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Buying in London. Come here and share your stories

294 replies

Flowers2014 · 26/03/2014 19:34

So we are trying to buy in London and the market is crazy. Everything that we've seen has gone for 10%-20% over the asking price. Because of DP and his work we can't go too out of London which is making this whole process much harder than it needs to be. We have a good budget but in this market it's just not enough.

I'm tired by the process now so we are taking a break from it. We have until Nov to move out of out rented flat so we are going take the spring off and try again in the summer.

Anyone else in the same boat of trying to buy in London? Come share your stories with me!

OP posts:
Onelittlepiglet · 03/04/2014 15:49

Gosh sorry just had a look at forest hill and you are right - bloody hell the prices are crazy! We live there and have a 2 bed flat and were thinking that in a year or two we would try and get a house but looking at these prices, even if our flat sold for lots, we could never afford a use here! Neither of us have had a pay rise for 4 years now....public sector pay freeze.

Sad
YellowDahlias · 03/04/2014 20:15

The Fieldings house is on a cute little cul de sac running off Manor Mount. It's a really nice location.

Hope you find something soon lessons.

lessonsintightropes · 03/04/2014 20:28

Interesting - the place we were massively outbid on was on Manor Mount - www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-44530463.html - which went for £530k I think. The location is lovely. I'll give Pedder a call tomorrow.

lessonsintightropes · 03/04/2014 20:29

LondonGirl we are having a look at Hither Green too.

bamboostalks · 03/04/2014 20:48

I think parts of North London can still offer good value. Palmers Green is 20 mins to Old Street/Moorgate and has lots of 3 bed houses for under £500.

lessonsintightropes · 03/04/2014 22:12

You are all lovely, thank you! Flowers The support on here has kept my spirits up a bit. We will find something soon I hope, I'm just getting very sick of expensive and abortive purchases Sad

I've got a friend in Penge who really likes it there but there doesn't seem to be much on the market there at the moment. We also looked in Sydenham and like Upper Sydenham, less keen on Lower Sydenham. I thought Catford wasn't that nice? Back to the drawing board I guess!

lulupeg · 03/04/2014 22:48

I really like some of the FH/Catford border streets, don't know much about Catford proper but know lots of families are moving in.

I just had a look at Penge prices and they seem to be closing in on FH prices, wow that's a turnaround from even a few weeks ago!!

beginnings · 03/04/2014 23:09

lessons have you looked at Beckenham? Massively easy for Lewisham (train) and Croydon (bus or tram). Prices are rising as people can't afford ED, FH or find property in Sydenham, but not as fast as in other areas as post code snobs don't like the lack of London postcode. It's a lovely place to live, fabulous transport links and a high street that's improving all the time despite Bromley Council's stated ambition to make it a night time rather than retail destination. We're here seven years and love it. We bought our forever house last year just before this madness started.

lessonsintightropes · 03/04/2014 23:12

Beginnings it's not an area I know very well (although I know and love the Waitrose!). I'd had a cursory glance but thought it was more expensive than FH, so assumed it had a 'Kent premium' as opposed to SE London post code - I thought it was posh. The houses there are lovely and I really like Cator Park. I will have a look at transport links - it is indeed excellent for getting to Lewisham and Croydon, but also need to make sure it's doable for seeing my DSis up in Tufnell Park. Thanks for the suggestion, loads to think about.

Lulupeg on the plus side about Penge's inexorable and crazy price rises, my friend bought there about 8 months ago and must have already made a paper fortune! At least someone's benefitting Smile

lessonsintightropes · 03/04/2014 23:21

Beginnings although I've just remembered we walked through Beckenham Place Park as part of the Capital Ring walk I did with DH last year and thought it was beautiful - love the woodland and all the parrots! A super-helpful suggestion, thanks Smile

beginnings · 03/04/2014 23:29

Well you're only 20 mins or so from London Bridge from either Clock House or New Beckenham (which is very close to Cator Park) and then it's the Nightmare Northern Line up to Tufnell Park. Alternatively, if she's near Upper Holloway or Gospel Oak you could get the Overground from Penge West which is a short bus ride up the road. That said, my Dbro lives near Highbury and Islington and always comes out to us through town as he reckons it's quicker despite the changes.

The roads around Cator Park are lovely but are pricey. If you look near Clock House, either in what the agents call 'Balgowan' (unsurprisingly a school catchment) or on the other side of Clock House (bit cheaper and closer to Cator Park and Norwood Country Park) you might be more likely to find something.

beginnings · 03/04/2014 23:31

Oh and don't discount Croydon Road Rec which is nicer than Cator Park IMHO. And yes, we do love our Waitrose. I have friends who come to visit it from East Dulwich and Forest Hill! Would like a decent butcher though.....

beginnings · 03/04/2014 23:34

Cross posted - Beckenham Place park is lovely - as is Kelsey, plus the other two I mentioned. If you like walking or running, it's a great place to live.

Feel free to PM me if you want to ask about specific roads. I spent enough time tramping the streets with a pram and strategically house hunting to get to know the place quite well.

Catrin · 03/04/2014 23:41

House about to go on market due to divorce. Even with a chunk of equity, will not be able to buy a 2 bed flat. NE London gone CRAZY. As someone said upthread, am getting daily letters through the door from both private buyers and EAs. Insane.

lessonsintightropes · 04/04/2014 00:23

Thanks Beginnings, I might well ask for advice! DH is resistant and keen to look a bit closer to the middle, we need to have a rethink.

beginnings · 04/04/2014 08:36

The thing is lessons (and I have friends who grind their teeth when I point this out), in terms of time, Beckenham isn't REALLY any further out from the middle (if by that you mean Central London) than the likes of Crystal Palace. Blackheath is closer but you're relying on that one line into London Bridge and if that goes down or there's a problem at Lewisham, you're buggered. With Beckenham, you've got the Hayes line and the Orpington line going into Beckenham Junction so come foul weather or line failure, getting home or into town is still possible. It really isn't the sticks.

Catrin, it's a world gone totally mad. We offered and paid the asking price for our house in March 2013. Our vendors were retiring and moving out of London. I bet they're kicking themselves they didn't wait another year. I'm planning on staying in this house for a very long time so as long as we can afford the mortgage (and we didn't overextend) we'll be fine, but what we could get now, just a year later, is crazy and totally unsustainable so I'm paying it no attention!

PossumPoo · 04/04/2014 11:34

lessons that place is lovely - in fact if I were going to buy a flat that is the type I'd like, with the bedrooms below the living area so you could control the noise. I showed DH and even he said yeah that's nice (which is saying something as he's not interested in that sort of thing at all!).

However I am Shock at the price. Where I live in zone 3 you would get a 3-4 bed house for that price.

lessonsintightropes · 04/04/2014 13:11

*Begg

lessonsintightropes · 04/04/2014 13:12

Argh phone!

Beginnings I know and agree - Purley also a good option for us as the transport is so good. DH is not being realistic.

lessonsintightropes · 04/04/2014 13:12

PossumPoo where do you live?

beginnings · 04/04/2014 13:45

I'd take him for another wander around Beckenham in the bits around the High St and to the east of Croydon Road Rec. IMO it's a bit more urban than suburban iykwim. Also, f he liked Crystal Palace, then he can still access it so easily - I'm there all the time with the DDs.

LondonGirl83 · 04/04/2014 15:36

I like Beckenham (one of my cousins lives there) but I do think it feels more suburban than areas in zone two and three. Also, you really notice the distance when you don't use the trains and instead need to take a taxi back from work or a night out. However, its really the vibe that's different. Its very nice but its missing the young buzz that inner vs outer London has.

My brother in law lives in Charlton (near Blackheath) and really loves it.

PossumPoo · 04/04/2014 17:52

can't say lesson Smile

PossumPoo · 04/04/2014 17:58

sorry my point is though that there are areas that are cheaper, with good links. But I think what happens is you get caught up in the idea of an area (you have friends, family etc local) and it makes it harder to look else where.

girloutofglasgow · 05/04/2014 03:23

Palmers Green in North London is 25 mins from Moorgate by First Capital Connect. Out of sheer nosiness had a mooch around on Zoopla (Winkworth) and saw a two bed lower conversion (Edwardian) with its own garden for 370k. Very close to station, big supermarket and great park but of course not very arty or trendy. Still quite cosmopolitan but nothing like as 'burby as a few stops further up the line which are Burbsville Central. Just another idea to throw into the mix...