@Philly Garrett My partner used to rent a room in her house. As she was single at the time it was valuable income. She used to make fused glass jewellery at the time too. Having a kiln in the bedroom certainly reduced the central heating costs. 🤣

Congratulations! 😎

List towns where can I get a *3 bedroom house* within *45 minute commute* to *Durham City* for *£350,000* that has *green spaces, nice restaurants, good schools* and is likely to go up in value between *2026 and 2030* You’re after places that tick a lot of boxes: a realistic 45-minute commute into Durham City, a decent three-bed for around £350k, proper green space, good food, strong schools, and a fair chance of capital growth into 2026–2030. Here’s a grounded shortlist that does the job without making life complicated. **Chester le Street** sits ten minutes up the A167 or A1. It’s essentially next-door. Riverside Park gives you open lawns, riverside paths, the splash pad for kids and views to Lumley Castle, so green space is sorted. Restaurants are varied enough for weeknights or birthdays. Try Hollathans or a curry at Haveli in Great Lumley. Park View School’s latest inspection sections in April 2025 graded well across the board, with an outstanding sixth form, which still matters to families even as Ofsted moves to multi-measure reports. Prices for three-beds hover well under your ceiling, and newbuilds can still sit under £330k. Commute time? About 10–15 minutes in normal traffic. Easy. ([ViaMichelin][1]) **Seaham** gives you the coast and a quick A690 run to Durham in roughly 20–25 minutes. The Durham Heritage Coast path and the sea-glass beach are genuine quality of life boosts. Food is strong for a town this size, with Seaham Hall’s Dining Room and its spa restaurant options as your treat nights. Secondary provision’s solid at Seaham High following its July 2023 inspection. Growth case isn’t only lifestyle; a new direct Grand Central service to London is due to start December 2025, which raises the town’s profile and tends to firm up buyer demand over time. Three-bed houses are mostly far below £350k, even detached in many cases. ([Rome2Rio][2]) **Sedgefield** feels like a textbook village move. The commute is about 16–22 minutes via A177 or A1. Hardwick Park is on your doorstep for big skies, lakes and woodlands. Eating out is easy going, with The Impeccable Pig and the Dun Cow drawing from a wide radius. Sedgefield Community College has long been a high performer locally. Three-bed semis and detached homes often change hands in the mid-200s to low-300s, though the village centre can push higher on pretty streets. ([Rome2Rio][3])

@Philly Garrett Yes I think it’s great. Durham City is a bit of an anomaly though. Prices in the centre are crazy, but where I am you can still get a 3 bed detached house for £250k. 👍

Haha, don’t think you’d get a mortgage at that age 😂

Hi, i'm Dave. I'm from County Durham in North East England. I've been a property owner since 1987 and an investor since 2017. I and my partner have several BTL (Buy To Let) properties and Serviced Accommodation. If anyone has any questions about this i'll be glad to help you.