Depressing house prices. Gone insane.

[sellotape12]

I don’t know whether we should give up house hunting in the area :(

We are looking for a smallish family house, Victorian, because what else holds its value - in Brockley, Honor Oak, Crofton Park. I’m getting sick of estate agents laughing at us for having ‘only' a budget of £675k. It’s a lot of money, and we work really hard! But it seems that the area has had a spike and vendors are pushing up as much as they can.

I guess we’ll have to look at Stratford and Leytonstone. I refuse to get caught in a bidding hysteria, it’s just not rational. Or are they this high because of the looking April 5th stamp duty change?

Or, who are all these families that have a comfortable £800k to spend in Brockley of all places?!

Sorry. Moaning.

Hi sellotape12! Yes, property prices have gone up an awful lot in Southeast London over recent years. It mirrors the situation that we see all across London, but I think has been added to by the oh-so-useful London Overground that means many commuters see the SE as a much more convenient option for the city and Canary Wharf etc. But don't lose heart. Are you sold on those particular areas? You could also come out a little further and take a look at Sydenham, Forest Hill and Penge. Also Perry Vale, Perry Rise and Perry Hill could be worth a look. They all have lovely Victorian properties to offer, there are some great parks about (Mayow park, Wells Park, Crystal Palace Park, the Horniman etc), and the areas still have a wonderful independent feel with plenty of arts cafes, delis etc and a lot for kids to do. There is a leisure centre and wonderful library in Sydenham, and a fabulous annual arts fest organised from much loved local bookstore Kirkdale Books. We wish you luck - let us know how you get on!

We've had some recommendations about Corbett Estate in Catford. Also, people are advising that you look beyond Victorian - what about 30s/40s/50s? - to ensure you have more choice and perhaps more change. This article about Sydenham popped up too www.theresident.co.uk/homes-interiors/move-sydenham/

Maybe extend your search beyond Victorian properties as LocalEditor suggests? We were priced out of the Victorian terraces in forest hill, as a result we bought a 1920s semi with 2x floorspace and 4x garden space for half the price of the Victorian terrace we'd been renting. I rather feel we're the winners in this situation and I love the space in our new house and not hearing a pin drop next door through the wafer-thin walls. Oh and the value of our house has gone up by a third over the last two years as prewar semis are becoming more sought after...

By the way, Sellotape12, I don't know how far out you would consider, but as well as the options above, you would definitely get a decent sized family home (4 bed, good sized garden) for that money in areas like Beckenham, Elmers End and West Wickham. We have a sister site - www.local.mumsnet.com/bromley where you could ask people for their views on those areas if you wanted to. Plenty for you to think about!