£500k to buy in London. Three kids

[Batteriesallgone]

Where should we go?

Don’t know london at all (went to Natural History Museum once as a child!). Need a three bed. House or flat. Good transport links to central London. Good primary schools.

Is this possible? I know London is crazy prices, and it’s huge, I have no idea where to start looking on rightmove. Love the idea of living as close to central London as possible but don’t know if that’s too idealistic / unaffordable / ridiculous.

Not patronising, it’s just my view on TfL times online, as a London commuter!

That second one is lovely Make

You people trying to seduce me with your gorgeous suburban houses. I’ve managed to produce 3 children and still stay city central but perhaps moving to London will be what makes me old

If you are vagely looking at South London there is a facebook group called Mummy's Gin Fund that covers that area, and you will get god advice on specific areas.

Personally I would want to be on a tube line rather than an overground. Look at the ends of the central line...

midnight1983

How did mine cost £400 last year then

I meant your first comment loopy

I think you will struggle with your vision of London life and reality.
I am not being negative but realistically if yiy like look or idea of Shoreditch you are not going to be happy in Croydon or even Streatham. Tbh.
It's just not comparable.
Streatham has been up and coming for last ten yrs and places like Bromley and Croydon are suburban towns... Not London.
Lewisham is the pits and anywhere affordable South of Dulwich is pretty grim.. Think fried chicken shops and betting shops.
i gave up on the idea of a london famiky home and bought big house in cornwall and tiny very central london crash pad.
but children were older, two at uni and one at boarding school and one stsyed half the cweek onky
if yoy want central london living id consider renting out your current house and renting in central london .
i live in islington, its briliant but a thred bed house cis a million plus

Sorry for typos my back delete key not working.

@UR u r jammy 😁

I'm a born and bred Londoner (central) and had to move away due to house prices so I'm just going on my own experience. Well done to you though!

theredjellybean you are being really insulting and obviously haven't been South of the river recently. The overground has changed things. And Lewisham is not 'the pits'. Rude!

Could get a small 3 bed terrace in High Barnet, at end of Northern Line.

Look at places to the west of London that will are near to the new Elizabeth Line - Trains will go to Mayfair (Bond Street Station) and Stratford and it's very easy to get to Heathrow. Prices are still reasonable if you look carefully as the line hasn't opened yet. Hanwell is a possibility - the Heathrow connect stops there too.

I hear you jelly, we will definitely go up in person and look round before committing.

DH has been offered the job but not yet accepted. They know it would be huge upheaval for us so are happy to wait for us to make a decision but realistically he will need to decide pretty soon.

If we can’t make it work then we can’t. But the kids are getting older and really if we don’t move now it won’t be fair to uproot them all later. All the top careers in DH’s industry are London based.

Even if the move is painful, it might still be the right one.

There are all sorts of things to consider but I just wanted to get a feel of which areas get recommended.

Beckenham is 20 mins from Victoria

If you choose wisely you can be close to two stations with options to go to clock House and Kent House and get to London Bridge and cannon st stations too. Lots of parks cafes markets and very good schools. Easily find under 500k!

I’m a big fan of Catford and Lewisham! It’s definitely not “the pits”

I also think - from what I’ve heard about Islington - that it’s MUCH posher than where we live now! So someone who lives in Islington may well consider our current location ‘the pits’ too!! It’s all relative.

Shame you didn't look properly @theredjellybean plenty of lovely places south of up its arse Dulwich.

I am born and bred too, lots of my friends have bought houses locally as well. It’s not in a nice hipster area but it’s near a tube and we all work very centrally.

I’ve noticed there aren’t many “born and bred” anymore though. They are all in Hertfordshire or Kent now 😂

Yep - Beckenham isn't a bad bet. Didn't think of that one.

Beckenham,Bromley, Worcester Park etc aren't too good for getting to the airport. Personally I prefer the train/overground to tubes but that's a personal preference.

And my description of rough around the edges probably does equate to a lot of chicken shops 😀

.....it really does depend on what you are looking for though. There isn't really such a thing as 'Living in London'. Every neighbourhood is different and has its own feel.

I live in Plumstead, you’d probs still get a 3 bed for your budget. It’s getting cross rail and the transport links are already good. It’s not hip by any stretch, but it is a lovely place to live and getting better/hipper. Nice cafes in Greenwich and blackgeath which are an easy drive/ bus ride.

Near my old stomping ground

Transport is superb from West Hampstead station. Jubilee Line to Canary Wharf and Stratford, via the West End (for Mayfair), very easy (just across the platform) change on to Metropolitan line for Liverpool Street (towards Shoreditch), Thameslink direct to Gatwick(and Luton), North London line , also to Stratford.

For Paddington you'd have to change at Baker Street (change for the Met Line at Finchley Road first, it's quicker), and for Heathrow you'd have to either go via Paddington or change at Green Park.

OK, the flat is in Kilburn rather than West Hampstead, but Kilburn's not as bad as it used to be, and it's only half a mile to West Hampstead. It's also probably smaller than anything you'll get in sarf Lahndon, but it could be worth bearing in mind if the travel aspect is important.

I would look somewhere within the triangle of South Croydon, Sanderstead and Purley Oaks stations if you can bear to be this far out. There are some outstanding schools, both primary and secondary, you're within the Sutton grammar catchment (or easy access of some excellent private schools), you can get 3 bed period property for around £500k (and the market is slowing), the Westfield CPO has been approved and is going ahead next year... oh, and we're on the thameslink so a lot of the central London main line stations north (such as Kings X, St Pancras and Euston) are only one 35 minute train line away).

Actually, Kilburn Park station is near for Paddington/Heathrow...

This one is pretty central
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-75086456.html

I was in Twickenham today and bits of the town centre are cute with nice pubs. You might just get a three bed for under 500k. The advantage there is an easy commute to Waterloo. It gets very full on rugby days.

You really do need to get boots on the ground as the difference between village feel and gangster central can be just a few streets. Check out school catchments which can be very small. I was born saff of the river but couldn't afford to move back now. As others have said look at good commutes from Surrey and Essex if you want to be south. North of the river is another country.