Finding the best places to live in Surrey starts with what you want your everyday life to look like. A quick train to London may matter most. For someone else, it is being able to walk to a school, meet friends in the village or step straight out into the countryside.
I have worked in property since 1988 and lived in Cobham since 2007. Over those decades, I have helped people choose homes and weigh up where they want to live. Today, finding and assessing properties for buyers remains my day-to-day work. That involves understanding the individual roads, investigating homes and talking through the compromises that can make one location more suitable than another. The advice in this guide draws on that experience.
These nine locations offer different ways of living in Surrey. They are a starting point rather than a ranking: the right choice depends on your circumstances. I have also included five further places worth considering.
Choosing between places to live in Surrey
Before narrowing your search, consider who needs to get where, how often, and how much you want to do without a car. If two people have different priorities, both need a place in the brief.
Schools deserve early investigation. Check current admissions arrangements, availability and the actual school journey; a nearby school does not necessarily mean a place will be available. Our guide to Surrey schools and commuting explores that balance.
The rail timings below are rounded indications for selected direct weekday services. Slower services also operate. Add the journey to the station, parking or walking time, and your onward travel in London. Check the South Western Railway timetable and journey planner or Southern for the times you would actually use.
For driving, test the route from a prospective home to your destination at the relevant time. A single estimate for “central London” tells you very little about a regular journey.
Guildford
Guildford is worth considering if you want a substantial town centre, a mainline station and countryside close enough to enjoy regularly. Its cobbled High Street and historic buildings give it character, while shops, restaurants and cultural facilities support a busy everyday life.
The housing includes period townhouses, established family neighbourhoods and newer developments. Stoke Park and Guildford Lido add to the town’s outdoor amenities, with the Surrey Hills National Landscape beyond.
When comparing places to live in Surrey, distinguish between living in Guildford itself and using it as your nearest town. A village home can give you more rural surroundings while adding another journey to each school run or commute.
London connection: Selected direct trains from Guildford to Waterloo take roughly 30–45 minutes. The service chosen makes a considerable difference.
Surrounding villages
Shamley Green, Shere, Chilworth, Bramley and Wonersh all merit consideration. Shere’s historic centre and Chilworth’s railway offer different attractions; Bramley and Wonersh provide further options south of Guildford. Check each home’s practical relationship to the village, station and countryside.
Cobham
Cobham combines a useful high street with established residential roads, substantial family homes and access to London. Having lived here for many years, I understand its appeal to families weighing up a move from London.
There is considerable variety, from period cottages and smaller houses to large detached homes and newer properties. Painshill and the River Mole are important parts of the local setting. Its most expensive houses are only one part of the picture. The particular road, garden, neighbours and journeys matter much more than the postcode alone.
Cobham is one of the places to live in Surrey where the distinction between a town-centre location and a more private residential setting matters. Discuss how much space and privacy you want alongside the convenience of walking to shops or school.
Our Life in Cobham guide looks more closely at the area.
London connection: Trains from Cobham & Stoke D’Abernon to Waterloo generally take around 40–45 minutes. Include the journey from the house to the station.
Surrounding villages
Consider Oxshott, Downside and Stoke D’Abernon, each with a different setting. Bookham and East Horsley are further options if you widen the search westwards. The right choice depends on your school plans, station needs and preferred surroundings.
Esher
Esher appeals to buyers who want to remain relatively close to London while having local shops, restaurants and green space. Its homes range from period properties to substantial modern family houses.
Esher Common, Claremont Landscape Garden and Sandown Park contribute to its appeal. The station and high street are in different parts of the town. A house that gives you a convenient walk to one may leave you with a longer journey to the other.
Among the places to live in Surrey, Esher deserves a close look if access to London remains central to your plans. A convenient address on paper still needs to work for your daily routine.
London connection: Direct services from Esher to Waterloo commonly take around 30–35 minutes, with variations between services.
Surrounding villages
Claygate, Thames Ditton, Hinchley Wood and West End offer further choices around Esher. Hampton, across the county boundary in Greater London, may also suit a search focused on this wider area.
Godalming
Godalming offers a smaller-town setting, a historic centre and riverside surroundings. Its timber-framed and Georgian buildings sit alongside Victorian homes and more recent housing.
The River Wey, nearby countryside and Winkworth Arboretum provide opportunities to spend time outdoors. For buyers who value walking into town, the location of the individual house deserves particular attention. Being able to pop out for a coffee or an errand can make a real difference to how quickly a new place feels familiar.
Godalming belongs on a shortlist of places to live in Surrey if you want town amenities and a countryside connection. Check the walk to the centre and station, including gradients and the route after dark, rather than relying on a straight-line distance.
London connection: Selected direct services from Godalming to Waterloo take roughly 40–60 minutes.
Surrounding villages
Shackleford, Witley, Hascombe, Hambledon and Chiddingfold broaden the search considerably. They offer different combinations of village life, rural surroundings and station access. Chiddingfold’s green and historic centre can be particularly appealing, but the onward journey still needs to fit.
Dorking
Dorking combines a market-town centre with access to some of Surrey’s best-known countryside. Independent shops, antique businesses and period buildings contribute to its character.
Box Hill, Leith Hill and the wider Surrey Hills National Landscape are important attractions for walkers and cyclists. Housing includes Georgian and Victorian town properties, with cottages, country houses and conversions in the surrounding area.
If you are comparing places to live in Surrey for a more outdoors-focused life, Dorking is worth exploring. Spend time in both the town and nearby villages: they can offer quite different experiences.
London connection: Direct trains to Waterloo generally take around an hour. Victoria services also operate from Dorking. The town has more than one station, serving different routes, so check the station and service relevant to you.
Surrounding villages
Brockham, Westcott, Betchworth, Holmwood and Abinger Hammer provide useful alternatives. Village greens, commons and countryside are part of their appeal, but investigate road access and how you would reach shops, schools and stations from each property.
Cranleigh
Cranleigh has a substantial high street and a range of everyday facilities within a village setting. Period cottages, established family homes and newer developments give buyers several ways to live here.
The Surrey Hills countryside is nearby, and the surrounding villages extend the choice of homes and settings. Cranleigh can suit people who value local life and are comfortable planning some journeys by car.
Transport is the important qualification when considering Cranleigh among the places to live in Surrey. It has no railway station. A quoted train time from Guildford is only one part of a commute from Cranleigh.
London connection: Travel to a suitable station first. Guildford offers direct Waterloo services, but allow realistically for the journey there, parking and the train you intend to catch.
Surrounding villages
Ewhurst, Alfold and Shamley Green are worth exploring. Ellens Green and Rudgwick, across the West Sussex border, may also fit a search centred on Cranleigh and its facilities.
Wentworth
The Wentworth Estate offers a different proposition from Surrey’s walkable market towns. Substantial homes, established landscaping and a private-estate setting are central to its appeal.
Housing includes older properties and more recent large homes. Buyers should investigate the particular plot, neighbouring development, estate requirements and practical running costs alongside the house itself.
Wentworth is one of the places to live in Surrey to consider when privacy and a substantial home take priority. Check what the surroundings actually provide; the estate name alone cannot answer every question about privacy, noise or suitability.
Wentworth Club is nearby, but golf and other club access depend on the relevant membership arrangements. Buying a home on the estate should not be treated as automatic golf membership.
London connection: Direct trains from Virginia Water to Waterloo are generally around 45–55 minutes. Allow for reaching the station from the property.
Surrounding villages and towns
Virginia Water, Englefield Green, Egham and Longcross widen the choice. Sunningdale, in Berkshire, is another nearby option. Compare their centres and transport arrangements as well as the homes.
Haslemere
Haslemere is attractive to buyers who want a town, a mainline station and access to countryside towards the Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire borders. Its housing includes period cottages, Victorian homes and larger detached properties.
The town centre, Haslemere Museum and nearby Black Down add to the appeal. A move here can also bring the South Downs and the wider countryside into your regular life. Decide how closely you want to be connected to the town itself; the surrounding lanes offer a different experience from a home within walking distance of the centre.
When comparing places to live in Surrey, consider how Haslemere’s more southerly position fits your working pattern. An occasional London journey and a daily commute may lead you to different conclusions.
London connection: Selected direct trains to Waterloo take roughly 50–70 minutes, depending on the service.
Surrounding villages
Grayswood and Churt are Surrey options. Fernhurst and Lurgashall lie in West Sussex, while Grayshott is in Hampshire. All can be relevant to a wider search, with different village facilities and journeys to a mainline station.
Farnham
Farnham combines Georgian streets and historic buildings with shops, restaurants and an established arts identity. Its housing ranges from central town properties to larger family homes and village houses beyond.
Farnham Park, Frensham Ponds and surrounding countryside provide outdoor opportunities. Buyers can explore a walkable town setting, quieter residential roads or a more rural home while retaining Farnham as their nearest centre.
Farnham is worth including among the places to live in Surrey if character and local life matter to you. Test the routes between the house, town, station and schools, particularly where your daily routine would involve driving through the centre.
London connection: Selected direct trains from Farnham to Waterloo take roughly 50–65 minutes.
Surrounding villages
Wrecclesham, Frensham, Rowledge and Tilford offer further choices. Crondall, just over the Hampshire border, is also worth considering. Look closely at what you would be able to walk to from the individual house.
Other places to live in Surrey worth considering
The original nine do not cover every suitable location. These five broaden the choice and may better match particular journeys or preferences.
Reigate
Reigate deserves consideration for its historic centre, local shops and restaurants, and Priory Park. It can appeal to buyers seeking town life with green space close by.
Check your London destination and whether the service you would use is direct or involves changing at Redhill. The relationship between the house, town centre, school and station matters as much as the headline journey time.
Weybridge
Weybridge offers town-centre amenities, established residential areas and riverside surroundings. The central area, roads around Queens Road and private residential estates provide different living environments.
If you are comparing places to live in Surrey around Cobham and Esher, include Weybridge in the conversation. Check the station journey, walking routes and the particular property’s flood-risk information where relevant.
Chobham
Chobham is a separate village from Cobham. Its historic High Street, period buildings and nearby heathland make it worth exploring if you want a village setting with countryside close by.
Chobham Common is a National Nature Reserve, while the Water Meadows offer another local walking option. Homes in the centre and those in the surrounding lanes can provide quite different day-to-day experiences.
When comparing places to live in Surrey, include the station journey in your assessment of Chobham: the village has no railway station of its own. Consider conservation and planning requirements where relevant to the property.
Oxted
Oxted broadens the guide towards east Surrey. Its town-centre facilities, older village setting at Old Oxted and surrounding countryside offer several starting points for a search.
Rail routes towards Victoria and London Bridge may suit a different workplace from a Waterloo commute. Explore nearby Limpsfield too, and compare actual services, station access and everyday journeys before narrowing the area.
Epsom
Epsom offers an established town centre with shops, restaurants and rail connections to London, alongside access to Epsom Common and Epsom Downs. It is worth considering if you want town facilities with open space nearby.
When comparing places to live in Surrey, assess the individual neighbourhood and the journeys your household would make. Check school options, the route to the station and the London service you would actually use. A home near the centre can offer a different daily routine from one towards the Downs.
Finding the right places to live in Surrey for your family
A shortlist becomes more useful when you spend time in the places on it. Visit on an ordinary weekday as well as at the weekend. Try the school run or station journey, walk to the shops and consider how the area would work for everyone making the move.
If you are leaving a home or community you have known for years, practical requirements may only be part of the decision. Being near family, making friends and finding somewhere familiar and comfortable deserve attention too.
The aim is to find places to live in Surrey that support the life you want, then identify a home that fits within them.
How Rowallan can help
At Rowallan, we begin by understanding your circumstances and the priorities of everyone involved. We help you compare locations, refine the brief and assess properties against how you expect to live.
Our search includes advertised homes and off-market opportunities pursued through relationships and direct enquiries. A private introduction still requires careful investigation and negotiation.
You can read about our buying service and property due diligence, or explore our completed purchases.
If you are weighing up places to live in Surrey, contact Rowallan for a confidential conversation. You do not need to have settled on one area before we speak.
If you are weighing up places to live in Surrey, contact Rowallan for a confidential conversation. You do not need to have settled on one area before we speak.