Toot Hill or Blackmore: Which Is Better Value?
Toot Hill averages £725,000 against £700,000 in Blackmore, a gap of £25,000 or 4%. You would need £2,500 more deposit and about £132 a month more on a repayment mortgage at an assumed 5% over 25 years. Blackmore charges £59 more council tax at Band D.
Toot Hill averages £725,000 against £700,000 in Blackmore, a gap of £25,000 or 4%. You would need £2,500 more deposit and about £132 a month more on a repayment mortgage at an assumed 5% over 25 years. Blackmore charges £59 more council tax at Band D.
Price and deposit
The headline gap is £25,000, or 4%. On a 10% deposit that is £2,500 more cash to find before you start. Detached homes average £612,500 against £775,000.
Toot Hill against Blackmore
Town guides for each: Mortgage advice in Toot Hill and Mortgage advice in Blackmore.
Schools and families
Both towns show 0 Outstanding rated schools, so the choice turns on Good rated capacity and catchment distance. Counting last graded Ofsted inspections (before September 2024), Toot Hill has 2 schools and Blackmore has 1 school graded Good or better.
A strong catchment in the cheaper town can cost more than an average street in the dearer one. Compare catchments, not averages.
Running costs and getting to work
Band D council tax is £2,249 in Toot Hill and £2,308 in Blackmore, a difference of £59 a year.
The honest verdict
Blackmore is cheaper to buy on these figures. Toot Hill carries the higher price and, on this data, the stronger school profile.
Neither is right in the abstract. If the deposit is your constraint, the £2,500 difference matters more than anything else here. If catchment is the constraint, price follows the school you need.
What each town is actually like
Price is one axis. These are the things people move for, and the things they find out afterwards.
Toot Hill
In its favour- A small, sought-after green-belt village with its own identity
- A village pub, a golf club & the well-known nurseries
- The Roding valley & deep green-belt farmland
- Period cottages, detached & country homes
- Prices well above the national average
- No railway station (residents drive to the station)
- A car is genuinely useful (deep-rural, car-led)
- Larger period & country homes mean substantial lending
Best for Families ★★★★☆
Space, larger detached homes and a safe rural setting, with Chipping Ongar Primary and The Ongar Academy (both Good) nearby, though everyday amenities mean a short drive.
Blackmore
In its favour- A picturesque, historic village
- St Laurence Church, Jericho & the green
- Green-belt countryside all around
- A strong village community & pubs
- Prices well above the national average
- No railway station in the village itself
- A car is genuinely useful here
- Larger period & country homes mean substantial lending
Best for Families ★★★★★
A village primary, a strong community, green-belt space and good secondaries and Brentwood School near by, ideal for family life.
Toot Hill and Blackmore, side by side
| Measure | Toot Hill | Blackmore |
|---|---|---|
| Average property price | £725,000 | £700,000 |
| Average detached | £612,500 | £775,000 |
| 10% deposit | £72,500 | £70,000 |
| Illustrative monthly payment | £3,814 | £3,683 |
| Band D council tax | £2,249 | £2,308 |
| Outstanding rated schools | 0 | 0 |
| Good rated schools | 2 | 1 |
Local averages used for illustration. Confirm your own figures before acting.
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Questions people ask
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