If you had up to £1m budget, where would you buy in zone 1/2 London?

[Aiying]

Criteria: 4-bed house with garden, family-friendly area, good state schools, close to transport (ideally tube), shops/amenities, nearby parks/green space, up-and-coming area/potential for price appreciation. (not asking for much...) The depressing thing is that £1m doesn't buy all that much in zone 1/2 London and due to work circumstances it's not possible to move out much further. Anyone have experience of Clapham South, Putney or West Hampstead? Any future 'hotspots' (e.g. Crossrail) ? Would be commuting daily into East London (Docklands). Any suggestions welcome! Thank you

[HotelTangoFoxtrotUniform]

Vauxhall works if you're after up and coming. There's a huge amount of regeneration going on with the American Embassy coming and the Northern Line extension. Property prices around here are only going one way! I can't comment on schools but its a really convenient place to live. Buses go everywhere, we have the Victoria and Northern lines within a few minutes (soon to be even closer) and the overground too. We've found that whenever there's a public transport hiccup we've always managed to get home easily as there are so many options.

It is, however, a bit of a wasteland at the moment and is likely to remain so for a few years at least (though we have just got a Waitrose ) so if you're ok with having to walk the forty minutes to Covent Garden or half hour to the south bank for entertainment it's not too bad.

[OrchidFlakes]

Random thought. If you're going to docklands what about Chingford? 20 mins to Liverpool St. V green and you'd get ALOT for your money.

[21march]

If I worked in Canary Wharf I'd look East or North. Or somewhere like Brockley.

You're absolutely mad to consider SW London - it's about as far from where you work as it's possible to go.

Also don't be discouraged by sky-high asking prices. You're in the same price bracket as us and you'd be surprised what people are willing to take versus what they're asking.

Asking prices are even more speculative than usual in London at the moment and we've been encouraged by agents to make offers of a million on places being marketed on Rightmove at up to £1.3m.

Since they got rid of interest only mortgages, the pool of Londoners buying has shrunk dramatically in this bracket. I'm told foreign money does not like areas that are not already gentrified so the field is much clearer than the hype would suggest. Having said that, the pool of houses on the market is very small because no one can afford to move and lose their interest only superlow SVR .

[Southeastdweller]

Most of these areas people are suggesting are great but just too much of a faff to get to and from work. I personally feel that having an easy commute is something that can never be taken for granted.

I don't know anything about schools but Brockley and Hackney (where I used to live) fit most of your requirements and are near Canary Wharf. Blackheath is good but perhaps a bit far out for you. If you don't fancy any of those then I would go for West Hampstead, on the Jubilee line.

[MacMac123]

Shepherds bush (central line). Or ravens court park

[PassTheCremeEggs]

Earlsfield. Super family friendly, get more for your money than in Clapham and a really lovely place to live, full of young families. I love here and work in canary wharf - 13-15 mins mainline train to Waterloo and 15 mins jubilee line to canary wharf. Easy as anything. But it's zone 3 - only downside based on your criteria.

[PassTheCremeEggs]

*live. Not love. I do love it though!

[ihearsounds]

Finsbury Park. Highbury. Hackney. Close to everything.

[pinkdelight]

Another vote for Balham. You could get a nice house by the common for that and have the tube/overland and the kind of vibe you're looking for. Just make sure you do your research re school catchments, although that goes for anywhere in London.

[kalidasa]

West Hampstead is nice and the Jubilee line is good. We are in NW3 and £1 million definitely doesn't buy you a four bed house there but I'm not sure about West Hampstead. If it's in your budged I would recommend it though.

[plantsitter]

Brockley. Zone 2, overground and nat rail, family friendly, good state primaries, up and coming. And you could buy a mansion right next to the park frankly.

[BettyYeti]

i agree W Hampstead is a good bet if in budget given jubilee line.

Re Islington, parts of highbury and the area near canonbury station (eg newington green) may be just doable on your budget. You can get the overland from either highbury or canonbury to the stratford area (with tube from highbury also available). Have a look within the (small) catchment for grasmere primary.
greenwich is where i would look if I worked at Canary Wharf but i have no idea on house prices there.

[freelancegirl]

Greenwich all the way (waves to euro!). It's zone 2 and straight into the wharf on the dlr, the jubilee, the boat or even cycling/walking under the river. Lovely and green but well connected too into town. It is full of wharf workers now but still get a lovely house for a million.

[SqueakyCleanNameChange]

I love SW London, and agree with you about tube rather than overground, but it's a crazy commute to Canary Wharf - look North and East, and compromise on house size/decor rather than spending days each year on a soul-destroying commute.