To be so clueless about London

[rehomeme]

I've lived in London for most of my life, mostly north of the river. Post-childhood, in variety of mostly unsatisfactory places, either very small and up loads of stairs and in a decent neighbourhood or with more space but in middle of effing nowhere. In the other cities that I've lived in, both in the UK and abroad (US, Berlin, Cape Town) everything about housing has been much easier!

We're looking to move house from a small 3 bed house in Shepherd's Bush (which we own) to anywhere in West/S Weat London or maybe even Metroland sort of suburbia, provided DH can get in to the Tottenham Court Road/ Holborn area within 45 mins, ideally in 30 mins. I need to commute twice a week to Oxford and accept that might take a couple of hours driving, but still need to be on west side of city, OR within easy reach of Paddington.

What we're looking to find is a big garden, 80 foot + (ideally more) and not very narrow. (Not the sort of 16 foot skinny but long garden you get with some Victorian terraced houses.) Three bedrooms would be OK, four would be better. Not too many stairs (DM stays with us a lot and has mobility problems). Maybe a flat in a big house?

We have a child in reception and a toddler, so also keen to find somewhere with good primary schools. (The reception child currently goes to a private school so that's an option, but would prefer state.) Most of all, a good sense of community. Where we lie now is relatively expensive but basically a triangle of four streets of small Victorian cottages bounded by a massive shopping mall and a main road, and the population is totally transient.

We would ideally spend under 2m but could spend up to 2.5, which I realise is a large budget (much larger than we have had before). That's why my cluelessness astonishes me. We inherited some money and thought we would be able to move somewhere we really liked, given that we were going to spend twice as much money on a house. But I am failing to identify anywhere! The main areas I've been looking at are the Alphabet Streets in Fulham (but gardens small), East Putney (ditto) Queen's Park (but schools seem rubbish and nice houses are getting out of our price range), and Ealing (lovely houses but area seems pretty soulless and centre is grim).

People of Mumsnet, I am truly grateful for ideas. Tell me about where you live, if you love it.

Lots of people not understanding the reality of house prices in London.

When people say it’s expensive, they aren’t joking.

Like some have said, I'd look at Wandsworth. For the record I live in East Putney and have a 70ft decent width garden (and ours isn't the biggest on the street), so they do exist. House size circa 2300sqft, price 1.5 last year, easy access to Paddington via district line.
Chiswick gardens in my experience are like postage stamps.

@spandauballet. Thanks, that's very helpful. I have so far only found houses in East Putney without big gardens but will keep on looking. Which agent did you buy through, might I ask?

@HangryChip, yes I realise that this is the problem with zone 2. I am basically looking to overpay for a medium-sized house in London to have a large garden. It is really hard to search for this on Rightmove, Zoopla etc. The best way I've found is searching for '100ft garden' etc, but can't really go through and type in every single digit and, anyway, this isn't always the formula that agents use. If anyone has clever search ideas it would be great to hear them... I hadn't thought (yet) of using a property search consultant. Stamp duty and regular agent's fees are painful enough and I feel I should be able to crack the problem by myself. Another possibility would be to buy two much smaller adjacent houses and knock them together maybe?

On why I want to live fairly centrally with a large garden: I just do! I like gardening. We could keep our current house and buy a cottage but I know we would just end up being here most of the time and the upkeep on two properties worries me. We are both Londoners and my husband does a lot of evening events/ gigs (in normal times) and wants to come home in an Uber not via a late night train to Amersham or something. (He is less preoccupied with the garden than I am, admittedly.)

I totally get this 😁! We have a postage stamp London garden and I would love to have a proper vegetable patch, greenhouse, large shed, flower beds, play area for DS, patio and still have a decent size lawn.

In our case, though, we'd have to look outside the M25 for this, our budget being significantly less than the OP's...

Slightly above your budget but this is in a good Putney location and the garden is almost 200ft long...

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/54459380?search_identifier=d4faacf0e07ec5b7ac26e7cacabe912f

my suggestion will be zone 3. gardens and outdoor space is worth a lot more in zone 1-2

Southfields:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-94572185.html
150 x 60 ft garden but bigger house than you'd like

the primary school catchments in Southfields are very small and tricky, it is brimming with young families though most families move out over time, usually to the Surrey side.

North london equivalent (say, Hampstead borders) is more convenient for you but more expensive for a like for like property

Some of the houses in squares in Angel Islington have really large gardens if they are on the corner of the plot. I saw some a long time ago and it might be out of your budget. Maybe Myddelton Square?

Sorry OP, townhouses would have too many stairs.

www.onedome.com/search/property/F5E5D09C0BE4AE_219561S?utm_source=trovit&utm_medium=affiliates

Is this the sort of house? Holborn and Oxford wouldn’t be a problem? I don’t know about schools round there. King Alfred’s is the only school I know round there and it’s private. It’s a lot like a decent local state at primary level from what friends have told me but doesn’t have a lot of fans on MN.

Victoria Drive, London, SW19
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-81273703.html

122ft of garden for you OP

Kingston Road, Wimbledon, SW19
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-80831404.html

@MessAllOver I think you've come closest to the OP's criteria - that house is cracking, close to East Putney (but also A3 for getting out of town), and on a lovely street. You should view that OP!

@goldpendant. I'm secretly extremely jealous that the OP can come close to affording that house, I would adore it myself! It's a real family house too...Think of all the fun and chaos the little ones could cause there in the future!

Would be an ideal location for us ... But I do wish the OP luck with her search, house-buying is always a difficult decision no matter the budget!

OP, I live in Barnes and if you could find something on your budget, I would strongly recommend it. We’ve brought up 4 DC here. Having proximity to the Thames and all the lovely walks is amazing. There’s so much space and greenery for kids.

Hammersmith Bridge being closed is no big deal. You can just walk over the bridge or buses still take you to the top of Castelnau. No issues at all. Plus, you do realise, it’s only about 10 mins max on the mainline train into Waterloo?

Also, at Hammersmith you have the D&C line or H&S to get to Paddington to get out west to Oxford. If driving, while Hammersmith Bridge is shut, just go over Chiswick Bridge for the A4.

It’s amazing for families here and a real community feel. Best schools in the U.K. on your doorstep really in Hammersmith area, as tug probably know. Also the Wetland Centre, Barn Elms Sports ground and so much recreational space, not to mention Richmond Park.

The other thing is that houses are generally built on slightly wider plots here than they are in Fulham or Putney, is easier to get the garden width.

Are you fussy about the style of the house at all? Have a look on Rightmove.

There is a cinema here now with a restaurant and members bar, good shops and cafes and your kids can feed the ducks and ride their bikes across the common and away from traffic. It’s a lovely place to be.

No I’m not an agent!

Also, I love Putney too, particularly West Putney, but I would say the houses are either terraced cottages (off Lower Richmond Rd) and you wouldn’t get the garden space here, or they’re bigger houses south of Upper Richmond Road which would be way out your budget, unfortunately.

East Putney is nice but I thing it has a slightly more urban feel due to all the office blocks etc.

Wimbledon Village would be too expensive, I think as the houses are generally huge. Wimbledon itself / Raynes Park could work, but again, slightly more urban / edgy feel there, I think and it also takes longer to get in by tube as Wimbledon is the end if the District Line.

In Wimbledon, the OP's best bet for her budget would be the roads between Ridgway and Worple Road. But I'm still not sure she could find the size of garden she's after there. Also, the commute from Wimbledon to Oxford is not great (used to do it often... takes forever).

Yes, I think If I were the OP, I’d be looking at Barnes, Putney or Parson’s Green (or maybe Grove Park area of Chiswick, but less of a “centre” there).

You might well also get more for your money in Sheen OP as lots of semis with wide, bigger gardens, but no tube unfortunately, Though there is a quick main line into Waterloo from Sheen or Mortlake. You would get much more garden for your money there and you could live on the side bordering Richmond Park.

To be honest, most of the DH’s cycle in

To be honest, most of the DH’s cycle in

Not sure this should be encouraged !

Relocation Agent.

With that spend why are you asking mumsent go to an estate agent ...shesh

This house in Barnes has a lovely garden

Castelnau, Barnes, London, SW13
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-94413389.html

@Sunsnd

What about kensal rise or Willesden Green? There are some really lovely big properties there with big gardens. Also Brondesbury Park has some big houses. There are some good schools there but many of them are church schools. Are your children primary or secondary? Chiswick is also nice. Also Richmond, twickenham or Kew....

That's what I thought Sunsnd when rehomeme said she did not want to move to Ealing. Willesden Green is on the boundary of zone 2/3 but the Jubilee Line is much nicer that the Bakerloo Lane for getting into central London. You can then walk from Bond Street to the Tottenham Court Road. It's also got an interchange with the Bakerloo Line for getting to Paddington or Marylebone.

There's no need to be apologetic for wanting a large garden. It's no different to wanting a utility room. I knew somebody who had a really large garden in Wandsworth because the houses were built near an almshouse so they weren't the traditional London long thin garden.

I don't think this is ideal for you as the house is too large but the garden looks enormous:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-81348334.html

If you need Paddington, TCR and access to Oxford I'd have recommended NW London along the Bakerloo line.

I looked for a little bit and realised I'm not getting paid to do this so why am I bothering, however this seemed a good deal to me www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/55458547?search_identifier=fea1ba709429a0768e7caa2503313508 not S/SW but worth looking.

Of you want A big house and and big garden and easy access to central London
Ealing’s a no brainer
15 minutes to Paddington and on central line and Crossrail
What you lose in a chi chi high road you massively gain in house and large garden
Oh to have your problem !

Nikhed - that is a good price for that Barnes house. The price is lower because it’s a quite main road and there’s a bus lane there. There are Regency-style houses on that road or huge Victorian ones that go for £5-7 million, but they’re more set back from the road. Still, is ten min walk from that house to Hammersmith station and a mini Tesco is just there, plus the North Barnes cafes and shops, so very good value for what it is.

If you are thinking of Wandsworth/Clapham then you are condemning your DH to a grim commute - Wandsworth Town and the Clapham northern Line stations are often incredibly hard places to get on a train in rush hour normally and you can expect it to take him up to an hour to get the train from Wandsworth Common or Putney into Waterloo and up to Goodge Street.

Although properties don't come up that much the conservation area in Stockwell is very pretty and within your budget - has the added advantage of being easier to get on the northern line as people get off to cross to the Victoria (and it is only 25 minutes to Warren Street on the Victoria depending on which end of Tottenham Court Road DH wants). Its a fairly simple tube journey to Marylebone and Paddington changing from VIctoria to Bakerloo Line at Oxford CIrcus.

This is probably the only house on the market in the area atm www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-71071965.html