Where to buy a house in London with a 575k budget?

[bluebellwoods9]

Hello I would be so very appreciative of any suggestions!
My boyfriend (26yrs) and I (29 yrs) are looking to buy our first home in London, I am from Stoke Newington but have been very much priced out!
We are looking for a 2 bed house with a good size garden (I have a side business making homewares so would need to build a studio in the garden & I love gardening!) but we're struggling to find areas we like within our budget. Ideally we want a period house. We would be so happy to take on a house that needs work.

Friends of mine that have grown up in Stoke Newington all seem to be buying in Tottenham... but I personally can't stand totts! Feels too hectic and not particularly green/pretty.
My dream area since I was a little girl was Muswell Hill, I think what I like is the gentle pace, tree lined streets and village feel. I also love the feel of ally pally. (maybe when we are 40 we might be able to afford!!)

Areas we have been looking at are:
Highams Park (but I think we have been priced out unfortunately),
Manor Park conservation area (If you go out the conservation area its very affordable but not so nice)
Palmers Green (visited today and loved all the Georgian houses but they all begin at 700k apart from the auction house we visited which we had to be careful about where we stepped because of the risk falling through the floor haha! we will try for it just encase we get lucky).
Wood Green - I have seen some houses that are in our price range.
Leyton - I feel this area is really going to go up in value as it would be natural progression from surrounding areas, but Leyton doesn't seem to have good size gardens in our price range.

Although we are youngish we are not fussed about being in a young trendy area, I don't like pretentious feeling areas. Walthamstow feels a bit too trendy for me I am afraid.. (I say this and I know I am one of those trendy types but would like somewhere that feels comfortable & down to earth).
Would love an area where there's a nice community feel that I can get involved with. My partner likes mountain biking in Epping forest, I did have a look around Chingford but it felt a little suburban to me... maybe I'll have to go again. We still want the London feel so not too suburban.
We looked at Eastham (central park estate area) as its affordable but we just didn't like the feel of the area unfortunately.
We haven't been looking at South London as I think it will be too much of a change of what we are used to.

Any suggestions of areas that might be within our price point? any areas that may not have a good reputation but have pockets of beautiful houses and are friendly neighbourhoods?

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/84072078

Agree with Chingford Mount. Feel like it has potential.

@cafedesreves Thank you for this suggestion, I like the sound of the woodland. I will look into SE18, thank you :) before I was saying definitly not South London as it seems so far away but now I am realising its good to be open! Thanks :)

@Howeverdoyouneedme Thank you, that is promising as I have seen good sized houses with big gardens for sale that are affordable in Chingford Mount 😊

@cafedesreves that is beautiful, would be very happy with that garden!! Thank you.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/122828375#/?channel=RES_BUY

BlackHeath is lovely and this is within budget not period property but has garden you could have a log cabin/ studio in

You could get a nice 3 bed house with a garden for that here in Enfield town. The most villagey community is along Chase Side where there are some lovely homes and some decent restaurants and coffee shops. This house is in a beautiful location, has three beds, a 75ft garden and is Grade II listed - for £550k
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/115508111

We're on a direct TFL train line into Stoke Newington too, so it would be very easy to go back to visit friends and family, but you've also got loads of green belt countryside and country parks on your doorstep.

@Enfieldlady it's funny you send that as I called the estate agent just today to book a viewing and is already under offer!! Shame as that house is so lovely. Thank you, we were in Palmer's green today and spoke to an estate agent that mentioned the Enfield Chase area and now you've mentioned it so we will certainly keep our eye out and take a cycle up there. Thank you 😊

Have you seen this two-bed mews house in Dalston, walking distance from Stoke Newington (same post code). Just 10k over budget so they might take an offer

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/122113244

Yes you really should. I love it here and sing its praises to anyone who will listen.
If you're into cycling it's a great area to be.

Shame about that clapboard house as it's quite special but it's been on the market for a while and already fallen through once, I think. Well priced - but perhaps there is an issue with getting a mortgage on it, or it was decided it would be too expensive to heat.

What about this one? Not as unique but a nice solid house in a desirable and well located road, and underbudget too: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/121112657

https://www.primelocation.com/for-sale/details/61318421/

https://www.primelocation.com/for-sale/details/61475310/

https://www.primelocation.com/for-sale/details/61475310/

https://www.primelocation.com/for-sale/details/60145915/

Enfield town doesn’t have the links you need if you’re from Stoke Newington.

A train back in to London is every 30 mins, it’s a piss take. It’s the slow line too - Enfield lock/Ponders end is way better for getting back in to the city, the Stratford/Liv street train is so quick and Tottenham Hale is something like 7-10 mins. Plus if you want the slow line, southbury or Turkey street still have it. If we all go out, I’m home in bed a good half hour before my Enfield mates and I live in Herts (follow the line and that’ll give you a clue where I am). Plus Enfield has a different feel these days, no one is from London there, it all rates itself in a way it never did before. I can’t put my finger on it.

Tottenham Hale is having all that rejuvenation, it feels quite different there these days.

Chingford feels so massively rural to me, if I were you I’d pick Green Lanes for the restaurants and buzz, or Wood Green if you can get something up the hill.

That's a very handsome property. What's the area like? My knowledge of north-west London stops at Barnet and Finchley!

Also everyone will tell you that west Enfield ie Enfield town/Enfield chase is better than east Enfield because historically it was more affluent and less industrial - but realistically Spurs have bought all of the north countryside like Whitewebbs for training grounds, the nursery’s are being sold off, while east Enfield is already well serviced train wise and can’t be developed more than it already is, so you won’t get new builds springing up. The Lee valley is gorgeous and so many walks and bike rides.

With cross rail 2 it’ll be even better.

Harrow, Pinner and Ruislip are a similar mixture of village + suburbia + some very large houses. The plus is they’re on the Metropolitsn so you can get to Baker Street in about 20 mins.

1. You might get more house for your money but if you want to live in a nice bit of Enfield with safe streets, cute cafes and villagey charm you definitely wouldn't pick Southbury, Enfield Lock or Ponders End!

2. It's 20 mins ride between Enfield Town and Stoke Newington. You also have the choice of the other train line in from Finsbury Pk and AllyPally into Enfield Chase or at a push, a tube from Oakwood.I use the three interchangeably, depending on my preferred departure time and where in London I'm headed.

3. Enfield has a different feel these days, no one is from London there
   Disagree. Enfield is far more "London" than it was ten or twenty years ago. More diverse, many incomers who have been priced out of rentals and purchases further in. Official stats back me up. I don't recognise your statement at all.

Totally agree - entire area from plumstead/Woolwich/Abbey Wood - lots of green spaces and a variety of property in your budget. Garden size varies, better in the 1930s builds rather than the Victorian style properties although that's not always the case. The Shrewsbury conservation area is lovely! Plus great transportation links around those 3 if that's important to you (though Woolwich and Abbey Wood better for that than Plumstead).

Highams Park is great, not drab at all. Some great restaurants and pubs, a wine bar and on top of the forest and green spaces. For a two bed that is a good budget. Chingford mount is not very nice and has poor transport compared to HP and North Chingford.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/84815190#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/123603110#/?channel=RES_BUY

That second one is Chingford Mount. Perfectly nice roads though! Should give the OP a decent guide what they can get for their money.

Lots of houses round here are 30s with boxrooms as 3rd bedrooms which can annoy people. Once you accept that’s how it is then they’re a great size for people after two good bedrooms.

How long have you lived in Enfield can I ask? Just as it certainly doesn’t feel like the Enfield I grew up in; it has a kind of hipster try hard feel. Sanitised and - cute - definitely the word. The cafe at forty hall is the perfect example of style over substance. East Enfield certainly isn’t unsafe in comparison to any of the inner London areas mentioned here and if anything has a similar feel to Green Lanes. I don’t hear any of the accents I used to - it’s now all white, middle class, young affluent people who have moved here from the home counties, or older people who perpetuate the “it’s better this side of the A10” myth. There’s very little urban feel. I love east Enfield for that, it remains gritty in the middle of such beauty that it doesn’t even know it has - the river has such a beautiful landscape and you can walk through to chingford or ride down to Walthamstow.

Enfield town has what in terms of green space after Whitewebbs is sold? Town park? The playing fields? Chase green? Tiny. Even theobalds is inaccessible now as Birch. You have to travel to grovelands or broomfield for any kind of wild nature after Hilly Fields which is quite small, so palmers green trumps it for that.

Forty hall is still very much accessible from the other side of the A10 so that’s not exclusive to enfield town. That’s why people would pick east Enfield. It has better travel, it’s 10 mins to Tottenham hale and Southbury still has the option of the line you just mentioned. Admittedly enfield chase has the Islington connection but so will tottenham hail when cross rail 2 is done.