Where to live in Essex
27 August 2003, 10:05 AM
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Thanks for everyones reassurance in my previous post, the other half and I have now been approved for a mortgage as my credit check came up clean :-)
We have been looking at certain areas in Essex,including Witham, Chelmsford \Chelmer Village and Great Notley\Black Notley?
We will need to have travel into central london each morning by train\car.
Can I have anyones feedback into the pros and cons of moving from greater london to any of these areas or any feedback in general
Cheers all
We have been looking at certain areas in Essex,including Witham, Chelmsford \Chelmer Village and Great Notley\Black Notley?
We will need to have travel into central london each morning by train\car.
Can I have anyones feedback into the pros and cons of moving from greater london to any of these areas or any feedback in general
Cheers all
27 August 2003, 10:10 AM
#2
I live in Romford and travel to town each day. Trains are generally ok, was 5hitty when it was hot, speed restrictions involved.
Have some friends who live in Great Notley, its nice there IMO, fresh looking house designs, good for ameineties(sp) Trains are good.
Have some friends who live in Great Notley, its nice there IMO, fresh looking house designs, good for ameineties(sp) Trains are good.
27 August 2003, 10:23 AM
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Are the prices lower than living in kent for new houses etc? Would be particualrly interested in areas no more than 30 mins from the Dartford Tunnel as I want to move next year and am considering South Essex as a possibility.
****Not meant to be a thread hijack in any sense, just interested in housing in Essex too
****
****Not meant to be a thread hijack in any sense, just interested in housing in Essex too
****
27 August 2003, 10:31 AM
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Areas in South Essex worth consideration are Hornchurch, Billericay, Shenfield, Benfleet, Rayleigh, Leigh-on-Sea (6th most desirable place to live in UK, recently voted), Chalkwell, Thorpe Bay, Hockley.
Those spring to mind readily, it's not an exhaustive list.
Those spring to mind readily, it's not an exhaustive list.
27 August 2003, 10:45 AM
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27 August 2003, 12:32 PM
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I live in a little village between Billericay and Chelmsford and work nr Waterloo - train from B'cay every few mins in the rush hour and every 20 mins at other times ending at 00:55 every night. Bus to the station every 20 mins or cab is £5. The Boys school and girls school in Chelmsford have top 3 ratings for GCSE pass rates in the country. There are some fab driving roads in the area as well if that is of any interest. Oh, and I'm selling my house.....
Try Walkers of Ingatestone on 01277 355005 and ask for houses in Stock if your interested... (cheap trick I know but it may help)
Try Walkers of Ingatestone on 01277 355005 and ask for houses in Stock if your interested... (cheap trick I know but it may help)
27 August 2003, 01:38 PM
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We moved to Essex 10 years ago from the frozen north
We looked around lots and ended up in Shenfield near Brentwood. The main reason was the train service. Shenfield gets the best of two fast lines into London (Southend and Colchester) so in the peaks you can get a fast train every 10mins at least. Journey time is 20-25 mins, and Great Eastern are a good train operator - the best in South East. Cost of season ticket is about 220 quid per month though.
Going further out or closer in will not improve this, since the trains will get less frequent/more expensive. So we ruled out Chelmsford and beyond
Upminster and Hornchurch are options as well IHMO
Of course there's more to life than trains...Schools around Brentwood and Shenfield seem to be pretty good.
I'd recommend Brentwood/Shenfield, but then I would say that
We looked around lots and ended up in Shenfield near Brentwood. The main reason was the train service. Shenfield gets the best of two fast lines into London (Southend and Colchester) so in the peaks you can get a fast train every 10mins at least. Journey time is 20-25 mins, and Great Eastern are a good train operator - the best in South East. Cost of season ticket is about 220 quid per month though.
Going further out or closer in will not improve this, since the trains will get less frequent/more expensive. So we ruled out Chelmsford and beyond
Upminster and Hornchurch are options as well IHMO
Of course there's more to life than trains...Schools around Brentwood and Shenfield seem to be pretty good.
I'd recommend Brentwood/Shenfield, but then I would say that
27 August 2003, 01:42 PM
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the best in South East
27 August 2003, 01:43 PM
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I was born in Brentwood and lived in Shenfield/Hatfield Pevril for my first 4 years of my life before spending the rest of my time in Kent. Always had the urge to move back to my roots, must be the Essex Boy coming out in me 
I have always blamed that for my love of fast cars and motorbikes as well
Thought Shenfield was expensive though?
I have always blamed that for my love of fast cars and motorbikes as well Thought Shenfield was expensive though?
27 August 2003, 01:45 PM
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It is B20. Very nice part of the world. Do we need to come up with a, er, budget list for sir? You're not going to force me into saying "Vange", are you..??!! 
27 August 2003, 01:49 PM
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Tel the c2c trains are great - I managed the contract to buy 'em for 3 years
However, and it pains me to say it GE is better, 'cos of the level of service it provides. 4 track railway and all that.
They're both pretty good and light years better than South West Trains and Connex etc. Essex is a good place to commute from.
BTW I wouldn't commute by road, but it is possible and people do do it
However, and it pains me to say it GE is better, 'cos of the level of service it provides. 4 track railway and all that.
They're both pretty good and light years better than South West Trains and Connex etc. Essex is a good place to commute from.
BTW I wouldn't commute by road, but it is possible and people do do it
27 August 2003, 01:53 PM
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As a born and inbred Essex man myself I would recommend Chelmsford or Colchester - both are big enough to shop, eat and play in. Southend is an acquired taste imho - and at the end of the line.
It gets considerably cheaper from Chelmsford going up (excepting Stock which is posh Essex )
It gets considerably cheaper from Chelmsford going up (excepting Stock which is posh Essex
)
27 August 2003, 01:58 PM
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Nige, i know, we've discussed seating plans on c2c trains before. Although you're right that c2c is scuppered if there's a problem as a result of the two line restriction, recent experience (ie the last 5 years) has led me to the opinion that i would trade the c2c train comfort over possibly higher Great Eastern (did that for 10 previous years) reliability any day of the week. c2c has come a long way in recent years.
27 August 2003, 02:54 PM
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LOL no Tel you already said it I was having a look about at places locally and in Tunbridge Wells 170k doesn't get you much more than a 1 or 2 bed appartment or a small house in the very rough areas of the town 
The surrounding places arnt much better either price wise.
Thing is I need a 2 bed house minimum with garage and garden and unless I move up North by the looks of it 170k doesnt look like its going to get me one thats commutable to London
Its not surprising there are so many people who can't get on the housing ladder as the rise in house house prices has far outstriped the salary to mortgage schemes the building societies do. 3.5x your salary even if you are on quite a wedge doesn't get you much of a property anymore.
For example the house I had when I was married went up 50k in 2 years. My salary now is actually less than what I was on then so it makes it impossible to keep up with the house prices
I was having a look about at places locally and in Tunbridge Wells 170k doesn't get you much more than a 1 or 2 bed appartment or a small house in the very rough areas of the town The surrounding places arnt much better either price wise.Thing is I need a 2 bed house minimum with garage and garden and unless I move up North by the looks of it 170k doesnt look like its going to get me one thats commutable to London
Its not surprising there are so many people who can't get on the housing ladder as the rise in house house prices has far outstriped the salary to mortgage schemes the building societies do. 3.5x your salary even if you are on quite a wedge doesn't get you much of a property anymore.
For example the house I had when I was married went up 50k in 2 years. My salary now is actually less than what I was on then so it makes it impossible to keep up with the house prices
27 August 2003, 03:00 PM
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quote: "in Tunbridge Wells 170k doesn't get you much more than a 1 or 2 bed appartment"
You are joking surely- my girlfriend has a nice little flat we rent out near the Pantiles.
I think it will be up for sale shortly if those prices are the current market value. We can buy a Bearnais farmhouse with 10 acres of land for that price here.
You are joking surely- my girlfriend has a nice little flat we rent out near the Pantiles.
I think it will be up for sale shortly if those prices are the current market value. We can buy a Bearnais farmhouse with 10 acres of land for that price here.
27 August 2003, 03:06 PM
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2 bed terraces are fetching £150-£170k. I would think a Pantiles flat (depending on size and exact location) would easily fetch £170k.
My lady bought a 2 bed semi (oldish style cottage) in an area very near TW approx 18 months ago for £155k and it needed re-wiring, re-plumbing, all the walls re-plastering, new kitchen, new bathroom and new windows - she spent £30k doing it up and the most recent valuation she got was £250-260k. Bugger that - a 2 bed semi for over a 1/4 of a £million!
[Edited by Scooby96 - 8/27/2003 3:08:44 PM]
My lady bought a 2 bed semi (oldish style cottage) in an area very near TW approx 18 months ago for £155k and it needed re-wiring, re-plumbing, all the walls re-plastering, new kitchen, new bathroom and new windows - she spent £30k doing it up and the most recent valuation she got was £250-260k. Bugger that - a 2 bed semi for over a 1/4 of a £million!
[Edited by Scooby96 - 8/27/2003 3:08:44 PM]
27 August 2003, 03:07 PM
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Nacro, have you had it valued lately? The 1 bed flats up the road from me that were built last year went for 160k each and that was with no garage etc!
If you know TWells then you will know the Sherwood and Showfields estates? These are crim/drug central and the houses there are going for silly money and without trying to sound a snob they arnt nice! I used to live on the back of the Sherwood estate and just looking at the prices of the houses there, ones similar to what I had have doubled in the last 5 years
If you know TWells then you will know the Sherwood and Showfields estates? These are crim/drug central and the houses there are going for silly money and without trying to sound a snob they arnt nice! I used to live on the back of the Sherwood estate and just looking at the prices of the houses there, ones similar to what I had have doubled in the last 5 years
27 August 2003, 03:10 PM
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Bob - tell me about it! my parents place, which I'd dearly love to own, is nothing special but it's something like 180k, and that silly money, ok the area is nice, but like I said, nothing special. When I was looking and purchasing a place in TW it was a case of a 1 bed studio flat or nothing! I'm not exctly raking the money in, but then again I do get paid pretty well for what I do, but I doubt i'd get a mortgage for a place I'd like, and I'm just talking a nice little 2 bed semi or something, it's crazy it really is. My friend has purchased a house for about 250k, which in old money is abour 110k, and there is no way you'd get a place like that for the same money in TW, not unless you were blackmailing the owner or the estate agent (hmm, there's an idea)
27 August 2003, 03:16 PM
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I know Markus, mine is a 1 bed flat with garage built into it etc and its now over £50k more than what I paid for it 2 years ago! Its right in the centre of town which makes it desirable but the fact is the money its made is useless because all the other properties have gone up just as much or more for the bigger ones. Hence its virtuially impossible for me to find a 2 bed place with garage and garden in TWells for what I can afford. I have been looking as far south as Eastbourne and Hastings but that makes it a very long journey to London
Its right in the centre of town which makes it desirable but the fact is the money its made is useless because all the other properties have gone up just as much or more for the bigger ones. Hence its virtuially impossible for me to find a 2 bed place with garage and garden in TWells for what I can afford. I have been looking as far south as Eastbourne and Hastings but that makes it a very long journey to London
27 August 2003, 03:17 PM
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I live in Harlow and wold like a house with a garage in a nice area and i would be looking at 200K upwards which is out of my reach at the moment just need to do more over time! in harlow 2 bed terrace is about 100-110K
27 August 2003, 03:23 PM
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Bravo2zero try Edenbridge, thats where were going to move too and put the equity into upsizing and hopefully have enough to start buying repossessed studio flats and flogging them for a quick profit
27 August 2003, 03:24 PM
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LOL at Scooby96, you know what I mean when I say Showfields and Sherwood then! Everyone goes oh Tunbridge Wells is so posh etc etc. Its bloody not, I'd welcome to take anyone who thinks it is round these two main estates and show them what its really like. Like I say I lived just off of Sherwood and I know what its like to live there and don't ever want to go back! Hence I think its a joke the houses on those two estates fetch the money they are currently valued at.
27 August 2003, 03:29 PM
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Dont know for sure what those areas are like as I only ever drive past (quickly!) to my place in Crowborough. Not sure its a drugs den in the stereotypical way everyone thinks of such places but I expect a good majority of the TW dealing happens there.
Dont really rate TW that well anyway - quite a few 'bars' but **** all nightclubbing - Davinchis (now Liquid Lounge) and High Rocks, both ****e.
IMO it needs a decent club - possibly the old cinema would be a good central venue but as everyone knows the owners of the existing clubs are on the local council!!!
[Edited by Scooby96 - 8/27/2003 3:30:49 PM]
Dont really rate TW that well anyway - quite a few 'bars' but **** all nightclubbing - Davinchis (now Liquid Lounge) and High Rocks, both ****e.
IMO it needs a decent club - possibly the old cinema would be a good central venue but as everyone knows the owners of the existing clubs are on the local council!!!
[Edited by Scooby96 - 8/27/2003 3:30:49 PM]
27 August 2003, 03:39 PM
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quote: "Sherwood / Showfields - NO NO!"
Actually these are names I only ever ead in the paper, other than the odd weekend we spent all our time in my flat in Brighton (or Skidrow on Sea as Private Eye calls it-LOL). She just bought the flat there as she worked in Forest Row and couldn't find anywhere there. this was 6 yrs ago and she paid less than 50K for it!
It will be going on to the market soon- if anyone is interested its located nr the Chinese with the Elvis Impersonator owner.
Actually these are names I only ever ead in the paper, other than the odd weekend we spent all our time in my flat in Brighton (or Skidrow on Sea as Private Eye calls it-LOL). She just bought the flat there as she worked in Forest Row and couldn't find anywhere there. this was 6 yrs ago and she paid less than 50K for it!
It will be going on to the market soon- if anyone is interested its located nr the Chinese with the Elvis Impersonator owner.