Where would you live in London for 400k?

[Etherealhedgehog]

I'll preface by saying that I'm London born and bred, also that I love my job and really need to be in London for it for the next few years - so leaving really doesn't feel like an option right now.

We have one DD. That's probably our limit but we really want three bedrooms so we can have space to work from home regularly, making it more feasible to manage pick ups etc around our jobs once DD is in school.

Other requirements: we'd love a garden but get that that's unlikely. Failing that we'd dearly love at least a balcony for the hot days. Regretfully we won't consider ex-council (which is limiting) because we've seen too many properties (including one we had to pull out of purchasing) that have been whacked with really enormous major works bills in the last few years, and we can't take that financial risk.

Commute of up to 60 mins to central London. Good schools.

Budget is 400k, 425 tops - but that would have to be good to go/no refurb required.

I'm finding Rightmove pretty disheartening at the moment - hoping the combined wisdom of Mumsnet can inspire me. Where would you look?

Another area that is cheaper, mostly ex council houses is in SE3, Blackheath around Holburne/Dursley Rd. bus links to Blackheath/Kidbrooke stations.

This one for example which has sold, but usually a few on each week in this estate.

Dursley Road, London, SE3
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/112207952

Holborn/Strand means Waterloo and a short walk.

Have a look at SWR towns from Waterloo. Feltham?

South Norwood - Norwood junction is on the overground and is 12 minutes to London Bridge - nice little Victorian terraces from £400k. put SE25 into Zoopla and have a look

Thanks everyone, this is so helpful and I've made a long list of areas to research. Does anyone know if places are currently going at/below/above asking price? Quite a few things I've read have suggested the market is still so crazy that everything is going over asking so I've been ignoring things listed at 450, which obviously restricts us further.

@cafedesreves I think that's one we drove past on our tour of Plumstead this weekend. It's hard to tell from such a quick visit (and on a grey day) but we didn't get the same nice family vibe from this area, compared to the streets south of the high street. Can I ask your opinion on specific areas in SE18 that are nice? Do you know this part well?

@kirinm funnily enough I used to live around there - love the houses on Telegraph Hill, but I'm really loathe to drop the third bedroom if I can find somewhere I like and afford one, though know we'd be much further out (one of those houses, full size, is where I'd buy if I won the lottery!)

@bakeoffrewatch ah thanks - we'd sort of discounted south of the common as it seems like the distance to the station would make commutes (and travel in general) much more epic, but that's probably another compromise we have to think about

@MurielSpriggs that's a good point, thanks. I guess I'm used to inner London, where council stock is mostly flats and maisonettes but you're right, and we don't have any other reason to discount them so we'll certainly consider ex-council houses

Also perhaps out West- Feltham which has train link to Waterloo, and the tube not far away, has a few houses within budget.

You won’t find a 3 bed between common and the station for 400k unfortunately. They will be cheaper and sometimes in your budget north of the high street, near Plumstead gardens, but there are reasons those properties are less desirable - they are good sized Victorian terraces though and catchment to Bannockburn primary school which is fantastic.

Abbey Wood SE2 has houses that are 400k, especially going towards Bexley, and you’ll be a couple of bus stops from the station.

If you’re excluding taking a bus to the station it will be difficult. I really think you should consider Thamesmead, it’s a nice family area, good schools and you can get a sizeable house there. You do have to take a bus everywhere.

@BakeOffRewatch thanks - we'll have a look at it, and that's useful to know about the school. Not opposed to buses in principle, I just know they tend to tip a commute well over an hour (obviously depending on what the rest of it is). With a small child who I do want to see some of, i reality don't want to commute for three hours a day - but clearly the compromises need to come somewhere!

Also, what are people's thoughts on properties that have been listed for ages - particularly given the way the market has been recently. The lovely flat that someone posted in South Norwood has been on since May...that makes me assume there is something wrong with it, but do people think these properties can be fine?

Sometimes it can mean something is wrong, but just as usual that they had a buyer ghost or not receive a mortgage, or that it’s over-priced and vendor might have rejected offers in first week or two and then had none since - and then no one wants to see it because they think there’s something wrong! With London flats and 2 beds, there hasn’t been much interest, there’s been loads of threads in Property forum where people are trying to sell their beautiful London flat, already underpriced and still not had interest. People who can afford these kinds of flats are working from home and are preferring to move out. So I wouldn’t discount a flat that’s been on for ages, maybe a 3 bed with garden I’d be like why. It’s a great time to buy a London flat with not much competition!

Cute little terraced house in Enfiled here with a commute of less than an hour door to door, including the walk amd change to tube line.

Or www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/115117886#/?channel=RES_BUY Plumstead. I have friends there who are very happy. Strong local community.

@lunarlandscape yes! I actually found this one yesterday and want to view but from the cursory research I've done so far, it sounds like the only school nearby is not good, but I might view anyway and do some more research on catchment areas

@bakeoffrewatch that's useful to know, thanks. This is a three bed garden flat so I am suspicious (and we had to pull out of a purchase because of an undisclosed major works bill so are very wary of losing more money on a problem property) but I guess it can't hurt to view

You don’t say exactly where central London, but if you lived near Shooter’s Hill part of Plumstead the bus to North Greenwich jubilee line is very quick and frequent. Much cheaper commute too.

@Etherealhedgehog I don't know that particular street (we are between Woolwich and Shooters Hill) but it's got lovely Victorian housing so imagine that it will continue to improve. There are so many young, professional families in Plumstead.

Leighton Buzzard is a 30 minute train to Euston - you can get something like this a few minutes walk from the station www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/60210633/?search_identifier=0da6e3f13b1e7c8c0239d1548aeade4e

That was the wrong link - this is a few minutes walk from the station www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/59337829/?search_identifier=0da6e3f13b1e7c8c0239d1548aeade4e

@Etherealhedgehog

Also, what are people's thoughts on properties that have been listed for ages - particularly given the way the market has been recently. The lovely flat that someone posted in South Norwood has been on since May...that makes me assume there is something wrong with it, but do people think these properties can be fine?

There's a lot of mortgages being declined this year after months of fannying about so a place may well have accepted an offer and then been waiting for the buyer's mortgage to come through only for it to be turned down aeons later through no fault of the property/vendor, purely down to affordability. I certainly wouldn't assume there's a big problem with the property. We all know what a minefield the market is at the mo, so don't discount anything promising without investigating. Similarly, unless you know that a school 'isn't good', I wouldn't discount them either based purely on ofsted/internet findings. Go and see for yourself. You might be surprised. Hundreds of kids go to these schools and do well so don't dismiss them on a snapshot that may well be out of date.

@Etherealhedgehog

Also, what are people's thoughts on properties that have been listed for ages - particularly given the way the market has been recently. The lovely flat that someone posted in South Norwood has been on since May...that makes me assume there is something wrong with it, but do people think these properties can be fine?

I bought my flat in South Norwood in May. It had been on the market for over a year previously. There's nothing wrong with it, it was just priced too high. When I came along the seller was desperate to get rid of it so I got it for 30k less than it was listed for. I wouldn't automatically discount flats that have been listed for a long time - they might have a problem but equally they might not.

With your budget and requirements, I'd look at areas within the Sutton borough; green, leafy, safe, 45mins max to central London, excellent schools, affordable housing.

Somewhere like Carshalton, you could get a 3 bed with garden (and maybe even scope to extend) for £400 - £425k. It seems like many people have discovered Carshalton lately as houses are going at asking price within days.

Here is an example of what you could get within budget:

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/114592676#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/114592676#/?channel=RES_BUY

Have you looked at Hither Green or Catford?

Or eltham or kidbrooke

If you like Telegraph Hill or Brockley, you might like Hither Green or Lee. Some nicer parts some not so nice, but great parks and good transport links. Easy bus or walk to Greenwich. Awesome schools: Trinity, Brindishe group.

Kidbrooke feels less like London, but great transport, easy access out of London, and your money would go farther.

Catford, your money will go far, and it's trying, but it feels a bit more run down.

Plumstead or Woolwich... honestly, I work there, they are trying to improve, but a long way to go.

I’d look at Orpington. You’d be close-ish to Greenwich and you could get a house for that price, AND be in catchment for great schools, which is something that’s quite tricky elsewhere in SE London. Would something like this suit? www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/107707871

3 bedroom apartment for sale
Bells Hill, Barnet, Hertfordshire, EN5

This is in zone 5 and this has a communal garden. Good schools.