Where to live in London with a good budget? West, South West, North London?

[ElleElleElle]

I would really appreciate if you talk to me and help with your opinions as my head is exploding already.

We are trying to decide where will be the best place for us to buy house.

I am completely city girl and love London with all my passion. My husband is a country boy, grew up with aches of land, huge country house and horses so a compromise needed :)

We both do not need to commute every day to work as I am a freelancer and hubby either has meetings all over the world or in central London very occasionally. But we both love theaters, museums and just general going out in the center of London. I also have a hobby in central London which I would like no to give up and it involves that I am coming back home on a last train about 1 am.

Originally we were thinking maybe some nice area outside London in the countryside with good and quick connection links to the city. We were considering Cross Rail links and places around Maidenhead, Reading, etc. as husband could have a big country house with land over there and I could get easily into Central London.

Now we decided that would be nice to stay within London but we can not decide absolutely anything about areas.

In North London we like Hadley Wood, Monken Hadley and some places between High Barnet and Stanmore but it seems so far to get to the center from there.

We also went through the stage where husband agreed to buy something right in the center like Westminster, Victoria, Kensington but I do not think he will be happy there as he loves to be near some sort of greenery, live in a house rather then a flat, have a garage and garden.

Then we were considering Ealing as there are some roads with very big houses over there (though many converted into flats) but I read about schools and released (maybe I am wrong) that schools could be much better. And I also think we would have one of the best houses in the area which is not ideal (as a saying goes it is better to have a worst house o the best street rather then a best house in the worst street). Apart from that we love the area.

Now we look at South West London. Start looking for houses in Richmond but around the station (15 mins walk) I can not find pretty much any detached houses.

What would you say, who live maybe close by, about Sheen, St.Margarets, Mortlake,Barnes ect. I am a bit scared about commute from there. The same about Ham. But soooo nice around there everywhere.

And noise from planes also is not very appealing. But neighborhood is very pleasant, affluent, huge park near by where we can walk, cycle, etc. and schools are fantastic!!

Closer to Kingston there are lots of suitable houses but I think it's too far and too villigy for us.

Then I came to Wimbledon. Wimbledon Village seems very nice area with very good transport links but I read village itself is very very small and lots of parts are very noisy. And what about Tooting nearby and some other not very pleasant parts?

Seen some houses not far from Putney as well (not close to the station though)

And again looking at the prices of the houses and what you get for that..... maybe it's better to go back to Cross Rail links...... or maybe not......

Please talk to me. Where would you go and why? Thank you for reading.

Yes I know both areas very well. OP says her ideal is to live right in town.
Sorry to say unpalatable things, RiverTam. I reckon if Putney and Barnes etc are no good because of plane noise, might as well save OP some time by ruthlessly laying out the downsides of other areas as I know them.
Because her standard, like her budget, is high.

I live in London suburb, too.. All our grotty houses are worth over a million. OP is looking for considerably more than that.

India Knight's old place is lovely. DH would hate it (colour and clutter) but it looks so welcoming

Teddington/Hampton/Surbiton?

I do like Wimbledon though.

I live in Fulham. The plane noise is bad, starts early morning. It's much better in Dulwich but OP doesn't want to live close to "grotty" areas and dulwich is close to Brixton, Peckham, Norwood etc (all of which I actually love)

I think Totteridge is probably best for you Elle.

Do you never sleep with your windows open?

It's like living next to main road or a railway line, you tune it out after a while and it becomes background white noise.

Again about plain noise some people might be more sensitive then others. As I know few people in Fulham who absolutely hate the plane noise there and say if they knew or did a bit more research (rather then listen to people who say it is a very nice area) they would never buy a house there and regret.

My other friend moved to Richmond to beautiful lovely house and again was absolutely crazy from the air plane noise there. She tried very hard to get used to it and gave 3 years but could not bear it and had to sell the house in the end and move only because she could not sleep every night (plains now start about 4.30am and finish after 11 pm normally)

My other friend who i visit from time to time and who lives on the border of Wandsworth Town and Putney and dreaming to buy a house on the river in Putney does not notice plane noise at all.

this always amazes me as yesterday we were spending some time outside, by Thames, then in the park then in the pub and planes fly every minute above your head and she was amazed how I pay attention and she just completely switches off from it. But she lived many years in Putney and absolutely loves it.

[b]Belleview[/b], about Totteridge being cultureless. It is on a Greenbelt and gives a feel of countryside. I guess any suburb will be uncultured or do you mean by culture?

I understand some footballers wife will be competing with each other who has what designer bag or car or party but it is down to individual I suppose and if you are not in this circle you should be fine.

I found a lot of these in Hadley Wood in North London. But still like Monken Hadley (and Hadley Wood as an area as well)

[b]RiverTam[/b], yes we like fresh air and open windows.

[b]Roussette[/b], please do not apologies ;) I completely can understand what you are saying. I sometimes also shocked how people can live in absolutely terrible conditions but in multimillion mansions without any renovations for centuries. I also would prefer to have a smaller house but in normal conditions and heating.

But we all different ;)

As for interiors..... you will just strip everything off and start again and every house is pretty much a personal taste and does not matter how much it cost.

I lived in Wimbledon and loved it, East Sheen also beautiful but transport links not as good I found, same with Richmond + plane noise.

I think Richmond is my favorite though for the greenery and it's gorgeous in the winter.

I love this thread. Even though I'm swallowing, swallowing all the time. Even thesaurusgirl and the 'international' nature of West London - I think broadly you nailed it but I just don't think I could bring myself to call The Great Land Of Money 'international' in the classic sense, no matter what accents the nannies in the park have.

I don't have any great suggestions - if it was me I'd be in Victoria Park village throwing wads of 50s out the windows on Sunday mornings to get rid of the rest of the cash, but I don't think the OP would like it.

Holland Park was a very good suggestion though, I thought. Or Hampstead/Highgate. I don't find them too intellectual at all, it appears to all be fairly bling, and on a saturday Hampstead village is fairly awash with dudes with Breeding Faces doing stuff, I dunno what it is they're doing but it's definitely important and they've often got a dog.

Totteridge and the Totteridge side of Mill Hill (not Mill Hill East). There are some highly regarded schools in Mill Hill.

Half an hour to Central London.

Not far from Brent Cross, Watford, Barnet for shopping, lots of green spaces and not far from Hertfordshire countryside.

Local shops and rail station at The Broadway, Waitrose and sports centre at Mill Hill East plus underground.

I'm not a fan of London. But I would pick Clapham, Teddington, Richmond, Wimbledon, Barnes or Kingston for houses. I don't know anything about north or East London, so my choices are very limited. I grew up between Chelsea and Dorset and I would say that a central London flat or deep countryside is better than a compramise.

Just to speak up for Hadley Wood....Countrified, has local amenities, trains and tube from Cockfosters, many affluent (and nationally famous!) people and excellent local school choice. Bits of it are Hertfordshire but London v accessible :)

Thesaurusgirl's definition of West London (W11, W8, W2), is where I would recommend, but aim for either access to, or backing into a communal garden.

Preferably W8 and W11 as that's RBKC and the gardens are mostly private / locked, so only residents can use them. Makes them quieter, and like a little neighbourhood community.

W2 gardens are Westminster council, and some are unlocked, and IME, not always as well maintained.

It's a really convenient, beautiful location, and Holland Park is easily my favourite park to go to.

However, I also have fond memories of spending time in leafy Hampstead...

Have you thought about Northwood or Moor Park? Both areas are on the edge of the Metropolitan line, so you could be in London in 30 minutes if you get a fast train.
Lots of independent schools (not sure about state ones); woods and open countryside on your doorstep; and more mansions than you can shake a stick at.

I am biased (Ealing is awesome), but I'd buy this and convert it back into a spectacular house on the common.

www.onthemarket.com/details/1531368/

Have you looked in Hampstead yet OP?

Coombe estate in Kingston. Has excellent private schools within the estate, almost instant access to Richmond park and is very rarely on the flight path. There are numerous trains to and from wimbledon until late ( you can afford a cab!)

I honestly wouldn't dismiss Kingston as villagey it's a fantastic shopping centre, has the river and Coobme is misway to Wimbledon Village anyway. The gardens are likely to be significantly bigger than WV which is, indeed busy and crowded.

Nice dilemma to have.

AnulTheMagnificent, thank you.
HenriettaBarnet, we decided that we can not find exactly what we want in Hampstead without going to overspend significantly, i.e big detached house with some good size garden, with garage and preferably gates.
MatildaTheCat, husband does not want to be in Kingston, does not like it too much and thinks it's too far. I already offered that to him. He thinks it's not point to be in Kingston as you would get into London quicker from Maidenhead or around there and houses are nicer there, then in Kingston.

Surbiton is better train-wise than Kingston, you can get into town in 13 minutes from there.

The Coombe estate is great, but not so good for transport.

Coombe Estate

Wimbledon is better from that point of view. To me, the advantage of Wimbledon is that it has both a town and a village, excellent transport links, and you could almost be in the countryside if you are on the Common.

This one could do with updating, but is in a really nice road, a walk down to the station and almost on the Common:

Wimbledon Village

Planes not a problem, though you do get helicopters during Wimbledon fortnight!