I have actually been looking in Maidstone, I am looking for something with a reasonable commute into London and Maidstone isn't too bad.
I have been finding properties around the Maidstone Grammar school/mote park area. What is that side of Maidstone like?
Apologies to hijack the thread but saves starting a new one!
That's actually where I grew up and went to school - I lived on Hastings Road.
Mote park is lovely, and being close to it to go for a walk/cycle ride is very pleasant. My opinion is that it's better to stay east of Hastings road if you can. From memory as you go west it gets a bit rougher.
My comment about the decline is mainly related to the town center. It used to feel nice to walk around and spend a bit of time in. Now whenever I visit it's an "in and out" style affair.
Are you commuting by train or car? Getting to the M20 through that area isn't too bad, but there's a lot of traffic during the morning rush hour. You'd be better off leaving early as you can easily be stuck for 20-30 minutes on the outskirts of the town otherwise.
The train line is Maidstone east. This is a busy line as you'd expect, but walking from that area to the station isn't too bad, about a 25-30 minute walk.
EDIT: A slightly off the wall suggestion, but have you considered Flitwick? Some friends of mine moved there 2 years ago to commute to London. I've visited often and it's a nice area with housing that's not too expensive and a train line/close to the M1.