Yeah - you’ve really excelled there @anon5422159! 
4 Likes
I was planning on moving house before COVID. I wanted an extra room and a bit of outside space but was still planning on being in SE London as I needed to be in Victoria most days - and wanted to stay in cycling distance and with a relatively short commute.
Now, it’s likely that I’ll only be in the office 2-3 times a month so I’m thinking of moving further out and getting something with more room and a bigger garden once that’s confirmed. I’m a keen sailor so I’m thinking somewhere in Hampshire that puts me closer to the Solent but not too far from London/Bracknell/Heathrow.
4 Likes
I worked in Tunbridge Wells for a while, although I didn’t live there – beautiful with plenty to do, and my friends who live there seem to have a great quality of life.
Cons in terms of the commute, aside from the expense.
Stating the obvious, if you’ll be relying on public transport, make sure the timetable suits your working schedule.
Likewise, bear in mind that things don’t always run smoothly and reliably, and that there won’t necessarily be alternatives, such as a bus to hop on if the trains are playing up. (Even rail replacement buses can be a nightmare.)
Also, even if things are going as planned, that extra commute can get taxing over time, if you have to do it regularly. If your job already involves long days, the couple of hours it takes to get back home can really take it out of you and leave you with little or no time for a social life.
I’d also add that I was travelling out of town during the morning rush hour and towards town in the evening, so at least I was pretty much guaranteed a seat and a fairly peaceful journey each way. May not be the case if you’re doing the opposite.
Good luck, whatever you decide!
4 Likes
Some trains/commutes from these commuter towns make the tube look easy. Looks like Tunbridge is the first stop on the line though so you’d get a seat.
There are quiet parts of SE23 and there are others that are next to a busy main line. It’s the same thing in the countryside, you have to do your due diligence.
People leaving London in their 30s has been a trend since forever. It’s not natural to live so close to other people. Or maybe that’s me. I grew up in a country where “terraced” or “semi detached” weren’t even in the vocabulary 
4 Likes
I didn’t take part in the Poll because my husband and I had always planned to move back to the New Forest once he retired and we no longer had to be where the work was. So it’s a long planned thing and nothing to do with Covid. My family and many of my friends are there. Himself wants a workshop for his Land Rover and I want a dog and the sea.
The second home brigade have sadly hit hard in the New Forest and surrounding area, prices are astronomic and local people forced out. Second homes are a problem in Lewisham too of course (or maybe even three homes in the case of one Councillor). it would solve our housing crisis overnight if people could only have one home and revitalise many of our villages if people saw them as their their full-time homes.
2 Likes
Its not just Covid forcing people to make a decision - Brexit is extremely high on my list of concerns (and Forest Hill was noticeably less polluted for the first few weeks of lockdown - proving how polluted it normally is!)
1 Like
I dont understand why Brexit, but I do of course see what you mean about pollution. The countryside isn’t free from that of course, but if you’ve got the cash you’ve more chance of getting away from it. Lyndhurst high street seems worse than Oxford Street for air quality, especially in the summer. There has been talk of a bypass as long as I can remember, but if course there’s nowhere to put it that won’t upset some landowner in one direction or damage the forest in another! It’s been especially crowded this year.
Every house I’ve seen that I’ve liked has had a septic tank and mains drainage is a must for me!
All I mean is: the other man’s grass and all that …
Sydenham and Forest Hill have a huge amount going for them and life in the countryside isn’t necessarily what you might expect.
2 Likes
On the ‘B’ word, can we keep it to it being a reason to stay or go (as you carefully did) without going into pros and cons and starting a political debate please.
1 Like
My advice would be to make sure that wherever you decide to move to is where you really want to be. Some friends of mine moved of FH out a few years ago and would now like to move back to London but the sale proceeds of their 4 bedroom detached house wouldn’t buy a 1 bedroom flat in FH.
2 Likes
Sadly for the people who can only just afford a 1 bed flat in FH the only choice is out of FH to get more space (and London if want somewhere safe)
Funnily enough @clausy my point about Brexit wasn’t political (though I could moan about that for days) - it was more this is the last chance because most people simply won’t get a working visa
1 Like
Yes I know! It was just a pre-emptive comment in general. Hence my ‘as you did’ remark 
1 Like
Reading through everyone’s thoughtful replies it’s clear that I haven’t explained the situation clearly. The plan isn’t to commute to London on a daily basis. I’m self-employed and would drive to one of the large housing sites along the M25 corridor for work. The possibility of having to go into central London on the train would only be if any of Kent’s large brickwork contractors didn’t have any work for me, hence the comment on having to work on the big concrete frames. Hope that clears it all up. Besides that, I just can’t decide on Sevenoaks or Tunbridge Wells.
3 Likes
If London trains aren’t an issue for you, then RTW is definitely a better choice than Sevenoaks. I love it here, especially now I can WFH.
Let me know if you do move here, and we can grab a pint sometime 
2 Likes