Help a 30+ couple choose an area in London to live

[Mysongbook]

Hello,

We are a couple, early 30s but no kids yet, and have been working in the city / living in London Bridge and want to experience living in a house rather than a flat. We work in Green Park / Victoria area. Both in finance and planning to have kids 2-5 years time.

Please can we get ideas on good locations around London (or commuter towns) that have:

• easy commute (45mins) to Victoria / central London stations
• max budget £2.5mill to buy or £6k monthly rent
• family friendly / safe feeling neighbourhood
• 4+ bedrooms
• ideally detached house
• good nurseries and primary schools
• cute cafes, wine bars and restaurants in walking distance
• parks and greeneries

we have so far looked at Putney, Barnes, Greenwich, Blackheath. Putney was really nice but didn’t find barnes that great (may have rushed it thought). Greenwich seems too busy, Blackheath was nice too but no one we know live in SE London.

we’ve been told to look at Queens Park, Beaconsfield, High Wycombe and St Albans (seems way too far commute).

I know this is all over London but we are fairly open minded

thanks!

Putney, Dulwich, Wandsworth, Battersea, Balham, Chiswick, Wimbledon.

Will your work definitely stay in that area or might you work in the City or Canary Wharf in future? If so then make sure that commute is manageable too.

If you work long hours I wouldn’t consider moving out of London at this stage, as you have the budget for a nice place in a nice area.

Beckenham.

Thank you! Our work will definitely stay in Green Park, Liverpool St or Canary Wharf long term. It doesn’t really exist beyond those 3 areas.

and we are working from office 3-4 times a week.

we are thinking to rent before buy, because of what you said exactly - long hours. So before buying a long term family home, we may rent and also to trial out a new area

Yes renting makes sense, not just to trial an area but also if your work location may change. For example Putney/Barnes is a decent commute to Green Park but it’s not a good journey to the City. Ideally when you do buy, you’d find somewhere that works well enough for all these.

Also - not what you asked about - but IME it’s very difficult to make two full time long-hours City type jobs work with children, especially if client facing. So when budgeting for a house, consider that one or both of you may end up moving to a less demanding (& less well paid) job.

Greenwich is lovely and has really good transport links.

Blackheath is the absolute best from your list

You say you don't know anyone, you will soon make friends

I moved here 7 years ago, knew no one. Have lots of friends and there's tons to do. And of course you can just walk down through the park to Greenwich

If I had £2.5m for a four bed with 45 mins commute I’d be looking at Holland Park end of Hammersmith / Shepherds Bush. Ravenscourt Park / Turnham Green. Richmond / Kew. North Kensington. Ladbroke Grove. Yes Queens Park. Wimbledon.

But..: unlikely to get a detached house in any of these areas. You would pay a hell of a premium for it.

I’d choose location over being detached, every time. At this price point you can just soundproof anyway.

Richmond. It’s a longer commute but you’re at the start of the line so will always get a seat in the morning. I can’t speak about schools because I was childless when I lived there. There is an overground station too.

I still visit often, it’s lovely.

9min train to Victoria
How about a 5bed semi with 500k to renovate?
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/148135517#/?channel=RES_BUY

I would echo a pp and say lose the detached requirement and you've got a good pick of some excellent locations

Blackheath is lovely, and has trains to Victoria and London Bridge/Cannon Street (for the City) or to Lewisham for DLR to Canary Wharf if work location changes. Lots of private schools if wanted in future and a village-y feel plus as LaurieFairyCake said Greenwich Park, town centre and riverside are all walkable.

Petts Wood & Orpington also have options of Victoria (45mins) train or London Bridge too. More suburban than Blackheath.

Richmond

Blackheath and Greenwich are lovely, I don't know it super well but my sister has just moved to Bexleyheath and it seems nice.
Also have a look at Crystal Palace or Sevenoaks.

Barnes/East sheen is a fantastic choice, lived there with children. You both get Thames and Richmond park but at Waterloo in 20 minutes. But as someone said I would take into consideration changes with work (one of you working part time etc.) If my budget had been 2.5£ we never would have moved away, amazing community.

Could I just pick up the suprising comment above which suggests Putney isn't good for a City commute. It's on the Distict Line which goes right through the City, a couple of stops on the overground into Waterloo and it also has the Thames clipper which stops at (amongst others) Embankment and Blackfriars. Putney's popularity is largely based on it's transport links into the City. I would agree with pp's about losing the detached requirement unless you're able to substantially increase the budget. Current budget will get a very decent semi detached.

I wonder why you are just looking south? From Islington you can go Angel to Bank in minutes, Highbury and Islington is on the Victoria line so easy to Green Park. Plentiful housing options, nice restaurants and good schools.