Do you live in Thornton Heath and like it?

[MrBobLoblaw]

DP and I are about to put our flat on the market and we're currently living in Crystal Palace with toddler DS. I'm pregnant and we have massively outgrown our one bed. We love it here and ideally would stay in CP but there's no way we could afford the 3 bed we need with our budget here.

We've been considering Beckenham, penge, Sydenham etc as we have family in CP so really want to stay nearby. This property has come up on the CP side of Thornton Heath -
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-79683851.html I think it has loads of potential and isn't it bad nick as is (though downstairs bathroom is a bit of a turnoff). However my perception of TH is that it's a bit of a shit hole and the property is in a transport hole (a mile to TH station and even further to CP).

I'd love any local knowhow please. I'm going to view it next week so will get a feel of the area for myself. Also all opinions welcome on the house itself! I think it's ripe for a back extension and loft extension (though we wouldn't be able to afford to do that for a long while) and could be made more homely in the short term.

Thanks in advance. Feeling pretty nervous about getting on the property market at the moment but we've got a baby deadline now to spur us on!

We have friends who lived in Thornton Heath for similar reasons- affordable, space- and the first few months they raved about it but they ultimately came to the conclusion it was an irredeemable shithole and left London. On the other hand I know someone whose lived in penge for ten years and loves it.

I haven't been there in a few years but I would be wary of Thornton Heath. Space is great but you have to enjoy popping out at the weekend- our friends in TH were commuting during the week then effectively commuting at the weekend for somewhere to have a decent coffee other than Sainsbury's cafe.

30 years ago it was a shithole so I can't imagine it's improved.

We moved away 12 years ago. It was awful then. It's cheap for a reason unf

I used to live on that road before we moved closer to the centre of TH. You've got a harvester at the top. It is not as bad as the rest of TH imo as it's nearer to Norbury.

I lived the next road , years ago when I was at home with parents. We moved away to Beckenham because of all the violence that seemed to be occurring in the neighbourhood

If you can stretch the budget you'd be better off somewhere like addiscombe. Easy access to Crystal palace, East Croydon & Norwood junction (for overground). Ok mini high street, quiet, low crime.

I would have to be desperate to move to Thornton Heath/West Croydon honestly ...

We lived close to TH 12 years ago. It was an absolute ghetto. No redeeming features at all. I felt scared every time I left the house, not helped by having 3 of those yellow police 'murder witness' boards at the end of my road in as many years. I shudder just thinking about it. Wouldn't even take my kids to visit in a cute 'ah, look where my and daddy used to live' kind of way. Avoid.

My dsis lived there in Furze Road, for many years but it got worse and eventually she couldn't wait to get out. There were stabbings locally. One man went berserk with a machete in a church nearby. Another time the police asked if they could search her front garden, looking for body parts from a murdered man. I could go on...

Huge amount of gang violence there sadly

Norbury is nicer than Thornton Heath. Nicer areas are also south croydon, purley and coulsdon . All good for commuting. Tbh I'm not keen on Thornton Heath and have lived in a few different areas within the borough of croydon.

There's a reason why it's cheap...I wouldn't live there.

Ah shite. Well, that pretty much sums it up then.

Thanks everyone, that's really good to know even just to take it off the list. I was hoping that it wouldn't be as bad on that side of TH but seemingly not. Dunno whether to cancel the viewing or still go and see it?

Beckenham, Penge and Sydenham are currently top of our list but we'd love to get a house for our money but I struggling to find something nice/with potential in those areas.

The yellow murder boards were exactly what made me move 12 years ago

Looks like there are lots of houses in your budget in that area OP. Bromley? Penge?

What about this one in South Norwood?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-54436434.html

I moved away from there 10 years ago. Dreadful place. High crime, gang violence etc.

My two penneth is also that it is a shit hole.

Not lived there but passed through many times and it is depressingly horrible.

I dislike Norbury too.

MrBob have to agree with the majority of posts, it isn’t a very nice area, always feels to me as though it has an undercurrent of violence.
Have you had a look towards Eden Park especially the roads between Eden park roundabout & monks orchard, Elmers End or a little further somewhere like West Wickham, also a few two bed houses in Beckenham, churchfields Road & surrounding that you could do a loft conversation at a later date.

@MrBobLoblaw a three bed house on rightmove, listed a few days ago in Eden Park Avenue on for four fifty, it’s dated but very liveable & has a stunning garden, surrounded by good schools/open spaces & lots for young children going on, also a couple of excellent coffee shops on the doorstep.

A friend from work lives in Eden Park and it's nice and has great schools. We almost chose West Wickham but ended up in Petts Wood which we love (but far from CP for you though). Elmers End is nice too. Hayes not bad.

Eden Park is good for schools - Unicorn Primary and lovely Langley for secondary.

It's horrible. Very unwelcoming. High crime, gangs...steer clear.

I know that road. It's not as bad as some other parts of Thornton Heath as it's not too densely populated what with the school, park and the allotments at the top and it is near four/five good schools and a couple of decent Secondary's. The 450 bus goes to Thornton Heath and CP train station.

But... TH is generally a shithole and the estate at the other end of Northwood Rd is riddled with gang nonsense.

We chose Purley for the reason that we could afford a house with a garden there and it's a nice family area. We bought a four bed detached period house needing some work (but absolutely liveable) for £565k a couple of years ago so I would have thought you would find something in budget. Train services pretty reliable nowadays as Southern seem to be pulling their socks up a bit!

I'm not sure I'd consider Thornton Heath - really don't like the look of the areas over that side of Croydon I'm afraid

I would definitely avoid Thornton Heath or anywhere near West Croydon. Have you considered Purley, Sanderstead, Selsdon, Coulsdon etc? They’re still Croydon so a lot cheaper than most London areas but have good schools and green spaces. There are also loads of playgroups and activities for young children, and fast trains to London. I live in one of those areas and to me it feels very safe. I wouldn’t feel safe in Thornton Heath.