Where to buy 3 Bedroom Family home in London Zone 1/2?

[Reearry]

We currently live and work in Canary wharf and are planning on starting a family soon. We are looking to buy a family home ideally in location with good primary and secondary school (private is not realistically an option) Our budget is £750,000. We have been living in a flat and are looking to buy a home with a bit of a garden. We do not own a car so something close to the tube line for work would be preferable. We do not have kids yet and are social so would prefer this place to have coffee shops, restaurants, park, shops nearby. We have looked at Greenwich and are looking for other options in zone 1/2

Blackheath seems a popular choice for people working in Canary Wharf. It looks like 750k is just about doable but no the sure about catchments.

I can't think there would be anything in zone 1 except possibly an ex council flat.

Zone 2 - again pushing it to find a 3 bed house with garden for £750,000. Did you find anything in Greenwich?

Maybe Catford, Brockley or Lewisham (SE6, SE4, SE13). They have excellent transport links to Canary Wharf.

We were not able to find anything in Greenwich. Everything seems upward of a million. Also we need two bathrooms and most properties seem to come with a single family bathroom. We don't really need a big garden...a big patio will suffice. But finding something within our budget in zone 1/2 is not looking easy so just wondering if there are any areas that we are overlooking

Have you tried putting "Zone 2" into Rightmove? There's not many options but a few come up - maybe put in £800k in the hopes of making an offer. Hackney is an option? No way will you get anything in zone 1 for your budget.

While we would love to own a home with a garden it doesn't seem likely within our budget and are now thinking something with a big balcony/ patio ( i love to grow plants hence the initial preference for a garden) with a park nearby should be a good substitute

What about east London or essex

Also Rotherhithe and Deptford (SE16 SE14)

We are open to East london but not looking to move out of London. Zone 1 is definitely out of our budget. Which places in zone 2 should we be looking at?

we need two bathrooms and most properties seem to come with a single family bathroom.

You're really going to have to compromise somewhere and I suspect this is where the issue is.

You'll be really hard pushed to find any 3 bed houses with two separate bathrooms - at most you'll usually get one bathroom and a downstairs toilet.

Have you tried looking at areas along the tube lines, going stop by stop (rather than by zone - zone 2 of West London could be a longer journey to Canary Wharf than zone 4 East London)?
If you are willing to be flexible on zones, you could get more for your money - eg 35 minutes from Canary Wharf, in South Woodford, you could get a good-sized period house like this and have funds left to convert the loft into a master bedroom + ensuite bathroom - www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-72089683.html

You'll find terraced houses in Greenwich, Deptford, Lewisham, Hither Green for 750k. There's the DLR train into Canary Wharf. East London you can look on the tube lines and see what's available. Walthamstow has become very expensive.

Also Rotherhithe and Deptford (SE16 SE14)

Yup. Deptford (Se8) and New Cross/Tele Hill (Se14) have good housing stock in your budget if you look carefully and bide your time.

@nickymanchester you are right. We will need to compromise. We have been looking for homes and not flats perhaps we need to shift our focus to new build flats which usually come with 2 bathrooms. We live in a 2 bedroom flat currently with 2 bathrooms but are very tight on space. Not sure if it is realistic to expect to buy a 3 bed 2 bath in zone 2....

29 choices in Brockley (SE4)

rightmove link

something like this
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70467712.html

2 people need 2 bathrooms?? Why?

Only you can decide whether being in Zone 2 is more important to you than having the other things on your list (eg a garden, third bedroom or second bathroom).

Lewisham is zone 2/3, New Cross is zone 2, Deptford is 2 as well I think? But your money will go further in zone 3 and you might find the places I've mentioned a bit rough (I love it but I appreciate it's not for everyone).

I think zone 2/3 boundaries yes and not on the tube - maybe on the London overground line. Brockley / Lewisham / hither green. You would likely have to put a second bathroom into a house as they are mostly going to be terraces- which might cost bedroom space. If you want a trendier or more on the tube location then a 2 bed flat is more likely.

The other thing that will happen imo is that you’ll start to look into schools and will suddenly be happy to share a loo.

Thank you for the links to Brockley and Hither Green. I am having a look and at first glance, the properties look very promising.

Greenwich and Blackheath - We dont think we can afford anything within our price range

Lewisham/ Hither Green/ Brockley - If anyone has any experience of living in these places, can you please mention what you like and dislike?

North Greenwich - Anyone living here who can recommend it? It's on the jubilee line and just one stop from canary wharf...

I understand wanting a second bathroom might seem unnecessary but we have a constant stream of visitors. While we enjoy having friends and family visiting us...it would be very difficult get ready in the morning and leave for work with just a single bathroom.

We were thinking of the third bedroom as we are thinking of starting a family soon.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. This has made me realise we will need to widen our search beyond zone 2

Tbh, if you were a to have a baby, then with your budget I'd look way further out than zone 2. Leafier, safer, cleaner and more family orientated than you'd ever get in a less nice bit of zone 2. And with a garden. A garden makes a massive difference when you've got children.
And no driving required - you can definitely have a gazillion amenities on your doorstep in zone 5-6 even. Not that you'd need to go quite that far out if you don't want to.

Hither green has some lovely parks, good primary schools, and you can walk to lewisham then get dlr to Canary Wharf.

Brockley or forest hill. I used to live in the area and have friends that still do.

It's a good commute to the Wharf (overground and then jubilee line) and quite a nice area once you get away from the south circular. Brockley has some nice little delis and a poncey farmers market. Forest hill has some decent pubs.