Looking for a nice area in London, with good schools, where a 3-bed house/flat costs £1,500 a month. Please help me!

[schroedingersdodo]

Dh and I live in Hampstead, in a small 2 bedroom flat (one bedroom and a half, to be precise). We love the area, but we now have 2 DC and need a bigger place - we definitely can't afford to rent a family house in Hampstead.

Ideally we would like an area that is family friendly, with a "naice" high street, good primary schools (we can't afford private), etc. In the perfect world we would like a refurbished three bedroom house, with two bathrooms and a garden, but we know we'll probably have to compromise. The only thing I really want is new place, or refurbished to a good standard. Oh, and DH works in Kings Cross, so it would be good to have a decent commute (DH is a bit spoilt now, as he takes less than 30 min to get to work).

We where looking in Crystal Palace, but it will take too long for DH to commute. Other suggestions were Wimbledon and Ealing, but I'm not sure if they are in our budget? We want to have access to train or tube, so places like Crouch End or Muswell Hill don't work.

I know we are asking for a lot for £1,500 a month (nice area, nice place, good commute), but I'm hopeful we'll find a way... Any suggestions?

[schroedingersdodo]

no one?

[GreenBeer]

Might be best to get on rightmove, put your budget and requirements in and leave the search area open. We did this when we bought, knew what our budget was but not where it would take us!

If I'm honest though, I don't think you will get what you are looking for on that budget. Either the commute, number of bedrooms or "naice" high street (why can't people say nice these days? ) will most likely have to be reevaluated.

[GreenBeer]

Sorry got distracted! Then come back here and ask for feedback on specific areas?

[AgathaPinchBottom]

My husband and I live in upper Norwood/crystal palace and commute to the city. We don't find the commute too bad - he has a motorbike and it takes him half an hour. I take train to Balham and then sit on northern line. Your dh could do same at get off at kings cross . It's really not too bad and the area is fab.

[BlameItOnTheBogey]

How about somewhere like Raines Park which you could def do on your budget and which is a stones throw from Wimbledon...

[roooibos]

Have you looked at Buckhurst Hill? Essex so not London but nice!

[therugratref]

Tooting, Streatham Colliers Wood. Its pretty difficult to get what you want for that money any closer in.

[ihearsounds]

Crouch end to kings cross takes about 30 minutes. Depending on where in the area you have Finsbury park, Archway, Harringey, Hornsey tube and Crouch Hill overground.
I lived in Crouch End years ago, still have friends there now and commuted without any problems.

[AKissIsNotAContract]

Walthamstow?

[superwhizzynewlaptop]

Could be worth looking in SE23 near the Catford border - Catford station takes you directly to Kings Cross in about 25 minutes. Good schools in the area. Not so sure about nice high street, but it's all looking up in this general area

[pinkdelight]

I'm in Crystal Palace (aka 'the poor man's Hampstead!), am loving the shops n schools, and can't see how it would take your DH too long to get to Tulse Hill. It's 9mins to Tulse Hill by train (or bike or bus) then you can get a train direct to St Pancras in less than 25 mins. And there are lots of trains from Tulse Hill to St P so there wouldn't be a long wait.

[pinkdelight]

Can you get 3 beds for that price in Crouch End? We looked there and were horrified by how little you got for your money and how tiny catchments were, before discovering the wonders of C Palace.

[MegBusset]

Winchmore Hill or Enfield chase - watch out for school catchments though.

[LaCiccolina]

Look at Essex. Several towns fit ur description. Happy to pm u with further xxx

[orangepudding]

Could you move out of London, st Albans and welwyn garden are both less than 30 mins from kings cross and have good schools.

[redandwhitesprinkles]

Hanwell in Ealing has great schools (but check catchment areas online). Lovely park and not too far into Ealing for nice pubs restaurants. Trains from hanwell take 12 mins to paddington, nice community feel in the right part, around manor court road, etc.

[greebo]

Have a look at Enfield, near Oakwood Station, Southgate Station, Grange park and Winchmore Hill Stations. Highlands Village N21 has newer properties and excellent primary and secondary catchment.

[bamboostalks]

Palmers Green?

[MadBusLady]

For Kings X and that budget I would look up the Moorgate overland line (change at Fins Park for Kings X trains - just walk across the platform) which takes you to New Southgate/Oakleigh Park/Bowes Park/Palmers Green/Winchmore Hill. Or up the Piccadilly line to Bounds Green/Arnos Grove/Southgate/Cockfosters. You might have to get on a bus for the naice high streets though - Muswell Hill is the obvious one but Southgate and Palmers Green are pretty good too.

Or there might be the odd thing in Whetstone, which is lovely. Northern Line is a pain at the moment but will get faster post-2014 with the upgrade.

[MadBusLady]

(And yes £1500 in Crouch End is two-bed territory, sadly).

[schroedingersdodo]

Thanks a lot for the answers. I already imagined I wouldn't get a 3-bedroom for this budget. I'm ok with a two bedroom, as long as they are decent sized. The point is: if we can't get a good sized flat (with good storage space, OR two bathrooms OR a garden), then there is no point moving.

What about the schools? Are there good schools in all these areas you mentioned?

Greenbeer, I wrote "naice" because I was trying to be ironic. I would love a "naice" and posh neighbourhood, but I'm not rich enough for that...

Agatha, I suggested a motorbike to DH. I'm afraid we didn't like the idea, which is a shame.

Pinkdelight, are your DC in schools in Crystal Palace? What do you think of them?

I'll check the areas you mentioned, thanks a lot. Do you think I could get a decent two-bedroom in Dulwich? And what about the schools there?

Thanks again!

[pinkdelight]

My DC are at Rockmount Primary and love it. We actually discounted it due to the ofsted (even though it's good) and were going private (very PFB, you know how it is!), but we talked to people, found out it had a new head and were persuaded to go and see it. We haven't looked back since. And we've saved a blimmin fortune!

You can comfortably afford a two-bed maisonette with garden in 'catchment' ( changes every year of course, but this should be safe - it's further than we are), on a really nice road which is also walkable to the triangle (where the nice shops, cafes, restaurants are). Something like like this:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-24814830.html
And I'm sure you can bag a three-bed for £1500 if you keep looking around. It's definitely worth exploring - there's lots of parks too, feels v open, whilst still having good links into town.

Other nice schools are Downsview, Cypress, Paxton, Kingswood and Elmswood (more down the Gipsy Hill side), and I've heard good things about the new Julians site in West Norwood. There are also some decent schools down the other side of the triangle - James Dixon is good I think. You should definitely be able to bag a decent 3-bed semi in the catchments for pretty much all those. Loads of luck and don't give up!

[pinkdelight]

Duh, I meant that maisonette is NEARER than we are, not further. And in case I wasn't emphatic enough, do go and look around the potential schools. You can get so skewed by out of date, stock-phrase riddled ofsteds when the reality is way more reassuring and impressive.

[pinkdelight]

And this link should now work, hopefully...
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-24814830.html

[schroedingersdodo]

Hi pink, thanks for all the info re schools! We're not from the UK and the whole system feels like a mystery to us (back home you just pay for a private school and that's it, most estate schools are very bad...) The house looks nice, and the price is nice too :)

I like this area, but since I'm not the one commuting, DH has the last word on this issue (I have the last word when it comes to the state of the house, that's why it's so hard to stay within the budget!)