If you were to buy your family/forever home in London with a budget of £800K, where would it be?

[Pepperkins]

Hi all,

Having bought our first house last year, we can't really see ourselves here in the long term. We are keen to start thinking about a house we could see ourselves for 5+ years if we were to make a purchase next year.

If you had a budget of up to £800K for a 3+ bed house with garden, where in London would you buy? Are there any particular nice streets you'd recommend looking at or other features nearby that make it great, such as good schools and green spaces?

For context, we are currently in Walthamstow but not in the nicest part. We'd be very happy moving within Walthamstow, but also keen to explore other areas with quiet streets and friendly communities.

Wanstead or Bushwood.

Camberwell
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/75064812#/

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/87083968#/

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/97709123#/

Brixton
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86616352#/

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/100398944#/

Golders Green
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/72311331#/

Brockley
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/75364314#/

Shadwell
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/88271602#/

Bow Road
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/77104257#/

Clapton
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/87895150#/

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/80569171#/

Bethnal Green
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/95965625#/

Bounds Green would be doable
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/84879889#/

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/88321168#/

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/74383593#/

Penge or Sydenham. You'll get a much nicer house than in nearby East Dulwich or Forest Hill.

Not sure you'd get much in Herne Hill for £800k. I'd be looking at East Dulwich but again, I'm not sure how much £800k would get you. It would be a relatively small terraced I think.

Upper Nunhead is nice too. Might do okay with £800k there although you'd be looking at places that need work. Not anywhere near a tube line (SE London) and a bit of a walk to Nunhead station but there are decent buses that take you directly to Peckham Rye which has decent train lines and the overground.

When we bought we were very set on being near a train station (and are about 5 mins from one) but post covid and now factoring in having to drop off DD at nursery, a mixture of bus and train is fine.

Definitely South East London

From Crystal Palace through Forest Hill/Dulwich/Brockley/Herne Hill/Denmark Hill/Blackheath/Greenwich/Hither Green

Some are really well connected:

Hither Green to Charing Cross - 20 minutes
Blackheath to Cannon Street - 17-23 minutes (also goes to Charing Cross AND Victoria)

Catford?

Bromley or Beckenham

SW London? Surbiton is quite pleasant, has loads of schools and is by the river. Fast trains (16 minutes to Waterloo on the fastest ones), near lots of parks etc.

There's this near the river.

Or this more modern one.

Archway? Hanwell?

Petts Wood or Chislehurst - you'd get a lovely house for £800k.

New Malden/Raynes Park? For £800k you can get a 1200sqft+ semi-detached house with good size garden within 10 minutes walk from the train station. Great Neighbourhood to visit including Richmond/Wimbledon/Kingston and perfectly safe on its own. It will also benefit from Crossrail 2 in the near feature which means good potential for increasing value.

Streatham or Norbury in south London. Streatham Common area is good as there are 2 train stations plus there is a big common and Tooting Bec common is also near. My house is a 3 double bedroom, Victorian terrace, hoping to sell soon for approx £725k.

Forest Gate?

You could get a nice 3 bed with garden in the 'village' area on the edge of the flats for £800k, lots of green space, quiet roads, a couple of nice cafes/deli/yoga studio etc if that's your thing. Crossrail still allegedly coming one day. Downside is schools are not great, plus definitely still has a 'gritty' reputation. Every other house has a young couple with baby in now though. It's my next destination when it's time to upgrade (in a less nice/cheaper bit of FG at the moment)!

South Woodford has some nice roads and catchment for good schools.

Depending on definitions I think finding a "forever house" in Herne Hill for £800k is challenging. The problem is if 5+ year means you start looking at secondary school catchments then it really limits your area. It will get you something like:
www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=63392676&sale=90478632&country=england
These houses often have great gardens but Dulwich Estate restrictions limits house extensions so you'll never have a fourth bedroom.
East Dulwich is perhaps slightly cheaper but has worse transport connections so if looking in South London I'd personally look further out eg Streatham, Crystal Palace.

Woodford Green. One stop along from South Woodford and you get quite a lot of space for your money.

Where I am now! Crystal Palace ❤️

If West London is an option, then Ealing (Northfields or Hanwell) is worth considering with your budget.

Penge/Anerley/Crystal Palace

Camberwell

I agree that if you'd consider going west, Hanwell or Northfields in Ealing fit the bill. Northfields is more Nappy Valley trendified, Hanwell slightly shabbier but very friendly. Great green space, good schools and you could get a good-sized Hanwell house for that.

Woodford/South Woodford; on central line, good schools, near Epping Forest

St. Albans Road, Woodford Green
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-77095797.html

Grosvenor Gardens, Woodford Green, IG8
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-73669566.html

Vernon Avenue, Woodford Green, Essex, IG8
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-102027314.html

Got a six bed Victorian semi with huge garden that’s genuinely nice, by a beautiful park (West Ham), for £750k and have spent about £60k doing it up - zone 3. Think it’s lovely personally and very near Stratford (short bus ride) etc. 🤷🏻‍♀️