Where to buy in central London for £500k?

[LaRaclette]

My DD will be studying in London starting next September and we would like to buy a flat in or near WC1, which she can use and also we can hopefully visit. Ideally we would prefer a 2 bed, but would consider a 1 bed (sofa bed in the reception room!). Do you think that we can achieve this on our budget - we could maybe stretch to £600k - £650k max, but would prefer to stick to around £500k. All advice and recommendations greatly welcomed!

Yes, good point pink, and it gives more time to look!

also consider upper holloway tuffnell park, where there are also lots of student halls.

2 bedroom flat in a nice part of Islington here

Yes, I like that one Gertrude - it looks clean and ready to move into.

Pink!! It was the absolute best place to live ever! We have been spoiled now and it's hard commuting for an hour to work (we moved to the suburbs when we had our baby). I used to walk to work in 20 minutes. Breakfast on lower marsh at the weekends was amazing! Morley College is fab isn't it?!

We bought a flat in Acton w3 in 2013 prices there are rocketing. You can get 2 beds for about £450-500 looking at rightmove now. Things move very quickly though so you have to be ready to put in an offer. We are from scotland and found the leasehold system very strange.

I honestly think first years should be in halls.

I totally agree. I went to uni in london, a lot of my friendships were forged in halls, especially as we all converged in halls in the evenings. We hardly went to the few people who were in flats, they came to us. From second year, we were all more spread out.

Thanks for the further comments and I do take the point regarding it being a good idea to live in for the first year, so that she makes friends. However, as pink suggests, we could always rent it out at first until she is ready to move in. I am just worried that prices will keep going up, although they seem to be falling a bit at the moment, if you believe what you read in the press.

That sounds like a result Hesterton - do you mind saying where the flat was and would it be achievable within my budget (£500k-£600k)?

Bloomsbury, and up to Kings Cross is great. Kings cross has changed beyond recognition in the last few years - I live 3 miles north of Kings Cross and it seems to change every time I go there! I work in London Bridge - can be very edgy at night; and I lived in Finsbury Park until last year for 11 years so dodge doesn't normally bother me, but Borough High Street at night is gritty.
Waterloo and the south bank - brilliant location. As others have said though, is hold out until 2nd year, if that's what she wants. Living in a house share with friends was so much part of the experience of uni.