Any advice for London buyers with 400k?

[indiegrrl]

Possible London newbie here with absolutely no idea where to start. DP has prospect of moving to a job in London; I work in Oxford and he's currently Up North so this would be great. For various reasons we'd be living in London rather than Oxford if he got it. Haven't a clue where to start househunting and wd love some tips before DP gives up in despair...we'd have 400k and would like 2 bedrooms, pref within 40 mins bus/tube of central London (the Strand). I'd need to get the train from Paddington or the bus from Marble Arch, Notting Hill or Shepherd's Bush but I'd be commuting weekly so while we'd like to be as near as possible to one of those, it isn't that essential. We like all the usual stuff: parks, high street, cafes etc etc (god knows if we can afford to think about any of that!) - but not fussed about parking space or clubs or pubs. Any tips very, very gratefully received. Thanks so much.

Not alot of help here but PLEASE don't rely on the Oxford Tube...... it seems like a good idea, really it does, but it's so dispiriting. I used to commute into London and back 2 days a week using it (so slightly different to your pattern).... you may think you can get to work in the morning on it. But you can't, really, unless you get the 5am bus then the chances of getting stuck in traffic for an age are huge. Also: the advertised WIFI - well it just doesn't work. 50% of the time it wouldn\t work at all, the rest you'd have significant black holes en route. Commuting back in the evening is even more dispiriting, when you either end up sitting in traffic for hours or stuck with the drunks.
Of course, you might know all this already if you're in Oxford, but really, until you're doing it on a regular basis it doesn't feel quite so bad....

Have you got children and do you need a garden? It's easy to find a nice two bed flat for £400k

You could look at south east London .... You could get prob a 3 bedroom with outside garden. Nunhead, forest hill, brockley etc ....

You might just be able to get a two bed flat in Kentish Town for that, just. I am a NW5 convert :)

You could probably get somewhere over E2, E3 as well, but at the moment everything is overpriced (IMO) because of the Oylimpics. Also transport over that way is really a problem, as in in theory it's great, but just too many people for it to work.

You could get a 3 bed house in Camberwell for 400K. The no.12 bus would get your DH to The Strand in 40mins and Marble Arch is also easy to get to by bus. Lots of lovely parks - Ruskin, Burgess, Peckham Rye, Dulwich. The high street is rubbish though we have some genuinely lovely cafes and restaurants. Lordship Lane is a short bus ride (5 or 10 mins) for lots of nice shops.

I'm a big fan of south London & a long term resident, but if I needed to get to Paddngton every day & then on to Oxford, I'd stick with north London - crossing town every day can really grind you down.

Have friends in Kilburn/W Hampstead area & they seem to like it there a lot. Or Ealing is well connected for central London, being on the central line.

I'm with rhubarbgarden on the joys of Camberwell (really do love it there) but I have to say, with the commute Ealing has to be worth a look.

You could also try Kennington/Elephant and Castle if you want central. They have a good supply of flats so you get more for your money given it is very central.

Have a look at kensal Rise/Green. Very family friendly, Bakerloo line to Paddington and you'll get a lovely flat for that money.

Yes to SE London - Greenwich is beautiful and feels safe, you can get a lovely 2 bed place there for £400k. Just a cursory glance found this this and this. I would happily live in any of those streets. All close to overland trains (much more pleasant than sweaty tube - although they do also get very busy) and DLR, plus Greenwich park which is lovely.

I'd say se London too other than the need to get to Oxford, it's the one thing I hate about this area is trying to get out to the west, tube/train is better than driving but you're looking at a good 2 hrs to get to Oxford (on the train, coach + getting to the coach stop more like 2.5-3).

I'd look in kensal green/kensal rise/queens park sort of area. West hampstead is lovely but you won't get much for 400k.

The commute is only weekly though - I would rather have a nice home near lovely parks, cafes, more space etc and have a longer commute once a week than a quick weekly commute but get less for my money.

kensal rise nw10 bu you would need to be nearer the bakerloo at kensal green (straight to charing cross) ;
nw10 dollis hill (jubilee line) you get more for your money

if going to oxford is going to be ling term thing then s e london is not going to be very good location.... look north west and west

Ealing, Hammersmith, Shepherd's Bush and Acton would all be good places to look. With a following wind, you could get a two bedroom flat with a patio garden for your budget.

The Central line would work well for the Oxford Tube at Holland Park roundabout, but you could also take the Hammersmith & City into Paddington. It's much more frequent than it used to be.

'Shebu' is probably the best compromise for you, but it's not everyone's cup of tea...

Sorry, should have added Holborn (on CL) is the stop for the Strand. There are frequent buses too from the west, and a bus commute in London is easy, unlike elsewhere in the country. Much nicer in summer than the tube, too.

Live on the Oxford - London train line - Cholsey, Goring, Pangbourne... good for getting in to London and Oxford at the same time, and prices not quite as bad as London.

Ooo, sorry for the thread hijack, but do you know Cholsey well, Mistle?

Am desperate to move out of London and looking at places like Cholsey and on the Chilterns line towards Bicester.

I grew up 3 miles from there - Riding school in Cholsey and I cycled there - and my parents still live nearby.

Ultimate question - would you live there again?

What's good?

What's bad?

Sorry OP for ruining your thread!

I would live in one of the larger villages (Blewbury, Cholsey, Goring and Streatley, perhaps Pangbourne, Henley) but not the smaller ones that don't really have any services any more and tend to be full of commuters who don't have time for village life. When I was growing up the freedom was marvellous - I used to take a horse up onto the Downs regularly, and walks by the Thames are good too. Easy to get up to London by train - and into larger towns by train (Oxford or Reading) or use park and ride for Oxford.

to the OP: Acton or Ealing have got to be your best bet. Buy near a central or piccadilly line tube station for DH's commute (Holborn/Leicester Sq/Covt Gdn are near to the Strand). Paddington is not far, plus slower trains from Paddington to Oxford stop in Acton or Ealing.

Look at this map for the transport connections.

and a bus commute in London is easy, unlike elsewhere in the country

what about the endless traffic jams? it's easy but not quick. I'd stick to the tube personally!

'bus commute is easy, unlike elsewhere in the country'. I live within 5 mins walk of proper countryside (with larks, red kites, kingfishers and curlews) I can get into the City Centre in the morning in 30 mins, or at its worst, 40mins. There's a 10 min bus service from 3 mins walk away, and another bus that comes 3 times an hour that avoids stopping at most stops further into the centre. I'm not sure how that is likely to be any 'more difficult' or indeed less convenient or slower than commuting within London.