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

@ItGetsEasierTheySay

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!

Salusbury Road and Chamberlayne Road are not entirely useless (and both quite cutesy). There's also the very un-nice Kilburn High Road not to far, which has more standard shops.

@Sparechange Lived in London 20 years so well aware of prices but that just doesn't look like great value for space, garden and precise location in Wimbledon.
If you're going to be out there with average transport I'd want more space. Otherwise might as well stay in the more central areas where you could get a similar size property.

[quote SD25]@Sparechange Lived in London 20 years so well aware of prices but that just doesn't look like great value for space, garden and precise location in Wimbledon.
If you're going to be out there with average transport I'd want more space. Otherwise might as well stay in the more central areas where you could get a similar size property.[/quote]
It’s detached plus has off street parking plus a garage plus is walking distance Wimbledon village and the tube
Those are all things which will command a big premium for some buyers
Clearly you’re not one of those buyers and you would place value on space and garden size but that doesn’t mean the house is madly overpriced, just that it’s not that house for you

It’s on with Hamptons; they know what they doing

I'd say Hampstead over Wimbledon - the latter is just so far out of town.

But you'll only get a flat in NW3 for 1.5m. I think you'll struggle to get a house in W Hampstead or Kentish Town/Tufnell Park too - maybe a smaller house at the Camden end of KT NW3/NW5 is just so much closer to town than Wimbledon and less suburban imo. Commute to city is really easy - just down the Northern Line or a short bike ride.

But it depends what you want.

Agree, I wouldn't live in Muswell Hill - you may as well be in another nice town out of London for less money.

SW6 does not have good state schools except catholic ones. So do not recommend SW6 especially Sands End if you need schools. Even private primaries are at least half an hour walk.

East Finchley? www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/108541745#/?channel=RES_BUY

I have a lovely colleague who lives in East Finchley. They have a really nice house but it just feels...far.

About H&F I actually think it's a borough-wide issue that the good primaries are virtually all RC! My kids went to one of them (in Hammersmith/Brook Green and it was a great school but soooo Catholic. Now we've moved further out and I'm actually quite glad that they are now in a nice school which happens to be non-denominational.

I’m NW3, in the Village. Main problem in the area is people don't sell and there has always been a a lack of semi/detached properties. There are however garden flats (3 bedrooms very common), some with private gardens, some communal. Schools are excellent. I think flats of decent sqm and private gardens are priced around 2 million. I recommend this area if budget is no barrier. Best luck with your search.

@Blueberry777 Alexandra Road is just too busy (for us). We found a really stunning house along there and we were very serious about buying it but now I think we dodged a bullet. There are some nice roads off there (Park road?) with some really nice houses but a friend who lived there said the train noise was a problem. Woodside is nice although I would worry a bit re parking and which school you would get into (obvs not a problem if going private). I know that house in Pine Grove is v expensive but that road is v desirable in terms of nice houses, lovely community, great location and guarantee to get into BG. I don’t live there but a friend does. It take a big change in mindset but if you like Wimbledon do look at South Wimbledon.