London - 700k budget a nice two-bed flat or small house further out with DS

[rollypolly80]

Hi,

This is a follow up from another thread. I've been debating whether to go for a nice two-bed flat in a fab area with good schools/shortish commute or go for a two-bed house somewhere further out and probably less nice.

I am a single parent with one DS so great schools and commuting are important. I'll never be able to afford private and would love for DS to go somewhere nice. Currently renting in the centre which is super convenient but expensive and should really buy. I come from abroad and have always lived in flats, but a few people were suggesting that I should opt for a house but further out.

What would you do? Is it always better to opt for a house or is a nice big flat good enough? Is my kid going to be looked down for living in a flat - sorry am clearly over-worrying about this, I already have enough guilt that his dad is not around without him being made fun of that we don't have a massive house with a drive.

agree with Crabbo - although Muswell Hill is nice, you'll be forever on a busy bus to a station as it's not near tube/station. If yo ugo for flat definitely worth having the best transport links.
Buying is not as scary as yo uthink, many people move every few years - not suggesting you do this but it's always easy to sell in London if the flat is spacious AND has good transport links, or if it's a 2-bed house with garden - equally easy to sell. Currently of course, it's a risk that the prices may fall a bi for next couple of years, but it will stabilise again.
With flats the issue for me is service charge and ground rent - this can rise yearly too! I'd avoiud blocks with lifts even though they aer purpose built and can be grand/high ceilinged, because the service charge is always HUGE if there is a lift or for repairs when it breaks down.

Out of your list I'd go to Crouch End (closer to tube but also close to Muswell Hill / Alexandra Park is reachable, or Tuffnell Park (even more cntral but relatively quiet, may be more exensive than CE) or Dartmouth Park area - nice but busier. I don't really like West Hampstead, it feels as transient as the centre and is noisy - but mostly I don't like Finchley Rd as the main High st - full of traffic and crowded, lack of indie shops.

Archway is good imo (between Tuffnell and Crouch End, roughly) - definitelu not 'posh and fancy' but so convenient and close to the charming Highgate and all the parks and Hampstead heath not far.

I don't know about Stoke N - it's very trendy and popular but I think crime levels are a bit higher than in the other areas you mention. Very nice Hig St but I@ve heard about muggings in the park being regular. Might haev changed. It's also not on the tube.

I do like Balham which ramarama mentioned - I only didn't mention it as you commute to Euston, OP. Balham has a link to Vicoria then a change to tube but Victoria tube is hell very busy at rush hour as you may already know!

Given what you've said, your deposit must be huge. I'd seriously consider using that to buy outright without a mortgage in a cheaper part of London. Think of the financial security that would give you.

I would go for house with garden not too far out. You can check up schools on Ofsted website.

I'd look at a tube map and which lines go directly into Euston, then do a search in areas close to each tube stop.

Going against the grain here - but I would go for a flat in town with a shorter commute.

Spend more time with your DS, and less on tube/expensive overground train. You’ll be at the mercy of ticket pricing, rail strikes etc. It’s not reliable all the time, and you’ll be too far for Uber/taxi in an emergency. The costs in your own time and finances will stack up.

Commuting is miserable if you work full time, and you are single parent.

My priority would be your DS schools, his education and your commute.

You might get more ‘space’ in a house, but consider your quality of life. No point having luxury of space if you are frazzled and have more to ‘house & garden’ to maintain & look after all on your own!

Buy a house over a flat.

@CatAndHisKit. Just my opinion but I bought a 2 bed flat 10 minutes from East Finchley tube station and my flat is so affordable compared to what I could afford in Muswell hill and Hampstead garden suburb. The latter are worse connected but people who can afford it seem to prefer to buy there rather than near East Finchley tube station (exception is bishops avenue of course!). Muswell hill had more of a community and English town feel which British buyers are crazy about

I can see why, both areas are a lot prettier though east Finchley is more practical for accessing central London and also I often walk to Muswell hill as well.

OP have a look at flats in Queen’s Park. Lovely family friendly area with big park, nice little high street and super convenient commute to Euston (15 mins on overground train).

Houses are over a million but you could get a flat for 700k. Otherwise Kensal Rise is one stop further on and a bit cheaper.

Schools: primaries are good, three or four to choose from. Secondary (QPCS) is ok, average results for London state schools.

Hope that helps!

I do like Balham which ramarama mentioned - I only didn't mention it as you commute to Euston, OP. Balham has a link to Vicoria then a change to tube but Victoria tube is hell very busy at rush hour as you may already know!

Or she could just remain on northern line and change at Stockwell which is far easier, since you only have to cross the platform to get the vic line. I find the change is quite easy even during rush hour, bearing in mind the vic line would have started from Brixton so won't be so jam packed.

East finchley to euston northern line or bus would be more convenient than crossing central london.

Thank you everyone - a lot to think about. I've set up a few Zoopla/Rightmove alerts for 2-bed houses, might see what comes up over the next couple of months. Some of the places in SE London do look amazing - like this one: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-67718700.html but the commute across London might just be too much. Does everyone in London really work in East London or are people's commutes just very long?

I guess that prices will not be going up over the next few months which should give me a bit of time to visit some of the areas mentioned.

@rollypolly80 finance workers tend to work in the city (moorgate, blackfriars), also in London bridge and canary wharf. A lot of people do have long commutes and younger people tend to live in South/east London. North London has more tube stations though!

I would say zone 1-3 is considered a good commute, zone 4-5 long but doable, zone 6 far out. For commutes outside London, you tend to be reliant on 1 line which gives you less work flexibility i.e. st Alban's is 20 mins from Blackfriars but a nightmare to get to if you switch to canary wharf.

If you find somewhere on the Thameslink line, you can get a direct train to places near Euston and it’s one direct line (walk from kings cross).
So I would have a look at places on the line in zone 3/4.

Eg I used to live in Beckenham and could get a train direct. It was about 30 mins on the train to central London

I live near Stoke Newington, Finsbury Park etc and I wouldn’t fancy bringing up a teenage boy around here. Irrespective of what Guardian readers think, it’s a tough place to be a boy - there is a not insignificant amount of gang and knife crime.

It doesn’t affect me because I’m not the demographic, so I find the area relatively safe, but the local nice (state) high school has banned its kids from walking through the small park opposite because they kept getting mugged, some at knifepoint.

I don’t think anyone in London would really blink an eye about flats - that’s what a large majority of zone 1 Londoners live in!

Personally if I was a single parent I would want to limit my commute as much as possible. It would mean you could spend more evenings together/see him in the morning for breakfast rather than it being a mad dash constantly.

@rollypolly80
Thank you everyone - a lot to think about. I've set up a few Zoopla/Rightmove alerts for 2-bed houses, might see what comes up over the next couple of months. Some of the places in SE London do look amazing - like this one: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-67718700.html but the commute across London might just be too much. Does everyone in London really work in East London or are people's commutes just very long?

I live in Forest Hill :) I think it's lovely here but you'll have to consider whether SE London is too much of a trek for you to you get to Euston. I work in Aldgate East so it's easy enough for me to get the overground from Forest Hill and change at Whitechapel. I'm not an authority on schools I'm afraid.

Though the link to the flat you've provided is practically seconds from the station, so that could be a distinct advantage.

Yes jcurve thats what I was getting at but noone else seems bothered.

I would rent in town and then see where you are fixed for senior schools when you know the areas a little better and know if your ds needs private/grammar/supportive environment etc.

You might be working somewhere else by then anyway - I would rather live in a good, safe school area than near my work - children grow up very quickly.

Get the easiest commute a single line train tube or bus
Nice flat maybe bit smaller than a house but nice garden
but make your life easier
I say as a lone parent.
And easy taxi ride in case of emergency.

how old is your son btw?

DS is six and is currently going to an ok primary school, but ideally, I'd like him to go to a good secondary, which is another reason for wanting more info on areas. Lots of places seem ok for primary and secondary if you have girls, but not so much for a boy. He's smart enough, but isnt exactly a quiet kid whose idea of a good time is to sit by himself and do homework. And I am concerned regarding safety. I want him to be ok going to school by himself etc and not having to worry. If that makes sense.

Guess am also a bit annoyed that I cant just move to SE London like everyone else seems to be doing, because of the commute.....But if am in London then my work place isnt going to change, so probably just have to deal with that

haha, I hadn't noticed everyone else is moving to SE London. Guessing it's cost related. You just get so much more for your money here. I was raised north of the river and the aim was to remain there but alas, I was priced out unless I chose to live in a shoe-box. I will say I was fearful about how difficult it would be with having fewer tube connections, but it's actually been fine. In some ways, SE Londoners are happier without the tube because it means the area hasn't had the explosion of people that other areas of London has had, though I suspect that has changed of late.

@Smallgoon - I mean I'd love to because clearly Forest Hill and Honor Oak are lovely....and honestly sometimes am really tempted also because I get the feeling that I'd really fit in. But then I think of the commute - it sounds bad but I havent even managed to figure out the Thameslink yet. Plus, i dont know what people do about boys/secondary schools. And that is an additional factor. Am really not used to having to pick a house plus schooling all at once. Where I used to be all primary schools were ok and then all the bright kids took what I guess is the 11plus here and went to grammar schools. So the whole package of house, plus commute plus schools....very stressful

@rollypolly80

I think it might be worth giving some consideration to the comment made by @AntiHop:

"Given what you've said, your deposit must be huge. I'd seriously consider using that to buy outright without a mortgage in a cheaper part of London. Think of the financial security that would give you."

There is a lot of talk on this forum about a financial and housing downturn. It's an uncertain time. If you can buy somewhere nice outright then that will give you peace of mind too.