London Area for 10 year stay

[purifymymind]

Would really appreciate some advice on behalf of my sister. She has asked for my help and I have no idea where to start. She is looking to buy with her DP asap. Requirements are as follows:

Budget 900k to 1.3m max
Prefers a semi detached, but terrace is acceptable
Good commute to City and Canary Wharf
Max 40mins commute door to desk
Min 4 beds
South London absolute must due to local commitments
Liberal area as neither are UK natives
Schools not an issue as likely to go private
Late 20s/early 30s couple
Need somewhere they could potentially live for 10 years.

If it helps, my sister is very down to earth whereas her DP is a bit snobby. Need an area where they will both feel comfortable. They are keen to socialize and integrate with their local community. No kids yet but TTC.

Thanks in advance! I'm stumped for ideas, could only come up with Tooting and Dulwich.

East Dulwich or Balham.

Canary Wharf has a number of residential areas walking distance along the way to Mudchute, try a quick Google. Should be able to get a flat or small house in that budget and it would have huge rental potential should they decide to move on. Another good option is Greenwich.

Brockley. Excellent travel connections. Zone 2. Heaving with young families. Terraced house of that size a possibility for that money. Very diverse area, as in cosmopolitan. Pretty safe. Lots of green space.

Canary wharf in the weekend is like a village. Full of young families who live walking distance. Better than any other part of central London really.

Thank you!

Canary wharf not possible as it is East London. Has to be south.

I recommended Dulwich to her. They like the area.

I am looking at Brockley and Balham now....

Greenwich they like too, but they claim the houses are small in that area...

Blackheath
Hither Green

Slightly further out:
Chislehurst
Petts Wood

Blackheath:

Lourdes Close, Belmont Hill, SE13
www.rightmove.co.uk/new-homes-for-sale/property-59028615.html

Yes, Blackheath or Westcombe Park - houses bigger and still walking distance to Greenwich.

First one a better size right near to Westcombe Park station, second in a quiet turning, third probably not big enough but right next to Blackheath station.

Balham, Greenwich or Blackheath (but that's SE), Wandsworth, Tooting, Clapham, Dulwich

Peckham/Denmark Hill and the surrounding areas for the Overground with direct links to Canary Wharf and the City.
www.primelocation.com/for-sale/details/51375229?search_identifier=65601cf28aca657e24f0634fb6d03f72#ECGprPUz5B6IXjfR.97

Those houses are absolutely gorgeous. Love the shiny new Belmont Hill one.

I've sent everything to sister. Feedback as follows:

Both her and DP love Dulwich and have been looking there already.
Blackheath lacked diversity. They found Dulwich and Greenwich a lot more diverse than Blackheath.
Brockley, Hither Green and Peckham have been discounted by her DP as he thinks the areas are not established enough.
Balham her DP loves, but he finds Tooting too urban.

I think what they are looking for is an area with Dulwich style housing and leafy streets, but a Greenwich vibe?

They might need to spend more then! That’s describing more expensive areas.

Herne Hill ticks all those boxes.

Brockley, Hither Green and Peckham have been discounted by her DP as he thinks the areas are not established enough

Ha ha! I suspect nowhere will be good enough for this DP.

Agreed, Lunaballoon. They're in for a long search, I predict.

I mean - essentials have been stated as: must be South London, must have a good commute to City and Canary Wharf, don't want commute to be longer than 40 minutes.

Somebody tell me how you could get to Canary Wharf in 40 minutes from Dulwich or Herne Hill. You could do it easily using the DLR from Lewisham or changing from the Overground to the Jubilee Line at Canada Water if your Overground journey is just a few stops.

My DH has commuted from both dulwich and Herne Hill to canary wharf and it can be done in 40 mins on a good day, the overground from Denmark Hill or Peckham make it doable. It would be undeniably quicker from Lewisham or Greenwich though

He's snobby but wants diversity? That's a tall order. Even taller with 40min commute to CW. East Croydon fits the commute but probably still too "real" for a liberal snob. South Croydon? Sanderstead. Any further out in Surrey ups the snob factor, loses the diversity/liberal creds. Benefits or Croydon area are there are leafy bits nearby, Shirley, Bromley, Beckhenham, Sanderstead etc, 40 mins commute just about achievable (definitely to the City via London Bridge). Plus some very good private schools that will score high on the diverse scale as very ethnically mixed, unlike the further out Surrey ones.

Would be surprised if they can get a 4 bed for a mill in Dulwich tbh.

Why don’t they up their budget and go state schools? You can get a serious amount of extra house if you don’t spend £30k a year on private education.

Or compromise on size of house to get the area they want.

Can’t say I’m warming to the couple - liberal snob says it all.

The couple in question have no children yet at all, so the bit about schools is theoretical anyway.

Lads, yes, on a good day you can probably just do it - by which I assume you mean if the bus arrives as you reach the stop, you hop onto the Overground as you arrive on the platform at DH, Jubilee Line train arrives at Canada Water just as you step off the down escalator.

I commuted across London before my daughter was born. Only two trains, but it didn't take much going wrong to wreck my commute. Never again.

Yes her DP is not the nicest and I do think the issue is that they are so different and want different things, and are trying to do a forced compromise.

They have the list narrowed down to:

Balham/Wandsworth
Westcombe Park/Maze Hill
East Dulwich (Peckham border)

Budget absolute max 1.3m.

GabrielleNelson the commute is what scares my sister about moving to South West.