Of course there is, plenty of places within a 30-45 minute train ride that are rural and will give you the quiet life you're after. We live in Berkshire and hubby commutes in to London each day, half an hour straight in to Paddington, but we're in the middle of nowhere and bought a large Georgian 6 bed farmhouse with land for less than the budget you've mentioned. Granted, that was a few years ago so prices have no doubt increased, but even so you can still get a lot more for your money further out.

If you love walking and want somewhere stunningly scenic, then look at the Chilterns - again, half an hour or so from London on the train, but beautiful countryside. Not cheap housing (we moved from there so we could get more house for our money), but you'd still get a nice house for your budget.

Best of luck.

I'm still thinking Brighton, Hove or Eastbourne, or one of the villages roundabout. They seem to me to meet your requirements.

E.G:2 bedroom apartment for sale in The Boardwalk, Brighton Marina Village, Brighton, BN2 5ZE, BN2

550.000 for a 2 bed apartment. I'm sure there's better.

It is within the OP's price range. How about this then?
3 bedroom bungalow for sale in Old Martello Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN24, BN24
If the OP wants somewhere to walk a dog, he can't do better than a beach.

Although, viewing the particulars, I see it has a 'walking wardrobe'. I don't like the sound of that. What happens if you need a clean shirt, and your wardrobe has gone for a stroll?

Better than the other one:-). I mentioned Cardiff before and how would that city be for culture, walks etc.? Never lived there but it seems to get a lot of good reports. It's a capital, so must be plenty going on and you have coast, parks and housing seems a lot cheaper. Still only 2 hours from London.

The OP started off wanting "city life" probably London and we have finished up on Eastbourne beach. I know threads get off topic but this must be some kind of record!

I grew up in the Chilterns, nice part of the world. But the areas vary a lot, I would not live in Wycombe, but I think Wycombe caves are neat. Marlow or Amersham are OK. The Chalfonts are nice too, but more pricey.

Thank you. I kinda feel that having the best of both(city & burbs) wrapped into one is a doable quest. Having London nearby but not to close while being nestled in tranquility is my idea of home. I will add Chilterns to my search effort. So many posters on this site really are so helpful and let me say all these contributions to my home search are very appreciated. Think the only thing I'll miss about America are the wide open roads. I enjoy long drives and how freeing it feels to hit the road. Look forward to doing that same thing through Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Should be fun, just with narrower roads.

Would you say Brighton or Eastbourne has better nightlife compared to Manchester? I like a good Pub night out, but wouldn't mind taking in a Jazz club or other music outing as well.

We live in the Chilterns, small market town on Thames with famous bridge and it is a lovely town and area but there is talk about railway line stopping permanently at Bourne End but whatever it is an hour to London. Our house which is end terrace 3 bed within walking distance to centre of town will be going on market next spring at offers around £450 000. Your £550 000 will get you a terrace house here. You have the country right on your doorstep and all the action you need in London plus Heathrow is just 45 min away with traffic. Both M4 and M40 can be accessed from here quickly. Only reason we are selling is because OH wants peace and quiet and large garden and I miss the sea.

Have been looking at various areas and I'm quite impressed with several options. Saint Albans is a nice area and rings many of the bells, but buying a detach home with my budget is going to limit my options. It will take some effort to find a home with a nice size garage. I have also been looking at Essex which is one hour away from London. This region of the UK feels idea in many respects. Beautiful scenery and money goes a lot further . The size homes you can buy for 500k might make that choice worth a serious look. 4 bedroom detached house for sale in Market Place, Dunmow, Essex, CM6, CM6 Several options on offer. 4 bedroom detached house for sale in The Street, Sturmer, CB9. One hour from London is idea.

Have you looked to see what you would get in greater Manchester for £500k? Or alternatively looked to see what those kind of houses would cost you in Mamchester, I would take a punt at £200-300k.

Those houses are about 20 miles from where I live but slightly further from and less accessible to London - and London is not an hour away from me and is not close enough to feel like popping there every weekend. On paper my train is 40 minutes to London but I would allow 90 minutes to two hours for every trip into London, it costs over £20 on the train and is too far for a taxi home. If I were doing theatre in London, I would book a hotel or do the matinee.

Nothing wrong with the places of course, but if you think you are getting London you are wrong. If you bought in Greater Manchester (say) you would save hundreds of thousands and would be far closer to the city action than you would be from a Hertforsdshire or Essex commuter town.

Hi,


We live fairly close to Manchester 40 mins on the train in the Peak District, so we visit the City often (I was originally born in Manchester), it does have a great vibe, it is a lot larger than when we first lived in the UK, tons of bars, pubs etc depending on which area you live Manchester Airport is great to access both long, short and medium hall flights. Again depending on which "side" your live you have Liverpool, Sheffield and Leeds are not far with Birmingham (we have flown from there a few times) a not bad drive on a "clear day" lol. Saying that you cannot compare London to Manchester, London is a Major world capital (with prices to match) and has everything these "world cities" have to offer. I would not mind living near to London if I could afford one of the "greener" areas, my SIL lives in Biggin Hill, it feels very countryside (ish), has a lovely home, she works nearby and "pops" into London most weekends. We also really,really like York and would definitely live there, great City vibe with lots of History, great pubs/bars and wonderful countryside on the doorstep. Good luck with your search.

If you want pubs, then Manchester, Brighton and Eastbourne are all good. But the advantage of Brighton and Eastbourne is that you can enjoy a night out in London as well:

Last train from London Victoria to Brighton/Eastbourne 1 am.

But then again if the OP bought in Manchester, there'd be enough money for a hotel in London .