Living in Chigwell – Essex Golden Triangle Area Guide
19th May 2023

Living in Chigwell – Essex Golden Triangle Area Guide

Are you considering living in Chigwell?

When moving to Chigwell, you can expect a choice of properties, some outstanding schools and an excellent location in the capital’s suburbs.

Chigwell’s location in Essex’s ‘Golden Triangle’ has ensured that the area’s popularity has risen significantly in recent years.

Chigwell provides residents will excellent connections across the county and into London, making it an excellent area to move to.

Moving to a new area is never an easy process.

This is particularly true when you do not know a lot about the region you are thinking of moving to.

Before you start arranging your move, it is important to amass as much information about the area as possible.

If you are considering moving to Chigwell, this is the page for you!

We hope to give you all the essential information you will need to know when relocating to Chigwell.

Covering everything from the property market to the cost of living in the area, we hope to give you a complete guide to living in Chigwell!

Property Market

Chigwell on a map of the United Kingdom
Chigwell on a map of the UK. Image credit: Depositphotos

If you are thinking of calling Chigwell home, there are a range of excellent properties available in the area.

Chigwell is home to some very expensive real estate.

The property market in Chigwell is highly sought after, and prices reflect the desirability of the area.

The town’s excellent transport links, proximity to London, and its reputation for being a safe and desirable place to live contribute to the strong demand for properties in Chigwell.

Chigwell offers buyers a range of different property types including weatherboard cottages as well as a choice of luxury, modern apartments located near to the train station.

These modern apartments are fashionable for young professionals for whom commuting into central London is a must.

Another popular property type in Chigwell is the luxurious detached house.

These spacious homes are often set on generous plots of land, allowing residents to enjoy ample outdoor space and privacy.

These tend to be a more expensive option but are an excellent option for those who can afford them!

Chigwell also offers a range of semi-detached houses.

These properties are ideal for families or individuals seeking a balance between space and affordability.

Semi-detached houses in Chigwell whilst being more affordable still offer a range of great features and are an excellent option for many.

Moving to Chigwell also offers buyers access to some charming period properties, including cottages and converted barns.

These characterful homes provide a fantastic mix of rustic charm and modern conveniences.

They typically feature original architectural details, such as exposed beams and fireplaces.

Combine these with the more modern features that come with the renovations and you have a wonderful home!

Best Schools

School Concept
School Concept. Image credit: Depositphotos

If you are thinking of living in Chigwell with kids this section will appeal to you.

Chigwell provides locals with access to some great primary and junior schools.

The 9 closest schools to Chigwell have all received a rating of ‘good’ from their last Ofsted inspections.

When it comes to primary schools, Chigwell Primary Academy, Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School and Fairlop Primary School all received ‘good’ reports, with the stand out Ray Lodge Primary School achieving the coveted ‘outstanding’ Ofsted report.

Some top-performing secondary schools in the area are Forest Academy and Ilford County High School, both seen as ‘good’ by Ofsted.

Debden Park High School and Woodbridge High School were the top performers amongst the secondary schools, receiving the ‘outstanding’ title from Ofsted.

For more information about the best schools in the area, check out Locrating.

Cost of living

Like it or not, as we head into 2022, many of us are facing financial challenges.

It is predicted that higher energy bills, stagnant wages, and tax rises could leave households with a £1,200 a year hit to their incomes.

There has never been a more urgent time than now to really scrutinize where and on what we spend our money.

Life in Chigwell can be on the expensive side due to its easy commute into London, but fear not, there are ways you can save money without necessarily compromising your standard of living too much.

Here are some ideas which are simple to implement:

  • Transfer your credit card balance to a 0% interest rate card. There are more than 20 providers out there. Just go to MoneySuperMarket.
  • Change your phone and internet provider. You can haggle with Sky and Virgin to get the best possible price.
  • The same model applies to your energy providers. Gas and electricity can often cost less with another provider.
  • Use payback reward card schemes and earn cashback, points, and more. To find out how to check out the advice from Martin Lews the Money Saving Expert.

Other small ways to save include:

  • Taking a packed lunch to work.
  • Sell unwanted things you no longer use. Try Cash Converters, there are several stores close to Chigwell.
  • Buy more from second-hand shops, Chigwell has several.
  • Shop for groceries at stores such as Iceland, Lidl, and Aldi. Their products are often the same as other stores but cheaper, there are plenty of these stores in and close to Chigwell.
  • Try not to waste food. Use leftovers to make another meal the next day.

There is no doubt about it, we can all be more money savvy if we try and these days it is a matter of sink or swim for many households across the UK.

Transport

Chigwell Station
Chigwell Station. Image credit: Wikipedia

When you relocate to an area, it must have the travel connections you need to get you around the area with ease.

Chigwell has great transport options including trains and bus services.

Several busy stations, Chigwell station, Grange Hill station, and further south Hainault station, sit on the Central Line within Zone 4, a journey of around 30 minutes, terminating at Liverpool Street Sation, ideal for commuters.

Transport for London (TFL) provides local bus services, with plenty of routes all over Chigwell and the surrounding area.

For details regarding the tube, overground trains, busses, and River Bus services visit the Transport for London website directly: tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/stations-stops-and-piers/.

Travelling by road whilst busy is not generally as congested when compared to central London.

The M11 and A12 run along each side of Chigwell, both connect to the M25 offering routes in and out of the region by car.

Employment

Work Office
Work Office. Image credit: Unsplash

Whilst large numbers of residents may commute into London for work, there are also lots of jobs available closer to home.

Largely a suburban district, Epping Forest including Chigwell, has many businesses across a wide sector providing a huge swathe of employment opportunities.

High Road is where the majority of the town’s shops can be found and a good place to search for a position in retail or Health & Beauty.

The high street is also where you will find some of the area’s main estate agents such as Fine & Country, Douglas Allen, and Bairstow Eves.

As we all know, getting a job can take time.

To optimize your best chances, sign up with an online employment agency.

According to Indeed the online recruiter, there are currently 2,197 jobs within a 5-mile radius of Chigwell.

Simply upload your CV onto the site and apply for whatever job suits your particular skills and experience.

Things to do

Westfield Stratford
Westfield Stratford. Image credit: Wikipedia

For those thinking of living in Chigwell, there are certainly a great number of things to do.

Amongst the top things to do in the area is a visit to the Fox Burrow Farm!

A great day out for all the family, Fox Burrow Farm is a great location that allows visitors to feed and interact with several different farm animals.

Petting zoos and farms are an excellent day out for those with young children and Fox Burrow Farm is certainly a top pick when living in Chigwell with children.

For a wider choice of shops, head for Westfields in Stratford, a short journey from Chigwell.

Westfields is the largest urban shopping and leisure destination in Europe, offering plenty of high street fashion favourites as well as home and lifestyle brands.

With over 250 shops and 65 restaurants, you can also indulge in cuisine from all over the world, from Japanese to Italian.

In addition to its huge variety of shops and restaurants, you’ll find an array of leisure facilities.

Westfields hosts a 17-screen, all-digital Vue Cinema, one of the largest and most innovative in Europe.

You can experience luxury bowling at All Star Lanes, a great choice for those with children.

For more great things to do in the area check out TripAdvisor, which has a number of great suggestions of activities to enjoy when living in Chigwell.

Ready to Start Living in Chigwell?

GoodMove Truck

Are you now thinking of moving to Chigwell after reading our article?

Whether you want to make the most of the excellent property market, the choice of good schools or you are looking for a job in the area, Chigwell is sure to appeal.

GoodMove will make your move to Chigwell an easy and stress-free process.

We take great joy in ensuring everything runs smoothly and flawlessly, helping you to settle into your new home right away.

As well as our competitively priced removals package, we can also offer extra services such as temporary or long-term storage facilities should you need them.

GoodMove cover all areas of Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex and our friendly estimators can call round at a convenient time for you and strategically plan your move to perfection.

GoodMove are also offering a new video survey service.

Using our new technology, we can gather all the information required to assist with your move, from the comfort of your home!

Video surveys will help you save valuable time and preserve the best safety levels.

To find out more about how we could get your dream move to Chigwell or any other location underway do not hesitate to call us on the number listed above.

Alternatively, fill out a quick quote form or click on our live bot in the bottom right and a member of our customer services team will be in touch shortly.

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