London has everything a family could want, including superb career opportunities, rich culture, beautiful parks, interesting museums, fun events, and excellent transport links. Despite its many advantages, navigating a pram to a third-floor flat or paying a significant sum for limited square footage can feel challenging for families of all sizes.
As a result, you might have decided that the time has come to say a fond farewell to London and move to nearby Buckinghamshire, Surrey or Hertfordshire. If you’re ready to relocate, read this mini guide to moving your family to the Home Counties.
Stagger Your Moving Schedule
Moving out of London to the Home Counties might feel challenging, especially if the removal van is caught in heavy traffic. For this reason, it’s wise to stagger your moving schedule to prevent issues and reduce stress during the move.
For example, if you’re worried about a removal van getting caught in a traffic jam on moving day, it might help to place your items into a Kings Cross self storage unit. This provides peace of mind that your belongings are out of the home should the moving company fail to show up on time.
It’s also worth keeping the items in storage once you move in, as you’ll have time to view your new home as a blank canvas, helping you determine whether your London furniture is the right fit for the property. As a result, you might decide to sell or donate the items, or you may need to buy additional pieces due to an increase in square footage.
Immediately Contact Your New Local Council
As you’ll want your children to have access to a quality education in their new home, it’s essential to contact your potential new council before moving. While you might think it’s easy to move your child into an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted-rated school, many towns in the Home Counties often have catchment areas restricted to a handful of streets.
For this reason, it’s worth making a call to find out whether your child could secure a place at the school at the start of the school year or in the middle of term. A little forward-thinking could help you find a property in the right catchment area and prevent disappointment.
Spend Time in Your New Neighbourhood
Before placing an offer on a property, you should spend a little time in your desired neighbourhood to test the commute to work and the school run, and explore its local green spaces, restaurants, supermarkets and attractions. You might also find it helpful to speak to locals to understand what life might be like once you move to Berkshire, Essex, Kent, or another Home County.
Visit alone or as a family to observe commuter traffic, see how locals interact and get a feel for the pace of life to determine whether it’s the right destination for your family to start afresh. Remember, life in the Home Counties will be rather different from life in London, as they have a slower pace of life and supermarkets, nurseries, schools and doctors’ surgeries are often farther apart.
Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://www.londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
