To want to move my family to London

[Miralala]

I've been offered a job in Zone 1 (mix of wfh and 5 hour return commute on diff days).

I really want to take the opportunity to live in London now, as live fairly rubbish city I don't like - however we have the 'ideal' life now with great schools, 3 bed semi, leafy suburbs, nice little high street and park 5 mins away.

We can up our house budget so could we keep any of that lifestyle anywhere in London for £700k? Absolute must is a nice secondary as kids are gentle souls and getting to secondary age, and son plays music, chess, etc - would be eaten alive in typical comp. I have no idea whether / where to start looking in London.

@Miralala

The job is in Holborn, so great transport links.

I work on Holborn but live in Tottenham (grew up here). I absolutely love it..so coae title he city yet also so close to the marshes and outdoor space. Your kids might have to toughen up a bit though (sorry, but I don't think they will regret it...plenty of 'soft' kids grow up here. I hate this stereotype that inner city kids are all a certain way. When I say "toughen up" I mean, be proud of who they are and associate with their tribe. There are kids who play chess in Tottenham lol. Why do you think there aren't in a 'local comp'? )

Some really good advice here. My kid is fairly sensitive and goes to a bog standard comp in East London and does fine. There is even a chess club!

I'm looking for a house in East Ham with a budget of £500k and have seen lots in my price range. I think Laytonstone is a good shout if your going to be commuting into Holborn but don't know about the schools round there.

Bromley might work with your school needs and budget. Be very clear to investigate schools properly before you move.

Maybe you should let your own home and rent in London so you can go back if schooling etc doesn’t work out.

I live in east London and work near Holborn, would recommend:

• Leytonstone
• Wanstead (likely above budget)
• South Woodford
• Woodford
• Buckhurst Hill

All of the above on the central line so a very straightforward commute of roughly 30 mins.

You will get a bigger house for your money in nearby Highams Park or Chingford, slightly less simple commute via Liverpool St but not difficult.

Hey OP, I think it’s a great idea to move to London. I’ve lived here all my life and love it.

I would recommend caution about the Bounds Green suggestions. I looked at houses there and the north circular is a really awful, loud noisy road that I couldn’t overlook. North East (Waltham Forest, Redbridge) is a lovely part with lots of access to green space (Wanstead Park, Epping Forest) but not sure about the quality of schools. I’d be interested to know!

Lots of suggestions here. But for a job in Holborn I'd be looking east on the central line: South Woodford, Woodford Green are good options. Decent schools, close to epping forest, 'nice' areas with a village feel and lots of amenities.

Something like this

Trevor Road, Woodford Green
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/114391997

I would look at Ham situated between Kingston and Richmond. It's in a beautiful spot by the thames, with access to Richmond park. It has lovely primary schools and the local comp is outstanding at ofsted. It is also close to Tiffin Boys and Tiffin Girls if you would consider grammer schools. For £700,000 you would be able to get 3 bed ex council house. The catch is it's not on the tube or trainline, you would have get a bus or cycle to Richmond or Kingston to then get into central london.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/116511161#/?channel=RES_BUY

Hayes is very popular for the outstanding school.
Great area and 700k budget will make it affordable.

South Woodford or Woodford for Central line into Holborn

Highams Park or Chingford for overground into Liverpool Street before tube into Holborn

All zone 4 and access to good, outstanding, grammar and private schools

Wanstead, lovely but v pricey

Walthamstow, don't get much house for your money (for 700k) but zone 3

2 bed garden flat in West Ealing will set you back around £550k so ……………

I live in London and love it. It is true that your commute will always be around an hour. But you will not pay extortionate amounts that you would pay in commuter counties. 700k will get you a decent house in many parts of London. With a little research you will surely find something that suits you. All the best.

Hope it’s a massive salary increase - everything about London is so expensive

Hi OP I lived around N10 and brought my kids up there for 30 years. They had wonderful state schooling at Muswell Hill Primary and Alexandra Park school. You may be able to get something Bounds Green way which is the easiest commute to Holborn you can imagine. Have a look, we loved it and if I could afford it I'd be back like a shot. Good luck

@PinkWednesdays

700k would struggle to get you a decent two bed flat in any nice bit of zone 2

I know it’s not what OP is looking for, but that’s not true. We have a spacious riverfront 2 bed 2 bath in a nice part of zone 2 which we bought just two years ago for less than that.

There are a lack of decent secondary schools there though and it can be difficult to get a place at schools near your house. I moved out of Greenwich for that exact reason. My friend who still lives there has got kids at different schools and none of them got their first choice.

You could consider areas such as Chingford, Woodford Green, Buckhurst Hill. Easy and quick travel to central London and decent schools

For your kids sake don't do it. I love London but it isn't a great place for young teens. May be try to buy a small flat in London that you could use for weekends away, let sometimes and would possibly be useful for the kids longer term. You could even move into it later on even your kids leave home!

I’d do anything to move back to London, anything! But we were priced out at 450k and have a 2 bed house in Cambridge for that. 700k won’t buy you a house I’m afraid but you’ll get a nice 3 bed flat perhaps, unless you are prepared to move to up and coming places, then you’ll get a house but be warned most places have come up already!

£700k would get you a 3 bed in Streatham - there are a lot of nice primaries and a couple of decent secondaries (Dunraven & Graveney). There is lots of green space on Tooting and Streatham Commons and the high street has a reasonable number of cafes etc. The downside is that it is not on the tube so you have to rely on walking to Balham, southern trains (grim) or the buses.

@Lovetoplan

For your kids sake don't do it. I love London but it isn't a great place for young teens. May be try to buy a small flat in London that you could use for weekends away, let sometimes and would possibly be useful for the kids longer term. You could even move into it later on even your kids leave home!

Curious to know why you think London is not great for teenagers? There is so much more to do than in more boring rural places, plus they can have greater independence earlier on by not needing to be chauffeured about the whole time.

To look for suitable areas, use this version of the London tube map that includes the trains on it, to see places you can easily commute to. Loads of options from Holborn.

In London, commuting times are much better estimated by looking at public transport maps not distance. You can estimate a tube journey with approx. 2 minutes per stop plus time for changing / walking from the tube.

Alexandra Palace, for just one example, is a great place to live. Lovely houses, great schools, a stunning view over the city from Ally Pally itself, and some great events on there too.

You can see on this map, you can easily get to Holborn by taking the train a few stops down to Kings Cross then hopping on the Piccadilly Line.

tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/images/london-rail-and-tube-services-map.gif

700k would get a decent 3 bed terrace Victorian house in Catford or surrounds. I only know primary really so not sure about secondary schools. A do-er upper in Peckham/Nunhead or a more modern 3 bed terrace would probably be just about possible too around here. Beckenham is also a decent spot you could probably find a 700k maisonette with garden or terrace - again I’m not sure about schools but it’s a nice place. Walthamstow and that way also an option. I love living in London so many opportunities and things to do as well as great public transport in general.

Really consider this change and upheaval to your family. I’ve lived in London but moved to Surrey 13 years ago. There are positives for living in London but there are many negatives. You will need to live in a lovely part of London for the positives to outweigh the negatives. You are very unlikely to find a house that meets your (and more importantly) your family’s needs for £700k unless you are living in Zone 4+. Commuting from zone 4 to central London can take up to an hour at rush hour and there will be a walk
From the train station to your office.
I also don’t necessarily recommend moving to Surrey like someone else above in this thread has suggested, even though I live in Surrey and wouldn’t change it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful but again to secure a house like you probably have just now is going to set you back a lot more than £700k. My bungalow (4 bed 1 bathroom) was £700k 13 years ago when we bought it. Surrey is very expensive - everything seems more expensive. Forget all your cheap shops they are few and far between here. Also the commute to London can set you back circa £28+ per day.
I really do get the allure of moving to London
If you haven’t lived there before, I would
Just really consider whether it’s worth it. It’s not the most friendly place in the world and if you get to work from home part of your week, can’t you just commute from where you are, living the London experience when you commute in? I don’t mean to be a kill-buzz, just giving you another perspective. Good luck in your decision!

I'm born & raised in London & am moving away. I can't wait. The suburbs arent that different either.
Crime, pollution, noise & everything is ooverpriced. Be careful what you wish for!

London is lovely but really depends on the area.

Have a look at Harpenden, Herts. Train from there is 21mins into West hampstead (tube into central london).
Harpenden has the best state schools in the country, beautiful little town. Really best if both worlds.
You’ll get an ok 3/4 bed for £700, might need to make some compromises or get a do-er upper.
Homes near decent schools in a nice part of London are beyond your budget.
Are the kids exceptionally bright? You might get some support in the form of a bursary from the private schools but it’s hugely competitive.