You could look at Maidenhead or High Wycombe. Wycombe is a longer commute, but there is more housing, it's more affordable, and there are better facilities. I lived in Wycombe for about 5 years; it has a range of areas, some deprived, some very up-market, and some average. You would probably pay around 180k-250k for a 3-bed semi in the average areas. Wycombe's advantages are that it is surrounded by beautiful countryside & picturesque villages, it is close to the Thames (you can see the Henley regatta, feed the swans and watch the people with too much money trying to squeeze their huge motor launches under the low bridges), it has a good shopping center, a traditional market and a theatre, and it has good motorway connections and is only 25 minutes from London on the train. I still have the contact number of a lettings agency in that area, if you are interested. Windsor is a very up-market area, but very expensive. Slough is notoriously unpleasant, and Reading is heading the same way. Camberley is not too nice, and areas on the Thames like Egham, Henley and Marlow are extremely expensive, as is Beaconsfield. There is still some affordable housing in the tiny villages in the Wycombe-Maidenhead-Slough triangle, but they are all miles from anywhere, and anything that's cheap is likely to be a bit run-down. Drop me a mail if you're interested in any more info on Wycombe.