Where to buy a house? SW London Zone 1-2, maybe 3 with good public transport.

[SW1XMother]

We moved back from NYC to London a few months ago and live in our flat in SW1 at the moment with our nanny and two children. Flat is large enough but we all dream of a house and a garden, so that we can possibly have a dog. Eldest daughter is just over two now and we need to think about pre-schools but also if we want to stay in the area. We would like to buy a house but buying a house that we like in SW1 is despite our high income nearly impossible.

Can anybody recommend a lovely part in SW London Zone 1-2, possibly 3 if there are good transport links to the City that has an excellent school?

[LaVitaBellissima]

I think the juxtaposition of antiques in a modern interior looks perfect. Honestly I need to stop looking at the Barnes house, I love the area and it has fabulous schools :)

[Dededum]

Yes South Kensington garden squares - some flats back directly on the gardens. barkston Gardens, braham gardens, onslow gardens.

Walk too Hyde Park, Holland Park, Kings Road, all the museums, big French community, great tube link to the city (30 minutes to Liverpool station)

[Goodwordguide]

Barnes house is on a fairly busy road though but I would still vote for Barnes, lovely villagey feel, love being near the river - but there's no tube and it's not good for the Kings road. I find Fulham too built up with too much traffic and it's the same for the Wandsworth/Clapham Common areas.

Depends if you've got girls or boys as well, this would affect your choice of private school. Barnes and Putney have great state primaries but very small catchments so I'd still be choosing my schools and working backwards to the house.

[SW1XMother]

Thanks. We both work in Fleet Street, just by City Thameslink Station and it is close to Chancery Lane Station. South Kensington sounds good. I like that it is close to the museums and of course the parks.

[SW1XMother]

What are your opinions on the following properties?

[[http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-26033790.html
Phillimore Terrace, Allen Street, London, W8 6BJ]]

Cornwall Gardens, London, SW7

Thurloe Square, London, SW7

[[http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-26120934.html
Kensington Gate, London, W8 5NA]]

Last two are my favourites, but over budget. We would have to get a mortgage to finance it.

[PureQuintessence]

If you go a bit further out, to the fringes of Richmond Park, you can get this beauty

This is also a pretty good house, in Barnes, one of my favourite locations: here

And if you fancy only spending 2/3s there is this

East Sheen is also lovely: here

Another great East Sheen Property: here

Aside from the property in Barnes which is near the river for walks with dogs, Richmond Park is a fantastic location for dog owners. All the East Sheen Properties above are on the edge of Richmond Park

[MintyyAeroEgg]

In your position, op, I would use a professional property search company.

[SW1XMother]

MintyyAeroEgg May I ask what do you mean with in your position?

[MintyyAeroEgg]

With your huge budget. And your lack of any in-depth knowledge of London. They will be able to advise you on everything and take a lot of work out of the whole process.

[OpheliasWeepingWillow]

Buy the one in Fulham Park Gardens! Do! Do!

[Dededum]

Hi

Don't like the Kensington Gate flat, very impersonal, the garden is not the sort of place that you would use.

I like the Allen Street house, nice garden, very close to Hyde Park. And the Thurloe Square property.

Look at SW5 as well.

South Kensington is very French, full of bankers (not a criticism but a fact) and can be quite impersonal. Not a strong sense of community which you would get further out. However loads of nannies so your nanny would easily create a social circle for the kids. And it is so handy, perfect for Chancery Lane.

[SW1XMother]

MintyyAeroEgg Isn't the whole joy of househunting to do it yourself? I also prefer individual opinions from people who actually live there or know the area e.g mothers on here than an opinion from somebody who is just interested in making lots of money out of it. I know Central London very well, but we can't afford to buy what we want in our area (SW1) with a garden that's bigger than a towel. I have lived in Central London for many years before moving to NYC and just prefer to live a bit more 'greenish' and less touristy without having a long commute. I just don't have the knowledge of where it is children friendly, where are good schools etc. because when I lived in London I didn't have children. My husband is currently still working in NYC but will work in the London office as soon as I return from my maternity leave. We both work long hours, he is usually in the office before 7am and not back before 9-10pm. If we wouldn't have our working hours I knew exactly where I would want to live. Reigate for example. But we can't have such a long commute.

Sorry, long reply. I am too bored being on maternity leave. :D

[SW1XMother]

We can't buy anything before we have sold our flat. It is on the market for a few weeks now.

[SW1XMother]

Dededum Yes I know. Also there is nothing in our price range where I would easily fall in love with.

[MintyyAeroEgg]

Fair enough, just saying what I would do if I was in your position. Feel free to ignore me!

[PureQuintessence]

Plenty of community in East Sheen. Train into Waterloo. Good schools. State and private.

[Dededum]

The schools are maybe a problem, we left Barkston Gardens when DS1 was 4, we were a little shocked when DS1 didn't get into the local nursery despite our very close proximity.

[lalalonglegs]

Kensington Gate is a whole house isn't it, I really like it and would love a garden square. The Phillimore one is also great but with private garden. Thurloe Square has a wonderful exterior but is very disappointing inside. I'm surprised that these addresses are as good value as they are (and I know it's all relative) but you can easily spend 2.5 million living somewhere such as Battersea so to live in the heart of Kensington for less than double that seems, well not exactly a bargain but ok

[lalalonglegs]

To be fair SW1X, you will probably find that you are competing with a lot of buying agents for houses in that price bracket and may end up having to hire one just to get to the top of the estate agency lists - didn't you say upthread that one agency hadn't called you back after a week?

[KatieMiddleton]

Holland Park, Richmond, Barnes or Chiswick. Lots on for families, lots of properties and lots of lovely shops, cafes and open spaces. I used to work in Holborn and you can train it to Waterloo, then take the 521 bus up to Chancery Lane and walk down Fleet Street in less than 45 mins.

South Ken is lovely and when I grow up I want a big white, stucco pile on Pelham Crescent but having lived near there the people would put me off while I had children. I want friendly types who like hosting and have no airs and graces. Those kinds of places have serious staff (house maids, butlers, cooks etc) and send their children to public school and I can afford neither! Plus I never saw a child who wasn't trussed up in public school uniform being ushered into a big car by the chauffeur.

I want to live somewhere where the dc can play with other children and get messy and where we a similar social status to the people around us - having a nanny is very common in the places i've mentioned and doesn't mean people are super rich.

If you want super rich folk then South Ken's your place!

[PureQuintessence]

I personally want one of those white stucco houses around Richmond Green, near the Theater.....

[montmartre]

I would stick to W8 personally, somewhere just south of Kensington High Street, or near Queens Gate.

[Dededum]

Oh yes my son, through our nanny, was friends with the Belgium diplomats son. They lived in a massive house in the Boltons, had nanny, gardener, cook, chauffeur, indoor swim pool, cinema. For said child's 3rd birthday they had a full size replica batmobile, batman and robin. My son was totally freaked out!!

[KatieMiddleton]

Too many drinks of an evening Quint. Although I did once see the tramps play skins and strips on the green with a beer can. It looked jolly.

I'm in Richmond btw.

Today I saw a fabulous Georgian place in a local mag on Montpelier Row near Marble Hill Park and another amazing place in Petersham.

[KatieMiddleton]

Drinks? Drunks.