Herne Hill/ Denmark Hill Please help me narrow down a location

[freezingcoldasalways]

After reading the thread about where to avoid in London I've been inspired to start my own.

We are FTB looking for a 2 bed with plenty of space inside and maybe outside and an easy (read v. short! 10-20max & probably not more that 30min door to door) commute to Farringdon/City Thameslink, with maybe potential to extend in a few years. We have a really good budget 400-500k, it would be with help to buy so we really want to stay within that but we are struggling with locations and don't know where to start.

After lots of research we think maybe Herne Hill or Denmark Hill might be good places to live but I don't know anything about them. Does anyone know the area and think it a nice place? I guess we want to know if it's somewhere with restaurants, coffee places, etc and things to do on the weekend for adults that don't yet have any children!

We've been incredibly lucky with our current rented flat and we manage to walk to into work (we know we are very very lucky! and maybe now are a little spoilt! ) but now we need more space. However we are struggling with the location/space compromise. I guess we still want to go out in central London occasionally and don't want to go too far out.

Can someone please help me narrow down where to start looking?

I think the OP has said she's priced out of Peckham, which is preposterously expensive these days. And once the station is finished it'll be even more so and we'll be invaded by even more North Londoners expecting it to be exactly the same as West Hampstead .

There are nice two bed flats for 500K in Peckham Rye. The area is expensive but its not that expensive yet! Also, things are selling for less than asking so if I were her, I'd look at things with an asking price of 550k and less.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-46608635.html
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-46354300.html
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-47730650.html
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-45152530.html

God I used to live in Peckham as a student, it was a dump I can't believe how expensive it is now! London prices are outrageous now. Don't know if it helps you OP, but we are in final negotiations to buy in west dulwich: it's very quiet and leafy, full of families, very close to excellent schools like dulwich college which you could walk to in minutes. Several train stations nearby: west dulwich, gipsy hill, sydenham hill. The only issue I have is it's within the dulwich conservation area and they are very keen to preserve the architecture of the area, so we will have to spend a lot of money sympathetically renovating our new home. Even if it's a modern box, it's near impossible to change the facade of a house here.

We really struggled to find a detached home on our budget (my only conditions were it had to be detached and have a decent garden), and still be able to afford an extension/renovation. It's so expensive to afford a decent home in London.

It was funny, last night DP and I were talking about areas and housing etc as you do when you are deep in the buying process and he's said he feels fondly about Dulwich Village, ED, HH areas. His gut is telling him we are making the right decision about the area. I guess he's been won over by the charm.

I think by Sat we'll know if we have. We have also started deciding on which roads we could live on and whats our max walking distance to the stations. I want to look near the Bellenden Road area in Peckham maybe there is something there which we could update/renovate a bit.

Thanks for the help everyone.

minkah Blackheath is lovely but its near Greenwhich. It's got green spaces and lovely shops. Definetly go have a look. The train station isn't great for us otherwise I think we'd be trying to buy there.

What do you both like doing in your spare time? We can probably all suggest specific things to take a look at!

Walk up and down Lordship Lane and North Cross Rd for a bit, visit Dulwich park, also Herne Hill Farmers Market on a Saturday and the Lido café in Brockwell park and walk through Brockwell park.
All great areas to live: I think E Dulwich is easier for primary schools than HH, but HH is better for transport and has the edge for being close to Brixton.

Actually I would go for the Poets Corner part of Brixton (though still not the best for schools), or come to Streatham Hill where housing is much cheaper, transport v good - you can walk to Tulse Hill for your Farringdon or London Bridge trains or the other way to Streatham Hill for Victoria. There are excellent schools in Streatham, and some great cafes, restaurants and bars, but the problem is they are on or in the vicinity of Streatham High Rd

Another area you might like is Balham. It has a Waitrose, great restaurants, cafes and bars, Tooting Common, the tube and overground, and a mini cinema.

Good luck on your mooch around today and let us know how you get on.

Sorry late replying. Hope today's trip is fruitful. Yes I live in the vicinity and have lived very close to ED station in the past and spend time in the areas mentioned and recommended all the time. Like previous posters I feel very lucky to live in this pocket of London, it's lovely. Was at the fabulous Horniman today and despite rubbish weather was once against struck by what a place and resource it is, full of buzz and activity, farmers market, gardens, animals, playground, museum, restaurant. Just one thing the area has to offer. If you end up in any of the nice parts of SE22/23/15 you will be very happy about it I'm sure.

Quick post weekend update:

Unfortunately we weren't able to do the exact walk which was recommended up the thread! However we ended up seeing flats in W Hampstead/Finchley and in HH/ Tulse Hill.

Both flats in W Hampstead/Finchley needed work, one needed a considerable refurb & extension, the other just new kitchen/bathrooms and some painting. I was underwhelmed, DP liked the idea of a huge project but the flat is already £575k and it needs 100-150k of work. Full back extension etc.

Tulse Hill- we saw a huge(1200sq ft!!) 3 bed flat for 550k which was nice but on a main road. It also felt a bit far from the station and from shops, amenities etc.

The reality is that we've fallen in love with the new build we saw in Denmark hill, it's still being built. We didn't like the Christchurch street bit but this flat seems too good to pass up, so we are going to try and see if it's still available and from there, if it has sold then we are sort back to square one with no idea of where we want to live.

The new build we fell in love with has sold. I am really upset about it.

We are now back to square one and we just can't agree/decide on a area.

Oh that is a shame, especially when you've made your decision. I can join you in misery today - our vendor won't accept the results of our survey so we've had to pull out. There'll be another flat just around the corner, with your name all over it.

One piece of advice - when you've settled on an area, you need to register with all the agents in that area, and get to see things before they even hit the market. That's how our flat was sold to us, how we sold it on, and how at least four of my friends bought their places.

Oh no! Very sorry to hear it.

How about this?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-48505559.html