to think you can rent privately in London...

[MsMarshmallow]

...in a nice, safe area
...with decent state schools
...less than 30min commute to central London
...not relying on trains

AIBU to think you can get all this for less than £1200 / month for a 2 bed?

Yes, I probably am!

But I had to try though ;-)

Seriously, does such place exist?

How would you be commuting? Car (then hell no), Tube or bus?

tube

When you say 'not relying on trains', do you mean driving into town? Or are you not including tube/bus travel in that statement?

I am not au fait with the schools, but I do actually think that safe area (whatever that actually means objectively), less than 30 minutes commute to central London (on tube or bus) in a 2 bed for around the £1200 mark is perfectly doable.

Where are you now MsMarshmallow?

Cross post.

Where do you need to get to?

30 mins into Waterloo or Kings Cross is different to needing to be 30 mins total to Oxford Circus (not that anyone works at Oxford Circus, just demonstrating somewhere "central" that is not right by a terminus).

Also don't really understand why you think that "relying on trains" is such a bad thing. How do you think people normally get around?

Am in Maida Vale / Kilburn.

Safe area to me means that I can catch the last tube home at night without feeling paranoid. And then hopefully not too may stabbings, thefts, rape, etc

I think you'll struggle to find that as 1,200 is very low for london but some may prove me wrong.

Why rule out trains though. They are generally as reliable as tube and you can get further out faster. You can get some nicer areas served by train which may suit you better than someahere with equivalent journey time by tube.

I'm totally out of the loop (9 years away form the Big Smoke) but looking nearer the ends of the Tube map; Morden for example.

I think trains are a nightmare, cramped, dirty, unreliable and exhilaratingly expensive.

As opposed to the Tube; airy, light, clean, not crowded and completely reliable.

haha true

I just want to have my own bedroom, not spend my life commuting and be able to afford food.

MrsT

Have you thought about just throwing in a search onto Rightmove aloong the lines of (your destination), within three miles, min 2 beds, max £1300 pcm (I'd probably do £1400 but I have huge sometimes misguided faith in my negotiation skills) and see what it throws up?

It may give you some ideas you hadn't previously though of.

That is a good idea. But I wouldn't know what is it like in all areas, I am only familiar with the NW. Some flats look ok (especially in the pictures) but then they are in the 9th ring of hell...

Ask about the areas that look ostensibly ok and see what response you get...I remain commited to my assertion that 2 beds in an ok area for that price still exists.

Sorry, I probably ABVU. London is absolutely overcrowded. If such place existed, everybody would move there and it wouldn't be affordable anymore.

For the love of god don't move to Morden, the most depressing shit tip I ever had the misfortune to live in. And I paid 900 a month for a one bedroom in 1993 so I think you might struggle on your budget.

Look at SW London, down the Northern Line. Have you considered just south of Balham?

haha Glastokitty

Well, some areas I haven't explored yet: Crystal Palace, Dollis Hill, Queens Park... they are probably over the budget though. Wait, let me have a look at Zoopla...

Trains are covered on your travel card just the same as the tube is, so they arent more expensive. Saying this as someone in zone 3 in SW where train is the usual transport method. It really is just like the tube in most respects.

Not trying to convince you, just FYI as you honestly could be missing out on good places. SE also seems to have a lot of supposedly decent areas with regular and quick trains into town.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-31894476.html

Reckon you could get this one for your budget...

Coulsdon and similar are just inside the Travelcard zones but you would need to get the train. Sutton and so on...

Crystal palace is great, nice shops restaurants, green spaces and a nice sense of community. Never want to leave.

But I think you will struggle to find a nice place in your budget and if I could change one thing about the area I wish the train service wasn't southern, hate them with a passion!

Council tax will also vary greatly depending on what side of the triangle you live as there's five boroughs converging here!

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-48432289.html

Or even this one.

I do think you can do this if you do your research. Best of luck MsM

Good point about the council tax too Snoopy, you need to check this out as it can make a huge difference.

At least Suton has it's fair share off characters MrsT