jasey

Hi guys

Does anyone else have a large extended animal family? We have four dogs and two cats (yes, I know!) and would look to buy a detached home in Kent (even if the commute is longer, to give us as much space as possible) when we've been there for a couple of years. To start with though, we're going to have to rent. What areas in the SE are known to have pet-friendly attitudes to rentals, with large gardens to run in around in?

Thanks very much

Pistolpete2

The area south of Canterbury towards Wye and westward around Charing and then south of Ashford around Hamstreet and towards Appledore offers plenty of open country and large-gardened properties that lend themselves better to a number of pets and where landlords would be more amenable in this regard.

The commute is not bad either because of fast access via Ashford to St Pancras. I just don't think there is anything much closer in to London with rolling countryside / animal-friendly apart from maybe around Horsmonden with access via a short drive to Tonbridge? or Paddock Wood.

This would be right up your alley and in the right area for the commute - back where your search started originally:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...?premiumA=true

Not sure about this for pets as they are not mentioned but the area is right:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-34960282.html

jasey

Thanks Pete! Things keep drawing me back to the Ashford/Canterbury region. As always, your precise locations and examples (and links!) are really helpful. Thank you

bigglesworth

'Er Indoors (who knows about these things) says four dogs will be hard to find a renter, even with a large deposit. (We also have four ourselves).
Your best route might be to find the property first. You may not have the luxury of picking the area.

Also be aware that the railway lines into London only go as far as the mainline stations. (I know - pretty obvious). West Sussex trains do go to London, but getting into the City can be hard, while the West End is easy. Kent is pretty good for both, although your journey times go up a lot as you ,move outwards.
Hertfordshire and Essex are good for the City and North London.
Surrey and Hampshire easier for the West End.

Of course you can use tubes and buses, but this does add considerably to journey times.
Sorry If I am stating the bleeding obvious, but travel through London is VERY crowded and expensive and often unreliable. The new overground hardly runs some days.

jasey

Thanks for confirming. I realise this may end up being the case. Not the end of the world, given that we'll only rent for a year or so before buying - and then we'll be our own landlords

Not obvious to me at all, so thanks for the additional info. Will have a browse around the areas along the train lines.

bigglesworth

Jasey

Ashford benefits from cheap (comparatively) property and an absolutely first rate train service (along the Channel rail link lines) of about half an hour into London. BUT it only goes into St Pancras I think.
It is the old lines and connections into Victoria and they are a LOT slower.

Pistolpete2

There still is service into Charing Cross from Ashford but it takes about 1hr 20mins because it stops at all the intermediate stations in the Weald unlike the days of old when there was fast service from Ashford to Tonbridge and then only London Bridge before Waterloo East and Ch X. SouthEastern push the High Speed service to St P over everything else now, for good reason as it is indeed fast at only 36 minutes.

Coming in from Wye, changing at Ashford takes 52 minutes. From Westenhanger 57 minutes.

Both Wye and Westenhanger offer access to surrounding open country ideal for animals. Use these for searching on rightmove in due course.

I would also think that it is worth looking at the area around Bells Yew Green SE of Tunbridge Wells for open country and pet/possible rentals using Frant or Wadhurst stations with access to Cannon Street for the City and Ch X. In the rush hour, fastest service from Frant to Cannon Street is 59 mins (54 mins coming out) to Ch X a tick over the hour. Renting is affordable there but buying isn't.

jasey

Fast = great! And expensive, but that's another story

Thanks Pete, will check Wye/Westenhanger and compare train costs. Haven't checked out Westenhanger at all, so that'll be interesting! Happy to rent in areas I wouldn't be able to buy in ... as long as we have the space we need.

mayhemuk

Have a go at this site - goes some quick info on potentials.
BTW We are in Ware and had a time finding a place for one dog!

http://www.commutefrom.co.uk/

Pistolpete2

Ware Herts or Ware Kent?

mayhemuk

Ware Hertfordshire. Sorry for confusion.

britwhore

Hi jasey. We have 4 dogs and it was a nightmare. However we found the BEST place to live - a lovely town called Westerham just outside Bromley near Sevenoaks in Kent. The commute to London is easy and you are basically in zone 6 which means oyster card or travel card. The company we rented from were fine with dogs. We actually rented on a country estate. Check out the area online and if you like it contact the lettings agency in town. They're called Karrisons. Good luck!

jasey

This is very useful info. Thanks for the specifics and contact info, Britwhore!

britwhore

no worries. It's a fantastic area. And my dogs LOVE it!!!! We live on a 2600 acre country estate so walk out of our door onto farmland and woodland. Heaven!!

jasey

That sounds like a dream come true. Let's see what 2014 brings!

Happy new year!