The big budget property hunt: the best commuter towns with £800k family homes and fast trains into London
As a general rule of house buying, the bigger the budget the less the need to compromise.
Buyers with £800,000-£900,000 to spend can rightly expect choices: to be able to select a family home within an easy commute of London, in an area with good schools, quality homes, plenty of local facilities and the kind of atmosphere that makes a move out of the capital worth the journey and upheaval.
They include established commuter hotspots from St Albans to Sevenoaks, plus the London fringes and super-affluent gated communities such as Virginia Water.
In the latest instalment of Homes & Property’s essential guide to the best places to find a family home in the commuter belt, we pick the first among equals.
WALTON-ON-THAMES IN SURREY
Average price of a four-bedroom house: £829,699
Annual price change: 4 per cent
Average trains to London: 36 minutes
A slightly suburban vibe can perhaps be forgiven since Walton-on-Thames is closer, in journey times, to central London than many true suburbs and its good-quality Victorian terraces, large Thirties houses and even larger new-build trophy homes are ideal for families in need of more space than they can find in the capital.
Local Ofsted “outstanding” primary schools include Cleves School and Ashley CofE, while Walton Oak and Grovelands primaries each get a “good” rating from the education watchdog.
At weekends the Surrey Hills are ready and waiting to explore, and this market town offers a well-stocked, albeit slightly clone-ish high street, enlivened by one or two independent cafés and neighbourhood restaurants, a regular farmers’ market, plus a couple of riverside pubs.
Adam Burlison, a partner at Knight Frank, says buyers leave London for Walton because its brilliant commuter links and great amenities mean there’s little need to compromise.
“We have a cinema, there is a marina, the town centre has been regenerated, there are loads of golf courses, a number of health clubs, the Elmbridge Xcel Sports Hub, and at the weekend the kids can ride their bikes all the way down the Thames,” he says
SUNNINGDALE IN BERKSHIRE
Average price of a four-bedroom house: £888,286
Annual price change: 11 per cent
Average trains to London: 51 minutes
On the borders of Surrey and Berkshire, this is a dream location for those who love golf, with both Wentworth Golf Club and Sunningdale Golf Club close by — if you can afford to play there.
Lovely Virginia Water Lake and Windsor Great Park are fabulous for walks and picnics and there’s horse riding, too.
Charters School, for seniors, gets an “outstanding” Ofsted rating, while Holy Trinity CofE Primary School is rated “good”.
Styled a village by locals, there is in truth not much to Sunningdale beyond its station and a small but decent array of shops around it.
The Farrow & Ball showroom speaks loudly about the demographic of the area. As well as a butcher, a pharmacy and a few boutiques there are several cute little cafés and restaurants. For more choice go to the nearby towns of Ascot and Windsor.
Property varies wildly. “You go from small railway cottages from around £600,000 right up to the biggest sale we had last year in Sunningdale which was a new-build, 23,000sq ft house which went for £21 million,” explains Paul Finch, sales manager of Beauchamp Estates.
Buyers like Sunningdale for its accessibility, exclusivity and peace and quiet — it is, to be blunt, a very posh commuter dormitory. “You are virtually on top of Heathrow so it’s great for business travel,” adds Finch.
Edward Shaw, partner at Knight Frank, says Sunningdale is at its best in summer, with plenty of polo and horse riding to keep equestrians busy. “The private schools are a big draw, and you are close to Bray and Henley, so there is a lot to do without having to go into London.”
WINDSOR IN BERKSHIRE
Average price of a four-bedroom house: £842,077 around Windsor & Eton Riverside station; £844,223 around Windsor & Eton Central
Annual price change: -6 per cent and -2 per cent respectively
Average journey time to London: 51 minutes; 31 minutes
With Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding this weekend, this small town with the biggest inhabited royal castle in the world has the eyes of the world upon it. And apart from the plane noise and tourists, it stands up pretty well to scrutiny.
On the south bank of the Thames, Windsor attracts more than 600,000 tourists a year who spend a total of £571 million on local businesses.
This means plenty of cafés, restaurants and bars, although it does also mean year-round crowds around the castle and the cobbled streets of the town centre.
Shops are plentiful, ranging from high-end chains to interesting independents.
The vast majority of schools have strong Ofsted reports, led by Windsor Girls’ School, Hilltop First School and St Edward’s Catholic First School, all rated “outstanding”, while Eton College is, of course, just across the bridge.
John Henson, associate director of Savills, says there is little ugly urban sprawl because Windsor is hemmed in by the river, Windsor Great Park and the Long Walk, so the town centre remains both historic and compact.
“There is very little new build, it is all character, mostly Victorian and Edwardian.”
Windsor is like Richmond: leafy, with great schools, the restaurants aren’t bad and there are good river walks.
A three-bedroom Victorian terrace house would cost from £600,000 but you would pay around £1.5 million for a five-bedroom detached villa with a large garden.
A quarter of Henson’s clients are coming out of London. “Strolling tourists can be frustrating along the high street but if you are a homeowner you are slightly removed from that stuff.”