Help with choosing house in West London please!

[ameliacampbell]

Hello!
We (my DH, 3 year old DD and 6 year old DS) are currently living in Chelsea in a very small flat which we will soon grow out of. We still want to live relatively centrally as DS goes to a prep school in Kensington, and DH works in the city. Our budget is around £3 or 4 million, and we've been looking at the areas of Brook Green, Kensington, Holland Park, Notting Hill and Bayswater. We would like to get a 4 bedroom house with garden in any of these places - and if you have any ideas of other suitable areas please say!
We particularly liked Brook Green, very upper middle class, leafy and particularly quiet, however the houses aren't as big there as in Kensington or Holland Park (even though they are only 10 minutes walk from Brook Green!). We love the community feel of Chelsea, do any of these areas have this?
Thanks so much, and a happy new year!

[bamboostalks]

noddyholder twasn't the budget but the rough comment that did it for me...no apologies.

[ameliacampbell]

thanks so much to everyone who has helped, and i will ignore those who think i'm lying! i was thinking of the kensington side of brook green, not the shepherds bush part

[happygilmore]

In fairness if I had 4million to spend I wouldn't want to associate with oiks like me either

[ameliacampbell]

sorry about the rough comment - i didn't mean to say that the people there will be rough, just the area itself, or the surrounding areas

[1605]

I imagine the £1m difference in budget is going to be dictated by what is achieved by the very small flat in Chelsea, it's rarely, "A million here or there doesn't matter."

Pricing is guesswork in London at the moment; 25% short of asking is not unreasonable. If you fancy renting, there are massive bargains to be had in W8 as rental values have not kept up with capital growth in the area.

[AnnieMated]

[happygilmore]

Yes but the point is 1605 that a million pounds more or less is still loads of money! I'm not having a go at the OP, but clearly she lives in a different world to most of us - I'm currently wondering, and worrying, if my house will sell for 10k more or less..

[happygilmore]

10k more or less than what I think, that should be, not 10k in total (houses are cheaper here, but not that cheap!)

[ameliacampbell]

1605 - are there any other areas to look at similar to Brook Green, Kensington, Holland Park etc?

[ameliacampbell]

What is the average price for a home in the UK? I understand that what I have is of course above average and I'm very grateful, but are the places I'm looking at really that exclusive?

[happygilmore]

Are you serious?

Average house price is £250k in the UK according to google -
news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/in_depth/uk_house_prices/html/houses.stm

Do you honestly think 3 or 4 million is a normal house price for many people? Genuine question!

[1605]

Happy I understand your POV and it's hard not to think "rich people's problems" when someone posts a problem like this.

But at the end of the day, we're all looking for a home to house our family, and we all have different budgets. We've no idea how the OP or her DH made the money. My richest client is worth £45m but that's because her father had a heart attack aged 49. You never know the full story so let's just help the OP with her query

[noddyholder]

161k last year acc to LR

[ameliacampbell]

happygilmore of course I know that it isn't a normal house price for people, and I'm going to drum that into my DC so they know exactly how lucky we are. Thanks 1605

[Northernlebkuchen]

Oh come on - please don't expect us to believe that you think Kensington and Chelsea are areas just like anywhere else

[happygilmore]

1605 - I don't think I was being mean to the OP, I was simply chuckling at the mention of 1 or 2 million being a close price range. I wish her well, I'd love to have that sort of money but I definitely wouldn't mind people poking a little fun at the dilemma of whether to spend an extra million or not though. Surely you're never to rich to see that?!

[VestaCurry]

As far as Ealing is concerned, there are some very smart areas indeed - look at houses in W5. There are some superb houses surrounding Pitshanger Park, you would get something really lovely for your budget, 3 storey large victorian villa, with basement and large garden, walking distance to the tube. Or, double fronted, similar period, with first and second floor, large garden, again walking distance. Usually 5 or 6 bedrooms. Some houses have the original lift intact and restored.

If it were me though, with your budget, I'd be dashing to Holland Park and seeing whether I could get something of a decent size there.

[ameliacampbell]

I understand that Kensington, Chelsea, Notting Hill and Brook Green are very different from anywhere else!!

[happygilmore]

OP you said - I understand that what I have is of course above average and I'm very grateful, but are the places I'm looking at really that exclusive?

So you don't really seem to know how much more your budget is than most people (not having a go, just answering you). Your budget is way over 10x what most people spend, so yes, it is very exclusive!

I'm honestly not having a pop, but you live a very sheltered life if you think 3 or 4 million is anywhere near an average house price.

[noddyholder]

I text my friend to tell her MN thinks she is rough she text back women who spend their time in chat rooms are rougher

[happygilmore]

Your friend's got a point noddy

[funnyperson]

I don't like Brook Green or Ealing. Kensington and Putney are nice as is Parsons Green. Depending which school the dc will go to, you could consider Barnes and Richmond. Hampstead is lovely. Agree re South facing garden. Think about car space. Or you could get a cheaper home in a trendy area and send them to boarding school. Saves having to downsize later.

[Nancy66]

If I had four million quid to spend on a house I wouldn't want to live in Ealing either - but neither would I want to live in Hammersmith or Notting Hill.

With 4 million quid I'd be looking at: Hampstead, Belsize park, Primrose Hill or Wandworth Common/Battersea park.

[Nancy66]

...ohh yes, Richmond !