Where can i find a flat for my daughter in London?

[MrsFrancisUnderwear]

I'm hoping some wise London mumsnetters can point me in the right direction as I don't know the area well myself.

My daughter has finished her studies and will be working in the centre of London. She and we are very fortunate in that we can help her buy a small flat. So, where do we start?

She seems to prefer South West London (had a flat share in Norbiton, Kingston) but we've looked there and it's much too expensive. I'm worried that she will choose an area that she doesn't know.

Where can we start looking? Our budget is £200k.

[wafflyversatile]

Another one saying live in a houseshare in zone 2 or 3 for a while. It's a good way to get to know people and get to know where, what and who you don't like!

Of course that is quite expensive too...

[Queenbean]

The other thing to consider is her friendship group now. If she's just moving there, she likely doesn't have that many friends. London is a big and lonely place. Especially if she decides that she is so lonely she wants to move home after 6 months but has to sell her flat.

She would be so much better to live in the fun of a house share, making new friends and having fun with other people. London is very big and would be very lonely living alone at that age.

[enderwoman]

OP can you give us the first half of the postcode that she'll be working in?

[antimatter]

There seem to be very few flats for that price.
Perhaps this one?

[tvlover1234]

Wow I wish my mum would have bought me a house.. Me and my partner on not good wages and affording a house and paying all bills and insurances with disposable income of very little!!

Our 3 bed house Costs less than 200k in south West. I think I'd be living on the streets in London. Lol.

[janetandroysdaughter]

NRFT but I just put £200k into Right Move and added 1 bed so you didn't get studios. If you don't mind Victorian flats above commercial premises there's a two bed in Colindale, lots of choice in Woolich, Walthamstow/East London. Over 400 properties were listed. Take a look.

[antimatter]

Would studio flat be OK too?

[antimatter]

I think this one in Kingston is cheaper because is above the shop - but with lovely garden

[janetandroysdaughter]

There's one on West Green Lane - Turnpike Lane area. Not wildly exciting but pretty safe afaik. My sister lived there when she worked in London. It's a two bed maisonette, above a laundrette, so she could have a lodger to help with bills, and it's on the Piccadilly Line for central London.

[Queenbean]

Antimatter that property has sitting tenants, hence the low price. Avoid avoid!

[janetandroysdaughter]

I agree with posters who are scoffing at living too far out. Epsom is too dull for me, as a middle aged woman with two sons (we have to go there for DCs activities sometimes) No 20-something working in London would get any pleasure from commuting there every day and being stuck there every weekend. I'd definitely rather have the grubby edgy mix of Turnpike Lane than Epsom or Croydon at that age.

[CelticPromise]

Harrow/ Watford area. You can get a train to Euston in 15 mins from Harrow & Wealdstone.

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

PerspicaciaTick,

re your comment:-
"You could look at somewhere like Brentwood - commuting in to Liverpool Street for around £3500 a year. You should be able to get a flat for less than £200K"

That did make me laugh wryly. If only that was the case!. It would cause a stampede of buyers to descend lie locusts on such a property if it were true.

Clearly you have not looked at the prices in Brentwood recently!!.

[janetandroysdaughter]

Flats above shops are great first time buys. They are often Victorian so have generous rooms and proportions, some features, low ground rent (in comparison with ex-council or purpose built apartments) and they tend to be cheaper because of snobbery against them.

[antimatter]

yes - didn't notice that note about sitting tenants

[DinosaursRoar]

Agree she'd be better off renting with friends until she's settled and so can at least enjoy being in central London. Being in the "arse end of nowhere" will be lonely, most young people aim to be more central when they are renting, she's always going to be the one travelling home alone, the one with no local friends, the one who's got to slog into central London and out again to join her mates in their local pub on a Sunday afternoon...

You'd be better off saving that deposit offer until she's a bit older and has decided where she wants to settle down, she might not want to settle in Central London, she might get an amazing job offer in Berlin or Singapore in 2 years time, she might want to move back to Scotland after a few years - buying a flat and having the commitment of a mortgage now could well limit her options at a time in her life when she should be able to move fast.

[Marmiteandjamislush]

Hi OP, I think it's great that you want to do this for your DD, but I think she needs to realize how fortunate she is tbh. A preference for SW is a fine, but expensive thing, but being given help to get a foot hold on property never mind in London is wonderful. So IMHO she has no right to be so fussy, if she were, I would question her maturity to own property at this tbh. Our children, still little, will have places to live in London when they are older, due family investment, but they will not be told of this before they have families of their own or have saved for a deposit of some sort. Not because they will need it, but they need to learn that our family security has come from damned hard work and intelligent investment and I don't want them to grow up as entitled trustafarians.

[Designsalmon]

Please don't buy her somewhere in the suburbs, DULL DULL DULL! A lot of these suggestions are harmless such as Orpington and petts wood but not fit for purpose! She will want to move out as soon as possible, which defeats the purpose, agree with areas like Leyton, Walthamstow, catford etc, can be grotty, BUT centrally enough to have attracted young people, she will enjoy life a lot more.

[Micah]

This ones nice;

Croftongate Way, Brockley, SE4
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-53325053.html

[Designsalmon]

Also woolwich is no longer as grim as some other posters have suggested, great new trendy pub in town square, very convenient for dlr, train, bus, and crossrail, and the developments around the station are full of young professionals. Great ethnic markets and a huge tesco superstore

[DinosaursRoar]

Marmite - I see what you are saying, but there's nothing wrong with saying that unless a gift is going to improve your quality of life, you are prepared to reject it.

When first living in a big city like London when you are on your own, wanting to be in an area you know where you know people isn't being fussy or childish, it's actually showing a lot of maturity to realise you might well need to be physically close to what support network you have. With family being the other end of the country, she really will be on her own - being in an area she knows with people she knows near by isn't to be scoffed at.

Renting for a year or so (even getting a flat share in one of the possible new areas to get to know some people locally and see if she likes it) might be the best rather than rushing to buy something straightaway.

[Marmiteandjamislush]

My point is though Dino, there are areas outside of SW that are nice, safe and affordable and relatively close to networks (think of transport links in and around London) I just think she should understand the implications of getting a start.

[Dumdedumdedum]

This is a lovely idea, OP, but I'm afraid I don't think £200k is feasible for anywhere close to London centre. Six months ago, I sold a one bed flat in disrepair and with a short lease, in a not particularly nice part of SW4, for £350K. If the lease had been longer than 80 years, it would have sold for at least £60k more.

Sorry, I'm not clear if £200k is the sum you have to invest, or the amount you could raise on a mortgage for your daughter, which she would then repay herself? In any case, I agree with those who say she should be renting closer to Central London rather than buying in the burbs, for at least her first year working in London.

[badg3r]

I agree with above, if you want to get her somewhere nice to live that doesn't require a soul destroying commute, you'll need about 400k. It's mad.