Putney Rise - worth buying???

[meijin31]

Would love your feedback on the Putney Rise development by Barratt homes. Anyone think it's a good buy??? Location wise it's not near the shops or stations??

If you're in London but not near the shops and station, I'd say, no, it's not a good buy. It's in a real black hole in terms of location (good for open space but very suburban feeling for a relatively central location) and the prices sound toppy. Bear in mind as well that you often pay a significant premium for a new home which will often be less generous in terms of space than a house a few decades older and the quality of build can vary substantially.

Good points! Price wise it seems everything is Putney is that price though!

In* Putney I mean...
And it's almost sold out too!

It's not the nicest part of Putney, but even the less salubrious parts of Putney are pretty ok really! My only experience of that area is growing up in Putney and being mercilessly teased by the kids from what was then Elliot School (and now Ark Academy) who were mostly off the nearby estate and didn't think much of the posh girls from the private school! Putney is a lovely place to live though and I wish I could afford to live there now. The house I grew up in is now worth about 2.5 million...sigh.

Its only a 10/15 min brisk walk down to the bottom of Putney High Street if you cut through Gwendolen Ave rather than heading towards the Heath for a bus.

If i had the money i'd jump at the chance, its a great area with the common only 5 mins away. What more could you ask for.

I had many happy years growing up just around the corner on the nearby estate, opposite Elliott

It looks much nicer now.

I expect you are aware of often very hefty service charges on a lot of these new build flats. Personally I think many of the new builds in the area (I don't live far away) are overpriced, and that you are likely to get more space for your money - maybe quite a bit more - and rather less in service charges, with an older property.

Yes, I think we will look around a bit, the price tag is probably too hefty!

I would add, always have a really good look at floor plans, and whether there's space for everything. Designers of seductively shiny new show flats are very expert in making them appear bigger than they will seem once you have normal sized furniture in, and are wondering where on earth to keep the likes of a vacuum or mop and bucket.

My other concern was the fact that it's leasehold land even for the houses.. Which then means we don't really own the place? Space-wise it has a utility room and some under stairs storage which is pretty good.

How long is the lease? Most flats are leasehold, but I don't think I'd buy a LH house unless the lease was a really long one. Leases are often 99 years, and you do have the right to extend once you've been there a while (I think 2 years). but it costs, and once the lease is 80 years or less, the cost goes up a lot, so this can make the place harder to sell later, unless you've already extended it,
However if you were not planning to stay there very long, all this might be relatively unimportant.

Well its a new lease for 999 years.. there's 997 years remaining. But DH feels like we are just "renting" since we don't own the land.

I wouldn't personally because:
In a dead spot for schools, you HAVE to be religious to get a place in a nice school from there.
There is better value in the area - The Dover House Estate is becoming a really nice family area (but is further from Putney)
A fair hike from town / trains. There is no route through Manor Fields to Putney Hill so you have to go across to Carslake Road before heading back towards town.
Right next to the secondary school and estate with the associated problems - there are a few scooter riding hoodies, the secondary is the worst local secondary school.
Putney Public transport can be crowded and slow for commuting.
Did they ever resolve the drain access? Manor Fields refused to allow Barratt to access to connect a drain (rightly in my view).
You'll be condoning development of school playground / fields by buying here (Don't let that stop you really - but the development is controversial).

On the plus side:
The location is quiet - far way from a main road and away from the worst of the Heathrow plane noise. Far from the A3 noise.
Close to the Heath, Wimbledon Common, Richmond Park, Putney Common, Barnes Wetlands and the river. Plus Wandswork park and Bishops Park are close. So much green it does feel suburban / rural.
Cycling from there is great to Putney and the surrounding green bits.
Cycling to work is a really good option.
Zone 2
Low council tax
Even the worst local primary is rated Good.
Pretty much every other parent you'll meet is a banker or lawyer. Not that I have a hatred for those professions but a bit of balance would be a positive thing! A sign of how expensive Putney has become.
The air quality is pretty good up on the hill.
Bus 85 to Kingston useful for shopping (or hospital visits - parking at Kingston H is terrible)
Buses to Science and Nat History Museums and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital are convenient.

I assume you are looking at Houses in Pipitt drive, are they really leasehold? In which case I'd definitely hold out for something else.

You don't mention whether schools are a consideration - that might be the main down side about this location.
Buses listed as the tube is difficult with a buggy as there is no lift. Train is OK - but neither Vauxhall or Waterloo stations have lifts down to the tube.

And to add - There are some local shops in the middle of the council estate. A couple of corner shops, a couple of takeaways.

Have a look at the punteysw15.com discussion forum to see local info.

I wouldn't touch Putney Rise with a stick

^Overpriced and next to a noisy kids academy courtyard.
High Service charges.
Poor transport^

There are better deals to be had for freehold houses a block away around the dover house conservation area.

Instead of buying a Putney Rise762 sqft flat for £650000 (reduced price! )with +£3k pa service charges:
www.barratthomes.co.uk/new-homes/greater-london/h604501-putney-rise/plot-140/

I'd definitely go for a freehold 930 sqft house asking price £685000 (negotiable to £650k) like this:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-59366159.html

What other properties have you looked at? It's be easier to suggest which one appeals more. Otherwise, everyone has different preferences. With a budget of 1M +, you do have some choice of smaller houses in nice areas, big houses in the suburbs or an apartment in central London... This development doesn't seem to have that many good selling points.