Please help us choose where to live - Essex to SE/SW London?

[Musseswoofles]

Please help us find a new place to live.

A little background, we currently live in the triangle that is Loughton/Buckhurst Hill/Chigwell and have out grown our 2 bed cottage

With a budget of 750/800 we need a larger home for myself/DH/DS and DDog.

We've previously lived in Walthamstow (couldn't stand it) and Clapham (loved it but can't afford to buy there).

Work is Camden and South Bank.

We don't want to live on the central line or North/West/East London so focussing on SE/SW.

Good schools are a must and lots of green space and I'd like it not to feel too 'London' ie back to back houses and on street parking argh. I do like where we are but the central line is doing for us both and ultimately this isn't where we would like to be long term.

I imagine we want to commute into London Bridge / Waterloo?

Please help us find our new neighbourhood!

Paddock Wood? you will be able to get a 3/4 bed house under budget there. lots of green space, a primary school which is rated 'good', a secondary school also rated good and shops x

sorry forgot to add, its about a 40 minute train ride from paddock wood station to london bridge x

Not too ‘London’, ie outer London? I’d focus your search on the boroughs of Bromley and Sutton. The borough of Kingston is super lovely too but largely closely packed Victorian houses and pricey.

I live in the borough of Sutton. 750-800k will get you a lovely house. Trains from Sutton itself go into Victoria, London Bridge + there’s the Thameslink up to XCross and beyond. Worcester Park is on the Waterloo line. Mostly zone 5 stations. The state schools are amazing: top 5 for primaries in the country and number 1 for GCSE attainment (5 grammars + many excellent comps to suit different interests etc, eg specialisms in performing arts, STEM, sport etc)

The area is well suited to sporty/outdoorsy people: tons of sports clubs (tennis, cricket, rugby, climbing wall, leisure centres with pools, public golf course etc), greenery, close to lovely coutryside, fab parks, community farm and so on.
It’s also the safest borough in London.

Sutton High Street is the least nice bit as independent restaurants, cafes, pubs, a designer department store are all in between pound and vape shops so it doesn’t feel lovely overall (but the amenities are there).

For a lovely villagey feel there’s Cheam Village (fab park, lovely village centre) or the very picturesque Carshalton Village. Carshalton Beeches is very relaxed and green close to a coutry park, nature reserve and fields and farms. Worcester Park and Wallington are also nice for families but the latter has no comp options (only grammars around).

PS the Thameslink would take you directly to Blackfriars.

When you lived in Clapham, did you love it pre-children or as a family?

Bromley

Billericay is 35 mins to Liverpool Street with park, woodland and busy high street. Good schools in Billericay and in catchment for the Chelmsford Grammar schools later.

Thank you all

@JoJoSM2 looks like a visit to Sutton is in order! All sounds great. Clapham was pre family so a different vibe and we don't meet the stereotypical clapham family so much. We're creatives not bankers

I met DH at the Clapham Grand Good old days.

If you're creatives, you might like Carshalton Village best. It hosts Carshalton Artists' Open Houses every year and has loads of community stuff going on. There are 2 parks, a lovely leisure centre + library, Honeywood Museum, an Ecology Centre etc. Between Carshalton and Carshalton Beeches/Wallington stations you'd have a great range of transport links.

Beckenham, Bromley, petts wood.

We used to live in Teddington and loved it with kids. Bit pricey but the schools are fab, lovely community, great high street, good shopping both in Kingston and Richmond, lots of lovely parks. You could probably find a decent 3 bed semi there for 800 I think?

Like this little house is on a lovely street in Teddington and right down the road fro
an outstanding primary. www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-73148494.html

Bromley or the outskirts of Croydon - Purley, Kenley, Warlingham is lovely ! Sanderstead is nice and beautiful but changing rapidly and I can imagine in the next 10 years it would have lost most of its charm due to developers buying up spaces to build flats and apartments.

I live near Sanderstead and can be in London Bridge within 25 mins.
22 mins to London Victoria.

Lots of green space and lots of garden space, friendly community

Beckenham

Blackheath. Quick trains into London Bridge. Gorgeous green spaces and not too built up.

How about this? 4 bedrooms, in Colliers Wood close to the Northern Line, which would be perfect for both Camden and Waterloo. Near lots of green spaces, especially Wandle Park and Morden Hall Park, as well as Wimbledon Common.

Or this one, right on the river Wandle

What about hither green? Or Crofton park?
It has great schools and you can be in London Bridge in 30mins or less. Very family orientated

What didn’t you like about Walthamstow? Out of curiosity

Oh and property is good value around there for london

thanks @Biggie123 there was very little I liked about Walthamstow. Cramped housing, bad traffic, terrible neighbours, high levels of crime, our local park always had evidence of drug use on the ground. Honestly it was awful. I felt very unsafe there and I'm no snowflake! The marshes were nice but on more than one occasion I was approached by men when I was walking my dog on the long secluded path down there.

Would Sevenoaks/Tonbridge/Tunbridge Wells be too far out for you Op? All are on the Hastings 1066 trainline straight into London Bridge/Waterloo East and Charing Cross/Cannon Street (between 25-45min depending on the town). Lots of great schools in all three areas, plus open spaces. I’d say they are worth a search on Rightmove to see what you could buy. 😊

@Musseswoofles That all makes sense. I know lots of people who moved there and couldn’t work out why they all
Raves about it.
I would recommend checking out hither green and Crofton Park

I'm doubt that Hither Green would be a good fit if the OP is trying to avoid back to back housing and on street parking. It's nice enough around there + some excellent schools but the housing is very tightly packed: quintessential inner burbs.

Bromley, specifically, Beckenham or Shortlands. Hayes in Bromley is also very nice.

You'll have fun playing with the SearchSmartly tool. I've added your commute to Waterloo, your budget, and put high priority on green space and access to public transport. You can see your results here: bit.ly/33UhsfD

It suggests areas like this mews house near Wimbledon, this beautiful place in Surrey, this victorian house near Forest Hill, and a lot more. Enjoy!