Moving to Woodford - HELP

[Aegon]

Hi,

I am super confused about moving to Woodford. I have a budget of £600k - £650k (hoping for the lower) to move to and start a new family.

I started in Wansted (TOO EXPENSIVE). There are small properties in South Woodford but now I am looking and near Woodford station. I am scared the ones near Woodford station are a bad area (Hill side road, Greenstead Grardens, Broadsmead Road) - however you can get a bigger house for the same budget.

Are these areas ok? Are they near good schools? Is there anything worth noting?

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.

[Rache950]

Those areas are absolutely fine and there are lovely houses on Broadmead Road. I wouldn’t buy on Chigwell road though, many years ago the river Roding flooded but that was many years ago. I still remember it though so advise you not to consider there, there’s always plenty of houses for sale on that road. Houses are more expensive on the West side of the station but as long as you stay close to the station whichever side you’ll be fine.

There are plenty of good schools around particularly secondary and very nearby private primary and secondary schools too if that’s what you’re looking for. Also girls grammar school is literally up the road and boys grammar is a bus ride away.

Lots of green areas around, people are nice , seem to keep to themselves, area is clean, quiet at night , and it’s quick to get into London on the tube or out to the country. Close to M11 and up the road to M25. Don’t hesitate!

[Aegon]

Thanks! I've read something about orchard estate being on/near broadmead road (and that being a bad thing)...so hearing that is a relief! Would you by any chance know of any good primary schools that fall into this catchment area? Thanks a lot!

[OVienna]

Are u on FB? Lots of groups for our area.

[Rache950]

Ray Lodge primary is the catchment one for that area I think. I don't know too much about it. You could request your DC for a place at Woodford Wells primary which is what we did many years ago even though we fell within ray lodge catchment . Wells was a lovely school back then, maybe others will have up to date information about it.

Or if you get a place somewhere between Woodford and Sth woodford there's another primary close to Sth Woodford station (not sure what it's called).

Don't worry about orchard estate if you're not going to live there. it's quite far down broadmead road, at the bottom near Chigwell road. Broadmead Road stretches quite far , from Chigwell Road up to the high road on the green. I think it reflects house prices too, cheaper down Chigwell Road end then gets progressively more expensive as you go up it and past the station 😆

[Gooseysgirl]

Come to Chingford! You will get a fabulous house here for that budget. Great schools locally and good rail connection from North Chingford into Liverpool St. We left Wanstead for the same reasons (ridiculously expensive) and love it here. Also look at Highams Park, fabulous local community for families... but parking is an issue, don't look at any houses without a driveway if this bothers you! Fab schools. FB group 'Highams Park Parents' will give you all the info you need. Good luck!

[Aegon]

Hi All! Thanks the above has been useful. I've now found two properties:

1. Near South Woodford station, although the house is decent the garden is tiny!
   
2. One on greenstead gardens in Woodford. Anyone know the area? The road seems lovely but the area not so much (near the station and on the walk up to Woodford station)....can't tell if I'm being silly but is this a rough area?
   

Thoughts anyone????

Thanks

[reasonableme]

I live in Woodford and houses are selling like hot cakes here as I mentioned in one of the other threads. It's not a very safe area near the station (probably as anywhere else) and many pockets are rough in Woodford. But prices here are far better than in South Woodford.

There was a stabbing incident on South Woodford platform recently and I heard a TFL employee say to passengers that he has been noticing this kind of incidents in every station upwards of Leyton (to further east).

I suggest not to consider South Woodford at all as most houses in South Woodford are incredibly small and unreasonably expensive compared to Woodford although both score the same in "chaviness". The Drive in South Woodford is the only nice area but the whole area wants to ride on the basis of one nice patch

[Rache950]

Greenstead gardens is absolutely fine. Only rough pocket is the orchard estate.

[Aegon]

Thanks all - sorry for sounding overly worried; I am a first time buyer!

On another note, I've been reading about crime in South Woodford and Woodford (stabbing, burglaries etc). The internet makes it seem quite prominent all over the place - is this the sam experience you've had? Thanks

[Aegon]

Also anyone have any thoughts on Ray Lodge primary school? Thanks

[Sippingmytea]

Burglaries are very common around here. Saying that, I feel very safe walking around Woodford and have never had any problems myself.
Ray lodge is a fantastic school - it had a new headmistress a few years ago who completely turned the school around. It is a very big school though - I think intake is around 90 per year. Wells is a superb local school - and has been for decades. It is much smaller. However it’s very difficult to get into now unless you live on the Monkhams side of the station. If you have small children I would definitely think seriously about moving as close to the school as possible. Feel free to PM me if you need any help.

[Fi1982]

The church end area of South Woodford (closer to Woodford but still only 10-15 mins to SW station) is lovely and you can get some smaller but still reasonable family homes for around £600k (and upwards obviously.) Roads like Buckingham, Malmsbury, Carnarvon, Stanley etc. It’s such a lovely place to live, right by the forest and also v near Waitrose and shops on George lane. Not ‘chavvy’ at all

I’ve lived round here all my life and I wouldn’t buy on the Broadmead side of Woodford stn. It’s always been the rough side and there have been some incidents there over the past couple of years, moped crimes, stabbings etc. It feels moodier over that side of the tracks and Broadmead Estate or whatever it’s called now is pretty dodgy. I’d take the hit on the size of the house and go the Woodford green side if I was considering W’ford over SW.

School wise, you’ve got the grammars and also private such as Bancroft and Forest School not far, Braeside too I think, Chigwell... the comps are basically Woodbridge which is ok, standard London comp really, or Trinity Catholic, which is a very good state school and several of my friends went there and ended up at Oxbridge colleges.

Good luck! I would say don’t discount South Woody, the London postcodes alone will safeguard your purchase a little more than the Woodford IG8 if a recession hits IMO.

[niceupthedance]

Have you considered highams Park? Or Woodford green side of highams Park? South Woodford is pretty safe in my view but if you've lived in London in the last 5 years you'll know that crime has increased everywhere.

[peachypetite]

Definitely look at highams park and north Chingford. I would avoid roads near broadmead.

[Fi1982]

I would second looking in North Chingford btw, some of my family live there and it’s lovely, lots of nice restaurants and cafes, forest on your doorstep, grammar school catchment still... bit lacking in big supermarkets but it’s a quick drive to Loughton for Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s and M&S food.

[ThatsPoker]

Another local person here - a relative of mine teaches at Ray Lodge, and they say it's a good enough primary school - very mixed in terms of culture and religion, but it is fine, and it's setting is lovely. If you're keen to move this way, i'd encourage you to look around Barkingside too as it's still on the Central line and some nice primary school as well. You'll get a nice house for your money too, and it's spitting distance of Woodford.

[Babytalking]

You could get something very nice for your budget in North Chingford, lovely area and lots to do for kids.

[larryson]

@Fi1982

The church end area of South Woodford (closer to Woodford but still only 10-15 mins to SW station) is lovely and you can get some smaller but still reasonable family homes for around £600k (and upwards obviously.) Roads like Buckingham, Malmsbury, Carnarvon, Stanley etc. It’s such a lovely place to live, right by the forest and also v near Waitrose and shops on George lane. Not ‘chavvy’ at all

I’ve lived round here all my life and I wouldn’t buy on the Broadmead side of Woodford stn. It’s always been the rough side and there have been some incidents there over the past couple of years, moped crimes, stabbings etc. It feels moodier over that side of the tracks and Broadmead Estate or whatever it’s called now is pretty dodgy. I’d take the hit on the size of the house and go the Woodford green side if I was considering W’ford over SW.

School wise, you’ve got the grammars and also private such as Bancroft and Forest School not far, Braeside too I think, Chigwell... the comps are basically Woodbridge which is ok, standard London comp really, or Trinity Catholic, which is a very good state school and several of my friends went there and ended up at Oxbridge colleges.

Good luck! I would say don’t discount South Woody, the London postcodes alone will safeguard your purchase a little more than the Woodford IG8 if a recession hits IMO.

Hi, what are your thoughts on Brackley Square? Is this a good neighbourhood?

[MayGrace]

Name changed but I live on Prospect Road. In my opinion the area feels pretty safe during the day but less so at night, especially if I’m alone. It doesn’t have a lot of appeal on arrival (lots of takeaways, Pizza Hut, chicken shops, vape shops etc.)

Personally we lasted 18 months here because the parking is absolutely god awful and there’s massive renovations going on constantly, pretty much every other house has a skip outside and it’s been like that the entire time we’ve lived here.

There’s cars speeding around all night long which is quite shit when you want to sleep with windows open etc.

Ray Lodge is an outstanding school and my neighbours children go there and they like it a lot.

We’re moving for loads of reasons but wouldn’t honestly say I’ve loved living there.

[MayGrace]

Oh ffs, just spotted this is REALLY OLD. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ Sorry guys.