To ask which areas of London are still ‘affordable’ for buying property?

Re Plumstead / Abbey Wood

A slightly bigger budget like the original poster will get something like this

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/150186929

But even a smaller budget (less than £400k) can get a detached Victorian house when they come up https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/149491133

Where are your friends? Where do you work? E.g. SE. That'll help narrow it. As there's places all over London, but you need to focus on an area probably

Plumstead / Abbey Wood / Woolwich - great transport links with the Elizabeth line now and lovely green spaces. Can still get Victorian /Edwardian houses for approx £400k

Hi, I moved to streatham about one year ago (FTB) after living in Wandsworth and Clapham and think it’s similar to a lot of areas of London in that it has good areas and bad areas. I don’t think it’s as bad as some are making it out to be (not sure how it could have gone “downhill?”). For reference I live about a 5 minute walk from the Rookery cafe in Streatham Common and this area seems very quiet and feels quite open/less urban. Never had any issues with any neighbours and this part of Streatham generally seems very quiet. The high street isn’t as nice as other places in London and some local favourites have closed down but this is the same situation as many other places in the UK (i work in property/commercial real estate).

That said I miss being able to go walk for a potter about and a coffee as most nice cafes/ shops are located in Balham or Crystal Palace and the trains can be a pain!

Beckenham is kind of faux-bougie. Kent wannabe. Crystal Palace and Penge are much better. Good pubs.

Penge. The answer is always Penge. Especially for a Victoria commute, it's about 16 - 20 minutes.

Walworth btw, not Camberwell, which is alright

It's fucking horrible

Shhh about Coulsdon please, I'm looking to move there and could do without the competition! 😂

My sister just bought a gorgeous house in Angel with the same budget as you. It’s small but she loves it.

I don’t know much about that area tbh but she’s really happy there and is a pretty normal/respectable person

she was in Balham before

Whereabouts?

Coulsdon! Sorry my autocorrect has gone rogue.

I thought the ice rink in Streatham turned into a Sainsbury's ?

Anyway Streatham is fine if you're used to London living am sinrelaly don't see any issues with Beckenham. Againz as long as you're a 'London person' as OP obv is.

It also depends on stage of life I'd say. If you're thinking of having kids or got kids and want space, I'd move to Couldon or further out just into Surrey as PP said as you get much more for your money, and lots of places that are half hour or so into Victoria. Couldon, Caterham, Sanderstead, places like that.

Same, I’m curious too! People in Catford bemoan that we don’t quite have the density/young population for as much bougieness as Beckenham (although with new flats and regeneration I hope that will change), and therefore people go to Beckenham to spend their £££… I’m very curious. Maybe it’s people who don’t like the urbanisation as I imagine it was still quite villagey when you first arrived!

There are areas around Camberwell way that are still surprisingly affordable FOR LONDON. It's all relative of course. Around Walworth for example. It's surprisingly central but because there isn't a Tube (although you're not far from Elephant) I feel like it gets overlooked.

Maybe Raynes Park?

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/143174345#/?channel=RES_BUY

Something like this in New Malden

Twickenham.

Nice one in Clapham for £620k - near the common.

There are even a couple in Putney.

I grew up in a different part of SW London and Streatham used to be considered a place you just went to for the ice skating rink (long gone, sadly) and then left asap! But then again, in those days Balham was also a total no-go area!

The ice rink is still there & at back in the day parts of Streatham was posh with the first ever Waitrose & John Lewis.

Balham wasn't particularly dodgy, just didn't really have anything there, except the tube.

I really like Streatham for all the reasons you mention here - it seems very convenient and has everything I need. It’s so interesting that Balham used to be dodgy - now it’s unaffordable! I imagine most of Streatham will go that way soon.

The good parts of Streatham have been expensive for years

I don't like Streatham Vale personally. What about further out eg New Malden, it's up & coming but may be out of budget

Streatham has very nice parts eg Balham borders & horrible parts. 650k won't buy you a house in the nice part

Walthamstow could work. It's on the Victoria line so convenient for your work. Lloyd Park is nice.

Would you consider a large flat? We're in East Finchley and our flat has the same square footage as a house (it's got a loft conversion), and its own garden. The area is great - v close to central, and v good schools.

I'd go for location over space, though I grew up in Europe were it's more normal to live in flats.

I don't think there's anything wrong with Beckenham at all. If we hadn't decided to move out of London completely, Beckenham was on our shortlist.

Interesting that someone else has said that Beckenham is going downhill, because I've been in the area 16 years now and think it's still becoming trendier. Several microbreweries between Beckenham and Crystal Palace, independent deli/butchers, independent coffee shops. Right place and you could have a choice of transport links to Victoria or London Bridge/Charing Cross. CP is expensive for property, not sure you're budget would go far but think you could find something in Beckenham.

Lots of parks and green space and easy access to actual Kent countryside. Beckenham Place Park is big and has a swimming lake and paddle boarding.

So I'm quite curious to know what's wrong with Beckenham!