Moving to London with a toddler - where do I start?

[inneedofagin]

DH has finally got a new job
It's in London [hmmm]

We have a 3 bed semi with a garden up here, it will rent out for 500pcm, and if we double it for our budget estate agents are still laughing at us

He will be working in Victoria, I'll be a homeworker (need an office) so with dd at 18 months we need a 3 bed, family friendly location in less than 40 minute commute from Victoria with a good creche nearby.

All those MN living in London is it a pipedream to find somewhere we can rent in our budget in an area where we can feel safe?

I asked one friend about an area I was thinking about (she lives there) and her response was that she grew up there, and she wouldn't live there with a child.

Any advice is gratefully received, I am finding all of this really stressful, as we have to do major stuff to our house to get it in rental condition (I don't want to sell until I am convinced I can be happy in London)and my DH seems oblivious to the fact that organizing viewings for two weekends before you need to move in May is not sensible.

Don't get me wrong I know we are lucky to have this opportunity but to be honest at the moment I feel anxious and worried not excited.

I have been told to look at longer commutes, but he will be doing 9 to 6 days anyway and I want him to see DD awake, otherwise what is the point?

what is your budget? 1000 pcm?

I would start looking at the outer zones of the London transport network (zones 5/6), as though you'll pay a bit more for travel, you'll pay much less in rental.

Purley is ok - used to be lovely, the town centre isn't as good as it once was but it's got great travel links and a big Tesco and is close to Croydon for shopping.

£1000 pcm will get you a 3-bed near the station, which is 25 mins from Victoria with very frequent trains.

Sorry, posted too soon. Was going on to say that it's a very family-ish sort of town and I think it feels very safe and green too.

For example:
www.findaproperty.com/displayprop.aspx?edid=00&salerent=1&pid=5405849

Well, DH works in Victoria and we live in SE16 (Canada Water tube on the Jubilee line). Commute is about 30 - 35 mins, but with tubes so quite reliable and no hanging around if you miss a train. There is lots of building going on round us so I think there should be places available. Houses may be a bit smaller than you are used to but it is very green, lots of parks, near the river, there is a city farm, nice library etc and there is lots to do with a toddler. Have had a quick look at places but might be a stretch with your budget but worth a look?

Something like this

I feel safe round here, childcare is OK (DS is at a lovely nursery in Waterloo)

Try Surbiton--reasonable rents, nice neighborhoods, good schools, quick trains to Clapham (change for Victoria). And the Kingston/Surbiton/Thames Ditton area has SO MUCH for children to do! You'll never be bored.

look at stops going south from victoria on overground.

Don;t know that area well, but it general locations linked by underground command a premium.

If you want to stay a bit out of London, what about Woking?

Trains to Victoria are insanely often -about every 6 minutes, but go via Waterloo and take about 1 hour. If its suburbs you like it might be more your thing

Brockley? Forest Hill? Some parts of Peckham Rye are supposedly okay, but I don't like that area particularly. The overground links going south as suggested by kif will take you to a number of affordable areas - albeit with no tube link, but who wants to take a stinky, overcrowded tube anyway? Plenty of buses if trains are off/it's late. Lots of green space.

Greenwich and Blackheath are nice too, but rail links from there to Victoria are infrequent and they are more expensive areas.

My DH was brought up near Kent House station - the nearest shops are Beckenham. It's a middle class if slightly dull, family friendly suburb 20 mins direct from Victoria on the overground train (zone 4). It's less fashionable and consequently much cheaper than Dulwich or Sydenham (which are lovely by the way). I would have thought being on the tube in south London (which means the Northern line really) is outside of your price limit if you wanted to be somewhere nice.

You could also consider Crystal Palace or Gypsy Hill which have a bit more going on that Kent House and have regular trains direct into Victoria.

dreamteam, woking's on SWT so all trains go to waterloo not victoria. You'd have to change at clapham junction to get a train to victoria.

How about Greenwich? Don't live there though, just visit on day trips.

Oops sorry just realised you need 3 beds

We're in Crofton Park in South East London, surrounding areas are Ladywell, Brockley, Nunhead, Honor Oak, Forest Hill. Very nice round here with lots to do for families, good railway links to Central London (15-20 min journey), lots of green space. Feels very safe.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-29080913.html

This sort of property is available.

And I found this possible in Beckenham:-

www.findaproperty.com/displayprop.aspx?edid=00&salerent=1&pid=6023440

I don't think trains from Clock House station go into Victoria by the way. It'd be Kent House or Beckenham Junction for a direct train. Penge is considered rougher than Beckenham but I don't want to offend anyone who lives there who might think differently.

Oh dear - am avoiding work.

But I found this in West Dulwich, which is a chi-chi/green area and only 15 mins by direct train into Victoria.

www.findaproperty.com/displayprop.aspx?edid=00&salerent=1&pid=5566563#

Only downside is that when I get the train in from Kent House at rush hour (when staying at MIL's) it's packed by the time we get to West Dulwich station. People struggle to get on sometimes. Depends what your DH would feel about it.

Thanks so much, I really appreciate this - all these are south London - what is North London like? Relatives have suggested St Albans has or Hatfield as a reasonable commute - any thoughts?

Really do need a gin now as DH and I have just had massive fight about my belief that he is doing nothing to help with this, and his random idea that his golf buddy put in of a serviced apartment, genuinely he seems to think that moving all our stuff, twice, and relocating our daughter, twice, is a good idea {eangry] grrr

I'm in a similar position! We're living in North London at the moment for DP's work. Where we are seems ok but we've only been here a week!

I feel totally lost as I've lived in the same small town all my life!

I have a 2.10 year old DD and I'm a SAHM and it feels strange not going to our usual toddler groups. I haven't been able to findany here yet.

Sorry, I'm not much help! The property here is a lot more expensive to what it is back home (Lancashire). Here we are living in a 2 bed flat which is doublethe cost of our 3 bed semi in Lancs!

Anything north on the Victoria Line that's affordable you might find a bit 'real' (Tottenham, Walthamstow etc). St Alban's is def not a 40 min commute from Victoria, ime. You could live somewhere on the Northern line and change at Euston - Finchley? Golders Green?

Wanderingsheep where do you live?

I'm in Barnet

St Albans (it's where I live) to Victoria would be a pain in the bum and could take you close to an hour depending on the Victoria Line. You'd be lucky to get a three-bed around here for £1000, too.

My mum lives in Beckenham and the train service from Beckenham Junction to Victoria is very good. There are trains every 15min during rush hour and it only takes about 25min. The south side of Beckenham is generally a bit nicer than the north. Kelsey Park is small, well-tended and has a good playground as well as lots of ducks and squirrels to feed. Beckenham Place Park is huge with some good woodlands.

Thanks for all this. I went around some places in south London last week - and realized how much space we would loose - they are all so tiny, like you wanderingsheep we are coming from the north (cheshire) and are used to a lot of space for not a lot of money (well compared to London anyway).

So this Saturday we are off to look at St Albans and Hatfield (it's vaguely near my uncle, and I have a mate that lives in Hemel Hempstead so it might be a bit less lonely).

Am sure it will be a bit nerve wracking so wish us luck - shall keep ye updated.

According to national rail his commute from st albans and hatfield is about 55 minutes - I am not so keen on the length of commute, as I may go slightly insane working at home on my own all day and having all the child care, but as DH pointed out it would be worse to come home at the weekend and spend it working out where else to go because it's so teeny. Maybe it is just that with a chickenpoxy DD I am just too tired to think of anything else to do

From experience I'd say South London is underrated and can be really friendly. Think twice about a commute that crosses London, many of the Tube lines grind to a halt in the mornings. St Albans to Victoria in rush hour ! I used to commute from Peckham Rye to Warren Street (i.e. train + tube) and it was 50 minutes of hell, all standing/pushing/walking: certainly no time to read or relax. If working in Victoria and no other ties, definitely look at a train into Victoria. You could look at the north end of the Victoria Line (e.g. Walthamstow) but I don't know those areas - if the housing is cheap there will be a reason.

For a budget of about 1000pcm you would probably be looking at a very small house or a garden flat (big house split up) unless you go into the outer zones.

The thing about renting though, is that you can test the water: you have no commitments as to primary schools, and you can live anywhere for 6 months IME while you suss out the area. London is no different to anywhere else - if you get out and about to toddler groups etc you will pick up with other families. Try MN!

But yes, in London the average family count themselves lucky to have three small bedrooms and any size of garden in walking distance of a station. But most of the houses are cottagey Victorian/Edwardian terraces with loads of character so not as bad as you might think.

I'd agree with the recommendations for Brockley/Crofton Park/Telegraph Hill/Nunhead - good rail links (nunhead & crofton park direct to victoria), zone 2 so commuting is cheaper than further out, loads of baby/toddler activities and groups, lovely parks. I feel much safer here than in north london and property prices are much cheaper. tbh though £1kpcm is low for pretty much anywhere in London for the sort of thing you're looking for