Moving during a property boom- SW19/20 v SW6 v Hampstead

[Blueberry777]

Hi all!
After a long delay due to the pandemic we finally moved to London. We (DH, 4 y.o DD & me ) are currently in temporary accommodation but looking to purchase a place (or maybe rent first) relatively soon. While we do our homework on areas I'd appreciate some advice!
We have narrowed down our choice to Wimbledon (SW19/SW20), Fulham (SW6) and bits of Hampstead/Belsize (NW6/NW3). Our budget is relatively healthy and a mid sized 3-4 bed terrace with small garden in Wimbledon/Fulham is within budget. The housing stock feels a bit more variable in Hampstead. We love Wimbledon but are wary of buying a bubble!
Any guidance on the best place for a small family between these areas keeping in mind value for money, schools (pvt / state) and commute (DH works in the city).
Thanks so much in advance x

I'd say Wimbledon cheaper than fulham for sure. What's your budget? I have just bought in Wimbledon and have a small flat in fulham.
I'm about 200m from an 'outstanding' primary school and another not much further. The neighbourhood is a grid of streets with three or three with box terraced houses, or bigger four beds. The three bed terraced go from £950-1.25m, the bigger ones at the park go for around £2m. But these prices have been fairly steady - houses on my street have been selling on the high £8-900s for the last five or so years (cheaper if unconverted loft and no extension, there are not many of those left) though the market was going to best and finals recently they weren't going over asking.
I was priced out of Fulham as the prices were a good 20% more, but if your budget is £1.5-2m you could get a three bed with converted loft to make four for that. Or if Munster Village or Sands End way for less - but I'm not keen on those areas as much as Parsons Green way. For what I paid for my three bed terrace with box room in Wimbledon I was looking at two to three bed flats in Fulham. I can't speak for schools in Fulham, though Lady Margaret is well respected girls school.

Come to Hampstead/Belsize! It's a fantastic area, lots of community stuff, facilities, Heath etc and SO close to central London. Being up on the hill makes it feel so less urban than other areas the same distance from the centre.

The commute from Wimbledon to Bank isn't great, so if he's going in to the office every day I'd avoid Wimbledon. Of the three I'd recommend NW3/NW6 over the others.

Thanks for the responses!

@sarahb083 we don't know if it will be a daily commute yet as things return to normal post covid, but we think it will probably settle on 3-4 days per week, 5 is unlikely.

Our budget is around +/- 1.5m, I can't see 3-4 bed terrace w/ garden in South Hampstead/Belsize in that range, have to go toward West Hampstead which is also nice but seems a little less family oriented & younger.

We looked at Wimbledon, Chiswick, Hampstead-ish and Blackheath/Greenwich when we moved to London. Discounted Hampstead-ish as couldn't afford the nicer bits. Discounted Wimbledon due to lengthier commute to City. Chose Blackheath/Greenwich

I’m SW11 so not a million miles away from a couple your preferred areas and probably similar market dynamics and £/sq ft

The main agency here is starting to see the first of the lockdown exodus returners

Both people who rented out their house to dip their toe into country living and have given notice to tenants so they can move back and now also a few people who sold up to move out, and have now regretted it and want to come back.

It’s not substantial numbers but there are enough to make me think we aren’t in a bubble

Personally, I think a solid family house in a solid family area is never going to lose money
You might get a 6 month blip where prices soften for a bit but there hasn’t been a period over the last 20 years where there has been a meaningful drop in values in any of those areas

If the only thing putting you off buying is the fear of losing money, I don’t think you have lots to worry about

Good luck with your search

Loads of families in West Hampstead, particularly in the streets in the north west quadrant where the primary schools are. You'd get a very nice 4 bed terrace in one of the desirable streets off Mill Lane/ Sumatra Road for your budget.

I used to be SW19 and for commute to city NW3/6 is preferable. Sw6/15 is also family-oriented and livelier than Wimbledon

Have a look at Dartmouth Park NW5.

Fulham if you don't mind the plane noise, otherwise Belsize/W.Hampstead 9though personally I think WH is too busy/young and the air quality quite bad. Fulham is busy with traffic but there is te river!
Wimbledon nicer than the others in terms of greenery and air quality, more of a rich suburb than 'london', quite a hike commute-wise - if you needa taxi at times it's a bit of a pain, but een tbe/train is a bit tiresome.

west hampstead is great for connectivity - jubilee line & thameslink & overground. and it has plenty of families.

if you want emmanuel school, you have to live v close and go to church often enough. but there are other options too.

Thank you all for some very useful pointers.

We are slightly infatuated with Wimbledon, but realise there is a cost in terms of the commute which leaves us a bit hesitant.

SW11 and Blackheath - hadn't considered but will explore.

At the moment is coming down to Wimbledon v W. Hampstead. Belsize/ South Hampstead very nice but our budget probably not adequate for those areas.

Anyone have thoughts about/experience of Queens Park?
Thanks so much x

Hello! We are in Wimbledon and do the commute (in normal times). It’s v easy from South Wimbledon on the tube or from Wimbledon on the main line via Waterloo. Here are some areas I would look at.
Pine grove (halfway up the hill towards the village). Lovely community feel lots of children and close enough to get into the outstanding Bishop Gilpin (whether or not you are church goers).
This house is for sale (above your budget though)

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/property/london/pine-grove-sw19/

Dundonald area for the school there (also outstanding). Also fairly central, amazing playground and fields - lots going on there especially at weekends. A friend lives on Wilton Crescent in a lovely big house there.

Also look at the South Park gardens area - you would be looking at the Holy Trinity (outstanding) and Priory (Good) schools there. There is a lovely community around there and lots of activity around the park. The nicest roads are Dudley and Kings but prices there are bigger so look at Clarence, Florence, Effra Roads. These are further from the village but close to town and the South Wimbledon tube station. You have a better chance of getting into HT if you go to the church as it’s a very small catchment.

Finally look at Pelham School (good) and the roads around there including Pelham, Griffiths and the lovely houses in old Merton park across Kingston road - Branksome, Bournemouth, Shelton etc. There are some nice houses (some done up some you can do a project on) and you would go to Pelham which is a great school with a fab community. Of course the common is up the road in the village but there’s also Morden Hall Park a short walk away and lots of life down in South Wimbledon.

I hope this is helpful? Best wishes

@ScottishDiblet this is super super useful

We did go around the Pine Grove area and location wise is ideal. There are some houses for sale around Woodside/Alexandra Rd and adjacent roads (Springfield Road). It is a little bit busy with traffic but wondering what you make of that bit of Wimbledon just to the north-east of Wimbledon station? x

Wimbledon is nice but far out. Irritatingly far from the City and feels suburban.

NW3 is out of your budget. West Hampstead is ok but I'd recommend the Highgate side of Crouch End instead. Leafy walk to Highgate tube, very green with Highgate Woods in walking distance and the Heath not far. CE has the best high st in north London, in my opinion, and Coleridge is a very nice outstanding rated primary.

How about this (very slightly above budget): www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/103218584#/?channel=RES_BUY

Queens Park is nice, but some bits more than others. The roads around the park / Brondesbury and Victoria Roads and the roads leading off. Decent schools, lovely park, reasonable commute. Matt Hancock lives there, but every area is gonna have a downside 😂

You'd get more for your money around Kensal Rise, but the drawback is that the tube is shit north of QP.

Princess Federica is supposed to be a very good school.

Also, have you considered Brook Green / Brackenbury Village since you're thinking Fulham?

Similar to @bettyboodecia, I was going to ask if you'd considered going a little further north than Hampstead, e.g. Muswell Hill? Really lovely area with lots of families and good schools nearby, and less pricey than Hampstead. Muswell Hill centre isn't amazing for public transport, but if you go for somewhere more towards the Highgate or East Finchley sides, you would be within easy walking distance of the northern line, and have a nicer commute than from some of the other locations on your shortlist. Also, you'd have Highgate Wood, Queens Wood, Cherry Tree Wood, Coldfall Wood, and Alexandra Park all a short walk away. I might be biased because I've recently moved here, but I did so for all these reasons, and I haven't been disappointed!

Re Wimbledon commute, are none of you using the Waterloo and City line? This is precisely why it was built, to reduce commute time from Surrey and SW suburbs to the city. Overground trains Wimbledon /Waterloo every 3 mins in rush hours, then Waterloo and City a single dedicated stop to Bank.

The drain is only useful if you work within a short distance of bank

The queues to get down onto it during the old times rush hours were horrific so it was often quicker to just go one stop to embankment and then onto the district line, or the wrong way on the northern line back to Kennington and then onto the bank branch

Plus, it has a weird stink of cat litter

Muswell Hill is for people who don't really want to live in London imo. It's like a provincial town. I like it there but I wouldn't live there. I still say Dartmouth Park, I'd go KT proper but it's not for everyone, or East Finchley which I really like.

@ScottishDiblet sorry but 2 million for that very ordinary house is crazy!

@SD25

Please please don’t derail this into a ‘London prices are crazy, look what that could buy you in my suburban town 3 hours outside london’!

Queens park is great. There are some lovely houses all around the actual Park and it's a great park too. It has a little zoo with a few animals, a fantastic playground, a paddling pool, tennis court and a very good cafe. It's a real mix of people living there too. Bankers, creatives, all sorts and I doubt the commute to the city is more than 30 min given it's on the bakerloo line. Oh and the farmers market on the weekend is very popular. What it does not have is a nice high street although it does have a few decent restaurants and cafes. Would definitely look into queens park as an option!

Tufnell Park?