to want to move house in London just because the area where I live has become extremely poncey?

[Mintyy]

Yes, yes, of course we have been unbelievably lucky that we chose to live somewhere that became gentrified and therefore have made a lot of money on our house.

However.

We now feel like we have less and less in common with the people who live here. We are 49 and 51 and have good but not outstanding incomes.

I have just discovered that my new neighbours (who paid an extraordinary amount for their extremely average terraced house) are newlyweds in their early 30s. They are going to be doing building works, so I am imagine an extension and a loft conversion.

We are going to have nothing whatsoever in common with them are we?

I sincerely yearn for more authentic London living. Either inner city or further out and less pretentious and overpriced than where we are now.

Such a pita to have to move though! And nothing on the market .

Apparently Croydon is getting a Westfield. I think you're going to have to go further out.

Hull?

And Mintyy, you could just rent your house out and rent another, cheaper one to try out another area

Now I'm just nosy as to where you live

I'm in east London, and the wankiness is getting harder and harder to deal with... But then I look at me and DP and think we are probably massive wankers too

Its also super fun to play spot the syringe on the pavement and just steer your kids round them.

I'd love to live where you live, tethers. I dream about it sometimes, and wake up sad that I'm not there.

I have a very high tolerance for wankiness.

yes because the middle classes don't us heroine/coke at all lol

OP if there isn't a Waitrose yet you are still safe.

GET OUT QUICK WHILE YOU STILL CAN!

the only heroine users i have know have been quite rich upper class types

We seem to be surrounded by lots of architects these days.

They do, but probably more inclined not to do it in carparks/stairwells etc. I have never seen a syringe in Waitrose carpark.

Southeastastra...have you never been to Woolwich/catford...both shitholes with more drug addicts than you can wave a stick at! Try those areas op...very authentic, whatever that means.

I moved to Hertfordshire when DD1 was born to Do The Right Thing. We lasted six months before moving back. It's true, thecat, better wankers than arseholes

I know exactly what you mean Mintyy, I lived in Clapham just before it went seriously upmarket and it was almost perfect, interesting and diverse people, a bit arty, good music but slightly dodgy in places. Then it 'improved' and I felt really out of place (as well as being priced out ). I still worked there for years, everyone was young and wealthy, there was nowhere 'normal' anymore.
Could you afford to live anywhere more central if you sold up?

oh god no i never go south of the river

Do you live in Dulwich?! Why not try Penge?

'I have never seen a syringe in Waitrose carpark'

Edmonton!

Oh yes...penge is also lovely...(cough). You must buy a pit bull though if you move there, and only let it out with a toddler holding its lead.

YANBU

And lay off Catford formerbabe, it's on the up (or will be soon, I'm sure...), and some of it is quite nice. Not poncey/wanky at all. I actually came on to recommend it to OP!

Do you have children and how old are they? What impact would a move have on their schooling? How about safety and travel to work considerations? Proximity to things you enjoy? (parks, community centres, restaurants you like etc.). How would a move impact your long-term financial picture (paying off debts, financing kids education, adding to retirement fund or similar). Obviously there is a lot to consider.

I get you (I think). But are you sure that (deep-down) you're not just feeling a bit miffed about the presence of the upwardly-mobile, financially profligate? We've just sold our house to newlyweds in their twenties. It will be their first home. It was our (for lack of a better term) 'forever' house (we're moving overseas). Although grateful for a quick sale and a tidy profit there was a bit of me that was a little irritated by them they are planning to change out perfectly good NEW floors, tiles and all the kitchen cabinets. Obviously I'm being U with a capital U, but there you go .

Yes, catfromjapan, I never said this was the biggest problem in my life. Its just one of the things I think about quite a lot. I choose not to share the bigger ones on Mumsnet.

But, it is important, where you live, I think.

Nothing wrong with Catford!

Catford has apparently been on the up for years...not that anyone's noticed.

where i live i keep getting 'sell your house to us poncey twat' leaflets. it's depressing and that's in hertforshire

i think the estate agents of london will only be happy when us all lower earners move up north and the immigrants can tend to the needs of the new 'middle' classes.

it's pretty grim and quite worthy of debate imo

I live in Catford.

I like my road. Is exactly the kind of not overly gentrified road I bet Mintyy's was 10 years ago. Come and be my neighbour. And the local school is excellent