Where can we afford to buy in London?

[Tartyflette]

DH and I are Londoners but have lived about 30 miles outside (NW Essex/Herts) for many years and now want to move back. DC have fled the nest.

Ironically we could not afford to buy our first home again, a lovely Edwardian terrace as it was in a very good area that has shot up in price!
We will have about £550,000, - 600,000 at a pinch - to spend but cannot decide on what areas to consider. We are looking for a 2-bed terrace or garden flat fairly near a tube station, or other transport links, in a lively-ish area with OK shops/pubs/restaurants. (Fed up with the country being fairly dead six months of the year even though it has been a great place to bring up kids, excellent schools etc). We now want somewhere with a little more life!
I think it needs to be fairly central but in a not-very fashionable area, perhaps. Garden a definite requirement.
So tell us about your favourite areas, we'd be very grateful for any suggestions and ideas.

I'm thinking Streatham. There are cheaper areas around there as well like Norbury, Furzdown but personally wouldn't live there. I'd go on rightmove, filter on this price and 2 bed house and see what areas come up in that price range if you are pretty flexible.

Love a bit of property porn

Raynes Park SW20 2 bedrooms, no chain, just within your budget!

You could get something nice in Walthamstow for that sort of money, which would also be the right side of London for visiting your old area if you have family or friends there. Walthamstow has most of what you're looking for, and is under 30 minutes from central London. Highbury and Islington, and Hackney, are easy to get to as well.

2 bed garden flat in East dulwich, forest hill, honor oak park

I was coming on to say Walthamstow but see I've been beaten to it! Everything Fang said, really.

Plenty of nice independant bars and restaurants with more opening all the time. Also home of The World's Poshest Spar.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-41258883.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-53950543.html

Dulwich is lovely as is Honour Oak- that pool!!!

I don't think I could bear it if I'd previously had a whole edwardian terrace. How about moving to Epping so that you're on the central line and have the best of both?

You've got a decent budget for what you're looking for.

I'd recommend Leytonstone or Walthamstow if you want to retain connections to the NE. Or maybe Wanstead if you fancied something a little more genteel.

what about High Barnet - you can be near the Tube, the overground and central London but also near green space.

Thank you all for your suggestions, we have just got back from checking out Walthamstow! We liked it very much, we also looked at Stroud Green which was a little more expensive but may be just about possible.
So we shall now venture South of the River (north and east londoners in origin but what the hell, we will gratefully check out all the areas suggested.)
I will also be working through the links you very helpfully posted, many thanks again for all the advice.
(i swim most days so am deffo interested in the pool)
And sorry, it should have read an Edwardian terraced.....
DPs lived in Epping and we know it well, perhaps a little too well....

Oh I knew what you meant, but London garden flats can be tiny.

Look at Wanstead, Streatham and The Olympic Park in Stratford.

We are just about to move from Peckham to New Cross. 2 beds in Peckham are c£600k+ but it's a lovely area.

New Cross (telegraph hill) area also very nice and a bit cheaper.

Brockley? Zone two, lots of green space and mainly big Victorians which have been converted so lovely large rooms...

Vauxhall/Nine Elms. It's still a building site at the moment but it's getting there and in the meantime is great for transport up to both the city and the west end or out to Clapham/Battersea.

This is a bit over budget but is nice and opens onto large communal gardens. It's 3 minutes from the new nine elms tube stop due to open in 2020. There's a top floor one with balcony in the same development for less money.

Stratford there's a thought, I like the sound of that. Good transport links, too. Also Vauxhall very close in to the centre and lots going on. Will check these out , we hadn't considered those areas.

Brockley will go on the list too. Not so sure about New Cross but will do a bit of internet searching.
Thanks again Mumsnetters.

Anywhere near Telegraph Hill park in New Cross, huge converted houses and green areas.

How about this in Kentish Town? Very close to the Heath, lots of lovely shops and cafes etc and excellent transport links.
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-60239591.html

Another one in Kentish Town: very central and fantastic buses - 20mins from West End after a night out.
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-54460078.html

OP, if you manage to grab one in the Olympic park in Stratford, there's an 8 min high speed train from there to kings cross!

You could get a 2 bed garden flat in Highbury
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-41974986.html

or Canonbury
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-54293314.html

Both really interesting and lively areas, and no long journeys to get into town.

Camberwell is great. You have the overground at Denmark Hill or can be in the west end/London bridge/Waterloo/east end inside 30 mins on the bus.

Wow, those are both really nice, feathers' I didn't think Islington or Canonbury would be within our budget!