melonfool wrote:But it looks like an hour and twenty at the moment.
Right now, that's correct. It's been an hour and fifteen for 20 years. But planned electrification (plus the sorting out of west London signalling and the finishing of various other disruptive works around there) will bring it down by 15-20 mins. Well, that's what they're telling us, anyway.
Swindon (trainwise) looks more doable and some of the villages have reasonably priced properties.
Indeed. You need to pick your location carefully, because some of the north Swindon suburbs are a bit rough. While others are delightful but some are a bit too near the motorway for comfort. Local research definitely recommended.
Royal Wootton Basset has a few, though not sure I could cope with the media intrusion they get/invite (which may be why the prices are low!).
I think all that military funeral stuff is fading now, because the Iraq coffins aren't being flown into RAF Lyneham any more. One other reason why prices are low is that several military bases (including Lyneham) have been dismantled, so officers are moving away to other places and houses are being sold. A bit of a buyer's market, if you want to look at it like that I suppose?
I wish RightMove had a 'centre here, but five miles out, don't include the actual town' as when I put a place I could commute from 99% of the houses that come up in the price range are, obviously, in that town and I don't want to live IN the town, I want to live in a village 5-10 miles from it.
I can totally recommend that! But I think Rightmove gives you a 'stretchy' map where you can define your desired locations pretty precisely. (Top right at http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for ... rsham.html.) The same, I imagine, for anywhere else in the country?
Good luck, anyway. PM me if there's anything you're interested in finding out.
BJ