London Flat Buying

[user1462887151]

Hi everyone! Long-time lurker, first-time poster. I've put this in the Redbridge local forum, but now I think this might be a better spot for the post! Despite not being a mum (I'm a 22 year old uni student), I've found Mumsnet to be one of the best places on the internet for useful discussions and property, and I would appreciate this community's advice.

I am in the enormously fortunate position that my parents have decided to purchase a flat in London for me to live in. Our budget is 350k, give or take, for a one-bed, and I'm feeling overwhelmed, particularly in deciding on an area. My main priority is to be near a tube (not Overground or National Rail), within a 40ish minute commute of the City. Nice supermarkets/cafes/restaurants/green spaces are a plus, but definitely secondary. No kids planned for at least a decade (or ever?), so schools aren't a concern.

As I'll be a single woman living alone, safety (particularly walking at night) is really a key priority for me. I don't walk around alone at 3 am anywhere, but I'd like to feel comfortable walking from the Tube til about 11 pm. In the past I've lived + spent time in Holloway/Highbury (liked it), Chiswick (too far/bit empty at night), Isle of Dogs (love it), and Golders Green (also bit too deserted at night). I'm probably more of a scaredy-cat than many, and consider areas like Finsbury Park, Turnpike Lane, Wood Green, Stepney, Tottenham, Brixton, Caledonian Road, and Acton too 'dodgy' for my comfort level. I'm not concerned about poor or immigrant areas- it's specifically street crime, harassment and mugging I'm worried about. But ideally the area would also have enough going on to not become a ghost town after 7 pm.

I'm looking a lot at east London and have little personal experience of it, but I welcome suggestions about other areas! If I've posted in the wrong place, please point me to the right forum. :-) Some places I'm considering, which seem to be within budget, include:

• Isle of Dogs (I rent here now, but might be priced out)
• South Woodford
• Woodford
• Leyton/Leytonstone (don't mind a bit of grimness, but is it safe?)
• Wanstead
• Mile End/Bow
• Deptford/Lewisham
• Charlton (although no tube is a big minus!)
• Ealing
• Willesden
• East Putney
• Balham

A 2 bed? Is this in a purpose built block?

yeah.

www.onthemarket.com/details/2262941/

Or for just slightly over the budget

www.onthemarket.com/details/2356762/

I'm sure you could haggle for £350k

I'm sure you'd get that £365k one knocked down to £350k but they're both pretty grim. And the second comes with free tenants

I'm really surprised you can get two beds for that price but I've been avoiding blocks like that so I guess I've just missed them.

Yeah, they both need a bit of work and they are a bit grim. But making them nicer will only add value, so no bad thing.

A lot of these blocks and the surrounding area is undergoing a huge amount of work as part of East End Homes refurbishment program.

Wanstead South woodford and woodford green are fantastic,safe attractive easy Peasy commute
You might even manage a tiny house in woodford green

I should also add that while I don't need fancy mod cons or anything, I don't want to deal with a fixer-upper- parents will be a continent away and I'll be doing a law degree! So somewhere between shabby-chic and pleasant would be ideal.

I would recommend South Woodford/Wanstead, great transport links, leafy(if you stay away from the North Circ) and bars restaurants etc. Not all places north of the North Circ are awful. I spent years in my 20's travelling in and out of town in the evenings and always felt safe but taxi's at the tube stations for those nights you just need to be brought to your door! Walthamstow is thriving at the moment, the village is always much lauded, but I still don't feel particularly safe in the evening there though the transport links are great.

Woodford is fantastic.
On the central line some very nice pubs and restaurants.
Huge swathes of Epping forest and beautiful Edwardian houses
Very safe