Retiring TO Greater London, but where?

[TheAnnoyingSatsuma]

Musing about moving into a London Borough for our ‘golden years’. Where would you look with a £500k budget for a 2 bedroom house (not a flat)?

Obviously don't need schools, or good commuter links, but would like to be able to get into town by public transport off-peak.

I love my local area of Petts Wood, LB Bromley if I were downsizing I’d stay in same area. Great community feel, good shops, lovely restaurants, beautiful green areas and clubs, greet London connections
This 2 bed in a great road is lovely www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-85435769.html

Richmond might be under a flight path but it’s a very popular area! Lots of areas are under flight paths for the various airports.

BubblesBuddy I agree Richmond is a lovely area as I live nearby but it all depends whether the OP wants to put up with the noise! Also Richmond Council tax is very high.

Definitely Beckenham! Lots of transport links, parks and coffee shops etc. We lived there, moved a bit further out for schools but are retiring back
There in 20 years!! A nice apartment near Kelsey park!! There are popular schools so find a pocket not in a catchment area and it will be cheaper!!

To add to Beckenham - check out the area between beckenham junction and new beckenham stations. Nice and leafy, good transport options and easy walk to Waitrose and the high street. Also stones throw from cricket ground if you like that sort of thing.

Richmond indeed nice but Beckenham much more likely to be affordable imo although have been out of London market a while so could be wrong

Also stones throw from cricket ground if you like that sort of thing.

DH certainly does, although whether he would transfer his lifelong allegiance is unlikely.

Will definitely check out the area.

2 cricket clubs by Cheam Village. And rugby and cricket clubs too.

Tennis I mean.

There's always those who scoff at the idea of half a million pounds.

OP just doing a very quick right move search with your criteria there's are over 400 2 bed houses for your budget.

Don't listen to the millionaires.

turnthebiglightoff, what a daft comment. Of course there are houses. It’s about finding somewhere that’s a lovely place to live. A lot of 400k houses in London will be in areas that might be stabby or dirty or generally unpleasant.

OP just doing a very quick right move search with your criteria there's are over 400 2 bed houses for your budget.

Could you link to any of these houses which are in a good condition, nice location and match what the OP is looking for?

I could link to dozens. The glibness at which half a million pounds is dismissed on this site is baffling. Have a little look on rightmove and as I said there are hundreds.

Right. But I know the areas of London linked up thread very well, and having lived here for 20 years and bought several properties AND undergoing buying and selling one at the moment I do not believe there are decent places within that budget and scope

So could you care to link just one?

Nope, I wouldn't care to link. I've lived in London for 35 years and know it rather more well I should imagine. There are parts of every borough that tick the OP's boxes, it's just a case of choosing the right filters and sifting through what there is.

Why do people have to constantly piss on each other's chips on here? I live in SW19 in a 2 bedroom house with a garden which would sell for £600k. 10 minutes down the road / 1 stop on the tube would get you a 2 bed house for significantly less. As I said, a simple rightmove search would find lots.

We don't all have millions to throw around, nor do you need them in some parts of London.

Merton has many 'pockets of loveliness'

But most of them will be out of your budget. £500K will buy you somewhere in Colliers Wood, which has the advantage of being near the Northern Line, but it's not really the nicest place (although it is supposed to be up and coming)

We can't all live in Hampstead, ducky.

@ShirleyPhallus doesn't sound like you've been to Cheam and Carshalton. Both lovely.

Beckenham is lovely too but I think the budget might be a bit tight for a desirable part of it.

It might be difficult to find something in your budget in Surbiton unless you go for a flat (although if you can be patient you might get something), but I do think it should be an option. It's Southwest for a start, has fast trains to London, is by the river, close to amenities etc.. You may find something towards Thames Ditton more in your price range, which is also worth considering, as that's quite a pleasant place too.

Interestingly @jojosm2 I’m buying somewhere very close to one of those and discounted it as the paperwork of the property sits it squarely within Surrey, rather than London. Perhaps a debate afoot about London boroughs that also cross to the Home Counties! But either way, if OP is looking to be close to London for everything it has then those seem a little far out

Shirley, Ewell? That's in Surrey. Cheam and Carshalton are London borough and zone 5. Both on budget too.

The South East side is definitely cheaper that the South West side. Some lovely properties around Petts Wood/Orpington/Chelsfield in that range: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-78906866.html - trains go into Charing Cross so really central for getting into the centre for days out, lots of green space and nice walks and easy to get on the M25 to go and visit family

Have a look at this property search tool. You can select which things matter most to you in your area (things like transport access, lively high street, and so on), and obviously your budget. It doesn't lock you down to one postcode, so could be quite helpful to someone flexible on location. Good luck!

That's a brilliant tool search househunter19

That is a fantastic tool. I'm about 15 years away from being able to move again but I'm often daydreaming of the day when we can downsize and go back to the city centre. Funnily one of the top results was about five minutes' walk from my last apartment, in an area I adored (but is shite for schools, hence am no longer there!). The others were in an area I never considered but could be open to. Really interesting. I hope it's still around when I need it again!