Where to commute from?

[Powderhead]

We're looking to move house.

We're in Kingston upon Thames at the moment, because we both need to be able to get into central London for work every day. Mrs Powderhead takes a train into Waterloo from Surbiton, and I ride in. It takes us both 50-55 minutes to commute to/from work, door-to-door.

Working outside of London isn't really an option right now, and neither is moving any closer to London.

Any suggestions for a nice place to live that won't mean spending any more of our valuable time commuting, that isn't too stabby?

I'd really like less of an "urban" feel, but equally I don't want an even more horrendous commute Can Kingston be beaten?

It would be interesting to hear suggestions from anyone who has a similar life or who can point me to some useful resources/opinions.

Inb4 "don't work in London" - that's not an option. I don't mind living further from London (indeed, I'd welcome it), but we have to work there right now.
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[owl]

In pretty much the same situation as you except that we're in Wimbledon. We are quite fortunate that we're in a quiet / green area and the rent has only gone up once in the last 10 years.

Where in London do work?

Kingston is scenic, although that A307/8 does my head in.

Considering moving further out too, no clue where though
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[Powderhead]

[Itchy]

Live in Paris and commute in via Eurostar? 2hours each way
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[Powderhead]

[thx1138]

Letchworth, just cane it down the A1 in Jedi filtering mode.

[TbirdX]

Epping.

Straight on the tube for the Mrs, she'll get a seat too, and you can have fun in between the Audis and BMWs on the M11/A13.
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[Hawkeye1250FA]

Beckenham. No nearer to Bromley than that though....
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[c_dug]

I live in Hornchurch which is nice enough for what it is, but I have family on your side of London (Teddington area) and so I've spent plenty of time there, you definitely get what you pay for terms of nice neighbours and usable out door space.
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[hellkat]

I quite like Kingston, away from the central part.

What about Staines (the rivery side, not the Ali-G side) or Egham? Pretty much the same as where you're at now, just slightly off the other side of Kingston, but nicer. I quite like Teddington as it goes. There's still a few funky types there. Or Hampton Court? Shepperton/Upper Halliford/Claygate (Hersham, mmmmm)

If thinking East, start BEYOND Dagenham, and never Barking (smells of poo). Try Epping, or Abridge (I LOVE Abridge/Stapleford Abbots) ... but not Chigwell, there are too many oompa-loompas living there. Mostly Central line into Chancery Lane OR Bond St. Alternatively a bit further out Ingatestone or Mountnessing is quite nice, still quite villagey and on the edge of fields - straight into Fenchurch St via West Ham, I think, a fairly sprightly commute for the Mrs.

North, you could go East Barnet Village which is quite nice, villagey - or Cockfosters has a few nice spots, too) - I was staying in N12 last week and just north of it is REALLY nice countryside. I quite like Golders Green, weirdly enough. It reminds me of parts of Auckland for some odd reason. Dunno about trains, am not good with the North , but I suppose eventually it comes down to the Northern Line to Waterloo or London Bridge?

In terms of Northwest, I'd quite like to live in Harefield Village or Ickenham, just avoiding the Heathrow blight (and not quite as expensive as Gerrards Cross, Denham and The Chalfonts/Seer Green, all of which are lovely/Chilternsy). Straight down the A40 into the West End. Probably a bit of a 'mare into the City.

As for Sarf ... well ... nothing really much there, although there are parts of Upper Sydenham which are surprisingly nice, affordable and not quite Dulwich prices. Avoid most of central Bromley, but go Beckenham or Hayes, which are both more widely-boulevarded suburban-comfortable. NB, you probably can't afford Downe (yet) but you could do worse than aspire to it

I'm seriously considering moving from where I am, and at the moment, I have *no* idea where to look.
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[UncleFester]

Letchworth / Hitchin / Stevenage / Knebworth - anywhere in that area is 30 minutes on the fast train out of KX.

Houseprices are vastly cheaper and you get more space / garage plus some lovely roads to ride around on.
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[weasley]

Reading is 30 minutes from Paddington on the train. That’s maybe the best thing to say about it, other than it isn’t London. However this is where the south-east conurbation effectively stops and countryside begins, so plenty of suburbs and villages if you choose. It is prime commuter belt, with the train line and the M4 plus it’s on the Thames so prices can be high, but there’s plenty of variety.

Another 15 minutes on the train gets you to Didcot (getting better than it used to be) and stay on the train a little longer and you’re in Oxford.
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[grr666]

[Powderhead]

Thanks for the replies all

It's definitely given us a few things to consider

It's hard to narrow down a search when you've basically got the whole of the south-east to look at
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[chickenstrip]

Wherever you do settle down in the end, commute from there
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[M.C]

[hellkat]

[UncleFester]

It's where i live and it's a lovely area. I'm sure London is OK when you're used to it ... but you can get used to anything given enough time and i wonder if it blinds you to what else is out there.

I have a mate who lives in North London who spends more time commuting to work in Bloomsbury than it used to take me to commute in from Stevenage and i'd walk from the train station to the Office.

I'd earn about £10k more a year in London but by the time you've taken Tax off, commuting costs plus factored in the misery of 2 hours a day on public transport ... i'd not a enjoy a single penny of the tiny amount that remained in my pocket.
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Module 1 and 2 passed - October 2014. Happy owner of a 2017 Z1000SX, ex owner of a YBR125 / CB500 / VFR800.