Hey OP. I lived in Epping for 8 years. I loved it. I lived in town, and it's a very townie kind of town; people got to recognize us out walking every day and say hi, chat a bit, we made some friends, etc but it took a while. It's a small place but it's got everything you need and it's pretty convenient. The one downside is the schools are pretty lacking. For your budget you could do a whole lot better in Durham, Madbury, Exeter, etc.