A question posed by me inspired by several “find me somewhere to live” threads in the past!

If someone told you to move to somewhere 1.5 hours from Central London by train door-to-door (to the main terminals like Waterloo, Paddington etc), decent road and mountain biking without having to drive, and a budget of 200k to buy a 4 bedroom house with a garden and garage, would you say that was a possibility?

Bristol

Nope.

edit: commutefrom.com is best for playing around as for each station it’ll show travel times as well as direct links to rightmove etc within a mile of the station.

Very few places within 90 mins travel have an *average* house price under 200k (even the sink towns that happen to have a station), and a 4-bed with garage and garden will be rather more than average. And that’s before looking at riding possibilities.

3 bed terrace with a tiny garden and no parking? Maybe.

If someone told me to move somewhere 1.5 hours from Central London I’d tell them to get stuffed.

Define ‘decent mountain biking’ – off road bumbling or gnaarcore hucking?

@fasthaggis, anywhere specific? Somerset was my first choice. I thought I’d be looking at a pretty dire part of the Home Counties to be honest!

@IHN I live within riding distance of Swinley Forest and under an hour’s drive from the Surrey Hills, Chicksands and so on. So I guess something comparable? Would compromise for bumblecore and very good road riding if that helps?

Hogwarts?

The train service to London is excellent apparently.

Somewhere in Northern France?.

Edit – or that home of the best urban MTBing in the world – Swindon?.

Thetford.

You never said you wanted hills.

If someone told me to move somewhere 1.5 hours from Central London I’d tell them to get stuffed.

What’s the flying time from Inverness?

and a budget of 200k to buy a 4 bedroom house with a garden and garage,

you need to add probably about £100k to that to find 4 beds within your 1.5 train time TBH

What’s the flying time from Inverness?

1hr 40m. My first thought was how often do you need to go to London and why?

The better half flies down from Edinburgh at a minimum of once a fortnight no bother.

Derby or Nottingham spring to mind. Mountain biking close-by.

You’ll be struggling to get anything 4 bed for £200k in a rural location that would enable you to ride from your front door.

Mapnificent

Except it only lets you do an hour

@piemonster a couple of times a week, maybe less. Somerset is increasingly looking like the best option though!

I think outskirts of Bristol are your only choice if you don’t want to drive to mtb opportunities.

With the greatest respect, if the highest house price you can afford is £200k, why are you bothering with London? Doesn’t seem worth the hassle working there, and especially a requirement for a commute there, even just a few days a week, if your recompense only allows you to afford a house for up to £200k.

Leeds, once HS2 arrives 😉

train version

I just liked the Bristol area,but only ever stayed in Montpelier when we visited.No idea what prices are like now.
Good road riding out of the city.
Didn’t do any MTB,but the folk we knew went to Ashton Court,Leigh Woods or headed across to Wales.

@piemonster a couple of times a week, maybe less. Somerset is increasingly looking like the best option though!

Yeah, bllx to that much flying and onward travel from the airport.

@Doh1Nut now that’s what I’m talking about!

@northerntom maybe 200k is what I’ve just won in the lottery? 😉

@Woody2000 when’s that then?

I’d be impressed if you could find 4 bed houses in Bristol for £200k

@IHN I live within riding distance of Swinley Forest and under an hour’s drive from the Surrey Hills, Chicksands and so on. So I guess something comparable? Would compromise for bumblecore and very good road riding if that helps?

In that case, Swindon. But, really:

you need to add probably about £100k to that to find 4 beds within your 1.5 train time TBH

Yup, when I lived there a 1 bed first floor flat cost £140k! Mind you, that was close to the peak. Sounds like it’s as bad there now.

Looks alright?

Would compromise for bumblecore and very good road riding if that helps?

Would you compromise for Dumbledore and very good broom riding?

Hogwarts it is then.

@Nobeerinthefridge where’d the riding be?

This started out as a bit of whimsy. Seriously considering the move to Somerset now.

Anyone know what the deal with HS2 is? Crossrail is already playing havoc with house prices where it’s going to be. Surely people are cashing in on the HS2 gravy train (ahahahaha! Sorry) already when selling?

@perchypanther 😀 strangely, Nationalrail doesn’t list Hogwarts as one of their stations. Private school brats probably had onward transport from the local station I bet.

I think you may be 15 years too late with that budget and those requirements 😉

Newport 1hr 55mins. House prices low, riding good.

you can find 4 bed houses in certain parks of milton keynes for around 200k. they won’t be nice area’s though.
The road ridings pretty good and chicksands, woburn and aston hill are all local enough (particulalry woburn which is rideable)

Cannock will be on the list when they’ve finished the electrification of the chase line.

Currently about 2 and a bit hours to london, but walkable to the station.

Although only an hour and 17 mins from stafford according to the trainline. Stafford train station is less than 20 mins from my house. And I can do a lap of the dog from my door in an hour.

Whether Cannock meets the criteria of ‘proper’ mountain biking I don’t know…

@ctk if only… Does look like your money goes a long way there!

@tommyhine I think at this point I should add a “not Home Counties” requirement? Some cracking suggestions here though!

@prawny whereabouts in Cannock should I look?

Newport 1hr 55mins. House prices low, riding good.

but you have to live in Newport

Can you hang on until HS2 is done? 🙂

Sorted

Where’s my commission.

but you have to live in Newport
[/quote]
Yeah, but…

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09bZ6YfXRJQ[/video]

Around Stafford for ease of the train.

Hednesford, Rugely, Etchinghill or Slitting Mill (would be pushing the budget in the last 2 though) for ease of mountain biking.

prawny – Member

Sorted

Where’s my commission.

I bet the estate agents say it’s ‘close to transport links’

Aylesbury. Train into Marylebone in under an hour. Chilterns rideable offroad straight from the town.

Might struggle on price though, although tbh there aren’t many places in the UK you’ll get 4 beds, garden and garage for £200k

Cotswolds from your door, Quantocks, Exmoor and Wales not far even round Bath we have some good riding, but house prices would be the issue here.