If you had £1.5m to spend in London with a family, where would you live?

[Fallenbehind]

This is vaguely hypothetical.

But with this budget, and kids in tow, where would you go in London?

I would leave London and try to get a country pile within commuting distance - South Leicestershire or Oxfordshire ideally

In fact I have a lovely 4 bedroom house in Muswell hill on the market right now! Walking distance to several Ofsted rated excellent primaries and secondaries. Lots of woods, playgrounds and open spaces. Walking distance to supermarkets - Sainsbury's, Waitrose and M&S, restaurants, butchers, fish shop, delis, cafes and bars, an Everyman cinema, swimming pool and gyms. In Crouch End just down the hill, more parks, cafes, pubs and restaurants and an excellent comedy and music club. Everything for a family friendly life. But you have to get a bus to the tube.

Still I might be biased!

People saying Primrose Hill and Hampstead are kidding themselves. A three bed is about £2.4million.

I think Dulwich Village would be too expensive too.

For that amount I'd be looking at somewhere on the edge of an expensive place in the hopes that prices will go up to match.

Maybe South Hampstead, Herne Hill, Twickenham (tho transport rubbish), Clapham?

Richmond or East Sheen. Maybe Barnes.

@OnceUponAThread It depends what you want though; you can get three bed flats around Primrose Hill for 1.5m or less. I know because I live in one. If you want a house and a garden, totally though.

North London , Highgate / Tufnell if you could find somewhere big enough for your family

@TwoKidsStillStanding

Richmond or East Sheen. Maybe Barnes.

Possibly East Sheen but not the other two!

Definitely Richmond! 😍

North London for me. Muswell hill, Highgate or crouch end.

We live MH it's so easy to get to central - it's 7 mins on the bus that comes every 3 mins to Highgate tube or similar to east Finchley - commute used to take me 40 mins door to door. And the good thing is you have so many options with transport you aren't reliant on one train, it's easy to get to Crouch end or Finsbury Park on the W7 or you can go to Alexandra Park Station or bounds green for the Piccadilly line I find it really well situated.

So many parks, green spaces, great schools really nice mix of cafés and restaurants plus some local shops we have an amazing cinema.

I honestly love living here

Hampstead, Highgate or Richmond. I actually really don’t like Muswell Hill. I don’t know why, it’s like a lot of other places but I guess I never warmed to it.

@OnceUponAThread it depends if you want a house or a flat. Houses are really expensive in those area but you can find flats within the price range easily.

I would suggest East Croydon or South Croydon Area. Why?

• Train to London Bridge/Victoria only 15-20 minutes, every 5 minutes (so like Tube)

• Lots of Grammar Schools in the Area. Wilsons and Wallington Grammar for boys, Non such for girls. These are free with great placement records in Universities.

• The Brit School if your child is creative.

• Whitgift/Trinity/Old Palace school if you want to go private (though if your child is smart not necessary).

• Excellent value for money. You can buy this type of house (all reufrbished inside) 5 mins walk from the station for 1.2 million.

www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=60803733&sale=10161412&country=england

It is really difficult to beat when it comes to outstanding value for money in Londons suburbs.

Belsize Park/Hampstead. Gospel Oak.

Blackheath, although you may need a bit more.

Maybe South Hampstead, Herne Hill, Twickenham (tho transport rubbish), Clapham?

Really, Twickenham transport is rubbish? I thought 23min fast train to Waterloo was rather good. Loads of trains every hour.

For 1.5 I'd look at Barnes. Love the village feel and the airplane noise is less frequent and quieter than Richmond. Richmond flight path is LOUD.

Another vote for Wandsworth between the commons

Chiswick or Richmond.

Will 700 grand buy you a nice house in a decent area in London? By nice I mean something like a victorian 4 bedder, not some new build.

Where I am now, East Dulwich (but priced out )

Will 700 grand buy you a nice house in a decent area in London? By nice I mean something like a victorian 4 bedder, not some new build.

Do-able in Welling, Bexleyheath, and around there.

I live in one of these popular areas and am quite happy here but if I were starting again I'd say Blackheath. I just think there's something a bit magical about it, especially the heath itself. Or Crystal Palace for the fantastic views. But then it is important for me to be on the south side of the river (because of journeys to see wider family and work). There must be other factors to consider for you too OP? You must have generally some idea of areas you'd like. It can easily take 2 hours or more to drive across what is considered to be central London, let alone the suburbs, so that makes a vast area to consider.

@MartinJD1976

Will 700 grand buy you a nice house in a decent area in London? By nice I mean something like a victorian 4 bedder, not some new build.

Around East Croydon Station you can get a refurbed four bed for 500k.

If you want to live in park like setting, there is Park hill where you can get a fourbed for around 600k.

I lived in Richmond for 8 years a few years ago and wouldn’t live there again. The town is not that nice nor that part of the riverside. Kew is nicer or Ham/Petersham but not as great transport links

If I absolutely HAD to stay in London i I would go for somewhere near to Marylebone Station and St Pancras as they are the two stations we use to get out of London to the relatives. Someone round there would be nearer to my husband's job - a 15/20 minute commute rather than hour and a half to where we are in South London.
It all depends what your 'lifestyle' is and what you want from a community.