# Burgess Hill Questions



## jgwagner4 (Aug 27, 2011)

My employer is currently discussing the possibility of relocating me from the U.S. to the Burgess Hill area. I am unsure what I think of this. While the idea is exciting in many ways I am concerned about the cost of living, transferring my older child into the English school system (luckily she is only in first grade so it might not be that difficult), and finding child care for my younger daughter.

I will not ask all my questions in one post.

For this post, can anyone provide details on Burgess Hills and the surrounding communities?

I am curious about the schools, daycare, public transit (especially from the nearby communities to Burgess Hill), and anything else that maybe I haven’t considered.

Surrounding communities I am looking at as possible places to live are Haywards Heath, Crowley, Horsham, Steyning, Lewes and Uckfield as well as any of the smaller communities between them and Burgess Hill.

My wife is not keen on living near the ocean in Brighton.

Thanks!


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## juth77 (Aug 10, 2011)

Hi there, good luck with your decisions.

I have friends living in Haywards Heath and they love it. Every time we visit there I'm surprised by all that it has to offer. State schools must be good as my friend wouldn't consider them otherwise. There are a few pretty villages surrounding Haywards Heath but I forget their names. Google maps should help. 

Also has a fast train, mainline I think, to London. 

Juth.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

jgwagner4 said:


> My employer is currently discussing the possibility of relocating me from the U.S. to the Burgess Hill area. I am unsure what I think of this. While the idea is exciting in many ways I am concerned about the cost of living, transferring my older child into the English school system (luckily she is only in first grade so it might not be that difficult), and finding child care for my younger daughter.
> 
> I will not ask all my questions in one post.
> 
> ...


Of the places you mention, Crawley (note spelling) is a typical dormitory town for Gatwick Airport nearby and London and home to service industries. While it provides more in terms of shopping and amenities, it's not picturesque as such (mostly post 1970s) and has some undesirable areas. Other places are smart commuter towns or market towns, with some lovely old buildings, churches etc, set in a pleasant countryside. I particularly like Steyning (quite small, pop 5000) and Lewes (bigger, 15000, nearest to Burgess Hill) with many medieval buildings set in the South Downs (hills). I wouldn't live in Brighton for a commute to Burgess Hill, as traffic is bad all around Brighton, though there is a direct train service.

As you might expect, property prices are high, both for rentals and purchase.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Uckfield used to be my home town, I grew up there and still visit there whenever possible. Its a wonderful place. Burgess Hill is good too. Not too big, fairly quiet and respectable and not too far from life. I know we're all different by I love that area. Close to everything, sea, country, cities, good transport...., but not too close

jo xxx


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## Expat57 (Sep 6, 2011)

*RE: Burgess Hill Question*

Hi,

As a former resident of Mid Sussex, I can offer some comments. 

In general the 'Mid Sussex' area is an affluent and safe place to live, however, rental prices do reflect that especially in towns such as Haywards Heath which have good rail links to London. You should check-out rightmove and primelocation which are the 2 main property websites in the UK. They will give you an idea of prices for when you are negotiating with your employer. You should also consider whether you want to live in a town, a village or in the countryside - all types of property are available in the area. Some other factors you may want to consider are:

The daily commuting time: Haywards Heath, Cuckfield, Lindfield, Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint are all an easy 10~15 min drive to Burgess Hill. Lewes and Horsham will be more like 30/35 minutes.

Facilities: Horsham, Lewes, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill (in that order) are reasonable size towns with a selection of shops, cafes and restaurants. If you want a larger selection as well as cinemas and theatres you have to head to Crawley or Brighton.

Schools: Most of the towns/villages in the area have very good state schools, especially for primary pupils which is up to age 11. As I said before this is an affluent area and most parents are focused on making sure the schools are of a good quality. Having said that, if/when the time comes you should do your research as there are exceptions (including Burgess Hill itself) where the schools are more mediocre. In general, admission is based on a 'catchment area', so the closer you live to the school the easier it will be to get in. IMHO you would be wasting your money by paying for private schooling in this area, but if you are able to include it in your package or if your spouse will work and you will need the extra hours of childcare that private schools offer, there is plenty of choice. You should expect to pay at least £12k per year. Be aware, if your employer pays for your child's schooling, it may be assessed on you for tax purposes.

Childcare (called Nurseries in the UK): There is plenty of choice. For my money, the best ones are the Nurseries offered by the private schools (see above). Their facilities are great and staff are well trained. In the UK 3 and 4 year olds are entitled to 15 hours per week of nursery time paid by the government, so you should only pay for the hours over that. 

Good luck


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## DRrop (Sep 7, 2011)

Burgess Hill is a lovely town, easy commute to all the nearby towns and close to the south coast for beaches.


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