Shepherd's Bush or South of the River?

[bushbabyblues]

Have namechanged as don't want to out myself.

We have lived off the Uxbridge Road in Shepherd's Bush for over a decade. In the last six months or so, prices seem have gone through the roof on expectations of gentrification.

In fact, agents sold us gentrification when we bought in 2002, and the area is STILL riddled with crime and anti-social behaviour.

We moved here because we couldn't afford to live off the Northcote Road, which was our first choice when we moved to London.

Now, incredibly, asking prices are equal to the Northcote Road streets. (I don?t know about completion prices, though there are a few places at astronomical prices under offer in streets like Pennard Road and Lime Grove which no one who knows anything about Shepherd?s Bush would ever consider).

We need to upsize and can just about afford to do so, but given the new parity in prices we're finally comparing apples with apples, here and the Northcote Road.

We?d basically be trading the convenience of Shepherd?s Bush for the ?naiceness? of Northcote Road. We have friends in both places. We will be going private so that's one problem solved.

Is Shepherd's Bush always going to be this rough? I can't walk past Nando's without remembering the shooting. But I'm seeing improvements too. Yet I just can't imagine paying £1.6m to live on Ormiston Grove or Warbeck Road when the same money would buy me something turnkey south of the river.

shitheap off Askew Road

Warbeck Road. I love the house but Warbeck Road is a heap and this house looks out onto a squat

doublefronted on Gorst Road

basement conversion in Ballingdon Road

Oh God, what to do? SW11 will double my commute but it will just be so much nicer!

Just done a bit of digging on the blessed internet and that Warbeck Road house was bought for less than £1.1m just a couple of years ago.

WTAF?

It is on with the worst agents in the Bush as well - Winkworth are straight out of the Millwall school of estate agency.

We just bought on Lavender Hill, and were amazed at the difference between places on Northcote Rd., and those just off. One estate agent showed us a school catchment map for the area, and that is clearly what drives the prices up around the lower end of Northcote Rd./Honeywell Rd., etc. Is that something you're going to be interested in? If so, afraid you're going to have to bite the bullet and pay up. If it's just the area, check the streets in between Lavender Hill and Battersea Rise. While still pricey, they're much more reasonable than Northcote Rd.

We're going private so that's not an issue. provided we sell the kids

I can sort of see what you're getting for the money in SW11. It's "Shebu" where the price rises mystify me. Obviously our house has gone up too. It's not as nice as http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-26997720.html this one which is done up to the nines, but ours is a lot bigger, so I think we'd be selling at the same level. The Ingersoll Road house is really only a 3 bed. There's no head height in corner lofts; I know because we used to have one.

Link fail. Here you go [[http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-26997720.html this one]]

Do you have to get out of London often? SB very convenient for escaping. NR and environs is very lovely indeed.

For work I think I'd walk to Clapham South and get off at Warren Street. OR get the overland to Victoria and then change. Not as easy as the Hammersmith & City but Northcote is so NAICE it would be worth the sacrifice.

DH does travel a lot for work and he is the problem. He loves the Bush for the convenience.

But really, what does that say about a place - it's
Oh help. The choice was so much easier when Shepherd's Bush offered value for money. Now it doesn't have that and it doesn't have NAICE, it doesn't say much about the place that it's good for escaping from??? .

But really, what does that say about a place - it's convenient

Not so convenient when you get your handbag snatched, as happened to someone I know in broad daylight just recently.

I have to go to Northcote, don't I? Even if it means leaving DH behind

We are south of the river but about a mile or so from nirthcote road...and while I love our house and area...nice area nice schools etc and house prices are getting silly, our house is roughly half the price of those just off northcote. All a bit academic really but I would decide which area u like best. Only you can work that out!

Lived in both areas, much preferred clap ham as there was so much green space. You get used to being off the tube surprisingly quickly!

Wimbledon?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-26559150.html

I really can't abide shepherds bush. (Sorry!). I really don't understand the prices there at all. I would, without doubt, choose NC road. It is a million times nicer, and if you don't mind the commute and the prices are equal, I don't think there is any argument.

I think however gentrified sb becomes, the fundamentals will always be wrong-too much traffic, not enough green space, etc, etc, lots of flats as opposed to family houses. These things will nt change.

Where are your friends/family based? Could that sway your decision? Personally I find Northcote Rd too cookie-cutter, just lots of bankers, accountants etc, you don't get the variety of people you do in SB. Plus no tube and nothing surrounding it. SB is so close to Chiswick, Notting Hill, the centre of town etc, there's Ravenscourt Park etc etc. But, I'm biased as having lived in both areas, I much prefer north of the river/west London. Not that I can't see where you're coming from in terms of the dodginess of parts of the Bush. Ultimately, where do you think would be better for your kids?

Thank you for all the feedback.

I suppose I'm trying to accumulate evidence to present to DH. He is the higher earner and works the less sociable hours, so I think it's only fair that he gets the deciding say in where we live.

Having said that, even he is balking at the price increases here. They do seem extraordinary. The area is still a dump - Westfield has left the general area untouched and I do despair of the Uxbridge Road improving.

I used to be sniffy about Northcote being such a PLU area but now the children are slightly older, a bit of civilisation is what I'm craving .

You could take further advantage of s London prices and look at 'naice' areas alongside Northcote rd. in the Herne Hill / SE24 / Dulwich area you would be within easy reach of Clapham, and also have E Dulwich (v similiar vibe to Northcote rd) within an easy stroll. You would be between 2 magnificent parks - Dulwich park and Brockwell park, and at Herne hill be on the fast and frequent Thameslink line as well as trains to L Bridge and everywhere else! And at the epicentre of a range of sought after private schools. Prices lower than your current range.

here

5 bed

Dulwich Village

I agree with Blu, with your budget I'd look in Herne Hill. Much greener, lovely houses, good transport

I lived in the bush for over ten years...while there's a load

Sorry! While there's a load of things I love about it, it's not a great place to bring up kids. I don't think it will ever 'gentrify' really, however many gastro pubs and posh butchers open up. Personally I got sick of pushing a pram past crack dealers, and last straw was someone pulling out a gun in a shop I was in! Sold up and moved to North London, and a whole lot happier (and safer).

However, am not wild about Clapham either! The common is pretty bleak and the high street on weekend evenings is a nightmare. With your budget there are so many great places you could look...good luck!

What about Chiswick - transport for your DH and naiceness in spades. or is it a lot more £££ than northcote?

THanks to all for the continuing advice.

We cannot afford Chiswick. We'd like 5 bedrooms and for that we'd need about £1.75-£1.8m at least. Otherwise we'd be there like a shot.

I installed PropertyBee on the advice of someone on here (thank you, whoever you are, this is genius) and I can see several price cuts and fall throughs across Shepherd's Bush.

One of them is the Warbck Road house which was bought for 1.022m (stupid price or what?) just a couple of years ago. Fifty grand price cut just like that, though they still have some chutzpah because as far as I can see from the photos (still cached on Zoopla) they've done nothing to it.

Meanwhile, the house on Ingersoll Road which is 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, with a silly attic space is under offer at asking after a week on the market. That's almsot half a million more than an identical floorplan that sold for £780 thousand not six months ago.