# Moving to Maidenhead



## singind80 (Nov 15, 2013)

Hi All,

I have received an offer from a company in Maidenhead. We are married couples with 2 kids, elder one is a girl 3.5 years old and younger one under 1 year. Since my office is in maidenhead, I would like to get a house in Maidenhead itself which will cut down my to and fro travel time. 
1) I would like to know how Maidenhead is in general, because going through various website some say it is a good place to live , some say stay away from maidenhead, so inputs from people who are living in and around maidenhead safety to live, for couple with 2 kids would be a great help.
2) We are looking for a 2 bedroom house or apartment which is closer to school as my elder one needs to go to school. Can we get house in the range of 700 to 850 pounds per month. ??
3) My wife will not be working as she will be taking care of our second kid, so are there good schools in and around maidenhead, I am not looking for independent schools, I am looking only for public schools
3) I would also like to know does school provide transportation or only parents has to drop and pick up the kids, since my wife will be taking care of second kid, I am looking for other options ??
4) How about GP and Hospitals around maidenhead ??
5) Do you have Asian grocery store around Maidenhead.

Your feedback and answers would be off great help.

Thanks


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

singind80 said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I have received an offer from a company in Maidenhead. We are married couples with 2 kids, elder one is a girl 3.5 years old and younger one under 1 year. Since my office is in maidenhead, I would like to get a house in Maidenhead itself which will cut down my to and fro travel time.
> 1) I would like to know how Maidenhead is in general, because going through various website some say it is a good place to live , some say stay away from maidenhead, so inputs from people who are living in and around maidenhead safety to live, for couple with 2 kids would be a great help.


Well, I know a bit about Maidenhead. It's really posh, expensive place to live. Situated along the river Thames, and a great place for a family. It's the constituency of the Home Secretary, in charge of immigration, Theresa May. 



> 2) We are looking for a 2 bedroom house or apartment which is closer to school as my elder one needs to go to school. Can we get house in the range of 700 to 850 pounds per month. ??


That budget is far too low. Double that and you are in the market. 


> 3) My wife will not be working as she will be taking care of our second kid, so are there good schools in and around maidenhead, I am not looking for independent schools, I am looking only for public schools.


Non-fee paying schools are called state schools or maintained schools. Public schools here refer to posh private schools, mainly boarding like Eton, Harrow, Westminster etc. Plenty of good state schools in Maidenhead.



> 3) I would also like to know does school provide transportation or only parents has to drop and pick up the kids, since my wife will be taking care of second kid, I am looking for other options ??


For state primary school, it's parents' responsibility. Choose a school within walking distance. Children normally start full-time education in Reception class in the September following their 4th birthday. Before that, they can attend nursery.



> 4) How about GP and Hospitals around maidenhead ??


No problems. There is St Mark's Outpatients in Maidenhead. Nearest general hospital is Wexham Park in Slough, about 5 miles away.



> 5) Do you have Asian grocery store around Maidenhead.


Possibly, but Maidenhead is predominantly white. Large Asian population (40%) in nearby Slough, and some (16%) in High Wycombe.


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## Ed_P (Oct 7, 2013)

Yes Maidenhead is a lot more expensive than what you have said for your budget. Although it is a really nice area, if you were willing to move a bit further out then the price would drop, but then there are commuting costs so its up to you to find a balance really.

Try websites like Zoopla or Rightmove to get an idea for location prices. 

If you wanted to rent for a short amount of time then you could always work out which is the best location whilst seeing what it is like to live there, although the cost of rent would be eating into your housing budget I would imagine. To save money in this option however, there are companies that you can rent furniture on a short-term basis so you wouldn't have the hassle of moving all your belongings at once. Roomservice by CORT is a good one.

Plus, your children are not at an age to start school just yet so you could take your time in finding the right one in the surrounding area. In London it is not common to have a school bus but if you enquire there may be transport help, maybe another family leave nearby and you could share school runs or something to that arrangement.

Hope this helps, good luck!

Ed


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## singind80 (Nov 15, 2013)

Hi Joppa/Ed,

Thanks a lot for your quick and positive feedback, really appreciate your help.
Good to hear Maidenhead is a safe location and a great place to live in which brings me a big sigh of relief.

I am looking for long term accommodation only.

I can push my budget upto 1000 pounds max, I don't think I can go beyond that, I would prefer to be in Maidenhead because it would be closer to home as well as work place and this will help to me balance up a bit.
I think schooling pick and up drop can arrange some nanny who are interested to pick up and drop my kid, not sure if this options is available.
I am looking for 1000 pounds rental, plus other expense 500 pounds, like gas, electricity, heater, cable connection, broad band internet, mobile connection myself and my wife. is this within the budget??

Thanks


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Plus council tax (£150 to £200 a month), food, transport, household expenses and a bit of entertainment/holiday, and you need at least £3,000 a month net or a gross income of around £50,000. 
You can drop your kid off at a childminder who will take her to school and collect afterwards and look after her until you pick her up after work. It may cost around £200 a week or more. As I said, if you live near a primary school, taking her and collecting her shouldn't be a problem for your wife, even with a pushchair (lots of mothers do it).


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## singind80 (Nov 15, 2013)

Thanks a lot joppa.

Yeah in this case I need to find house close to catchment area. 

Thanks a lot for your quick reply.


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## jamesharrison (Mar 6, 2013)

Nortel is on the western edge of Maidenhead, so the town would be the most convenient, although it has a fair range of shops and pubs etc. the entertainment options won't be what you're used to. You might also find the housing range/price not to be great compared to other places. By train it's about 45 minutes to London and 15 minutes to Reading. Maidenhead is however a reasonable town, with the eastern side (towards the Thames) generally nicer and more expensive than the western side of town.


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## singind80 (Nov 15, 2013)

Hi James,

Thanks a lot for your reply.
Yeah looks like it is an expensive town, but just to settle down initially I would like to stay closer to home from office, which will be very helpful for me.
So in this case i would also prefer to give an extra for the rental.

Thanks a lot for all your feedback, any more feedback and suggestions are more welcome.


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## lovestravel (Apr 9, 2012)

I personally did not care for maidenhead but we also don't have small children. It seems to be more geared toward families. Some of the surrounding little villages are nice if you want something more quiet (personally I think maidenhead is too quiet for us but so is windsor). Don't even bother to look in slough. It is terrible. I avoid slough like the plague.

I'm not sure where you are moving from but we had a bit of adjusting to how different things are here. Everything closes early but you get adjusted to getting errands done early in the day. There are not as many shopping options but I use the internet for a lot of things. I hardly ever drive anywhere which I personally like. I much prefer to walk or take the train if I can so for us it was essential to live close enough to walk to grocery, train, parks, gym, etc.

One thing I have noticed is the traffic surrounding the schools gets jammed up during pick up and drop off times. The schools I have seen don't have carpool drop off lanes like most American schools and most of the road right in front of the school is a no stopping zone so it's safer for children walking to school. The problem I see it creates is those that live near the school have cars parked all the way down the street on both sides to pick up and drop off. I could see how it could be a nuisance for those living there or trying to get to work through the traffic. If you want to live near a school be sure to visit the location during the morning or afternoon to see what the traffic is like. Roads are narrow enough as it is and then you add in school traffic and it is super cramped. I have seen cars get stuck going both ways because there is only enough room for one car to get through and no where for anyone to get out of the way.


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## singind80 (Nov 15, 2013)

lovestravel said:


> I personally did not care for maidenhead but we also don't have small children. It seems to be more geared toward families. Some of the surrounding little villages are nice if you want something more quiet (personally I think maidenhead is too quiet for us but so is windsor). Don't even bother to look in slough. It is terrible. I avoid slough like the plague.
> 
> >>Thanks for the reply, yes slough is not the option i am looking for.
> 
> ...


>> thanks this is very useful information i shall have a look at it for sure when I am there to see how it gets jammed during peak hours. Hopefully i could get some place which is of all convenience.

Thanks a lot for your feedback.


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