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.

If you are considering a flat, I am really intrigued by this one: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70805758.html

There are also lots of houses in this area. It's a nice area wirh green space, some shops and pubs but possibly tips slightly more into 'convenient for central' than 'villagey feel'.

I'd also look at Ewell. Small villagey centre, near green space and near Epsom for more variety of shops, restaurants etc.

Agree that flat is lovely - is it actually part of the museum set up? I know that area well and it has good facilities locally.

The search tool is throwing up some intriguing locations. I haven’t found a filter for houses/flats though.

Ewell is not in a London borough sadly, but Carshalton is.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E1430&maxPrice=500000&propertyTypes=&mustHave=&dontShow=&furnishTypes=&keywords=

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-81570446.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E322&maxPrice=500000&propertyTypes=semi-detached%2Cterraced&includeSSTC=false&mustHave=&dontShow=&furnishTypes=&keywords=

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-81415292.html

I think the flat in Carshalton Village is in the grounds of the Ecology Centre. But it's probably a minute's walk from the Honeywood Museum and the cafe by the ponds.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-60316980.html

OP, if Carshalton Village isn't for you for whatever reason but you're after that sort of just inside London village, you could try Chislehurst. Possibly Hayes (the one in the borough of Bromley).

Or are you after more 'London Villagey' ie posh shops and near a park?

Yes as Jojo says, they have converted one of the ecology centre buildings, so right near the ponds and the station.

Oh yes, Ewell would be part of Epsom and Ewell, I was thinking train lines.

I am nowhere near retirement but id say the London borough of Bromley is as close to home counties vibe but still with red buses and fast oyster card connection to central. 10 min drive and you are in picturesque kentish villages and country parks.

If you like London ive lived in wimbledon and enjoyed it while i was there. Because of the frothy prices in london 'villages' (hampstead, dulwich, blackheath, Greenwich) or Richmond, its sort of a middle class bubble and i dont feel you get the kind of community id want if i were retiring...

@TheAnnoyingSatsuma

I know you said you wanted a house rather than a flat, but I came across this flat in Merton Park.

It's a really unusual thing - mostly Merton Park is houses, and houses that haven't been converted to or built as flats.

Sheridan Road is part of Old Merton Park, and it's lovely - really quiet, tree-lined streets, very little through traffic.

You're also really close to the tram stop which will take you into Wimbledon (overground and District Line tube), or in the other direction to Croydon - very useful if you're travelling to Gatwick or down to the South Coast for trains to Brighton, etc.

You're also not too far from South Wimbledon tube station, which is on the Northern Line.

Tbf, though, with a 500k budget for a flat, it should be possible to be within walking distance to one of those inner suburb 'villagey' places.

BIWI that’s a good find, and confirms my suspicions that there are pockets of loveliness if only you know how to find them. Identifying Conservation Areas would be a good start.

Thank you to everyone on this thread btw, plenary of food for thought

*plenty !!

Second a nice flat (or 2 bed house) in blackheath, greenwich or hither green - we saw some nice two bed period cottages there for that budget.

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/51837408?search_identifier=974801c1b89f2a5fbad4dda6eea4c35e

This one has been my favourite 500k flat year.

However, OP, if you're looking at flats, how about sth like the one below? Walking distance to Wimbledon Village and close to he train and the tube.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-62492862.html

Guildford , Woking, EPSOM, west Ewell, Chessington. Only the latter is London borough but good value and get to London quickly

Morden maybe, Sutton and surround

Chislehurst is nice, you should be able to buy a 2 bed place for £500,000 there. Easy commute into central London, plenty of buses. Good restaurants and cafes, pubs, two pharmacies and a Sainsbury's, Co-op too. It has a villagey feel and is quite pretty with duck ponds and woods.

Woodford Green (IG8) is a conservation area, quite nice for retirees and close to Epping forest. Could get something nice for that budget, zone 4 (central line) and in a London borough. Waitrose, Sainsbury's nearby (by bus), and several 'green' areas (tennis clubs, golf club etc) ... though it's north-east London/Essex, so may not be easy/quick to get to family.

How about Walthamstow?

It's got basically everything you could need in one place, historic buildings, an historic (and cheap market), lots of culture and a lovely villagey community feel. On both overground and the victoria line too. Loads of buses to interesting local places. Nice walks around the canals and reservoirs. Epping Forest within walking distance. Yep, if i was retiring in London that's where I'd head.

The problem with a flat is that you may end up paying huge maintenance charges. Annual fees of £3K in London for older apartments is not unknown, and the new ones can end up not being adopted by the councils so more cost there too.