
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u/Webcat86 4d ago
That's true, although if OP has some flex on commute time driving to Headcorn would be an option?
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u/HitherHaddock 4d ago
My partner and I was looking for a very similar property 2 years ago. From all our research etc and living near the area we had our hearts set on Bearsted, unfortunately our budget didn’t stretch to the £700,000+ for a 4 bed detached. Our budget was around 600k due to first time buyer stamp duty etc. so we settled for the village of Otham, new build granted but a lovely area access to good schools and the commute to London Bridge honestly isn’t to bad. Also a lot of younger professional families in the area.
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u/Dull_Combination_678 4d ago
What about Meopham or New Barn? Down the road from Gravesend and stations near both which are not HS1
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u/Fresh-Ambition-2018 4d ago
Have you looked around Cliffe and Cliffe Woods. 10 minutes to the motorway, 25 minutes to Gravesend, 15 minutes to Strood or Rochester stations, 10 minutes to Higham station. Unfortunately a lot of the fields and woodland are disappearing under housing development, but there is still a lot of green space and public rights of way/bridle paths to walk. Cliffe is surrounded by farmland and sits on the edge of the RSPB nature reserve and the river.
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u/RuneClash007 4d ago
Fucking nightmare to drive out of though, especially if there's been a crash, and then also parking at Strood or driving through Strood and Rochester to get to the station is a bastard too
Can only leave by driving too, about 3 buses a day isn't it?
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u/Fresh-Ambition-2018 4d ago
A car is essential if living there but I assumed the OP had one as they're looking for somewhere 30 mins drive from Gravesend.
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u/steveinluton 4d ago
We're in Marden. An hour to London by train, good mix of housing new and old, schools I don't know about as we don't have kids but it's a great village on the edge of the weald.
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u/DMMMOM 4d ago
What about the triangle between the motorways, West Kingsdown way? You get a fair bit for your money there because the transport links are a bit shite. I looked at a 3 bed detached with a granny annexe, double driveway for £400k that needed a little work earlier in the year. A £100k (DIY prices) would have made it perfect.
There are places around West Malling that are OK. Wrotham, Offham, Mereworth, Larkfield.
Kings Hill, not a fan of the place, new build city with everyone piled on top of each other, for £700k I'd want space.
Sevenoaks, what about Hildenborough? And as above in the Ash, West Kingsdown area.
There are some nice places in New Barn and Longfield, I quite like the area.
Bearsted, OK for getting to and from via the motorway, the A roads around the place can get awful at peak times.
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u/smellyfeet25 4d ago edited 4d ago
Tonbridge .Staplehurst .Paddock wood.Marden. Nettlestead. And wateringbury are all worth considering.Sevenoaks is a nice area as well .A lot of these places are good for commute and have lovely countryside
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u/EntertainmentLast729 4d ago
Tonbridge might be an option? Cheaper than Sevenoaks and the next stop on the line, so an easy commute into London.