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 .

[southeastastra]

they will move off to bigger houses in surrey then their counterparts will move in if house prices allow

[Mintyy]

Yes, the cat is still there in Catford.

Why don't you understand my "nothing on the market" comment Golddigger? There is very little property for sale. If we move we have to find somewhere else to live. I'd rather sell and buy as its much less hassle.

[MacaYoniandCheese]

Aaaaagh! I just googled the cat. Possibly plastic although crudely constructed, giving the appearance of Paper-mâché. Definitely evil.

[southeastastra]

i thought all you saft landaners were digging up your clay soils to make basements?

[Mintyy]

It costs £100,000 to do a basement. We certainly don't have that sort of spare change under the sofa cushions. We also don't have the money to go from 3 bed to 4 bed in our area, so moving house is extremely likely if we can muster up the energy.

[Levantine]

I knew this would be you. I don't like the feeling that the area I grew up in is now totally unaffordable to me, it is not a good feeling. Also I have a strong prejudice against the type of people who life where you are now based in part on a fair number of friends of friends, incidents in playgrounds etc etc.

I wonder if you should seriously consider letting your house and trying out another area. If you do move then perhaps look at the roads ending in thorpe in Sydenham, just near mayow park. Bishopsthorpe is one. Dunno how long you would be safe there though

[garlicbaubles]

Ruta posted exactly what I was going to write! I, too, empathise, Mintyy. Like Ruta, I bought my first place in Clapham when it was interesting (though more crime-ridden than moist of this thread could tolerate) and couldn't bloody stand the place by the time I moved. It had become entirely overrun with white 30-year-olds demanding organic Malbec from named vineyards while raucously planning their next ski trip with 25 friends. Yes, I did help create the 'problem', and profited from it, but I didn't want to live surrounded by people exactly like me the folks I worked with.

Word of warning, though - don't leave London altogether! You can never afford to go back

[YellowDahlias]

Don't diss the cat. My 4 year old loves that cat. Some day we may actually visit that shopping centre instead of just going past it on the bus / car.

I know where you live from previous threads as you're near me. I get it, though people where we live probably think we're rolling in it because we bought our place in 2013 as opposed to 2003 and prices have soared.

I do like living near your neighbourhood and having the ability to take advantage of the wider variety of shops & restaurants. I wouldn't necessarily want to move there even if we could afford it. Too much money in the area.

[motherinferior]

Just don't move to....(shudder) Norwich. I got out of there when I turned 19 and go back, reluctantly and sullenly, for brief parental duty lunches.

[Talkinpeace]

Mintyy
if its any relief,
I live in the sticks in a dire school catchment
I bought this house in 1996 for £63,000
the other half of my semi is currently on the market for £250,000
which I cannot afford ....

[Mintyy]

Love those "thorpe" roads in Levantine! One of dh's best friends grew up on one. Silly thing is we could now probably afford one of those because of poncery in our area, whereas we definitely could not have 10 years ago (last time we moved house).

[formerbabe]

I will agree Clapham is pretty nauseating these days...populated mainly by young professionals (wankers).

[motherinferior]

Oh go on, come and live in my road. All the grot you can eat

[Mintyy]

Oh gawd, fear not, going to stay in London. Had a terrible experience living in the country for 2 years. Never again ...

[Levantine]

I love them too, they look really solid.

[Levantine]

Round my way the extensions are a-starting too. Lucky for us we live in quite an ugly road so should avoid the worst of it -

[Levantine]

Lol was assuming I wouldnt keep up with the thread so i seem to have started posting slightly randomly.

[Mintyy]

My area was interesting. There were a lot of creatives, photographers, musicians, artists, teachers, journalists, academics, nursers, social workers, small business people, entrepreneurs - those kind of people.

Now you have to be a banker, lawyer or information techy type, or have a trust fund.

Snot the same.

[MarshaBrady]

Mine is yet to change, too close to grottiness. I do love it and can walk to the poncey parts for the nice shops. There's a great butcher, a couple of lovely cafes and a fab fruit and veg shop. But glad I don't live in it, or in the grotty part.

[Mintyy]

Fantastically wide hallways Levantine, like another room.

[formerbabe]

You are right op...I feel London is becoming very polarised, and soon will be full of very rich people and very poor people. The people in the the middle will have moved out to Kent and Essex.

[IDugUpADiamond]

Mintyy I think you're just missing yesteryear and wanting to relive your younger and happier days.

[Mintyy]

See? gorgeous hall

[southeastastra]

stay and make money. it's boring though, did you say where you lived? i was guess it was crouch end