South East London

[Haplesssquirrel]

Hello, I am looking to buy a 2 bed in London with some outdoor space. Budget is around 300k, could be pushed a bit higher.

Quite a few places coming up in my budget are in areas like Thornton Heath, Selhurst, South Norwood, Grove Park and Mottingham. I do know SE London well, but not these areas.

Does anyone have advice on these areas? I’ve read Thornton Heath is a bit rough, but is that outdated information?

Any other advice on which areas SE London to look?

Thanks!

It is worth having a look around Thornton Heath, like many London boroughs it has its good parts and not so good parts.
Croydon now has an elected Mayor and Westfields are still committed to redeveloping the town centre, so who knows, maybe things will improve! And the transport links are good.

Would you consider a 1 bed?

I like this one.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/121625075#/?channel=RES_BUY

This one is lovely, but I would imagine will go for the asking price...

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/124207790#/?channel=RES_BUY

Lovely communal garden, and a private but overlooked patio.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/121560119#/?channel=RES_BUY

A garden that needs some technical, but a private garden nonetheless and on budget.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/122246963#/?channel=RES_BUY

Thanks! Already enquired about some of them - one of them is already gone I think.

@PutYourBackIntoit Yes want two bed- had long years of a one bed, and I WFH over 50% of the time and really just want a bit more space. I’ve been going through a lot in life recently and really just want a nice comfortable space! Hence looking further out and being flexible on location

@PutYourBackIntoit ps very happy to have a garden which needs work! I need a project outside of work right now and I’d much rather that be a garden than major house DIY :D

I'll keep looking for you, it's my favourite pastime! :)

And I used to live there (se15)

What about East? I don't know this area well, but the road itself looks characterful.

This one is close to Plashet Park, which looks nice, and a little further Wanstead flats. The decor is questionable (!!) but the space and light looks fine, and the garden secluded. Some pot plants, and a hammock at the end and it would feel very different :)

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111251747#/?channel=RES_BUY

Crystal Palace is allegedly the nicest place to live in London according to the Sunday Times.

A writer must live there! It's fine but the nicest bit of London!

Apart from the Heath as we called it as kids most of the areas are fine. The main drawback with South Norwood, Norbury etc is often your paying London prices but not really getting London living. Whereas moving a bit further out gets you more for your money.

There’s got to be something wrong with this one - it’s been on the market a full year.

South Norwood is a good option. Lots of parks, great transport links via Norwood Junction and tram to Beckenham, High Street is slowly improving - a cheese and wine shop just opened! - and you have Crystal Palace a walk away.
Look near South Norwood Country Park.

To the earlier person - if you're complaining about dirty streets and dog poo then you can't live anywhere in London!

Not sure really... I really don't know the East at all (lived 7/8 years south, and my work is south), so I have mostly been trying to stick vaguely to there. Feel East might feel a bit too much of an upheaval for now.

I have a few viewings this week coming, let's see!

Thanks! A few places do come up vaguely in my budget around there, so I am watching the area and trying to get viewings there. I think I would find it nice to be 20 minutes walk (which I don't think is long) from Crystal Palace too

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/122755622?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

This one has a communal garden

The area around Grangewood Park is fine, very residential, not the rough bit of Thornton Heath and, as you say, you'd walk over to Crystal Palace which is great. The main drawback of being that side of the hill is not being close to transport apart from buses. South Norwood and Selhurst are better for transport, especially if you're close to Norwood Jcn which has very fast links into London. There are rough bits, but okay bits too and some nice areas near the lakes or the country park. I'd take any of those over Mottingham, which was pretty grim when I last went, admittedly a few years ago.

Just to flag - those Woodlands flats are always up for sale for a lot less than the going rate everywhere else so there must be some catch - massive service charge or similar, so do a lot of due diligence. And do let me know if you find out the catch! I live nearby and it's been the case for over a decade so I'm v curious.

I think some parts of South Norwood are good. Lots of families/young couples are buying there as priced out of more expensive places. Penge is probably too expensive. If you are considering Croydon borough, Shirley is nice and leafy and easy access to East Croydon station with loads of trains.
Orpington is quite cheap, though further out. Grove Park and Mottingham are nice and quiet. Catford might be possible.
You will be limited if you want your own garden but if happy to have shared garden there should be plenty.

If the reason for wanting outdoor space is so you can have a dog, you need a private balcony or garden rather than a communal one: your non-dog-owning neighbours are unlikely to take kindly to a dog being let out to toilet in communal space or left out there untended.

Thanks super helpful. I’ve not looked at the woodland flats. Just came across this which has been on sale for a few weeks - any thoughts as to why it is relatively cheap for having a garden? Busy road? www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/61742691/?utm_source=zoopla&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=lead-confirmation-property-sale

I won’t get a dog unless I have my own private garden

An alternative perspective - I live in south Norwood and really like it! I’ve lived in various areas in London over the last decade and south Norwood is by far the friendliest - the local community is very welcoming, particularly if you have a dog. I’ve made loads of new friends since moving here and got involved with some community projects. Yes, it does have crime and visually there are more appealing areas but unless you’re in a gang or drug dealing the crime is very unlikely to affect you. Transport links are great, and several nice parks within walking distance or a short bus ride (south Norwood lake, Crystal Palace, brockwell park)

Not necessarily. I have a dog in a flat with a communal garden and no one else in the building ever uses it! There’s a new build block round the corner from me and at least 50% of the people living there have dogs. It doesn’t have a garden at all but they are next to a park. Depends on the dog whether it would be happy in a flat, a husky no obviously not, a pug, fine!

Excellent points, @SausageAndCash. Worth saying also that areas can and do change. We moved from North London where we were renting to SE London back in the mid 80s. When I told my colleagues at work they were incredulous and concerned. 'Is it safe? How will you manage without the tube?' You'd have thought I was saying we were moving to a war zone. However, it was the only way we could afford more than a basement flat at the time, and it worked out really well. Still in the despised and then utterly unknown area of London we chose for cheapness - Brockley. Massive improvements in transport since, plus lots of people have been priced out of other areas and taken a chance on it. Sadly, it's ridiculously expensive now, or I'd recommend it to OP.

A bit off-topic but something I wonder about Brockley is why it doesn't have the traditional high-street shops of an indepenent butcher, fishmonger, and greengrocer?

All of these can be found in on the high streets in Nunhead, East Dulwich, Deptford, and the Bellenden Road end of Peckham. There are also good butchers in Crofton Park and Ladywell. But not in Brockley for some reason.

Maybe they existed once but closed down in the 1980s and never came back...