Where to buy? Commute to west and east London

[Artandco]

We currently rent a flat in Central London, but are looking to buy. However small budget (for London) means we need to move out of the centre. But we are stumped as to where we could live that would be 45 min commute or less and allow myself to get to west London, and dh to get to the east part.

I currently need to work in Hammersmith, and dh at the Barbican. We currently live in Notting Hill.

Max Budget £400k. Needs at least 2 bedrooms, and a garden. But ideally 3 as all family live away so visit fairly regularly. Can be flat or house. Currently have no car but could get, but really public transport for commute as no parking near either work.

Area needs to be safe as I often leave early hours or arrive home late in evening alone.

Is it impossible?

We have two children currently 3 and 4 years, so good schools also needed.

We have looked around Wimbledon a little but I'm not sure budget really stretches there.

Oh we also need to be able to get to heathrow fairly easy due to fairly regular work flights. (1- 2 a month)

Oh you are after the holy grail there I think! Have you considered moving a little way out eg: St Albans? Might be more affordable, schools are meant to be great, I think it's 30 mins to KX so OK for your DH going to Barbican but probably less so for you getting to Hammersmith. I was idling around on rightmove last night looking at property porn and the London market is simply insane

Hmm we could look there. The only thing is basically the longer commute the higher cost of childcare as needed longer so then the amount we could afford would decrease. Same if commuting costs high.

We can basically afford approx £3500 -4000 a month to cover rent/ mortgage, childcare and commute. So currently childcare is £1500, rent £1700, commute for both £200. So if childcare needed more hrs as longer commute and higher commute costs, then we have less to spend on potential mortgage.

Once crossrail is complete (2018 I think) you'll have a lot more options. This isn't much help to you now but if you're buying I assume this is a long term thing?
So it might be worth factoring crossrail into your commute times.

On your budget you'd do so much better looking a little out of London. On the same budget as a one bed flat with no garden in zone 4, I've now got a house with a garden outside London. Best decision I've ever made.

Thanks, that's interesting, i will look into the cross rail.

We aren't in a huge rush to buy, however our current rental is only 1 bed, so we all share atm. It's fine and works well, but not sure it will still work when ds1 is 8/9 years old.

To get somewhere bigger we really need to move out a bit, so would look at maybe renting in a potential area before buying so get an idea of logistics. We have looked south towards Sutton etc also.

I suppose it's like everyone, but we have family out of the country so only people we know in England are friends in London, hence the pressure of moving too far out and being isolated. Out jobs are very much on the up atm and London based so couldn't go far enough that we couldn't commute in.

We would have to commute in at least 4 days, and work 1 at home which I suppose is at least something. Ideally as time goes on we can try and increase so both have 2 days at home so only 1 day both in town ( and only 1 day childcare needed)

Have you looked along the met line? You can easily get to both places of work and you are also relatively near Heathrow.

I looked but I think most places would be too far. Most fine to barbican but too long to my work. Ie wembley park to hammersmith is 37 mins. Add 10 min walk either end and 5 min wait and that's over an hour. And that's one of the closer areas so not that cheap. If we looked at say Watford on met line it's 64mins without allowing for walk either end and tube changes so 90 min commute.

90mins is simply too far. If child taken ill at school we can't both be 90 mins away. And even now I leave home at 7am and back at 7pm on days in office. It would be too much to leave 5.30am and back 8.30pm

Would it be betterto be closer to either your or DH's place of work? Eg: 30 mins from Barbican so he can get home in an emergency, but a longer commute for you / or vice versa?

Southgate? 47 mins to Hammersmith, 32 mins to Barbican. On the Piccadilly line so a direct route to Heathrow. Suburban with decent schools and safe to walk around at night.

Harrow? Piccadilly line to Hammersmith; and overground to Marylebone then 5 min walk to Baker Street for tube to barbican.

It would be better being closer to hammersmith than barbican as we are now as I work longer hours.

I will look at south gate thank you. Although that's probably max commute, as assuming we didn't live on top of South gate tube would add 5-10 mins walk, and I work 10 mins walk from hammersmith, so that's about 1hr 10m commute, which seems quiet far seeing as it takes me 2hrs in train to Manchester!

Southern part of overground? Overground up to Shepherd's Bush and a quick skip to Hammersmith from there? And going in the opposite direction up to Whitechapel and across to Barbican?

You won't get fancy nice in Peckham for £400 I don't think but you can get nicely done up ex-LA places.

Can you request flexible working? Both of you? You do all the early morning starts and DH all the evening pick ups and adjust location accordingly?

We're on thameslink, I think st Albans is only 20 mins to kings x, every 15 mins

A 45 min commute is really pretty short though - I think it's unrealistic.

Have you looked at buses? If you are travelling at non-peak times, can be quicker.

Kensal green or queens park could be options but you'd need to compromise on the property spec. Good commute times to hammersmith and barbican plus close to paddington for heathrow. option?

Thanks. That property in Kensal rise is something we would consider, it looks like a food amount of space and potential to improve , so will def add area to look at anyway.

Atm I walk to work, so I really think adding 45mins is plenty, and any more is unrealistic for us to live with.

Leyton/Leytonstone/Stratford even further out like Woodford. All on central line so good for east and west.

Tbh with your budget you are going to have to compromise. London prices are stupid and a commute west and east within the time limits you've described your looking at 800k plus for three beds and a garden. If you are cash buyers you may want to look at Maida Vale as there are cheaper properties there which have a history of subsidence but have been underpinned but still cheaper due to bigger insurance values.

Thanks. 2 beds is what we are looking for mainly. 3 bed is just a bonus. I am hoping we don't have to compromise too much, a 2 bed garden flat isn't too much for £400k in not great areas

It's the commute though, could you get a job in the city? Then you could look east and both be on the same train line? 400k would get you something nice in Wanstead? Avoid Waltham Forest at all costs, it really isn't nice, the schools are dreadful, especially secondary, if you don't want Hackney then you certainly don't want Walthamstow.

I can't really change jobs at all, it's a niche market, and I have just been promoted which wouldn't be the same level I would be in elsewhere. I also already flexi work which wouldn't happen in a new job of this type

Putney?