Londonites - I canmot be the only one considering moving further IN?

[WhatstheScenario]

DH and I both grew up in inner London neighbourhoods. We moved to London/Herts borders 5 years ago when we became parents and we have a decent house and quality of life here. Our house is an Edwardian 4 bed semi with big garden. We are about 5 min walk from a decent high street with shops and buses and a 15 min walk/5 min drive from tube. The schools here are decent, although one of our children goes to a special school 30 min drive away anyway and the other is a toddler, so this isnt a huge pull at the moment (and I work in education, and so am not really swayed by Ofsted etc anyway).

There is nothing wrong with where we live. There is no real reason to move.

Except I dont love this area. It feels quite Suburban and dull. There is no real culture or life around here, just streets and streets of semis. I just never imagined ending up living in a far nortehrn suburb of London in a a big, dusty old house!

DH feels the same, btw.

We have been toying with the idea of downsizing to a 3 bed terrace slightly further in, maybe somewhere NW/W London (but we are open to anywhere north of the river - sorry, ld time norf Londoners ). We cant afford really central. Budget about £700k max.

Are we mad? No offence, but I'd really rather here from Londoners! TIA

I sort of know how you feel.

After 20 years in central London (marylebone, islington, hampstead) we moved to Beckenham in Kent (London border sarf London) six months ago.

We got a big impressive house 3 times the size our islington one for the same money.

Nice big garden for the children. Good local high st and other shopping nearby. DHs commute is less than an hour door to door. Schools are superb. Area passes the Waitrose test if you know what I mean. several huge lovely parks and more play grounds than you can shake a stick at.

But..... I don't love this area. And I don't love this house.

I should love both. It's all fabulous. But my last thought at night and first one in the morning is how much I miss my 3 bed town house (beautiful contemporary architect designed. Sniff) in islington and how I really can't get into this area and how much I hate this new house.

And I know I am being unreasonable because everyone who comes here are awestruck by the house. And everyone loves the area too.

But I just don't at all. And I have shed plenty of private tears over it.

So no, you are being perfectly sane in your thoughts on moving are not unreasonablr. You are lucky to have your DH agree with you. It makes it a no brainer.

Not sure on area to suggest as I am not sure exactly how much space you need for your £700k. But as you are both on agreement - do it.

no we will most likely do the same. But both dcs in schools and I'm really hesitant to uproot them. So we will wait till they have done their GCSEs them move back in again.

We spend a lot of time in central London (well we both work there) but also socially, we see people there, go with the kids on the weekends etc. It seems a totally logical decision to go back further in for us. If it wasn't for the kids' schools, I'd go tomorrow.

Our big life regret is living in Zone 3 when we lived in London. It's too late for us now (just wouldn't work for us to move back for a zillion reasons) but we often look back and wish we had just spent more money (we could have afforded it) and lived in zone 1. So I do get what you mean, and if you want that London 'feeling' of everything buzzing then do it.

I would, dh wouldn't. It's not an issue at the moment because we couldn't afford it, but if I had £700k to spare I would move back to where we were in Battersea. I'm not sure if that counts as central London but it was 30 mins door to door to my office and my train fare was only £1 a day (London overground from Clapham Junction)

For £700k around there we'd get a 3/4 bed terrace with a 30 foot garden. Dh says that's too much money for such a tiny garden. We did have two commons on our doorstep and so many restaurants it made me weep. Mind you, it was trashed during the riots :o

You could get a house in a nice-ish part of Hackney or Stoke Newington for £700k.

Houses in Hackney

Houses in Stoke Newington

Not all these houses will be nice, some will be on dodgy roads or whatever, but some of them will be fine. Definitely not suburban or dull!

I grew up in the distant suburbs pretty much as you describe and in reaction to that I have spent the past 12 years living in central London. I am now in W1 with two small children and I would hate to give this up for more space. The downsides are: I live in a small house with almost no garden. We are not particularly near to a park and I'm not sure how my children are ever going to learn to ride a bike (5 year old on stabilisers on the Edgware Road??). You can overplay the culture element- I literally never go out because of having two small children so there could be the most fabulous play that everyone is talking about or the latest, latest restaurant that is totally fabulous just around the corner but I can't go out so I might as well live on Dartmoor. Our area really is quite edgy (beggars and homeless Roma living locally including on the steps of the children's school - the steps have to be sluiced down every day because of "matter" left there overnight).

But for all that I hope I never have to leave. I have a car but almost never have to use it. I have almost no commute. I feel connected to a vibrant local community. My neighbour, who has older children, tells me that her children love it because although when they were younger they wanted a bigger garden, now they are out and about with their friends and she doesn't have to worry about them on the nightbus and walking home from a remote bus stop in the middle of the night. That resonated with me because the nightbus really did take nearly 2 hours to get to my distant suburb as a teenager and I was virtually a hermit as a result because I could not be bothered.

The imponderable I think is schools. We are lucky to have a great primary school on our doorstep but that's pretty unusual for the inner city. As for secondaries - our local ones are unspeakable but that's a long way off for us right now.

Thank you, all. Really interesting reading all of your responses, and thank you so much for taking the time to reply.

skandi, you have hit the nail on the head, really. We should love our house and our nice, safe, suburban area - but we don't. What is wrong with us?!
Most of my friends would bite their hands off for our house and I am sure most would think us mad to be even considering moving back in to the big smoke. But oh, I just feel like a fish out of water here sometimes...

Polly - I wouldnt go back to Stokie (we lived there for years before we had kids - lovely area, but some bad memories which are too long and boring to go into). DH would LOVE to move to Hackney. I'm open to it, but am a west London girl at heart (so is DH, but he likes the vibe in Hackney)...

Oh, decisions, decisions@! DH is talking about us renting out our house and renting a flat in an area we like for 6 months, to see if we really do want to make the move or are just suffering from 'grass is always greener' syndrome. Probably sensible.

Any other thoughts or suggestions welcome!

There are good schools in both Hackney and Stokey, as well as schools you would probably want to avoid.

This house might just about be in catchment for Mossbourne

This is nice, in a quiet road, and also possibly in the Mossbourne catchment

Nice house in Stokey, good primary and secondary school nearby

I have a friend who moved out of Zone 1 to a lovely house in Wimbledon. She nearly died of boredom. Is now very happy in the dusty charms of Kensal Rise

Cross posted - missed the bit about you not liking Stokey (though that last house is lovely, near Abney Park). Hackney proper is nice too though, and houses tend to be bigger. Lots of good schools/academies have started up over the past few years, and some primaries also good. It obviously is all quite urban, but sounds like you're up for htat. Round Broadway Market/London Fields is also nice.

You could prob also get houses in Holloway or parts of Archway for the same amount, but it is a bit of a nothing area. Once you go much north of Highgate it gets more suburban, which isn't what you're after.

I love living in London proper, can you tell? Good when kids get older as well, they have lots of good transport links so you don't have to keep driving them everywhere.

Ooh Hester, I love Kensal Rise!

Polly - we lived on the next road from Listria in Stokie for years

I like London Fields and Hackney proper, though. Would def consider it.

Oh, I do love London, grime and all!

Whatsthescenario. I know.

My DH loves new house and area. It's literally his dream so I have no chance of going back

I do struggle to pinpoint why I don't love it here and love the house.

I have brought it up with DH a couple of months ago but he thinks I am being selfish and need to think of the children. Besides which he wouldn't change his views. Although he did say we could move back in when the children leave home. My youngest is 6 months....

I wish you luck in your house hunt! Btw Cricklewood/West Hampstead boarders would be within your budget but less of a vibe than stokey.