Up and coming parts of London

[Megan74]

We have decided we want to move into London from outer London/Surburbs. The aim being to find an up and coming area where we can find a doer-upper and sit tight for 5 years or so before selling. We have a max of £450k and want a 3 bed house (yes I know it's going to be a hard one). We ideally need to be in the S and SW side of London.

You can get a 4 bed for that in north east London E17 / E10. The Victoria line from E17 is quick and convenient down to the SW corner if you need to be around there for work.

How far out are you? How far are you prepares to commute to?

New Cross.

Colliers Wood twixt Tooting and Wimbledon might suit - Northern Line close by too.

Look at the south London rail links, not the Tube. Streatham could get you a 4-bed doer upper on that budget and is SW postcode. Or Tulse Hill, Norwood, possibly Crystal Palace.

New Cross, Brockley, Honor Oak, Forest Hill or Sydenham are all good - though South East rather than South. Great transport links to London Bridge/Canary Wharf.

Where are you now and what do you consider outer London/suburbs? How far in do you want to be? Zone 1/2, or would zone 3/4 be far in enough? It's all a bit relative, but I see a lot of the places already mentioned, eg Colliers wood, as per London.

In SW London there isn't much that is central and hasn't already up and come. It may be worth looking at around nine elms and the scruffier parts of Wandsworth road, as the new northern line extension is due there. it's still not cheap, but you may find something relabel good value considering how central it is.

Going a bit further East, around elephant castle is also very central and there is a lot of investment and development planned over the next few years and it's very close to the city. Some areas around there are already expensive, but to the South and East it is cheaper. Also, Southwark council have been selling of lots of property at auction that can be bargains.

Colliers wood etc = outer London, not per

Penge, Sydenham, Beckenham

I am looking for the same thing, op, and have to say that Crystal Palace is winning me over. Penge still not doing it for me, I'm afraid.

Beckenham isn't up and coming really. Penge maybe. Crystal palace, already there.

Beckenham is also definitely outer London / suburbs.

what about Tooting? it's a great place with lots of new bars etc opening up. There is also lots of families with loads of good primary schools to choose from. Next to tooting is an area called Furzedown which has lovely houses and great schools.

in tooting you can get a house for around £450k...you are on the northern line and there is a also an overland and you are right next to balham too...what's not to like?!

when my parents moved to clapton they were told it was up and coming. In 1985.

Also re tooting you are surrounded by green spaces. Tooting common with the lido, wandsworth common, streatham common and the rookery. As well as v near wimbeldon common too.

Tooting, Southfields, Putney - all have 3 beds in your budget. New Cross may be up and coming but I still find it bloody scary after dark!

Thank you all. I am going to check out Totting this weekend.

Or Tooting

I have posted this elsewhere, but would like to say a good word about South Norwood, really hoping that is up and coming.

I have lived here for 5 years and bough a nice Victorian house 3 years ago.
Lots of positives has been said already, which we enjoy every day, i.e.:

• excellent commuting Norwood Junction-City, 11 mins on the train, and rarely a major delay,
• lovely Country park nearby for playground, walking, cycling and blackberries,
• Croydon by tram for shopping, must emphasize tram because it?s more comfy than buses,
• Crystal Palace & Beckenham just 10 mins by bus/tram,
• South Norwood leisure centre & swimming pool (I would never go swimming if it wasn?t that close),
• excellent links with airports (even First Capital Connect line from East Croydon Gatwick-Luton),
• never experienced any problem/crime (touch wood),
• childcare more affordable than elsewhere, £4-5/hour,
• lots of lovely people and villagey feel. I especially love walking around Harrington road area & country park, where I feel like in a countryside.
• East London Line worth mentioning, which I don?t use personally.

I would like to mention schools as a separate topic. I have two children, 4.5 and 2, and this is very important to me. Well, surprisingly, quite few improvements here.

• St. Thomas Becket RC and Cypress ? outstanding primaries
• St. Chad?s RC, Ryelands, Monks Orchard ? good primaries
• South Norwood Primary, Heavers Farm ? fast improving with very good SATS results in recent year

Secondaries are known to be not so good in Croydon, however:

• Harris Crystal Palace, Harris South Norwood ? both outstanding academies,
• BRIT school in Selhurst is very valued,
• St Joseph?s in Upper Norwood quite OK,
• choice of Sutton/Bromley grammars,
• a new secondary will open in Sandown road from 2013. I really look forward to hear what school it will be, because it might mean South Norwood can become a very desirable area!

Sorry for long post!

Forgot to add, the we have people on our road who moved from Rotherhithe and Streatham.

Ooh confused you've done a good job selling south Norwood to me! We are close to you at the moment but finding we have become a little priced out- maybe we need to come and take a look