Where in London to buy for 900K for an international family of four?

[internationalfamily]

Hi everyone,

Sorry for yet another where to buy thread, but we could really use your help and insights.

We are planning to buy a house for our family of four. We have been exploring some areas and viewing houses over the past few months, but really struggling to make our mind up..

Here are the key factors...

Budget:

• Ideally somewhere between 750K-850K, but we can stretch to 900K.

Location:

• Needs to be relatively easily accessible to City (to both London Bridge & Strand)
• Excellent primary schools for our DD (who will start reception in 2023).
• Safe
• International community: both my DH and I are Europeans, we would like an open-minded and welcoming community
• Access to green space
• We currently live and like SW, but are (especially DH is) open to move other parts of London.

House:

• Three bedrooms
• Ideally a house with some outdoor space (one of the areas we disagree with DH who prioritise location over house and is fine with a flat too)

Our shortlisted areas are: Wimbledon Town (esp. Dundonald/Chase areas), Balham (Hyde Farm/Nightingale Triangle), Colliers Wood, East Dulwich.

Where would you buy from if you were in our shoes? Are we missing some other suitable areas? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts/suggestions...

trying to get to the bottom of her search terms! In order to help.

is a short term expat community important to op or a long term immigrant population?

Im still not clear and my point is i think that conflating the two is unhelpful as often the areas with lots of expats have relatively low immigrant pop (for london).

Perhaps am wrong, but my impression of someone saying expat is they like somewhere naice but not 100% British i.e. not Beckenham but yes to East Dulwich, Crouch end, Muswell Hill, bits of Peckham, Maida Vale etc etc hence flats are ok, naice things very important. I might be wrong but most expats don't like or understand suburbs, poor services or poor performing schools.

I haven’t really given much thought to the distinction between expats and immigrants tbh. We have lived in several countries and now intend to stay in London for the foreseeable future (maybe forever, I simply don’t know). Not sure what this makes us. Not sure if it is really important either.

To hopefully put the discussion back on track, I will try to be as explicit as I can:
We want a cosmopolitan area [defined by Cambridge Dictionary as “containing different people and things from many different parts of the world”] ideally with SOME people like us (professionals who were born in a different country and moved here). That’s it. I don’t know if this helps narrowing options down or not; I am just explaining what we are after hoping to learn about areas I don’t know well.

London is international all over, the question is your budget versus how nqice you would like it to be.

The whole of London is the epitomy of cosmopolitan! You don’t say where you are originally from, but we don’t really have ghettos defined by race (ie, only English, only Nigerian, etc). Of course there will be areas that are more popular with some overseas communities (I’m thinking of some places in West London), but I think bringing race/non-English communities into your request for help has really thrown everyone!

London is more defined by money. And the more you have, the nicer your little patch you can afford to live in will be!

I second the suggestions for the many SE London areas that are connected by train into London Bridge and Charing Cross, if that’s your daily commute for the foreseeable future. Then hone in on some good schools and, fingers crossed, you should find your sweet spot!

epitome 🙄

One or two posts seem to be hinting (without actually saying it , talk about being open) that the OP is snobbish or racist or both which I don't think is fair. She is simply seeking info about areas she doesn't know and people responded helpfully, she replied gratefully and then latterly it seemed to go off track with snide remarks.

To hopefully put the discussion back on track, I will try to be as explicit as I can:We want a cosmopolitan area [defined by Cambridge Dictionary as “containing different people and things from many different parts of the world”] ideally with SOME people like us (professionals who were born in a different country and moved here)

You will find this in all areas of London

Ok got it. As others have said all areas will satisfy the cosmopolitan requirement so London is your oyster.

so id let other factors like schools (if needing state) size of house you’d like and commute guide you.

I think it was only because of her unfortunate use of the word ‘expat’. Historically expats are usually only thought of as white and wealthy.

I haven’t really given much thought to the distinction between expats and immigrants tbh. Not sure if it is really important either

As a non-property aside, OP, you can see that the distinction is, on some level, important just by some of the responses on this thread!

Unless you’re a true expat, I’d avoid calling yourself one. It’s a terminology that, as well as just its functional description, is also associated with wealth. And, as I’m sure you know full well, money is a touchy subject!

It's fine to say you want international and diverse, it's when you start specifying expats and professionals that at least to some people it does start to sound snobbish, sorry.

I mean, can you give any reason for preferring to live around professionals that isn't snobbish?

Not having a go for no reason, I genuinely think OP will not enjoy parts of south London if this is how she see things.

OP, I think you’ve innocently and inadvertently opened the very British can of worms that is our class system 🫣

Thanks for all your constructive messages so far. I really said nothing about race (or preference for certain races). It might be because my use of word 'expat', but I feel another at least as important reason is a few comments where posters' put words in my mouth (not you).

Anywaaaaay.... can we continue the constructive comments to help OP and her family choose somewhere to live? (That's directed and everyone trying to say the whole of the UK is diverse 🥱).

Basically it's pretty clear what OP is looking for.

I suggested a walk round Blackheath village and Greenwich Park. Did your husband visit OP?

I would also love to live near Clapham / Balham, or Putney.

As another poster said I was narrow your choice by looking at schools & commute

Thanks for the help 🙂

Yesterday, he strolled around some other SE London areas starting from Forest Hill -> Honor Oak Park -> Brockley -> Lewisham -> Ladywell -> Hither Green... He made 30K steps 😂

He didn't get the chance to visit Blackheath village and Greenwich Park yet, but it is on top of our to explore list.

His first impressions: he really liked Honor Oak Park-Brockley parts. Also found Hither Green & Ladywell to be lovely places but a bit limited in terms of what is going on in the centre. Forest Hill didn't quite make an impression (but maybe he missed the right parts).

We plan look a bit further into Honor Oak Park-Brockley. Will get back once he visits Blackheath and Greenwich...

I think in terms of selondon - east dulwich, peckham, nunhead, honor oak are all nice - if you can get what you need for 900k.

we live in forest hill and there are plenty of professionals and internationals here but not as many people who work in the city i.e. it's everyone who isnt in the city but still professionals. forest hill is less naice but super useful for a family - large enough supermarket, cafes, swimming pool, museum, library, good transport, woods.

think about whether you have/want use a car - forest hill, east dulwich, herne hill, peckham are all ok without a car i.e. you can walk to facilities with your kid without a car. but parts of selondon do assume that you're driving e.g. no idea nearest swimming pool or large ish supermaket to honor oak.

then think schools - do you have boys/girls and do you think primary and secondary or just primary. i would say honor oak is fab for primaries and if you have girls for secondaries, same with nunhead. if you want decent mixed/boy state secondaries then in selondon, you are really only looking at herne hill or telegraph hill.

My impression of Greenwich and Blackheath - be careful about secondaries

I would choose Hither Green over Brockley unless it's changed dramatically.

SE London is your friend. Telegraph Hill has a lot of Europeans - my DD is at one of the primary schools here and there are lots and lots of european parents. You wouldn't get a house on one of the main TH roads (Pepys, Erlanger, Waller) but you might be able to find a house for £900k on the other roads (the houses are slightly smaller on the other roads).

Nunhead - great little area and decent primary schools close by. £900k might get you a nice enough house.

The areas are as safe as any others.

For me, East Dulwich is just far too busy now. It used to be great and it is nice enough for a walk around on Lordship Lane but the train station is a fair bit out and parking is really difficult now.

Sorry about the can of worms you opened, OP!

I think some responses are just the usual mumsnet awkward squad. Yes, the whole of London is ethnically mixed and multi-cultural, but not all areas have a cosmopolitan population. I’d recommend avoiding Croydon/ Bromley/Woolwich.

<Ducks>

His first impressions: he really liked Honor Oak Park-Brockley parts. Also found Hither Green & Ladywell to be lovely places but a bit limited in terms of what is going on in the centre. Forest Hill didn't quite make an impression (but maybe he missed the right parts).

Like a PP, I suggest you watch the school situation closely. In Brockley and surrounds (I don't know HOP well at all) all the primaries are genuinely good imo - I'd happily send my child to any. Secondaries are patchier with some single-sex schools in the mix. And Brockley itself is bisected by the railway, with the east side generally nicer but also pricier than the west. Except that at some point bits of the west side sidle up to Telegraph Hill, which is ££££ and with Haberdashers primary and secondary. And Waller primary, also great. Can say more if you need, local.

I would love to know what is buzzy about Greenwich. I know its really popular but it seems so dull and touristy.

@99870bj @kirinm Very helpful thanks. We have two 2 DDs and prefer to be able to operate without a car for most things (little one has motion sickness😔). Adding Nunhead, Telegraph Hill & Herne Hill to the list..