Active discussions

Help end medical misogyny. Sign our petition.

Help end medical misogyny.
Sign our petition.

Sign the petition

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

London houses for £650k-ish

110 replies

sunflowerparty · 28/06/2023 10:30

Hello, I'm a long time lurker, first time poster - it's been really helpful to read through your advice and experiences here!

I am a FTB looking for a terraced house to buy in London - 2x bedrooms is fine, the main thing is I'd like a garden with some sun and space for a little lawn. The top end of my budget is £650k (though I could probably stretch a little higher, say to £675k, if I really loved a house/area). I really want to buy freehold and am willing to save longer if I had to rather than compromising on leasehold / share of freehold now.

Obviously London is so expensive and it seems I'm very much at the low end there for a freehold house budget. I'm getting really disheartened because houses around this level are still flying off the shelves if they are in halfway decent condition and that supposed price decline is definitely not making itself known to me (one house I offered on recently went for almost £70k over the OIEO price, and £80k over what an almost identical house sold for last year). I'm on the brink of giving up.

Does anyone have recommendations for nice/safe areas with convenient transport links that might suit my budget? I think I'm probably priced out of Walthamstow; I've been looking on the central line out East but might be priced out there too. I tried Hanwell which initially seemed nice but didn't feel overly safe in the town centre (it didn't help that some guy yelled at me when walking back to the station). I'm flexible on which side of London.

Thank you!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
19
radiatorpipe · 28/06/2023 20:09

you need to check your routes OP has I have some friends in Streatham Common & they are a good 25 min walk to the nearest station without a bus route. Other parts of Streatham has a bus to Balham tube so better connected although probably out of budget.

This in Tooting is lovely & close to transport & shops

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/132804278#/?channel=RES_BUY

ChocolateHelps · 28/06/2023 20:25

Technically London, SW20 postcode

These are nice solid houses. Knock thru between the kitchen and rear reception and a bit of decorating

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/136669853

CNDflag · 28/06/2023 20:36

Have a look at West Norwood, SE27.

You can get a house there for £650k

Twiglets1 · 28/06/2023 21:07

sunflowerparty · 28/06/2023 19:21

Thanks again everyone - I've made a big list of the areas mentioned and will work through them on Google street view, then pick some to visit in person, to get a sense of them! I really appreciate the time taken to reply and even search Rightmove on my behalf!

Any other recommendations or senses of certain areas / good parts, bad parts etc would be very welcome - e.g. I'm not so familiar with Chingford, Penge, Forest Hill, Norbury, Streatham, Mill Hill etc. I've also seen Hither Green come up on my Rightmove searches and previous threads indicate it's okay (perhaps a slight no-man's land?) - grateful for any views on that too.

My ideal location is a safe area with frequent transport (be it tube, overground, or national rail if well-linked), and ideally with a decent supermarket nearby as I am unlikely to buy a car for the next couple of years. Leafy and suburban is great, hopefully still with a decent cafe or takeaway around (at the risk of being demanding!). I currently work in the city but (all going well) hope for a new workplace in future so am flexible on which side of London.

Thanks to those with supportive messages also - I'm only about two months into looking and it's been exciting, stressful, disheartening, hope-building, hope-shattering and all sorts. £650k feels like such a big / privileged budget in general terms but in this part of the country is so very little. It's an odd feeling.

Yeah it’s a huge budget outside London but a fairly small one in London for a house. Not everyone fully appreciates the London effect on property prices.

ohmysense · 28/06/2023 21:15

Agree that Leyton or Leytonstone should be feasible for a small house.

SomewhereInTheMIdlands · 28/06/2023 22:00

Try Harrow which has good transport links to just about anywhere in London
Still the equal safest borough of London (with Richmond) but not as nice as Richmond of course.
In reality with interest rates as they are, these houses should now be half the current asking prices. Perhaps when everyone's fixed 2 or 5 years mortgages are up there will be a lot of panic selling.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 29/06/2023 07:41

I have no idea why this is priced so low. Zone 2, short walk to Brockley station, which has mainline trains (2 stops to London Bridge) and very frequent Overground trains. You can change at Canada Water to get onto the Jubilee Line or Whitechapel for the Elizabeth Line or District/Hammersmith & City Lines. Big Sainsbury's up the road at New Cross Gate. Coffee shops in Brockley and Crofton Park. https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/136422173#/?channel=RES_BUY

Check out this 2 bedroom terraced house for sale on Rightmove

2 bedroom terraced house for sale in Seymour Gardens, Brockley, SE4 for £500,000. Marketed by Conran Estates, Brockley

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/136422173#/?channel=RES_BUY

Florissante · 29/06/2023 08:12

The Brockley house looks very nice but is tiny.

Florissante · 29/06/2023 08:13

Plus, it is very close to a railway line so it might get a lot of noise.

kkneat · 29/06/2023 08:26

What about North London suburbs? I use to live in that area, live out further now. Good overhead links and Piccadilly line for some of the areas N14, N21, N13. Lots of stunning parks and open wetland areas as well
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/136492352#/?channel=RES_BUY

Check out this 3 bedroom terraced house for sale on Rightmove

3 bedroom terraced house for sale in Cedars Road, Winchmore Hill, N21 for £600,000. Marketed by Havilands, London

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/136492352#/?channel=RES_BUY

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 29/06/2023 09:03

Florissante · 29/06/2023 08:13

Plus, it is very close to a railway line so it might get a lot of noise.

If the map's accurate it's on the opposite side of the road from the railway line - the house for sale backs onto the houses in the next road. That agrees with the description of the garden as south-facing. It is indeed tiny but I have the impression the OP is single and doesn't need to worry about schools. (Although if she did, this is actually extremely well placed for both good primary schools and a good secondary up the road in Telegraph Hill.)

I remember this development being built something like 30 years ago, on what had been railway land. I think it's probably quite a quiet street. Not sure I've ever walked along there, though. (We live on the other side of SE4.)

TronaldDump · 29/06/2023 09:14

Friends of ours just sold their 3 bed on the Old Oak Estate (between Acton and the A40) for less than that. Near East Acton tube (zone 2), lovely red brick terraced houses with a garden and walking distance into Shepherd's Bush. You can also get straight onto Wormwood Scrubs which is lovely in the middle of the city (Although the prison is nearby!)

This kind of thing - but a few in nicer condition came up and sold recently too.

I think they said there are plans for an Old Oak Station on the Elizabeth Line somewhere in the works but not sure when!

Check out this 3 bedroom terraced house for sale on Rightmove

3 bedroom terraced house for sale in Old Oak Common Lane, Acton, W3 for £575,000. Marketed by Dexters, Acton

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/132736058#/?channel=RES_BUY

overwork · 29/06/2023 09:28

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g That particular street did used to have issues getting decent broadband but I think they've put fibre in recently. I think it's a decent little house for that price, and a safe area to live in.

johnd2 · 29/06/2023 12:43

sunflowerparty · 28/06/2023 19:21

Thanks again everyone - I've made a big list of the areas mentioned and will work through them on Google street view, then pick some to visit in person, to get a sense of them! I really appreciate the time taken to reply and even search Rightmove on my behalf!

Any other recommendations or senses of certain areas / good parts, bad parts etc would be very welcome - e.g. I'm not so familiar with Chingford, Penge, Forest Hill, Norbury, Streatham, Mill Hill etc. I've also seen Hither Green come up on my Rightmove searches and previous threads indicate it's okay (perhaps a slight no-man's land?) - grateful for any views on that too.

My ideal location is a safe area with frequent transport (be it tube, overground, or national rail if well-linked), and ideally with a decent supermarket nearby as I am unlikely to buy a car for the next couple of years. Leafy and suburban is great, hopefully still with a decent cafe or takeaway around (at the risk of being demanding!). I currently work in the city but (all going well) hope for a new workplace in future so am flexible on which side of London.

Thanks to those with supportive messages also - I'm only about two months into looking and it's been exciting, stressful, disheartening, hope-building, hope-shattering and all sorts. £650k feels like such a big / privileged budget in general terms but in this part of the country is so very little. It's an odd feeling.

If you're looking at chingford you'll get much more House for your money (3-4 bedrooms plus good garden) if you look at South chingford, but if you go further north towards the station it's getting nicer and more expensive. So you'll only get something small. The station is in z5.
South chingford you're looking at buses but there are tonnes of frequent ones to the nearby overground, and tube stations, in zone 3.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 29/06/2023 14:40

It makes an enormous difference to quality of life to have a short commute with no changes, and to have a back up route for the times when there's a problem on your main route. It's also cheaper to commute to work from one of the inner zones. For me, this would be a bigger priority than an extra bedroom.

SD25 · 29/06/2023 23:16

Basically... You can find a house for your budget in lots of areas of london! So need to think about where you want to live.

NicLondon1 · 30/06/2023 23:14

If you don’t know it, Bounds Green is zone 3 on the Piccadilly line and has a very friendly family community. Loads of green spaces and you’re very close to Alexandra Palace and Muswell Hill for cafes/restaurants/gigs etc
several good primary schools also

johnd2 · 01/07/2023 06:13

How about this one in chingford, 550k for 3 beds
https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/63720502/

Or for 685 you can have 4 beds
https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/64468915/

Happyasapiginmuck1 · 19/02/2024 03:23

I just don't get the attraction of living in London and paying that much for a house! What jobs do people have to be able to pay a mortgage on a £650000 house?! I happily live up Norf and my mortgage is £182 a month for a 2 bedroom terrace.

WhatILoved · 19/02/2024 05:14

Penge Sydenham Beckenham

Twiglets1 · 19/02/2024 05:47

Happyasapiginmuck1 · 19/02/2024 03:23

I just don't get the attraction of living in London and paying that much for a house! What jobs do people have to be able to pay a mortgage on a £650000 house?! I happily live up Norf and my mortgage is £182 a month for a 2 bedroom terrace.

Yeah but not everyone wants to live up North just because you do. Some people have families and jobs and lives in the South 🤷🏼‍♀️

House prices are higher in the South but salaries tend to be higher too at least in the private sector. And you can make more money from owning property in the South during times of rising prices.

Swipe left for the next trending thread