North London

[whereshouldIlive]

Sorry to start a new thread but our budget is much smaller than the last thread on the subject and would love some Mumsnet input.

We're currently in Wood Green, I love the area and our flat but our budget isn't realistic for staying locally - £420k. Keen to stay North London (although appreciate that's likely unrealistic) / move a bit further out so that we can commute in to Central for work ideally to Euston / Kings Cross - when things are back to "normal".

Looking for a 2 bed house / ground floor flat with a garden. I'd rather pay a bit more and make a compromise somewhere to be closer to London vs spending on a rail pass but open to suggestion.

I'd look at the western branch of the Northern line - these areas are less fashionable than the eastern branch for the same zone/distance outside London (so Golders Green vs Highgate, Hendon vs Finchley), but it's just as quick into Euston/Kings Cross and much better value for money. You should be able to get a 2 bed flat for your money anywhere north of Golders Green (although in GG it'll probably be somewhere pretty close to North Circular or have a balcony not a garden for that money), but if you are prepared to go right to the end of the line to Edgware or Burnt Oak (which is still only 35 mins direct to KC, and bonus is as it's end of the line you'll always get a seat in the morning), you could potentially even get a small house. Burnt Oak in particular is viewed as 'rough' (hence the low prices) but if you like Wood Green it's got a similar feel - very multicultural, run down in places, there are estates you'd want to avoid but actually on the whole fairly safe to live in and brilliant shops! Hendon and Colindale would be more middling kind of areas, Colindale in particular has seen a huge building boom in the last few years so loads of new estates and blocks of flats, new schools and shops etc.

Or other areas to consider that might be just about within your budget are other zone 4/5 stations on the Northern, Victoria or Piccadilly lines, Walthamstow, North Finchley/Woodside park, Whetstone, Arnos Grove, Southgate. Or if you are prepared to be on a train line not a tube line, try New Barnet or Cricklewood or other stations on the rail lines that go direct to KC, you can use your Oyster for the appropriate zone AFAIK so it's not more expensive than the tube and can be very quick into KC (although v busy in the mornings?)?

Thanks so much @maxelly that's really helpful! I'll do some googling and zoopla-ing today

Don’t know N London but if you don’t want to live further out, then you could get a 2-bed flat in zone 3 along the Northern Line South of the river (you can just cross platforms at Stockwell for the Victoria line to get to Kings Cross v quickly).

Walthamstow/Chingford?

Overground > Vicky lines to Euston.