Where's nice around Carshalton/Wallingtom/Sutton?

[roarfeckingroarr]

We're currently in zone 2 SW London and have just had a baby, so thinking of moving out a bit so we can buy a 3/4 bed with a garden with the money from selling our 2 bed flat on the river.

Anyone live around Carshalton / Sutton / Wallington? What's a nice area for a young family? We're both professionals in early 30s, we want somewhere with bars and restaurants and green spaces.
After mat leave I'll be back working 2 days a week around Kings Cross (the rest from home).

Could anyone recommend where might be a nice place to start looking? Budget around £700k.

Carshalton is nice as is Cheam village or Ewell Village. Wallington and Sutton less nice but you can find decent streets in both.

All the areas have lots of greenery as they back onto the countryside (all accessible for walks too) and there are plenty of parks, leafy roads etc.
None good for bars as it’s a family area + some OAPs so not much nightlife going on.

Wallington: small town centre with a Sainsbury’s, Lidl and a bunch of other shops, restaurants and cafes. Gorgeous period housing and Beddington Park is v attractive. I wouldn’t recommend it if you want good state schools, though, unless you’re churchgoers.

Carshalton has a very pretty Village centre, Carshalton Beeches is the more affluent end and the north side is (ex) council hosing. Some shops, nice pubs and cafes, large leisure centre with pool and library. The village is quite arty (with annual open studios and quite a few people in creative jobs) and there’s a number of events through the year, eg fairs or amazing fireworks etc.

Sutton has a large town centre. It’s not charming at all but there’s a good range of shops for adults and children, restaurants, cafes, a lovely cinema, gyms, yoga and dance studios etc. There’s also a sports village, lots of tennis and other sports clubs.Schools are brilliant. The south side is the leafier one with big houses. West Sutton or Sutton Common are cheaper and less fancy but still fab for schools and amenities with a lot of smaller parks dotted about. You’d get a seat on the direct train to St Pancras from Sutton (there and back).

Cheam Village is 1mile west from Sutton (so easy to live in between too). It has a Waitrose, some independent shops, a David Lloyd (brill with kids), Nuffield Health and a public leisure centre and library. Nonsuch Park has a Park Run and British Military Fitness etc.
Fab schools.

All these areas offer tons of activities for babies and children but it’s definitely a change in lifestyle from zone 2.

Any property around the top end of your budget should see you right.
Things have been selling pretty quickly around here (even things that seem overpriced).
I think a lot of people are doing what you're doing and moving slightly further out for more living space/garden etc.
I saw a lovely house online a couple of months ago for £670k, but my lottery win is still pending.

In order, Carshalton (where we lived) for preference for the reasons given above. Then Sutton (the centre's awful but there are nice bits on the south and west sides) then Wallington/Beddington last. If there are nice bits of Wallington or Beddington I've never found them. Cheam is nice but expensive and the same goes for Ewell. I'd avoid North Cheam at all costs. Carshalton Beeches is the expensive bit of Carshalton, but I always thought it a bit remote and while there are some nice houses apart from a few shops by the station there's no other amenities. Wrythe Green and Hackbridge seem to be up-and-coming.

Ewell Village is cute and green but there’s not a lot there and the commute gets longer.

Thank you! This is really helpful. Sounds like Carshalton could be a good bet.

I'll need to commute into town but only twice or three times a week realistically and DP drives.

Cheam village or Banstead for that money. Carshalton is not very nice, Sutton high street is handy and Belmont is nice to live but no shops there.

Banstead is a great high street and decent schools, but the commute isn’t great. You can drive to Sutton in ten minutes and get a thameslink to Kings X though.

I was going to suggest Banstead or Surbiton but not sure if travel wise that works.

Where abouts are you in Z2. The trouble I find with CB & around there is there really isn't much there. My friends who live there always go to Wimbledon or Kingston to shop, eat out etc. I hardly ever visit their lovely big houses because they prefer to come to me (Clapham).

We can get a 5 bed in Carshalton that needs work for 550 after a brief look on Rightmove, wow!!!

@balla20 Wandsworth Town . Gorgeous area but my 2 bed flat is worth £700k and now we have a baby we need a garden and space for his room, a spare room and a home office - which we certainly can't get around here. We looked at Earlsfield but still no, 5 years too late.

Kingston and Surbs - I know well and they're expensive too. Also have family in the area we are looking and friends looking there too, so more pulling us.

@Br1ll1ant we just have the one car so I need to be walking distance to a station that goes to Victoria / KXC.

Banstead has a good high street but schools and transport links are both awful.

I think I’d also be happy to go to Clapham to meet friends as it’s more buzzy, younger and feels more like going out.

However, Carshalton does have a few restaurants, some pubs do fab food and there are places to have a brunch etc. Sutton has quite a variety of places from chains such as Nando’s, All Bar One, Zizzi’s as well as a good selection of restaurants with a range of cuisines and you can go out for sushi, lobster, steak, jackfruit burgers etc. so no one goes hungry around here.

@roarfeckingroarr completely understand the reasons for needing more space.

Good luck!

@JoJoSM2 you must run a estate agent in SM2! Even on threads where people talk about moving to N London you bring up Sutton 😆. I get you love it but most areas have pros & cons.

@balla20

I’m a SAHM.

Just offering a balanced view. I spent over a decade Between the Commons and have been in Sutton for five. I just find this area much nicer for raising a family but do love a dinner out with friends back in Z2.

If you say so.. I've never heard anyone describe their area in the way you do. It's like a script 🤷‍♀️

I grew up in Carshalton then Wallington and know that part of the world really well. Family still live in that part of the world.

Carshalton is lovely. Pretty village, gorgeous ponds, perfectly adequate shops. Really nice pubs. Station is 20/25 mins to Victoria. That's top of my list.

Wallington is better served for shops but the high street is pretty charmless. So-called 'South Wallington' is where the nice houses are (top end of Woodcote Road towards Foxley Lane). It gets quite rural up towards Oaks Park/Woodmansterne which has pros and cons. Bit of a hike to the station. And the trains from Wallington are slower than Carshalton (roughly 40 mins to Victoria).

Carshalton Beeches has nice bits. The main road from Beeches station down towards Carshalton and offshoot roads are where I'd go. Same train line as Wallington so quite slow.

Sutton town centre is an armpit. Sorry, but it is. I really would avoid it. There are nice houses in 'South Sutton' but they command a hefty premium. Also, if you have kids, you'll be forever collecting them in the car if you don't want them wandering down gloomy roads in the dark.

Banstead isn't great.

As PPs have said, Cheam Village is nice. You'd want to be near the station/Nonsuch.

Happy house hunting :)

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/photos/56730598?search_identifier=dd2cff98b64b235a01180d710d0e9f0e

Near some brilliant schools and lovely park!

I moved from Balham to North Wallington as it was the best compromise in terms of property prices, commute to central London (from either Wallington or Hackbridge Station) and distance from top grammar schools. It is also at walking distance from Beddington Park.

The reputation for goods schools in the borough gets skewed by the Grammar schools.

Sounds like Kingston and it's surrounds would be less of a lifestyle change and offer better transport options.
Not sure what 700k gets you around there, but I should have thought you'd get something decent for that.
It's probably a bit quieter around the SM area, but if you're finding life too quiet you could always spend an evening in Croydon .

SM is definitely quieter and older than Kingston or Surbiton.

Actually OP, if you like Kingston but just find it a bit too pricey for what you want, have you looked at New Malden? That’s family-oriented in itself but it’s only one stop on the X26 into Kingston. Cheaper, a bit closer for commuting and the best schools in the borough of Kingston.

@BluTangClan

Transport is poor from Kingston, isn’t it? Only one slow train line. Surbiton is quick.