Where should we move near London - husband's 3-year assignment will be in Dunton. Thanks.?

Question

Where should we move near London - husband's 3-year assignment will be in Dunton. Thanks.?

Answer 1

This is Dunton, near Brentwood, in Essex, (just east of London) right?

Well, obviously it depends on what your budget is, and what your tastes are: although (given that, in general the eastern side of London isn't, overall, the nicest part of London - although it is the cheapest part to live in), I would probably recommend looking at places in Essex itself, rather than in London.

The nearest town of any size to Dunton, Brentwood, has some charm - it has a cathedral (and a traditional public [=private] school too...although not one of the best of those): of the other places very nearby, Upminster has some nice residential districts, and is the last stop of the Underground, too.

Beyond that there numerous pleasant villages in Essex, especially to the north - Thaxted and FInchingfield spring immeditately to mind. Or you could live on the coast (which would only be a 20-minute drive or so from Dunton) - Leigh-on-Sea is the most agreeable town there, in south Essex, at least.

Places to avoid? Basildon (post-WWII new town, a bit soullness, big, nasty estates), and most places in the borough of Thurrock (Grays, Tilbury, Stanford-le-Hope): mostly post-industrial, grey, run-down and a bit scary...

I can't immediately think of a website or websites that would give you lots of info about any of these places in one go - but googling the place names should help, as might some of the UK-wide property/real estate sites