Lee vs Crystal Palace

[lessonsintightropes]

We currently live close to Crystal Palace and have been trying to buy there - but there is very little on the market now and we are worried we have been priced out of houses (top budget is £500k, and things that were on for that amount before Christmas are now on at £650)

So we are looking a little further afield and considering Lee/Hither Green, but don't know either area at all. Any thoughts on what it's like and if it's affordable for us?

Not sure about Lee, sorry, but what kind of property are you looking for? This is on fairly near us in CP and it's under budget.
www.kfh.co.uk/residential-properties/houses-for-sale-london/houses-in-crystal-palace-se19-hermitage-road/2125135/
There's other stuff around the same price in upper Norwood so keep an eye out

Blasted links www.kfh.co.uk/residential-properties/houses-for-sale-london/houses-in-crystal-palace-se19-hermitage-road/2125135/

Ps: I totally blame the new Foxtons for inflating prices. They seem to whack an extra 150k onto asking prices just for the hell of it. It's insane.

In a bit of wistful reminiscent googling I saw a place for sale at my old address last week. A 3 bed house on Sydenham Hill?

Search Lammas Green on Foxtons op?

That has sold - went over 500k on Saturday - we have looked at everything! We thought going somewhere Foxtons-free might help :)

Oh but the Lammas Green one looks nice... Will check it out.

Well it's been a while for me since I lived in Lammas Green! . I was there when it was a Foxton free zone. I used to deal with Penny the estate agent up the road from the supermarket (which at the time was a Safeway eek) Was it Cooper Giles? She was great.

Those Foxton minis cutting me up at traffic lights used to give me an irrational rage, and the pony tailed goofy Jemima type EAs glaring out of the window at the Fulham branch used to make me want to slap my tits against the window on the way to the tube each evening.

What about Forest Hill these days? Or lower down in Sydenham?

I'd like to apologies to any nice MNers out there called Jemima who didn't glare at me from the EA window.

FH = 2 bed flats for £550k. Have been bidding on Sydenham and would be happy to buy there. Also looking at Tulse Hill, Gipsy Hill, West Norwood and happy to buy ex-local - there's just very little around!

What was Lammas Green like when you lived there? Was walk to Sydenham station doable?

Beckenham?

£475k

£400k

£475k

The market has slowed down a bit in terms of available property. But beckenham has a lot going for it - great transport links, good schools etc. loads of people from cp/dulwich etc are coming this way as cheaper.

I used to walk to the station every morning. There is a hill path up and down, as long as you are fairly fit you can do it in 15 mins.

It's about a 15 min walk to Sydenham station too.

The number 3 bus used to stop outside. If you have a car there are garages for hire behind the properties.

Lammas Green is a proper community. I felt very safe there. No cars allowed inside the green for extended periods meant the kids could play safely.

They have a little community hall between the houses and flats - you can hire for parties etc, and they run a crèche and fitness classes there.

It's leasehold, and they have a strong committee running and challenging the annual fees and bills. It's grade 2 listed, but that just means the outside of the property has to be maintained in keeping with the style of the green. The Lord Mayor of the City of London is your landlord, there is minimal ground rent and he comes to tea with the residents every year.

You can be involved as much or as little as you like tbh. I worked long hours and was a single woman so it was nice to know that the grounds were being maintained, place was patrolled, it was safe, clean and cared for.

I've been to a few of the houses for a BBQ, party. They are pretty spacious, traditionally laid out houses.

Sorry the first station I was referring to was Sydenham Hill - you are almost equidistant to both.

I don’t know Crystal Palace at all but I moved to Hither Green (the Lee side) two years ago and really love it.
In my opinion, the nicest houses are by the park (Manor House Gardens) but obviously the most expensive! And houses by the schools (Brindishe, Trinity) and Hither Green station are quite desirable it seems. But I do I think with your budget of 500k you could get a 3 bed house in Lee. On my street of three/4 bed homes, houses go for about £500k so it is possible

Have you looked down the hill in Penge? Prices are lower, you are still next to the park and a 20 min walk to the triangle and transport is actually faster to Victoria (although it is zone 4). A couple of 3 bed terraces gone on our street for 475 ish recently (which is still crazy considering what they were a year ago).

Thanks all. We're looking at a place in Lee (although on Sidcup Road which looks very busy, but is huge), a place in Greenwich which looks surprisingly cheap and a place in Nunhead. I think we have sort of given up on Crystal Palace and not that keen to move to Penge/Anerley as I'd rather be within walking distance of a centre with restaurants and things to do, so a bit further east seems to offer us a few more options. Thanks for the advice (and Wally sadly the place in Lammas Green went!)