Erith, Dartford, Belvedere... or nearby.

[sammydavis]

Will be looking to move to SE London/Bexley/ North kent in the new year. We really want a house but have a maximum buget of £170,000.
Have been all round Plumstead and Woolwich and don't like it too much. Been out as far as Gravesend and Rochester and not so keen on there either.
Now looking at Bexley borough especially Dartford, Erith and Belvedere.
Neither of us really know the areas very well and are looking for any tips on nice streets, shopping, crime - just general life experience and advice.
We're not looking for nightlife, 2/3 bed house(Victorian in good nick would be nice but not essential) just somewhere for a quiet life and a train station that will get us in to London in 45mins max ish.
Schools are not a consideration.
Any input would be appreciated.

[turkeyboots]

I spent 7 months living in Dartford. Can't recommend it except for its proximity to Bluewater. Gravesend seemed nicer, but after being priced out of north London, it was too wrong for us and we ended up leaving the South East altogether.

Good luck!

[AKissIsNotAContract]

My mum lives on the Bexley/Dartford borders and my brother is in Dartford. I think your budget is low for any of the nicer parts though.

[MurderOfProse]

West Thamesmead is alright, albeit not Victorian given it was built from scratch in the 70s/80s or so! Close proximity to Plumstead station, and Crossrail when it arrives. Woolwich is definitely on the up with the massive Tesco just opened - it's easily walkable from West Thamesmead. You'd definitely get a house in that price range in the area. Crime is honestly not too bad, well, for that part of London anyway.

Bexleyheath might fit the bill too.

There are some nice houses in the Belvedere area but I am not sure if they'd be out of budget.

[Gingersnap88]

Try Swanley- 20 mins by train to Victoria, not a particularly pretty town but surrounded by pretty villages, close to motorway and Bluewater. Has all the shops etc you need for day to day stuff. Has a bit of a bad rep due to the market on Wednesday but it's actually a nice peaceful place. Houses are cheap, you could get a three bed for £170000.

Dartford is a bit grim, most of it is closed. Surrounded villages are much nicer, Wilmington, Hextable, Crockenhill, Joydens Wood etc.. Have a play on rightmove

[sammydavis]

Cheers all - we've looked at all these areas on Rightmove and have found houses under budget in Erith, Dartford, Northumberland Heath and Belvedere.

Belvedere houses 'look' nicest - BUT doing streetviews and google searches isn't giving us anough of a sense of the general griminess or not, of the areas.

For example, we went to Gravesend and three grown men in head to toe grey marl tracksuits bumbled past sharing a child's bmx bicycle which they fell off in the middle of the road - the chaviness score was off the scale.

Can anyone give their chaviness scores for Erith, Belvedere etc.

I know the score will be high in these areas but I'm hoping it will be lowere than in Gravesend, Plumstead, Woolwich and so on.

Swanley's interesting but we have elderly relative/family reasons to stay on the Dartford line.

[wendybird77]

I used to live in Gravesend and there are some really lovely people who live there. The fast train is incredibly convenient. I'd suggest not living in the town center generally - but Windmill Hill and Christchurch road are nice. But yes, the town center is chavy. On the other hand, everything you need is there and Bluewater is 10 min away. Sadly the nicer areas around there are also expensive like anywhere else. Good luck with your search!

[MegBusset]

Erith is grim. Belvedere/Abbey Wood not quite as awful. Gravesend/Dartford v characterless. Would def go for Plumstead/Woolwich over any of these.

[MegBusset]

Barnehurst is alright, dunno about prices though?

[TheMonster]

I used to live in Erith and taught in the Bexley borough. The area is rough, but belvedere is worse. The schools are not much cop around that way. There are a lot of settled traveller families in Erith and there are some problems between them and the travellers on the site towards Dartford.

[PlentyOfPubeGardens]

I'd take another look at Plumstead. I think it's far nicer than most of the other places you're looking at, especially Plumstead Common, and the house prices are very good value.

You couldn't pay me to live in Erith or Belvedere.

[scrumpkin]

I would not live in Erith, Thamesmead, Crayford if it was the last place on earth (sorry)
What about Wilmington? Or surrounding areas. 10 mins drive could take you a bit further out and is so much nicer.

[sammydavis]

Blimey - ha ha - I was hoping for something a bit more positive - ha ha.

Ah well!

Plumstead is theoretically nice and just about possible budget wise but the last time we went to look at a house there (up around the common) 11.30am on a Sunday morning - we saw a man sitting on a bollard drinking a can of the old 'life cry' - came back after seeing the house and he was sleeping across the pavement. Police car drove by and didn't stop.

I'm not having a pop at the fella but I reckon in East Dulwich (and most other parts of London) the old Bill would go and wake up a pavement sleeper at 11.30 on a Sunday morning.

Kind of gave me a sense of an area where this kind of thing happens a lot.

Now, fair enough, we haven't got an East Dulwich budget - we're only just up to an East Kent budget.

I'm surprised people are saying Belvedere is rougher because the prices on Rightmove are comparitively more expensive then Plummy or Wooly for the same size houses.
I'm not suggesting richer people are better behaved but you see where I'm coming from.

I'll keep Plumstead on the long finger and head on to Rightmove to check out the Wilmington/Swanley circuit

[RightUpMyRue]

Have you been to Thamesmead? It stinks of shit. Literally. It has a sewage works (or did about 5 years ago) which stinks the place out.

IME it's all pretty awful there (Woolwich, Plumstead, Erith etc) and not somewhere I'd like to live. Eltham too. A large National Front stronghold. No way.

[PlentyOfPubeGardens]

Kind of gave me a sense of an area where this kind of thing happens a lot.

Honestly, it really doesn't. Yes, we have a few street drinkers - most places do as far as I can tell - but I've lived in some much more expensive, supposedly 'naicer' areas with far more of a problem.

Thamesmead doesn't smell of shit any more. It did used to but they seem to have fixed the problem. It has no soul though. It has two sewage works, one of which, no longer used, is the wonderful Crossness Pumping Station - worth a visit even if you decide not to move to the area.

Yes, Eltham, Welling and Bexley all have a bit of a reputation for BNP/NF. I don't think they get much support round here though. Like most of London, you walk a few streets and you're somewhere else entirely.

Obviously, your choices are bound to be limited on such a small budget.

[PlentyOfPubeGardens]

They should put that on their advertising - 'Come to Thamesmead - It Doesn't Smell of Shit Any More!'

[sammydavis]

I really like Eltham but it's too pricey - nice high street and seems as culturally diverse as lots of London.

PlentyofPubeGardens I get the sense you know Plumstead quite well - do you know Swingate Lane/Kings Highway area/Slade?

How does this compare to the opposite side of the common (still at the top) Riverdale Road/Tormount Road area?

And generally how do the Common areas compare with the streets off the High Street and nearer the rail station?

It's our own insistence on wanting a house that's tripping us up - we could get a flat in a nicer area but ... we would prefer an actual house.

[bamboostalks]

Avoid avoid. Horrible places, all of them. Very strong racist strongholds.

[HoHoHokeyCokeyPigInAPokey]

Yes i'm in south London bit i wouldn't go over that way for the same reason bamboo just said.

[VelvetSpoon]

With apologies to anyone who lives in Plumstead, it's pretty grim.

Likewise Thamesmead, loads of new houses built there 10 years ago, all look like slums.

I am in Sidcup which is nice but sadly out of your price range (even a 2 bed here is prob £200k).

At your budget I'd go for Swanley, it's chavvy there but not in such a rough way as Erith, Thamesmead etc.

Failing that Crayford or Dartford (Dartford has a Waitrose so should pass the MN test!). Do bear in mind for commuting Dartford is outside of the 'zones' so train travel is more expensive.

I'll have a look on Rightmove later (off to do battle with shops now!) and see if I can find anything in your price range in a nice area :)

[PlentyOfPubeGardens]

PM'd you

[sammydavis]

rightbackatcha

[TheMonster]

We used to live in Mottingham. One side is a massive council estate (which isn't as bad as it sounds) and the other side (Greenwich borough side) is rather pleasant. It is right by Eltham.

[VelvetSpoon]

Ok am back!

Have found one in Sidcup here

The road is a little bit of a ratrun BUT it's still a decent area. Very good local primaries etc.

Over towards Crayford/Dartford is this one. It's on quite a busy road so not a great location but it does have 3 beds rather than 2.

If you want something period. there's on the good side of Dartford but quite small

If Swanley is a possibility, there are lots of 2 and 3 beds...this is a typical example