London flat prices?

[SchoolOfKnocks]

Cash buyer here - wanting to buy a one bedroom flat in Zone 2, ideally with balcony.

Is it a falling market? Prices seem to have dropped but I'm thinking they may continue to fall. I'm in no rush.

Obviously NO ONE can predict these things and anything could happen! But I was wondering whether anyone has any feeling one way or the other about this....

Plan to keep it indefinitely, it wouldn't be an investment place that I would want to sell in a few years. So really it doesn't matter too much - but on the other hand I would like to buy the best place possible for my money!

Yep we were priced out of Brixton and then priced out of Peckham!

I think we just have different views on up-and-comingness. A few trendy bars and silly house prices are just early signs of improving in my book. Brixton ain’t Barnes.

Heard on news about Boris plan to "help" first time buyers by bringing back 95% mortgages- as mentioned by PP

@JoJoSM2

I think we just have different views on up-and-comingness. A few trendy bars and silly house prices are just early signs of improving in my book. Brixton ain’t Barnes.

But it never will be. The area is completely different. That doesn't mean it hasn't up and come. It isn't ever going to be a leafy suburb is it?

Brixton has a) huge number of bars, restaurants and coffee shops; b) a decent park and lido, c) excellent transport links, d) stunning Victorian housing stock. It is a hugely popular area for young-professionals, non-professionals and families. Not sure what else you think it needs to have up and come.

Heard on news about Boris plan to "help" first time buyers by bringing back 95% mortgages- as mentioned by PP

I wonder how that will be different from Help to Buy.

Not sure what else you think it needs to have up and come.

Much lower levels of deprivation, much lower crime rates and generally be quite a lot cleaner/better presented. Not disputing that it’s trendy or perfect for transport and appealing to many people.

This is a tricky one. It's certainly a funny time given that things are extremely busy for those selling/buying houses. Flats are slightly different given the increase in deposit hitting first time buyers and people wanting more space/garden. There may well be a slight dip for what you're looking for but will it be more than you could save now on stamp duty and given it's more of a buyer's market for flats?

@thehousefinder

Brixton is inner city London and not everyone there is middle-class.

That doesn't mean an area hasn't come up.

Anyway, the OP has no desire to live South of the river so Brixton is out (and out of her budget anyway).

Barnes is posh! Nothing like the mix in Brixton.

Had a quick search of Brixton on Rightmove out of interest. You're right I'm not looking in that area - but the prices there may be lower than you think.

Regardless of North/South location, to me Brixton is too tatty and Barnes is too staid. No, I'm not fussy, me 😬

I had a quick look - completely forgot you only wanted a one-bed and was looking at two-beds.

I am surprised at the prices actually - some are really decent prices - but a lot of those two beds are not really in Brixton.

A lot of South London is kind of tatty I suppose - no I don't mean Richmond but then so is East London and that is really popular.

Yes, nothing really wrong with tatty tbh

I'm coming off as some sort of Brixton sales person. I don't live there!

Do you like Arts and Crafts architecture? How about the north side of the heath in Hampstead Garden Suburb?

£385k 1 bedroom with communal gardens that don't look like Chernobyl
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-82222612.html

£450k, 2 bedrooms, first floor flat/maisonette , private garden
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-83691442.html

How about this one – a lovely mansion block flat with balcony, overlooking the Heath. www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-95927270.html

sunshinesupermum I have to say it's not my cup of tea either but if you want to live within 10 minute walk of Westminster then that is the price you pay. FOr my money I'd go for the period conversion with the little roof terrace and access to the private garden square.

@SchoolOfKnocks I'm inclined to agree with you re Brixton but Vauxhall is much nicer and you could walk home from the West End - lots of lovely Victorian and Georgian properties and most of those streets are a mix of flats and vair posh family homes - the two I mentioned one is 20 metres down the road from a lovely park and the other has a mini roof terrace and a key to the private garden square. Transport links are better than Brixton (major rail line and river boat big bus station and river boat as well as the tube and especially once the Northern Line extension is up and running)

If you can up your budget, you can get a cottage in Hampstead Gaarden Suburb for £545k

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-96634262.html

That one is on a busy road but they come up at a similar price elsewhere in the suburb all the time. Although some parts of HGS are quite far from the tube, the stations are all at the edge of HGS.

@JoJoSM2

I think we just have different views on up-and-comingness. A few trendy bars and silly house prices are just early signs of improving in my book. Brixton ain’t Barnes.

Who was comparing Brixton to Barnes? Also, I'm not sure anyone would describe Brixton as 'up and coming', since they'd be 15yrs too late... Up and coming today would perhaps be Lewisham or Peckham, though the latter has been classified as this for several years now...

I guess I'm still fairly young and think Brixton's great, but it's not for all. I'm sure I'll think Barnes is the place to be when I'm 40-odd, have taken up golf and craving a slower pace of life.

to me Brixton is too tatty and Barnes is too staid. No, I'm not fussy, me 😬 Got it in one OP. LOL

BTW I think the Highgate flat looked lovely btw even though I'll never move from south of the river.

I think we just have different views on up-and-comingness. A few trendy bars and silly house prices are just early signs of improving in my book. Brixton ain’t Barnes.

Are they meant to be the same. SM2 is hardly Barnes either if that's what you like.

PS I'm 50-odd, with no interest in either golf or slower pace of life

@SchoolOfKnocks

PS I'm 50-odd, with no interest in either golf or slower pace of life

Barnes isn't for you then...

I live in Brixton, moved here from Holland Park/High St Ken so I’ve got a fair idea of what’s not tatty... and Brixton isn’t!

Also laughing a bit at people saying it’s up and coming... my next door neighbour was made a Lord a couple of years ago, and Victorian houses are a million quid. And genuinely for anyone who cares I think it’s as safe as most places in zone 1/2.

Add that to everything everyone else just said and I’m not sure what else it needs to do to meet standards!

The private members club on top of the building an architects practice completely took over as their flagship office is nice too