Family home, Bromley or Sutton

[Mia722]

Hey girls,

DH and I are planning to buy a 4 bed family home and our budget is about 700K. We are currently renting a house in West Finchley and have no problem with this area in general.

DS is about 1 year 1 moth old and we consider moving to a bigger place where more affordable and ideally more activities/community sense for young family and toddlers. Friends have recommend Bromley and Sutton, some southern areas such as crystal place and gipsy hill, Sydenham, upper Norwood also come to the recommendation list. We are struggling with which area to choose. DH goes to London Bridge for work 3 or 4 times a week, WFH 1 day or two. Myself do research at SOAS and only need to go there 2 or 3 times a week.

Anyone lives in Bromley or Sutton or some other family friendly areas would like to share your experience? We do hear some parts of these two areas have good transport link to city. Forgive my messy message, your kind suggestions are highly appreciated!

Both areas are nice, but I prefer Sutton due to the proximity to some very nice areas suchas Wimbledon, Kingston etc, and it feels much more London than Bromley. I also like he fact Sutton has some really good schools and I think generally larger gardens.

I don't know Sutton but Bromley is nice enough although would £700,000 actually buy you a 4 bed house in Bromley? I don't know. It definitely wouldn't be enough for 4 beds in any of the south London boroughs you mention.

The train line into London is very quick from Bromley and I understand the schools are good, particularly on the Beckenham side.

@Mia722 hi, I don’t know Sutton that well apart from the shopping area & that have some very good secondary schools. Bromley is a very large borough, the town centre & between Bromley north & south stations some nice roads, but parking & traffic can be a pain, some very good schools & some not so good, Bromley common is usually a bit cheaper but it’s a trek to the stations & facilities are a bit sparse.
Beckenham is much more residential & transport links are very good.
Clock house station gets you to London Bridge quickly, the roads around clock house/Kenthouse stations have some lovely houses & all the local schools are excellent, also some lovely parks a good high street with lots of restaurants/coffee shops Waitrose’s/sainsburys/Lidl.
Library & lesuire centre & some really good playgroups & very family friendly.
Eden Park/Elmers End is also on the train line & again has day to day needs with a large Tesco at Elmers End a short bus ride into the centre of Beckenham is also walkable.
West Wickham is a little bit further along, but on the same train line again the high street is very nice & lots of facilities for family’s & schools are very good.
Penge is also worth a look, it’s a bit rougher round the edges but has a useful high street, 10mins from Crystal Palace Park & good schools a short walk into Beckenham.
Crystal Palace has good transport links, but the triangle is a bit ‘meh’ traffic is again pretty awful.
Sydenham & Norwood are ok, but prefer the above areas.

Ah, thx@Fifikittykat, DH and I will probably drive around the areas of Sutton probably tomorrow!

bibbitybobbityyhat hopefully 70,0000 could get us a 4 beds in Bromley, we notice the estate price has been dropping down...but not sure if it is the case in some good areas of Bromley......maybe I could look into some 3 beds plus a small study room, that will do as well. My parents live with us to look after the baby while DH and I are out for work, and sometimes my in-laws will visit.....so need to consider a bigger house...

dontcallmelen Thx so much for all the info!!! Super helpful! DH and I drove to Beckenham we love it!!!!! The town centre is absolutely stunning and the Beckenham junction station seems very convenient!

And we drove to some areas you mentioned! The roads between Bromley North station and South station, West Wickham. I finds some houses in between north and south stations seem nice due to it walking distance to the Glades, Bromley town centre and station..But I am curious about how crowded it would be to commute during weekday from Bromley north and south station, from what I saw yesterday, the street was packed with people! I could imagine the train would be the same...

@Mia722 Bromley stations are very busy, also a lot of building work going on in Bromley centre, which will make it even busier it’s not as family friendly as Beckenham, West Wickham, Eden Park or Elmers End. Also the schools are a bit more hit n miss if I had a choice I would rather the areas I mentioned especially for commuting, than the centre of Bromley that’s only my personal opinion though.

@dontcallmelen

I agree!!!! Do you think below property is in the good part of Beckenham? Any particular parts you of Beckemham you would recommend? I really like the town center vibe of Beckenham and love to live near it, not sure if the schools are good.

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/49082492

@dontcallmelen

Below one seem located between clock house and Kent house station, is this the area having good pre and primary school from your viewpoint?

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/44946727

Have a look at Hayes. Great transport links, and schools. Old Hayes has a lovely village feel and lovely green spaces nearby.

I grew up close to elmers end and my cousin still lives there, it's so busy and looks really run down these days, ditto beckenham. Bromley it's self is much nicer, bigger houses but longer commute. Sutton also is crazy busy these days. I've lived in Crystal Palace and alas sold before the prices went up, you would struggle to get a decent flat for that money. Personally I would suggest beyond the m25, better value for money and better for the kids. Anything on the thameslink would work.

I'd also go beyond M25 so Sevenoaks perhaps or Tunbridge Wells if your money buys what you need

Some bits of chislehurst and petts wood are nice but some bits are close to horrible areas too

West wickham is lovely, a little further a field is sanderstead I'm croydon. My favourite Sutton areas are cheap and Worcester park. Very easy commute from Worcester park.

@Mia722 the house you linked to is on a nice road but it’s a fair walk into Beckenham & the station also the schools are not quite as good.
The second one, is an ideal location less than ten minutes walk to clockhouse station, very good schools & on top off all the facilities & a short walk to Beckenham high street, that house was up for sale in the summer it has been reduced I think, would imagine there is a bit room for negotiation on price, also a couple of three bedroom houses for sale in Pelham Road, which is a couple of minutes from the Ravenscroft Road one up for six hundred thousand, but they would need a loft conversion to get the space you need.

Yy West Wickham, if you can get nearer to the station it’s a good area with excellent schools & lots for families to do, Hayes village is lovely but station is not so convenient as being in Hayes, Petts wood is further commute & don’t really know what the schools are like.

The Ravenscroft & Pelham Roads I mentioned are also a couple minutes away from two very good playgroups & a nice park.

I’d aim for the houses just off Croydon road in Beckenham or alternatively the houses on The Drive and Church Lane - some lovely ones about your price range and about a 5 minute walk to Beckenham junction.
The high street has just been totally re-done now - it’s looking good. And it’s just won a “purple flag” award for safe night time entertainment, which it’s very proud of. You’ll never be short of a cafe, a station or a hairdressers in Beckenham! Schools are v good especially the Langley ones. Coach services run to the grammars in Kent as well if that’s your thing.

Oh and Kelsey Park is lovely if you haven’t visited it. Massive park with lake and woodland all around. Great for picnics in the summer.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-76273703.html
Carshalton Beeches, 35 mins to London Bridge, lovely park/green areas just up the road, good primary and grammar schools and good comps plus good special needs provision.

Hi Mia722, have you looked at Furzedown? Not as far out as Sutton or Beckenham.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/furzedown-london-best-places-to-live-rgphpvvg5

Just about get a 4 bed for your price -
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-77412869.html

Good Luck!

C Beeches is a good shout & have you looked at Banstead? I think Beckenham & Sutton are better than Bromley & Sutton is probably the best value for the size & good schools. C Palace is very congested & Im not sure about the schools whereas Furzedown has great schools but depending on which bit of it there’s not much else there.

Would defo recommend Chislehurst, you'd get a lot for 700k, only 20 mins into London Bridge.
Definitely a family area too!