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Original poster

Where to buy in South-East London?

118 replies

shouldwemovebacktolondon · 21/04/2014 20:58

Know I'm being daft, but I can't find the right place to post this... surely Msn full of people asking others where to live...

We think we would like to move back to London from Brighton. We need large 5 bed + house, large garden, South-East London, £800k, good schools, nice enough area.
Is this doable?
SO grateful for any advice. We feel completely out of the loop London-wise after leaving. Used to live in Marylebone, pre-children, and don't know South-East London very well - but it looks more affordable.
Our trouble is the size of house we need.
Thanx!

OP posts:
Original poster
shouldwemovebacktolondon · 21/04/2014 22:48

Thanks MrsS and zen1. I guess you couldn't travel to school too deep into Kent from Bromely tho - or maybe people do!

OP posts:
wilbur · 21/04/2014 22:49

Sorry, just realised that last one is already sold. It's probably the large garden that will be hard to find closer in to town. I would agree that Sydenham, Upper and Lower Norwood, Crystal Palace, Annerly, Penge would have more properties with gardens and still not too far out. CP has Harris Academy 2ndary which I believe is outstanding. Also commutable by train to Sutton Grammars. Don't know Catford except to drive through, it's not v preposessing from the S. Circular but then nowhere is!

zen1 · 21/04/2014 22:49

X post MrsSeptoe. Forgot to mention that Darrick Wood in Orpington is also a very good comp, but catchment only goes out a mile.

zen1 · 21/04/2014 22:52

Lots of people apply to The Wilmington Grammar schools, Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar and even Tonbridge.

Original poster
shouldwemovebacktolondon · 21/04/2014 22:52

Yes, I didn't realise that you could apply for all these grammars while living in different areas - even boroughs in the case of Sutton grammars?

OP posts:
Original poster
shouldwemovebacktolondon · 21/04/2014 22:53

Wilbur, thank you for those suggestions. I guess they would feel more 'Londoney' than Bromley?

OP posts:
Original poster
shouldwemovebacktolondon · 21/04/2014 23:00

I better let everyone go to bed. Back to the real world tomorrow, after Easter ;-)
Thank you all very much. I have a great list now.

OP posts:
zen1 · 21/04/2014 23:02

this is in a v nice area of Orpington. Petts Wood, Hayes, Bickley and Bromley South are also nice, as is Farnborough Village.

TSSDNCOP · 21/04/2014 23:10

West Wickham, look at the houses off the High St.

MrsSteptoe · 21/04/2014 23:12

Certainly we applied from central London to the Sutton grammars. Unsuccessfully, in the event, but distance wasn't the barrier.

SheherazadeSchadenfreude · 21/04/2014 23:20

this is lovely, ticks all of your boxes but over budget.

maybe a bit far out?

StickyFloor · 21/04/2014 23:29

I would be very careful with Bromley due to secondary schools. Darrick Wood is great but only has 1 mile catchment, all the others have their problems.

St Olaves and Newstead have about 6 - 8 applicants per place so success is not to be assumed.

Most kids do sit the 11+ for Kent and Bexley too but then distance does come into play so location can count against them even if they get a good score.

(My kids are in Y5 and we are weighing up moving vs private schools if they don't pass for St Olaves / Newstead as the rest aren't suitable. If I had my time again I wouldn't have bought where we did purely because of the school problem.)

scrivette · 22/04/2014 08:14

Nearest is probably Waitrose, but there are Sainsburys, and a smallish Tesco about a five minute drive away. I do my shopping in Aldi in a Selsdon which takes just under 10 minutes to get to.

wilbur · 22/04/2014 08:18

OP - yes, Crystal Palace and surrounding areas are still a bit more London than Bromley (CP is on the tube network, albeit a branch line). We live in a funny slightly no mans land between Streatham & CP, waiting for the gentrification from both those places to wash towards us Grin , bit it down ran there are bargains to be had, and we're still in reach of decent transport, which is important to us as dcs get older and want to be out and about on their own. Being close to a Common or park was also a godsend when dcs were small for serious running about space.

FiveHoursSleep · 22/04/2014 08:20

Ruislip/ Eastcote/ Pinner?
You'd get a decent sized house for £800K out here, transport links are good (30 mins to Baker St) and schools are pretty good as long as you buy wisely.

wilbur · 22/04/2014 08:22

Sorry, weird phone typing! "but it means there are bargains ..."

hotcrosshunny · 22/04/2014 08:26

Where you do live Sticky if you don't mind me asking? I've been looking at Hayes/WW and also Petts wood as options. I prefer PW for schools but not sure.

hotcrosshunny · 22/04/2014 08:27

Thanks scrivette

hotcrosshunny · 22/04/2014 08:34

hotcrosshunny - where are the right/wrong bits for secondaries in Bromley? And do the grammars have catchment areas you have to look out for? Thankx

I think someone has answered - there's also the Langley schools in west wickham/Hayes. If you pick the right place you can be in catchment of good primaries too (eg unicorn).

If you go to the Bromley website and look for primary and secondary admissions - they have an admission booklet for each with a map of the schools. You can then focus your search that way.

HaplessHousewife · 22/04/2014 12:22

I live in Petts Wood so will have secondary issues if mine don't pass for Grammar but I love it here. I have to say though, I think most of this area (Orpington, West Wickham, Hayes and even Bromley) would be too suburban for you if you think Brighton is too provincial!

oscarwilde · 22/04/2014 17:19

Your budget gets you this in Greenwich. 4 beds plus tiny garden, parks 3-10 mins away in catchment area for outstanding primary. 5 mins to train to London Bridge, 15 min walk or bus ride to Jubilee line station.
Or you could buy one of the houses that haven't been converted and do it yourself.
State secondaries are Thomas Tallis and John Roan both of which are having money poured into them by the council after Jamie Oliver shamed them into it. The former school has been demolished and completely replaced. The latter has two new sites under development.

Blu · 22/04/2014 19:17

Hello Wilbur!

Streatham has some excellent schools - Dunraven primary (yet to be proven as it's new but it has all the right credentials) Hitherfield, Streatham Wells, Sunnyhill, Jullian's (West Norwood) and some excellent secondaries: Dunraven, Elmgreen, Bishop Thomas grant (if RC) and within a bus ride of the selective streams at Graveney, or a train ride from a couple of the Sutton grammars.

You can't move somewhere on the basis of a place at the Sutton grammars or other super-selectives: the competition is down to a few points between the tiny minority of applicants that get a place and the many who fly through the 11+ but just miss the qualifying mark on the day - and you need good places for all your kids whether or not they are academic high flyers.

Rhubarbgarden · 22/04/2014 19:24

Many of the places suggested are a lot more provincial than Brighton.

Chottie · 22/04/2014 19:25

Another vote for Bromley / Beckenham. There is lots of money going into Bromley town centre and the shops are definitely on the up. Good primary and secondary schools (Langley Boys, Langley Girls and Hayes (mixed). Lots of green spaces, parks, Hayes Common. Easy commute to London and also to Gatwick airport and the coast. Lots of NT properties to visit at weekends.

Ihatemytoes · 22/04/2014 19:33

Hayes is lovely. Both of my DCs went to Hayes primary and now are both at Hayes secondary which was rated "outstanding" in it's most recent Ofstead. Bromley town centre is having loads of money spent on it, and there's a new multiplex cinema going up in Bromley south.