Not stealth boast I promise but FFS 700k and cant find what we want

[RetroBeeyatch]

Disclaimer: I know £700k is a fortune to spend on a house outside of London, but this is our budget and we are struggling to find what we want in London.

We want London north of the river or suburbs of London (because of where we both work), either a natural 4 bedder (not loft converted) or a 3 bed we can do a loft conversion on, but would need to then be more like 600k in that case. I want a garden. I want at least 3 of the bedrooms to be doubles. I want good space downstairs (I really want a utility room, or space to add one).

Am I being unrealistic? The sort of house in the sort of area we want seems to be more like 850k and we cannot stretch to that. Am willing to look at areas outside if London but close. North or West of the city preferably.

I was going to say tuffnell park too.

have never lived there but went there for spaghetti once

nice restaurant

pity you won't look south...Dulwich etc

x posts!

Finchley is horribleanyway. sorry, I've lived there

See, I could probably be persuaded to move out of London but DH is die-hard. If it hasn't got a London postcode he isn't interested.

Will have a look at Tuffnell Park deffo.

Phobic about going south of the river. Its not snobbery (honest - love a bit of sowf) but we both work in N London, family is all yp this way and just cannot imagine having to make the south-to-north drive for babysitting, family visist etc. No way Jose.

Finchley is effing bloody pricey. East Finch (my preferred bit of Finchley) and Finch Central you're talking 800k plus for a decent four bedder. Silly money. We did well on our individual flats when we sold and combined the money into one pot pre-marriage, but we're not Bernie fucking Eccletsone .

You're right, though. Finchley is quite shite. I would love the vibe of Crouch End - the shops and the cafes etc, but this is London. Can't have it all.

I was in EF

honestly can't imagine wanting to BUY there, it was bad enough renting, there were no shops, nothing, not even a decent park.

It was just a road and some houses. There are really nice bits of London with a sense of community and so on

guess you've thought of Hampstead already

Mill Hill??

Willesden? It's not as nice as Queens Park but it's sort of getting there. Good transport links.

You're either looking at a house compromise in a nice area or a nice house in an up-and-coming/may never get there area. But I expect you know that already :o

Stoke Newington?

You would get what you wanted if you came a bit further in, to Stroud Green or nearer to Finsbury Park.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-31488643.html

Not so bad! Not as lovely as Crouch End, but that's why it's cheaper...

Anyone who can explain in what sense the house I just linked to is 'semi-detached' would be welcome

I'd buy this one, but I would love to live in Hackney -

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-31744876.html

Don't let one bullet put you off OP, buy that one - it's a lovely house and look at the garden! Hackney's ace.

Argh I've not been converting my linkies...

Stroud Green:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-31488643.html

Hackney:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-31744876.html

Stoke Newington. We had to move because of budget but it's so lovely here.
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-30604480.html

Ooh that second one in Hackney is lovely, I have to say. DH would probably move to hackney in a shot but I dunno...not loving Mare St.

Not keen on Stokie, either. Lived there for a while, too. Found Church Street quite unbearably smug about itself . Clissold Park was lovely, though.

I'm not fussy, or anything, honest

How about Edgware (top end of the Northern Line)

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-19182553.html?premiumA=true

or Mill Hill

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-31419646.html?premiumA=true

We have lived in Archway, East Finchley, and nr Alexandra Palace but when it came to buying 'the house' we did need to look at areas we had dismissed without really knowing much about them. We are now in South Tottenham, its just a short trip for shopping, restaurants, bars etc to Crouch End or Stokey. Primary schools are great, theres brilliant parks, childrens centres (if you're at that stage) we haven't been victims of crime in the 6 years we've been here and feel safe walking in our local area at night, you could afford an amazing house here - try the 'Harringay Ladder' or 'Garden' roads off Green Lanes for an N4 (ie not a Tottenham postcode if thats an issue!) Its an area with lots to commend it if you look into it properly. Whilst incomes are very mixed and undoubtedly there is poverty, many of our neighbours are professionals and we don't suffer the same levels of affluenza that many of our friends in better off places do! There is a real strong sense of community, check out www.harringayoline.com for an example. I have, what I think, is a beautiful home - 5 double beds, period features, extended kitchen, 2 bathrooms, good sized garden (paid £350 and did a loft conversion). Tube Piccadilly line very quick into central London and good bus (inc night buses) routes too.

commuter belt

i lived a few doors up from this one. lovely area - even nicer with your own parking.

train commute direct to Victoria....

rubs lottery ticket like magic lamp

Essex is lovley. Mine are in a fantastic outstanding school, lovley area, more for your money, quick links to London, takes Dg and hour or less.

Edless, that house is going to give me nightmares. The Toby jugs! The chintzy bathroom! The freakishly suspended lightiny! The bedroom that looks like a flowery morgue!

having lived on the street, i believe the occupants may be of an artistic persuasion. I'm pretty sure they do Open House sometimes...(beautiful opportunity to be a nosy-neighbour)

personally i love it, though i would probably still vandalise it with something much less decorative. you really wonder, if they decluttered, would it add £50k to the house?

Why though? If I were you I would make him go and see some out of the london postcode area just to see what you can get. I think it is madness sorry.

And I think Hackney is a really horrible area.

Archway tube is fine at night (and during the day). I'd second whitehall park, dartmouth park (probably out of your budget, but worth looking) Tollington green and upper holloway/tuffnel park borders. I've just bought a 2 bed maisonette with a big garden in the latter. Its on a quiet road, close to lots of green spaces with playgrounds, friendly neighbours etc. We don't have children yet, but our next move will hopefully be with a family and we will be staying in the area.

What about Pinner/Ruislip? They are on the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines and there are some v good schools in the area.

v good state schools nearby

ditto

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