The Hattie

With green space at a premium in London, the chance to have your own private garden is a big draw for buyers looking to move out of the city. And the growth of hybrid working has enabled more and more Londoners to do just that. The promise of BBQs in the summer, the opportunity to grow your own vegetables, or even a place to exercise a dog; having a garden is a dream for many who’ve spent years cooped up in small London flats.

So how much budget do you need to secure your own slice of greenery within commuting distance of the Big Smoke? The answer is not as much as you might think. Let’s take a look at a selection of towns you could include in your search if your maximum spend is £350,000.  

Braintree

The town of Braintree in Essex was mentioned in the Domesday Book. It’s also home to the Warner Textile Archive, a unique collection of textiles dating back to the 1800s. Textiles of a more modern variety can be found just outside the town at the popular Braintree Village outlet stores. Direct trains into London Liverpool Street once an hour make this historic town a solid option for commuters. 

Braintree offers buyers a good range of property types. Here, £350,000 will buy a handsome three-bedroom Victorian end of terrace with a garden and period features to boot. If period features aren’t your thing, the same budget will also buy a more modern three-bedroom home on a development within walking distance of the station. Smaller, two-bedroom properties are available from around £280,000, many still boasting period features and good outdoor space. Braintree seems to have something to suit most buyers.

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Worthing

Just under 1.5 hours by train from London Victoria, Worthing is a great option for commuters looking for a seaside escape. As well as 5 miles of gently sloping beach, Worthing boasts a pier, a new leisure centre, and a good mix of shops, restaurants and  art galleries.

Unsurprisingly, you get more bang for your buck in Worthing the further you get away from the seafront. Closer to the main parade, properties in this price range tend to be one or two-bedroom apartments. Though there are a good mix of styles on offer, including some attractive bay-fronted period buildings, you’re unlikely to find much outdoor space beyond communal gardens. To bag your private garden, look further inland at neighbourhoods such as Durrington, where £350,000 will buy a two or three-bedroom attached property with a garden. If your heart is set on strolling to the seafront then the neighbouring villages of East Preston and Rustington, west of Worthing, might offer up some bargains. 

Crawley

The West Sussex town of Crawley is conveniently positioned on the mainline between London and Brighton. A train from Three Bridges railway station will get you into London Bridge in half an hour. The town has a good selection of shops, including many of the high street staples, and a wide range of other amenities such as a sports centre, bowling alley and an animal park. 

In this post-war town, £350,000 will comfortably buy a three-bedroom end of terrace house with a spacious garden. Don’t expect many period properties in Crawley. The housing stock dates mainly from the 1960s through to the 1980s. They may not be the most attractive of houses, but you can guarantee well proportioned rooms and good storage space. For smaller budgets, £300,000 could secure a two-bedroom terrace, while £280,000 will get a two-bedroom maisonette with a private garden. 

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Basingstoke

Basingstoke is located west of London, in Hampshire. The town has a large modern shopping centre and a range of amenities including a theatre, museum and sports centre. With a 50-minute journey time into London Waterloo, Basingstoke is a convenient commuter base. Yet, sitting on the edge of the Salisbury Plain and within easy reach of the North Wessex Downs, it also offers rural escapism within easy reach.

Basingstoke expanded rapidly from the mid-1960s. If your budget of £350,000 needs to stretch to three bedrooms, then it’s likely that you will find more of this style of property available in your price range. For a more characterful home, two-bedroom Victorian terraces are also available for this budget – though often with less outdoor space.  

Maidstone

Maidstone, the county town of Kent, lies south-east of London on the River Medway. The town has a long history, including a notable role in the Peasants’ Revolt in 1381. Maidstone’s historic links are explored in the town’s excellent museum. The town centre also boasts an ample array of shops and restaurants. Direct trains into London Victoria run once an hour from Maidstone East, one of the town’s three stations, and take just over one hour. 

A budget of £350,000 will comfortably buy a private garden in Maidstone. The housing stock is a good mix too, with everything from modern developments to grade 2 listed cottages available in this price range. A three bedroom property at this price may need a little modernisation. Two-bedroom properties are much easier to find, though they are likely to be terraced or semi-detached rather than detached.

Tunbridge Wells

The town of Royal Tunbridge Wells in East Sussex sits inside the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This attractive and historic town offers excellent shopping, including the famous Pantiles. The town also offers a range of restaurants, several parks, and a boating lake. Trains run regularly from Tunbridge Wells station into London Charing Cross, a journey taking around 50 minutes. 

A highly desirable place to live, your money won’t go as far in Tunbridge Wells as it would in Crawley or Maidstone. It’s unlikely you will find many three-bedroom options with a garden here for your £350,000. It is possible to find two-bedroom properties in Tunbridge Wells for this budget but you should avoid sought after period features that will drive prices up.

Aylesbury

Aylesbury, located just beyond the Chiltern Hills, is the county town of Buckinghamshire. It’s home to Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where spinal specialist Doctor Ludwig Guttmann organised the first Stoke Mandeville Games for disabled servicemen in 1948. The games are considered to be the precursor to the Paralympics. Today, Aylesbury is a thriving town with a market several times a week. Trains into London take about one hour and terminate at Marylebone. 

A budget of £350,000 in Aylesbury provides plenty of scope for buyers seeking indoor and outdoor space. The town has a wealth of two and three-bedroom period terraces, although some might only come with a small yard rather than a garden. For more space, look to the post-war properties available outside the town centre – what they lack in curb appeal they’ll make up for in room for a vegetable patch!

Hemel Hempstead

With a journey time into London Euston of just 30 minutes, Hemel Hempstead is one of the most convenient locations for commuters on this list. Convenience comes with a price tag and you’ll certainly find it more of a challenge to track down a private garden here for your budget of £350,000. Hemel Hempstead sits just outside the M25, north west of Watford. As well as good transport links into the city, the town is also within easy reach of the beautiful Chiltern Hills, as well as the world-famous Warner Brothers Studio Tour. 

As with many of these towns, it’s the post-war housing that tends to fall within this price range in Hemel Hempstead. Period properties in this price bracket are likely to be 2-bed rather than 3-bed and might require some work to make the best of them. One or two-bedroom flats and maisonettes are also available in this price range, some of which do come with private gardens.     

Chelmsford

Home to Anglia-Ruskin University, Chelmsford in Essex lies on the ancient Roman route between London and Colchester. The town remains a bustling centre, with a large shopping mall, an attractive riverside park, and a swift 40 minute train connection into London Liverpool Street. On the outskirts of the town, the grounds of the neoclassical Hylands House pay host to food markets and other events throughout the year.

As with most towns, if you’re prepared to venture a little further from the centre and the railway station, you’ll find more options for your budget. Two-bedroom maisonettes with a private garden can be found for under £350,000. But if you’re set on buying a house then you might have to be prepared to carry out some modernisation. Push your search out a little further to include the surrounding villages and you’ll likely increase your options. Being prepared to add a short drive to the railway station can make all the difference to your search.

Rochester

The historic town of Rochester lies near the estuary of the River Medway in Kent. The town’s rich history is evident by its medieval cathedral and castle, as well as numerous other preserved buildings and museums. The town and surrounding area also provided inspiration for Charles Dickens, who owned a house nearby. More modern amenities include a good range of shops and supermarkets, although more high street staples can be found in nearby Chatham. 

A budget of £350,000 provides a good range of options in Rochester for commuters seeking outdoor space. You might even find you’ll have some budget left over. Two-bedroom Victorian terraced houses can be found here for around £280,000. At the top end of the budget, head a little further out from the centre of town to find spacious, modern three-bedroom properties with gardens to match.