Moved last year to a house in a village in Hertfordshire from a flat in London & not regretted it once. Go into London couple of times a week for meetings etc but I love living in the country.

This is great to hear! I fear I will miss the easy accessibility to everything. Pub around the corner, food shop across the road. Uber cab 10 pounds home from a night out. But at the same time I can't wait for a garden, larger parks to take my dog, a shorter car ride and I'm in the country!

I have not thought of Ruislip before! Will have a look at that area. We were thinking Ladywell, Peckham, Nunhead etc. (south east). Not on the tube though, but close enough with train to Victoria!

Chesham ? is on the end of the Metropolitan line a friend lives there. I think moving out of London depends if you are going to commute in for work, cost of commuting, if you still want to go out in the evenings a lot etc .... good luck !

Have not thought of that either. Will look it up! We have looked at Walthamstow - end of Victoria line, but not towards north west. I will still be working in London, so need an easy commute, either tube, or 15-25 min on train arriving at Victoria/London Bridge/Kings X etc. I think I can do an hours commute, but not much more.

Forest Hill?

Hi Ann, what is your experience with Forest Hill? We've been looking just north of it. But perhaps we should expand our search further south!

Hi Josefina - we're living parallel lives albeit we've already made the move. Went from elegant 2 bed flat in South Kensington to 4 bed house in Chiswick. Not that far away but a million miles apart in terms of life style. ALL of us are SO happy. Garden for the dog - and yes the garden needs continuous work but on days like this it's a joy to look at, be in. The people - we live in a community, people greet each other with good mornings, even strangers. And the space in the house is a dream. What do I miss from being so central? Um, the pollution? The noise? The parking restrictions? Nothing. Not even the upmarket restaurants.

It depends at what stage of life you are at. The fact you are thinking about it suggests you crave the space? I would say go for it. Will you always be just 2 of you? If you hate the burbs you can always move back.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences and thoughts!

Having lived in Camden for the last 4 years, I do feel like Peckham (south east) would be a good next step for us (in terms of distance). It is not on the tube, and would require a somewhat longer commute. But I would be happy to commute for up to an hour for the right house and community.

We crave space indeed, with our dog growing big(!), we need a garden. I also have my (big) family back in Sweden, so want them all to be able to come and visit at the same time! Current flat is a bit too small. Looks like a camping site if they visit :)

We've had Blackheath and Crystal Palace on our agenda to check out. Spending the next few weekends visiting all areas we're interesting in before we settle for a favourite.

Patricia - East Dulwich is amazing, but not sure we can afford living there! That is why we were thinking Crofton Park or Ladywell. Slightly further away, but still a nice weekend stroll away.

Moonlight5 - I have not been to Queens Park. Must add to my 'to visit list' :)

Gokr - Thank you! Cross rail is a great idea, it is something we're discussed before, but not those specific areas. They have now been added to our 'prospect list' :)

It is great to hear you don't miss London city that much! I hope to feel the same. Can't wait to go to sleep and it will be somewhat quiet outside my window. I currently hear police cars, busses and people chatting outside a shop opposite our flat until 11pm and beyond... I'm hoping to find the perfect balance. Work and fun in London. and a suburb home bringing me tranquillity and more space. Space to entertain and have people staying over! Space for dog!

Thanks for the heads up Patricia! If I make it to the festival, I will pop by Roasted Bean cafe for sure :)

moved from flat in south kensington to house in ladywell/ brockley borders. Best thing we did. I don't miss over inflated prices for everyday basics, tourists dawdling along the pavement, traffic noise, the facelessness of it, and I certainly DON'T miss the tube. I love the green spaces (there are soooo many parks in SE London and we're a very doable walk from Blackheath), strong sense of community and identity, peace and quiet yet with the dlr and trains 10min walk away so central London is at our fingertips. I love exploring new places (we love eating out - there isn't as much choice on the doorstep, but it is there, you just have to look), seeing the area transform, easy exit down to the Kent coast on a hot sunny day and mostly not falling over each other in a tiny flat. And if kids are on the agenda, Lewisham primary schools are very good. If I have a night out in town, there are always plenty of trains to Lewisham then I grab a cab the last bit (laziness mostly, but I feel I'm justified as, like you say, previously I'd have just taken a cab home)

Hello Josefina,

This might seem far to you when I suggest Cambridge which is 50 miles away... It is pricy as cities go, but I'd say it's definitely worth a look if you don't know it... It's very beautiful, leafy, historic and a development boom. Colleges, cycling, punting, museums etc...

I miss it!

If you consider that the tube from one side of London to the other can take up to an hour or more, a 40 minute train from Cambridge into Kings X is really fantastic! : ))

I love hearing all your thoughts and recommendations. Especially hearing from those in Ladywell/ Crofton park etc. as that is a key area for us - close to friends and easy access back to town. I've put all your suggestions on my list, and I will take the summer to explore them all!! :)

Lived in Norfolk for 15 years, moved to SW London 8 years ago. It required a major downsize but you will never get me to leave.

Suresh, sounds you made a good move! Hoping we will do the same! We have family on the country in big villa. So moving somewhat in between city life and country life is ideal.

I have not been much around Brixton, but I do love their market and the've got some pretty awesome restaurants around there too! Will add Streatham to our list :)

Georgian farmhouse thought... keep on dreaming.. for later in life!