Clapham Common or Surbiton? Moving home

[estherhh]

Hi,

We are relocating to London. After a long time research, we’ve narrowed down Clapham Common and Surbiton but cannot decide which area to go for?

The reason I consider the above 2 areas is for independent schools. From a school point of view, the two areas are the same.

Both I and my husband work in Canary Wharf. Our budget is around 600-700k for a 2-bed room flat or house. We still cannot make a decision so would be grateful to hear different opinions.

Very different areas! I'd say Clapham Common as it's a nice part of proper London still, galore of amenities and great connections both by tube and train.
Surbiton a lot more sedate, much less entertainement on doorstep no tube - but it's quieter and has nice riverside walks nearby, I think better leisure/sport opportunities around the river, much more suburban. Depends what you like.

It'd be Clapham for me, but as Cat said... very different places.
Only you know what would appeal.

The only slight downside to CC is that you do hear plane noise, more so on/towards Clapham South side. It's not horrendous like in Richmond but you do hear it. Would go and live off Northcote Rd in a flash - though Old Town and C.South are better for tube, but I like being closer to the trains.

Having said that I would also live in Surbiton if CC wasn't an option financially. I can't afford either at the moment . Good train connections there too - esp to the South coast.
Obviously you'll get a much bigger place in Surbiton for the money.

Surbiton is fab. The lack of tube really isn't a problem (the trains are so fast and frequent) and proximity to the river and Kingston is a real plus. I would imagine you would get a lot more property for your money and also it would open up independent schools further out of London, which whilst still very competitive, would be less over-subscribed

You’ll only be able to get a very small 2 bed in CC for that price, likely no outdoor space.

Whereas in Surbiton you could get a small terraced house.

So those two areas aren’t created equal.

I’d view places in your price range in both areas to see what the reality of living in each would be based on your budget, and let that help you decide.

Don't underestimate the complexity of the commute from Surbiton to Canary Wharf.

The Brits feel compelled to tell everyone and anyone that wherever they live is best and to massively underestimate the length of their commute, basically lying beyond the point of ridicule. I have heard so many people living 15 miles farther from me that their commute is shorter than mine!

The TFL website states it takes 54 minutes from Surbiton to Canary Wharf. Depending on where in Surbiton and where in Canary Wharf, that could easily be over an hour. But that's on a good day. When stations are busy and you might have to wait a few trains before getting on board, how long will that take?

What sucks about commuting from far away is not the commute time on a good day, it's what happens on a bad day: if you live in Waterloo and you must wait for a few trains before getting on it's fine. If you live in Surbiton and must wait for a few trains, even if frequent, that can easily add 15-30 minutes to your commute.

You say you both work in Canary Wharf. What are your hours? Who would take the children to school and who would pick them up?

I agree "Don't underestimate the complexity of the commute from Surbiton to Canary Wharf".
I prefer Clapham Common, but the high streets in the Clapham area look really busy, I went to Clapham on Saturday morning, I saw so many people roaming on the road and so many cars. Is it really safe for bringing up kids? Provided our family will live there for the next 10 years?
Budget is not the biggest issue for us as we can sell our current house to afford a house in Clapham Common.

I think Surbiton is more of a family area. I associate Clapham with house shares and young professionals (and a lot of Aussies!) in their 20s. Aahhhhh....good times 😏

Surbiton definitely still has a buzz and I don’t believe the commute is ‘complex’ - fast train into Waterloo followed by jubilee line.

You mention both of your jobs are in CW....do you know for sure that you’ll both be in the office 5 days a week as most of us who work there (I do too) are now at home 2-3 days a week permanently.

It is my experience that many people move towards Surrey and Kent thinking they will live in some kind of bucolic paradise, whereas in many respects they end up getting the worst of the small town and the worst of the big city in the same package. What I mean is that there is little to no public transport, you need the car to get anywhere (often including to the railway station), roads are small and the traffic is so often bumper-to-bumper.

If you live in Clapham chances are you can walk or cycle to many shops and parks. If you live in Surrey and Kent, chances are you can't: you need to take the car, get stuck in traffic, etc. To me that is quality of life, too.

I am not familiar with Surbiton so I can't say what Surbiton is like in this respect. But it is definitively something to look into and to bear in mind. Of course, do not expect honest feedback from those who live there - they would not admit anything is less than perfect, not even under torture.

"Surbiton definitely still has a buzz and I don’t believe the commute is ‘complex’ - fast train into Waterloo followed by jubilee line."

How often have you done that commute, or a similar one?

How often has it taken you 20 minutes or more just to get from the train platform to the Waterloo & city platform?

How often have you managed to get on the first train without waiting?

How often have you had delays or cancellations?

How would you arrange school drop offs and pick ups around all of that?

Do you have a backup plan if the train back gets cancelled or delayed and you can't pick up the kids on time?

It is of course doable. Most things are. But it is much more complex than being in inner London.

It depends, how much do want to feel like you’re living in London? Surbiton is fine, but is really a suburban commuter town, it doesn’t really feel like London, could be Guildford or Chelmsford etc. Clapham is notorious for where straight out of uni non-Londoners move to. It’s got an infamous nightclub, the restaurants aren’t great, but the pubs are ok. With your budget, Clapham might be a bit small flat-wise, I’m guessing you only have one child if you’re going for a 2-bed? There are plenty of open spaces and you’re not far from Battersea Park. Just to warn you, the northern line is not the best, so you may do better looking to the west so you’re nearer Clapham Junction, or north to Queenstown Road.

@ParentOfOne

It is my experience that many people move towards Surrey and Kent thinking they will live in some kind of bucolic paradise, whereas in many respects they end up getting the worst of the small town and the worst of the big city in the same package. What I mean is that there is little to no public transport, you need the car to get anywhere (often including to the railway station), roads are small and the traffic is so often bumper-to-bumper.

If you live in Clapham chances are you can walk or cycle to many shops and parks. If you live in Surrey and Kent, chances are you can't: you need to take the car, get stuck in traffic, etc. To me that is quality of life, too.

I am not familiar with Surbiton so I can't say what Surbiton is like in this respect. But it is definitively something to look into and to bear in mind. Of course, do not expect honest feedback from those who live there - they would not admit anything is less than perfect, not even under torture.

I understand what you mean. I'm currently living in southern England. I feel extremely bored here, and I don't get along with neighbours here. They have lived here for generations. While others are pushing into my current area, I feel its a good timing to sell our "bucolic paradise" and move back to London.

Fast trains commute looks similar is but more options from Clapham bus tube train combo .
Cycle.
But
Clapham to canary wharf 35 minutes in taxi if needed
Canary wharf to Surbiton more than one hour by car
Clapham is Central to London easy access central london West end etc
Surbiton is suburbs
Completely different

Have you considered Herne Hill or East Dilwich? They have very many independent schools, both primary and secondary, and a relatively straight forward route to Canary Wharf. And they are much nicer than Clapham and the housing is possibly a little more affordable too.

Sorry that should be East Dulwich.

Have you looked at family friendly areas closer, like East Dulwich and Dulwich Village?

We of course consider East Dulwich, but we were too late to register with Dulwich College.

I have had to travel through Clapham Common recently for some appointments and the traffic was dreadful. The common itself is surrounded by roads and has a road essentially running through it so pollution and noise levels must be awful. I believe the common and the pubs/cafes have a trendy vibe to them if you like that type of thing. The shops are a poor selection so you would have to travel to get to a decent shopping centre or to a good leisure centre if you want sports or swimming. If you are relying on public transport (bus) for that it can take forever to get anywhere. The library is good though.
I don't know much about Surbiton but what I know of that general area I would choose that over Clapham Common definitely.

Clapham Common has plenty of shops and Northcote Rd is nearby as is Southside
There is a lovely leisure centre with a swimming pool just off Clapham High St

Apologies about the leisure centre - I can't for the life of me think where it is so my brain might have blanked it
Clapham Common has shops yes but they are either food shops (supermarkets/convenience stores) or independent fancy stuff (well plus a terrible terrible WHSmith).
To get a range of what I call 'actual' shops - places like Wilkos, Tkmaxx, M+S etc you would have to travel.

@ParentOfOne yes I have done that commute. I tend to find the earlier the better, but of course this was all in the pre-covid era and the volumes of people commuting in might never return to that, which is why I asked OP how often she will actually be required to be in the office.

@Pomped did you have kids when you did that commute?

The people I know who do/did that kind of commute tend to have partners who don't work (or work from home, work locally, work part time) so can handle the school drop off and pick up.

PS about how often one will be in the office: the thing is that, in most cases, one cannot know for sure.

I would personally choose an area to live in that is comfortable if I ever have to go to the office all the time or very often. I would not choose an area from which I'd be fine commuting 1 day a week but not 4, because what I am going to do if things change and, 2 years from now, I am required to go 4 days a week? I would not want to take that risk.

Of course that's just me - as with anything in life, it is very subjective and many people will feel differently.

I know Clapham Common quite well. It has great public transport links, a lovely common, lots of shops etc. But £700,000 will most likely get you only a small flat with no outdoor space. Is that something you will be happy with for 10 years?

When you say Clapham Common, and with an eye to your budget, where do you actually mean?

It's not as silly a question as it sounds, because there's quite a difference between the SW4 area near Clapham Common Tube station (and the areas towards Clapham North), the (more affordable bits of) the Old Town , compared to Abbeville Village and the bits surrounding the Common itself that are actually in Battersea (SW11) including the 'Nappy Valley' area between the Commons/Northcote Road (nicknamed because it's so full of families with children)