Can you find me a London pad?

[JoJoSM2]

This is half-hypothetical as it's more of a medium-term plan for us. However, I know many people on here like to browse Rightmove and I'd like to start getting ideas.

So, the budget is roughly 1M, 3-bed preferred but a spacious 2-bed could also work. Needs to be in a pleasant area and convenient for going out in central London.

Do you have DC? If so how old are they?

So far only DS1 but hoping for at least one more. We're happy living in suburbia with a young family but want to get a London pad for the future: e.g. DC going to uni or working in London, us staying when we've moved to the countryside in retirement or sooner if DS goes to boarding school etc. We'd rent it out in the meantime.

Prices rise so fast in London you can't shop now with a budget and expect to get anything like it in several years time with the same budget.

For example, I bought my 1 bed flat in inner London for £110k 18 years ago. Sold it 10 years later for £250k. Another 8 years down the line it's now worth £500k. (The area has become fashionable in that time, driving up prices).

Kicking myself as the house I bought instead outside London has risen "only" about £60k since I bought it! I should have kept the flat and rented it out!

The places you're looking at for £1m could be £1.5 mill in a few years.

But the OP wants to buy now, rent it out and use it later.

Even if Brexit causes economic hardship, London is likely to be out of step with the rest of the country, and the house prices will continue to rise (or fall more slowly)

But the OP wants to buy now, rent it out and use it later.

Does she? She says It's half hypothetical as a medium plan.

I took that to mean She's not doing it now, but in the medium term.

We were thinking 3-5 years from now but it could happen this year too (currently looking to upgrade to a bigger suburban house but nothing is coming up so we might divert the money to the 'pad').

A lot of central London has fallen in price A LOT in 2018 (even over 20%) so it could be a good time o buy.

Just hoping someone can start planting ideas in my head

3 beds under £1m
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-63016359.html
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70862638.html

Parsons Green is nice -leafy and friendly with lots of families, restaurants and shops, even a Whole Foods! £1m would get you a nice two to three bedroom flat or three bed terrace towards Sands End way. It’s on the Distrct line but also well served by busses going into town. Very rentable.
Don’t forget the extra stamp duty on buying a second home!

If this is a retirement/crash pad and you aren’t driven by schools or work then surely you just want to be as central as possible? Flat in the Barbican? Pimlico? Bloomsbury? Hampstead has it all for me, I love it but if you’re used to SM2 you will probably be thinking more south London.

Some great suggestions, thank you!

Actually, we aren't so sure about being completely central. I like the idea of being very close to stuff but it's also very busy. DH quite likes the thought of Wimbledon but I feel that's just too far out to be a good crash pad.

So Parsons Green is zone 2 and could be convenient residential area (if we don't go too central). Does anyone live somewhere else/reckons somewhere else is residential but with good transport around central London?

Prices in London have really stalled so it’s not that left field to look now...

Northcote road area but tbh not sure what you’d get for a million.

If you're thinking medium - long term some areas will be more accessible due to crossrail. The flat in farringdon will be mega convenient but location v v busy as its literally across the road from the mainline/tube/crossrail station

Couldn't resist: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3620644-to-think-this-studio-apartment-is-a-pisstake

Ducks and hides.

This house is on a nice road. Leytonstone is zone 3.I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/82098254

That house in Leytonstone is stunning! We'd probably prefer a more established and central area.

Last Queen, funny you should mention Northcote Rd - I lived there for years before moving out to the burbs :) The only offputting thing is how busy Clapham Junction is... I suppose I wouldn't use it in rush hour, though...

So, I came across these places in Wimbledon the other day which could be a perfect fit. Beautiful, spacious, and within/around your budget. Pleasant area of course. Not sure if it's central enough for you?

If your search is very broad, you'll really like SearchSmartly, the website I used to find these.

4 bedroom house for £1,095,000 (recently reduced) : tiny.cc/cdhu8y

4 bedroom house for £1,050,000 : tiny.cc/4fhu8y

3 bedroom house for £945,000 : tiny.cc/ylhu8y

I would go for WC1, NW1, EC1 or possibly WC2 if you are able to find something in the budget. WC1 is the most central and convenient for everywhere and lots of potential tenants including wealthy medical students and students at UCL, as wells business tenants, media types etc. No point in buying in suburbia/outside Zone 1 as it's not what you are looking for.

There is an impressive new development at King's Cross which has seen massive investment and regeneration recently, but I don't know what the prices are like.

If you want a central London place then not Wimbledon or Leytonstone but perhaps my Bloombsuiry suggeston or Farringdon. If you want to be a bit more residential like may be Kensington.
Here is one in Cromwell Road for example £1m 3 beds

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-53510760.html Although I don't like the look of it outside. It does have share of freehold.

Here is an SW3 one www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-72299029.html

Kensington could be an idea although our budget isn't great for there.

I love the Kings Cross re-development as it's very central but pedestrianised with greenery and a canal and feels very chilled out + has a handy big Waitrose and good restaurants. Unfortunately, our budget doesn't stretch to a decent property in the regeneration area.

I think I'll need to have a wonder around different parts of zone 1 to see if there's somewhere else that doesn't feel to hectic.

I'd go for Primrose Hill. So pretty, with a great village atmosphere, plus walking distance to central London. And anything in Primrose Hill is eminently rentable. How about this www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70728751.html

Oh yes, Primrose Hill is lovely. And a great place to stay when visiting London. On the tube (Chalk Farm) so dead easy to get into town.