Anyone k is the battersea area? Help needed!

[fedupandgrumpy000]

Hi! Looking to move to London and have been recommended battersea as a fairly safe and trendy area! Would you agree if you have experience of the area?
Also, I’ve found this flat : www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/85765480#/ which seems good value for London- my only doubt is that it’s too good to be true! Is this in a particularly rough area of battersea?
Thanks x

The flat is really nice- light and bright.

I don’t know much about Battersea though.

Also found this one! www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86514223#/ Does anyone know what these areas are like?

Not sure on specific location. Seems cheap to me. But beware of maintenance charges and the lease. Get that information first. LA blocks can be bad for charges too.

Ive looked at where that flat is and I used to live near there - not the nicest part of Clapham but convenient for shops and you're semi near some nice areas. Some people think the area around the station is dodgy but I haven't found it to be so, lived there in my early 20s as lots of London imports do. Found it a bit blah really, but we'll connected transport wise

I now live in SE London and much prefer it, but that's probably personal preference.

They both look really nice. They will be in council tower blocks I should think (annoying when the EAs don't put exterior pictures up!) and you would need to check out the terms of the lease. Leasehold flats are sometimes cheaper than you would expect because of maybe a short lease or something similar. But I would imagine the leaseholder will be Wandsworth Council.

Battersea is a great area, close to the river, easy to get into town. None of London is crime free but I don't think Battersea is particularly "rough" - I live about 4 or 5 miles away and think of it as mostly quite posh actually.

Thankyou for the input, are there any other areas that people would recommend that are safe, good for young professionals and fairly affordable! Commuting to either Bloomsbury or Chelsea if that changes anything! X

You really need to know what you're doing if you are buying leasehold.
Check cladding/fire safety costs, service charges which can rise significantly year on year (if there are lifts, they will be higher anyway) and check for rising ground rents.

Also apologies if I sound snobby but I’m not crazy in living in an ex council flat etc- are there any parts of London where other options are more common?

I live near both of these. The first one is very high rise (good area) in an old block (I'd worry re possible works/charges for leaseholders). The second is on a sometimes troubled estate. That's why they are "cheap". I would visit both areas and have a walk around to see how you feel.

I know where the first flat is and if you are looking to buy a ex council flat (I think that’s what they are called) then it’s ok. The area itself is good. The second flat isn’t in the nicest area. If it’s just the 2 options then I’d go for the 1st,

What will your nearest rail/tube stations be that you're travelling to? Or bus stops, if there are good bus routes?

And what's your budget? How many bedrooms do you want for that? And are you prepared to go for a 'doer upper' or something that doesn't need much work?

What is your budget and what kind of flat are you looking for?

I live one minute from that block!

It's a LA block but because of the location I imagine that many/most of the flats are now in private ownership. By the way it's about a minute walk from Thomas' school where the royal children go; and about 6 minutes walk from the Kings Road, Chelsea.

I don't why a PP has referred to Clapham, it's in Battersea, not Clapham.

Highly recommended, location wise.

I had a friend who lived in a Warner flat in Walthamstow something like this

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/87375826#/

I'm in Pimlico so just over the river. I think the first one looks OK but I'm not so sure about the second - the location seems a little far out.

It is a bit dodgy round the station, tbh.

That first one is nearer the park though which is really lovely - and Power Station West is also a nice place to be - quite upmarket but they often do events and freebies (for the locals - to offset developing all those posh flats in the power station) and it's not too crowded and there's a theatre and a cinema and good restaurants - lovely for walking and brunching.

Queenstown Rd is a useful station - takes you to Clapham or Vauxhall.

Have also been recommended Fulham area if anyone can recommend either way?

I've just seen your second link - I'd give the Winstanley Estate one a wide berth.

Depends on your budget!

I would start by having look at areas OP, you will most likely get better value East or South East.

Do some googling on good value lively areas (too big to list them all) and then figure out the transport to your job to reduce the list, then go through the list of areas to fix on one or two, ideally coming to London to walk around (travel related to moving is allowed I believe).

Most flats are leasehold, and with a long lease it’s fine (try and check for any recent issues), shared freehold obviously better if you can find one. Some ex-council properties are perfectly nice, others are not.

It’s very expensive to correct a bad move, so do your research. You could always rent for 6 months first.

How long of a commute are you willing to have? What do you want from your local area - bars & restaurants, public transport, parks?

The first flat is a nice quiet area, very easy to walk over the bridge to Chelsea & right by Battersea Park, but a long way from a tube station & not the nicest walk back from Clapham Junction late at night. Also not very near a traditional high street or supermarket. Wouldn't touch the 2nd with a bargepole.

Unfortunately there are dodgy bits in every area.....what’s your budget and requirements?...then we can maybe help more.

My requirements are basically a nice area with cafes/ pubs etc (Chiswick would be the dream) and budget £500000 max xx

I know both of these areas very well! Am local.

Second one- not a chance. It’s notorious.

First one, nice road, I lived on it for a while about 10 years ago. Not near a tube station but near some nice cafes and battersea bridge is at the end of the road so very easy to walk to Chelsea. There’s a decent co op supermarket at the end of the road, and Battersea Square is nice.

I think you are mad buying without knowing London first. Rent for 6 months. Many apartments are stuck with fire-watch costs/cladding removal. Even when you can't see visible cladding there are issues being investigated (slowly) now.

I was brought up on the Winstanley. It's 100% not what you are looking for.