London family friendly are recommendations (villagey feel)

[Anteater5]

Hello, we are looking to move from a flat in zone 1 to somewhere more family friendly and are coming up with blanks, so coming for suggestions! Budget is £1.1-1.4mn, have two toddlers (boy and girl) and another on the way so looking for good primary and secondary schools (ideally state, Catholic is fine/a bit preferable) and longevity (ideally 4 bedrooms). Commutes into the City and Canary Wharf (although links to the City are more important). Generally, like the village vibes of Dulwich, Barnes. Any suggestions are SO welcome! Thank you in advance

Winchmore Hill
Whetstone

The latter has Catholic schools including a grammar. The former is close to a Catholic independent prep school if that’s your thing.

London’s best kept secrets but don’t tell anyone!

Hammersmith bridge shut to traffic still not can at least walk across it now and onto the tube station

Both are on a direct local train into Moorgate. Whetstone has a tube too.

East Finchley has a very vibe too.

With your budget, move to Zone 5 or 6. Then you can get a house with huge 4 bedrooms, 2 receptions, Utility room, huge kitchen and finally huge garden for swings, trampoline etc.

For £1.3m+ all of that is possible in zone 2 SE London too. Though there's no tube and it's a pain getting to the West End, it's very convenient for the City and Canary Wharf.

I forget to mention "Detached" as well.

Very very rare to find such a house with this spec in 2, 3 & 4. I'm not talking about prices but the space to build such houses. Only in 5 and beyond can you find them.

Also, Loft conversions which I hate is excluded from the spec

The only place I really know is my area which is Telegraph Hill (where I'm renting). Buying for that budget you can tick for four bed, two receptions, a huge kitchen, huge garden for swings and trampoline. Utility room or conservatory leading off from kitchen at the back.

This is excluding loft conversion which can add another room. And also excluding the cellar which can be converted into more space for the house or a separate 1-bed/studio which can be rented out (with own entrance at lower ground) for £1k+/m.

However yes it would be terraced so you're always fairly aware of neighbours, barking dogs, etc. The detached or semi-detached houses seem to have inflated past OP's budget in the past few years.

And as I said it's both a pain for getting to the West End if that's important, and also not within short walking distance of any truly first-rate amenities/attractions, e.g. major parks like Brockwell or Hampstead, big high streets with name stores...

Beckenham - we're in a similar position, looked around S and SE London for a long while, and eventually discarded other options such as Greenwich, Blackheath, Dulwich, Forest Hill etc and spent some time in Beckenham and loved it. You can also get a 4-5 bed detached/semi-detached house in your price range.

I don't really agree about it being difficult to get to the West End from TH. I'd go to London Bridge from New Cross Gate or New Cross (one stop on main line rail, takes about 5 minutes) and change to go to Waterloo East or Charing Cross (both on main line, another few minutes) or to use the Jubilee Line to get over to Westminster/Green Park/Bond Street (another few minutes). As a back up there are several bus services to the West End from SE14 (slow, but you get there in the end - useful when there's a problem with the trains).

I'll say Highgate, but I'm not sure how much house that budget buys you these days. It's been a while

north or east finchley.
many excellent primary schools, and catholic mixed comprehensive in east finchley, plus single sex boys and girls catholic grammars in north finchley.
environs include muswell hill, very fashionable but have to go to east finchley for tube, or woodside park which has tube, ditto whetstone.

actually i think the catholic boys school in north finchley is no longer grammar.
very good reputation though.
and they were the only pupils who stood up for me, unbidden, on the bus.
i sent a message to the headmaster to commend them.
actually the girls from the jewish school in bell lane did similar, to be fair. but not relevant to your query.

Factor in the arrival of Crossrail this month. If you're thinking about SE London, that'll be Thameslink to Farringdon or Overground to Whitechapel. It remains to be seen what the Whitechapel interchange is like but there's hope it'll be less interminable than squeezing into that down escalator at Canada Water

Second all the shouts for Greenwich and Blackheath. Just as a provocation, worth comparing what you get for your money in very nearby Charlton - www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/121881863#/?channel=RES_BUY
greenwich-guide.org.uk/village/

Muswell Hill - around there. Dulwich and Greenwich for your budget
Some places being recommended here are no way desirable areas despite having a few expensive properties.
Go for a walk around each weekend in these areas and join local FB groups

It's a bit of a trek from Muswell Hill to the OP's workplaces in the City and Canary Wharf though, isn't it?

Second Greenwich/Blackheath. With Crossrail Westcombe Park area will be pretty good for West End too, a hop on the train to Woolwich and then Crossrail

If you want good state schools, especially at secondary level, I would go further out than most PP are suggesting; Beckenham and Chislehurst are good calls.
Canary Wharf and West End easily accessible from both.

As PP said, zone 6 eg Coulsdon, Caterham, Warlingham, Woldingham area is 30 minutes to London Bridge or Victoria and would get you a large detached 4/5 bed house with large garden for your budget. Not quite as villagey as some of the areas mentioned but still nice and great access to green belt, coast, M25. Schools are mixed but some good state options and your budget would probably get you the house plus private school, of which there are many.

If it has to be actual London, lots of restaurants, takeways etc I'd look at Beckenham or Bromley.

Woodford Green. 15 mins central line to Liverpool st. Good/outstanding Catholic primary and secondary
1.2m buys you
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/122090129#/?channel=RES_BUY

You won’t get much for 1.4 in Barnes or Chiswick.

Checkout Wimbledon South Park Gardens area, you can still get houses with gardens there for 1.375. Wimbledon is 20 mins to Waterloo. Or Southfields. Or Clapham and Balham.

But if you like Barnes, Sheen is just down the road and you could get something nice there. Waterloo line, not as frequent as the Wimbledon branch and no tube. (Altho the same applies to Barnes).

Muswell Hill. North London. But you'll likely need all your budget. Excellent state primary and secondary schools and everything you'd need. Open spaces, parks and woodland. Cinema, supermarkets, restaurants and cafes. Swimming pool and ice skating rink. All walking distance. Transport into town is not as good as Crouch End (another lovely area) but its a total village. My kids loved growing up there and I loved that they could walk to all their friends houses and I didn't need to use my car at the weekend for all my shopping. I could get everything I needed walking.

Wimbledon is a great choice. Specifically in your budget you can get a good family home in south park gardens, around dundonald park, or the ministers area. Not only are they safe, family friendly areas with lots going on, they also have a number of good transport links. Very little in the way of compromise.