Moving from London to Surrey often begins with a fairly simple wish: more room, a usable garden, greater privacy or a different way of bringing up children. Working out where those changes will fit together takes more thought.
You may be ready to leave the house but reluctant to leave the neighbourhood. One person may want a country setting while another worries about commuting, friendships or feeling isolated. Those concerns deserve attention before the property search gathers momentum.
I have worked in property since 1988 and lived in Cobham since 2007. I have also had two children through schools in Cobham and Leatherhead. Having grown up on a rural estate and lived in London and Edinburgh, I understand how differently people can picture life outside the city.
This guide considers the decisions I would work through with someone moving from London to Surrey: what needs to change, where to look and how to assess the home and the life that comes with it.
Be clear about what you mean by “the country”
In 1997, a client in Fulham told me he was moving “to the country”. When I asked where, he said Oxford.
I have remembered that conversation ever since. To him, leaving London for Oxford meant a move to the country. My rural upbringing had given me a different picture. The lesson was to understand what someone meant before assuming we were talking about the same thing.
You might want a house near a lively village centre, a detached home on a private estate, a market town with shops and a station, or a rural property with land. Each can represent a substantial change from London.
Start with ordinary questions. Do you want to walk out for coffee? See neighbours regularly? Keep horses at home? Have open countryside beyond the garden? How much driving are you comfortable with, and who will do it?
The answers are more useful than a general wish for village life. Our guide to villages in Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire can help you explore the different settings.
Build a shortlist of areas around your priorities
For anyone moving from London to Surrey, the first shortlist should be based on the household’s needs. A familiar place name or a recommendation from a friend can be a starting point, but their experience may depend on a different school, working pattern or stage of life.
These groups of locations provide a way to begin comparing possibilities. Use them to test which settings could fit your priorities:
| Areas to explore | Questions to work through |
|---|---|
| Cobham, Oxshott, Esher, Weybridge and Virginia Water | Which schools and London journeys matter? Do you want access to a centre, a private-estate setting or more space around the house? Compare the actual roads and plots. |
| Guildford, Godalming and Farnham | Would life in a town suit you, or do you want a nearby village? How will you combine the station, schools, shops and social life from a particular address? |
| Dorking, Cranleigh and villages in and around the Surrey Hills | What countryside access would you use regularly? How do the school, work and everyday journeys fit together, including the trip to your chosen station? |
| Haslemere, Chiddingfold and surrounding villages | How much of a country setting do you want? What needs to be within walking distance, and what would you be happy to drive for throughout the year? |
Keep some flexibility while you learn. A visit may confirm what matters to you or reveal that a different setting would work better. Our Surrey property search guide explains how I approach narrowing a brief.
Test the working week, including the whole commute
Moving from London to Surrey does not make the commute unimportant. What matters is whether the complete journey is manageable at the frequency you will make it.
Start at the front door and finish at the workplace. Include walking or driving to the station, parking, waiting, the train and the onward journey in London. Then try the return when you would normally travel, including after a late meeting.
If you expect to combine school drop-off with the train, test that sequence. If you drive for work, assess the roads at the times you use them. A convenient weekend viewing tells you little about a weekday morning.
Working from home changes the calculation but brings its own requirements. Consider two simultaneous calls, reliable connectivity at the property and where work will go when guests stay. Also think about whether your office attendance could change.
Our Surrey commuter-town guide provides a starting comparison. Check specific services and current arrangements through National Rail before relying on them.
Consider schools and the life around them
For families moving from London to Surrey, school choices can help define the search area. Establish realistic options, relevant year groups and admissions arrangements before becoming attached to a property.
Schools such as ACS Cobham International School, Danes Hill and Reed’s are among the options families investigate around Cobham and Oxshott. A brief focused on schools around Guildford, Godalming or elsewhere in Surrey may produce a different shortlist.
Think beyond the morning journey. Where do friends live? What happens after clubs or matches? Can siblings’ routines be managed together? Will transport arrangements continue to work as the children grow?
For state-school applications, use Surrey County Council’s admissions information and confirm the rules applying to your circumstances. Proximity to a school should not be treated as confirmation of a place.
We can introduce an education specialist through our support network where a family would benefit from help considering its options. Our schools and commuting guide explores how those decisions fit together.
Choose space you will use and enjoy
After living in London, additional rooms, outbuildings and a substantial garden can be exciting possibilities. Consider what they will make possible for your household.
A large family room may work well while children are young. Separate rooms can become valuable when they want friends over, someone is studying or two adults need to work quietly. Accommodation for visiting parents needs to suit their needs as well as appear on a floor plan.
Look at natural light, storage, circulation and the connection between the house and garden. Consider where sports equipment, coats, boots and everyday clutter will go. These details can influence how much you enjoy a home.
Outside, establish which parts of the plot you will use and what they require. Land may provide privacy, grazing or an attractive outlook, but those uses bring different responsibilities. If horses are part of the plan, our equine property guide considers the practical questions.
For more on choosing the house itself, read our guide to family houses in Surrey.
Look closely at privacy and the immediate surroundings
Privacy is often one of the reasons for moving from London to Surrey. Define what you want it to mean: less overlooking, quieter surroundings, separation from neighbours or control over access.
Assess those points from the rooms and garden you will use. Consider neighbouring windows, footpaths, driveways, road noise and how seasonal changes in planting may alter the outlook.
Return at different times where necessary. School traffic, activity in neighbouring gardens and the journey along the road may be different from what you saw during the first viewing.
A large plot or impressive entrance can contribute to the setting, but the individual house still needs investigating. Nearby planning proposals and development potential may also affect how the property works for you.
Understand the work and cost of ownership
A substantial family home or country property can involve systems and responsibilities you have not managed before. Build a picture of these before deciding what the purchase will require:
- Heating and energy: review the system, servicing and available bills alongside the property’s Energy Performance Certificate.
- Drainage and services: establish whether arrangements are private or shared, their condition and the responsibilities attached to them. The government’s septic-tank and treatment-plant guidance is a useful starting point where relevant.
- Grounds and buildings: consider trees, gardens, boundaries, roofs and outbuildings, together with the likely programme of maintenance.
- Additional facilities: investigate the care, servicing and costs associated with pools, gates, security systems and other equipment.
Include the help you may want with cleaning, gardening or maintenance. The point is to understand the commitment and whether it fits the way you hope to live.
Our due diligence also considers the relevance and position of the proposed mansion tax, with specialist advice where needed. The mansion tax guide explains the subject in more detail.
Give friendships and community a place in the decision
A quieter home may be very welcome. You may also want people and activities nearby. Think about how each member of the household will build a life in the new area.
A school, sports club, regular class, volunteering or another shared interest can provide a way to meet people. Visit the things that interest you and check whether their arrangements fit your week.
Keep existing friendships in the picture too. Consider visits to London, guests staying with you and how independently older children will be able to see friends. The next home should support those relationships as well as provide more space.
If Cobham is on your shortlist, our London-to-Cobham guide looks more closely at the decisions involved there.
Plan the sequence of the move
Moving from London to Surrey needs a plan that brings the search, school arrangements, funding and any related sale together. Discuss the dates you hope to achieve and the parts that remain uncertain.
If you are selling in London, establish your position with the selling agent and relevant advisers. If a purchase needs work, consider where you would live during it and whether the project fits the school and work timetable.
Renting first can give some households time to understand an area. It can also mean two moves, storage and uncertainty about finding a suitable rental. Compare those implications with buying directly, based on your circumstances.
Set the overall budget with purchase costs, professional advice, removals, any temporary accommodation and essential works included. Be clear about which commitments depend on another part of the move happening first.
An honest account of your circumstances helps everyone work towards a realistic plan. There is little benefit in promising a timescale the arrangements cannot support.
Keep judgement alongside the excitement
A house can be easy to fall for, particularly when it seems to offer the change you have wanted for years. Return to the brief and consider whether the practical requirements have been met.
Assess value against relevant transactions and available alternatives. The plot, condition, layout, orientation, access and immediate setting all need attention; a larger floor area alone does not establish better value.
Investigate the questions that could change your decision. These may involve flood exposure, boundaries, rights of access, alterations, restrictions or the feasibility of essential work. Our property due diligence brings practical enquiries together alongside the work of the solicitor, surveyor and other specialists.
Keep publicly marketed homes and private introductions within the search. As our off-market Surrey guide explains, a discreet introduction needs the same assessment of suitability and value.
Future plans matter, but a location’s reputation cannot guarantee what a house will be worth when you sell. Concentrate on understanding the purchase and how comfortably you can live with its commitments.
Help with moving from London to Surrey
I begin by understanding what each person hopes to gain and what concerns them about the move. That gives us a clear starting point for refining the area and property brief.
Rowallan searches public and private opportunities, previews properties, provides personalised videos, assesses suitability and value, advises on negotiations and stays involved through the purchase to completion. We represent buyers and do not accept competing briefs.
Where additional advice is needed, our support network can help with introductions. We do not receive commissions from the businesses we recommend.
If you are considering moving from London to Surrey, tell me what is prompting the change. We can discuss where to begin and how our Surrey buying service could help you find a home that works for your household.