AIBU to ask you lovely folk for some advice RE areas of London?

[juniper904]

My DP and I are looking at buying somewhere in London next year, but it seems like such a mind boggling thing to do.

We do live in London, but haven't explored much other than the centre so residential areas are new to us.

We've got an upper limit of about £325,000 and want somewhere with 2 or more bedrooms and a garden. I drive to work and DP commutes on public transport, but not into London centre. Both our jobs would be borough bound- making the location even more important!

So far we're looking at places like Stoke Newington, Crouch End, Tottenham, Raynes Park, Wimbledon etc but my brain feels like it's turning to mush and I'm finding it hard to find anywhere that classifies the general feel of each area. Upmystreet used to be fantastic for that, but it's been taken over and all the details about the area have been censored out.

Any advice, before my brain becomes stew? Ta :-)

I see someone else suggested Kingston or Surbiton - my neck of the woods, and no you wouldn't get 2 beds and a garden for that price. A 2 bed flat yes but beware the killer council tax (we pay £200 per month for a 2 bed flat)

need more data

where does he work, where do you work?

you have mentioned 2 places on completely different sides of London!

fact is if you want a nice place for £325K, you need to move a shittier area
fact!
or further out

to the Kilborn lover up-a-thread I used to love Kilborn too!!!!

I moved last year from Plaistow (east London) to North Chingford.
Train to Liverpool St takes about 25 minutes, every 15 minutes (with connection to Victoria Line at Walthamstow Central). 4-bed for less than your budget, e.g. www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-38348075.html?premiumA=true
Right beside Epping Forest.
It's great.
It is clean and people are polite and say hello to you when you pass them. There are not many chain shops on the high street, but loads of restaurants.
It has most of the benefits of a small town in Essex and a part of London.

I'm not being paid to say any of this!

I'm with MissM!
I now live overseas but am in the process of selling our place in a very nice bit of Walthamstow where we lived for about 8 years.
Ours is a 2 bed terrace, nice garden, just on top of a quiet park and 3 min walk from the railway station into Liverpool St (20 mins). It's on the market at £270k so you can definitely get more for your money there! Transport links are great with train, tube, buses and easy road access too.

We actually moved there from Stoke Newington, which was lovely but SERIOUSLY pricey these days. Our1 bed flat there paid for our 2 bed house in Walthamstow.

I heart the 'Stow!

I second Greenwich.

I am moving near Stoke Newington in a couple of weeks. The area seems lovely, but really expensive! I am only renting but on your budget I think you would only be looking at a flat.

My sister lives in Eastcote (zone 5, near Harrow but on Met line so pretty good for commuting into central london) and bought a 3 bed house with garden for about your budget amount. Could be an area worth looking at.

Hi Everyone,

We will shortly be moving this thread to Property, as we feel it's a better fit.

Thanks

Stokey and Crouch End would be too pricey for you I think. Hornsey (nr CE) is lovely, less pricey than CE but still may be out of your budget. South Tottenham (not as dicey as Tottenham proper) may be a good bed for you - good primaries and lots of young professional families. Close to Manor House & Turnpike Lane tubes.

Do you want flat or house? Not sure you'll get a house in any of those areas for that price, but nice flat should be doable. If you're looking SW way also consider Motspur park and Worcester park. 1 and 2 stops further from Raynes Park respectively and you'll get more for your money. Fewer ameneties, bit more out of the way, but safe and nice and v livable.

I live in Raynes Park and like it a lot. For our budget it's the best compromise for us in London in terms of space and area. It has good transport, lots of green space very close by (Wimbledon Common, Richmond Park, Cannon Hill Common), Wimbledon town and village walking distance, Kingston/Richmond and river etc only 20 min bus/drive. Lots of ameneties, new independent business opening at a rate of knots in my bit of it. Also some bigger chains moving in (Waitrose and Sainsbury's in the last year) - good and bad. A3 on doorstep if you like getting out of town - we do. Can be on M25 in under 15 minutes. V safe, v friendly. Lots of young families. Main downside is lack of good state schools (in Merton in general, but esp in RP area).

I recommended it on another thread and someone else said they hated it and it had no soul. Each to their own. What KIND of area do you want? Stoke N and RP are very different.

You would get a 3 bed house for £325 (or a lot less!) in E17 or E10.
Fast transport links into town tube/rail and good road access to North circular, M11/M25 etc.
Schools are very oversubscribed so I imagine it would be easy to get a job.
Plus some big hospitals nearby (inc the Royal Free which is 15 mins on the train).

Well I live in Stoke Newington and love it. You might get a 2-bed flat for your budget here. We're just about to move to Tottenham, where you'd get a decent 3-bed victorian terrace for that sort of money.

What about Earlsfield in Wandsworth? only 12 mins from Waterloo. It's a lovely area full of families and great schools. You could get a 2 bed Victorian conversion garden flat for your budget.

Here: Lots!

Agree with what others have said re Stoke Newington and Crouch End being over budget. We just sold a 2 bed flat no garden for closer to 400k to fund 3 bed house with lovely garden in Walthamstow. Slightly further out as the crow flies but actually better connected as you're on the Victoria line. But like others said you probably need to focus on either southwest or northeast.

SE London really does have hidden gems, especially further out that are in your budget. Bexley village is very affordable and pretty quick to commute in. Chislehurst can be nice too. There's some not bad places around Plumstead Common and Welling too.

If you're looking at flats, the Royal Arsenal development in Woolwich has river views, commute to work on the boat (or there's very regular trains plus DLR) and the prices are great. Woolwich is really improving too.. lots of investment and general smartening up. New hotels, coffee shops, a cinema apparently, and of course Crossrail in a few years too.

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far- especially with links!

Does anyone have any thoughts about Kingston?

I think some parts are vair poncey and expensive and some are hideously vile. HTH

personally, I don't like Kingston, it's crowded and the traffic is dire by the bridge and around the big stores, all those 'flyovers'! also the trains are often late. There are I'm sure very nice houses off the busy centre there (and I'd think over budget if with a garden) but as Lord says, other parts aren't great. The pedestian old high st is nice, and river waks acroos the bridge towards Hapmton court, but it is not peaceful at all, overpopulated. I think Teddington is better or Srtawberry Hill area, you can get a 2-bed house if it's 'modest' as far as decor and size of garden, but teddington is next to huge parks. East Molesey is better which is further along from Kingston (Hampton Court station) though no as many amenities as Kingston but easy access by car to Kingston and the place further along for shops (Walton I think).

Moseley

What LordF said

But I like poncey! I'm all for babyccinos from vegan cafés!

made with soya milk, obviously.

Then rule tottenham out :(

I grew up there, it's not exactly got a village feel and tbh the schools are not great.

Crouch end is prob more like it but v. Expensive.

Hornsey, some parts are nice and may be within your budget?

We live in enfield now, which would prob be in your budget but it's not "organic"