Where to buy-Woodfood/Loughton/towards Epping

[Hereslookingatu]

Hi, looking for some thoughts on where to buy. We have a max budget of 650k and would like a min 3 bed house. Large kitchen with a utility room or potential to extend to add this. Good size garden and near good places for walks. Ideally a gym/independent shops/good schools within walking distance. Strong preference for a character property with high ceilings/bay windows. Needs to be walking distance ro underground station. Where is best along the central line for this kind of property? And is it reasonable?

You’d struggle to get that in Epping within walking distance to the tube. Same of the South Woodford. Yes to Loughton, especially towards Roding rec. Yes to Buckhurst Hill - you can try Debden too.

You'd struggle in Woodford or South Woodford for that budget. Try Buckhurst Hill/Loughton might be ok. Or if you don't mind not being on the central line Chingford is more affordable and still has some good schools

https://thegoodestateagent.com/propertydetails/the-croft-1680803960812x732639364091740200?agid=1568041322261x880564801709282700

https://www.woodburyhomes.co.uk/property-view/?pid=26612323&minPrice=&maxPrice=675000&page_number=2 or this one? It’s not far from where I live, I’m not local but we needed to be on the central line for work reasons and picked Loughton because it’s got a high street in walking distance (not as nice as Epping high street though), green spaces, a leisure centre.

Id say go visit a few places, have a look around. Traffic in Loughton can be terrible at peak times. And a lot of the town is more recently built so fewer ‘period’ type properties unless you can spend £1m plus.

Second Debden or Theydon.

Thanks all for your replies. What part of my criteria would be hard to find, maybe I can have a think if its a deal breaker! Thanks again!

I think you might find something in Woodford for that.

This has a utility room

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/135321728#/?channel=RES_BUY

The bit you’ll struggle with is that you are looking for a unicorn for a horse’s price. So many people are moving out of East East London (hackney, Leytonstone etc) to the further reaches in search of greenery and schools. And they all have the same criteria as you - spacious family home, period features, with modern amenities like utility.

Woodford, South Woodford - expect “London” prices. You could probably get a nice maisonette for your budget?

Loughton, Buckhurst Hill - as pp have said, your budget is achievable but there are more 1930s than older properties.

Epping, still seen as desirable by Essex residents and so property is a premium. You could buy here but within a mile of the station there’s a real premium so you’d have to compromise on house.

I think the challenge you'll have is finding something that meets all or most of your criteria in the type of area you'd most want to live in. For example, the house a PP linked to on Maybank Road is close to Redbridge recycling centre / the dump, and you'd smell it in the garden in summer. You'd also have to use the subway under the A406 to get to the tube station.

There are nicer areas of Woodford green where you could hit a fair bit of your criteria, but the compromise would be being a mile away from a station.

You could get lots of what you want near Gants Hill and Redbridge stations, but these areas might not suit you. They don't have the same vibe as S Woodford / Woodford / Wanstead / Loughton.

Other compromises could be being open to a smaller house or upping your budget by £100k (appreciate that may not be possible).

Does it have to be on the Central Line? What about Highams Park/Chingford? Great links to the Victoria Line and train into Liverpool Street.

We live in Woodford Green in a 3 bed house that would sell now for around £650k which is at the lowest end for property prices in this area and this is what you'd sacrifice from what you're asking:

• Quick walking distance to a station (depends how you define this, but we are 15/20 minutes away from a mainline and the central line in opposite directions)
• Utility room/large kitchen (ours is medium I'd say, gone for smaller kitchen for larger living/dining area)
• Garden - for London ours is good size, but I imagine to most it is on the smaller size (and it's overlooked)
• Gym within walking distance (again depends how you define this, there is a cheap gym about 20 mins away in Highams Park). Nearest big chain one would be a bus away
• Character property (we are in a new build)

None of these were priorities for us and we love our house and the area, but that's what you need to think about. The 1930s semis that are larger near us go for over £750k+. Over the right side of Woodford station I think some of these things are more do-able, but it's generally seen as a less desirable area and I'm not familiar with things like gyms/ shops and it's further away from the forest for walks. Highams Park you'd really struggle, even Buckhurst Hill I think you'd struggle. Chingford Mount/Chingford Hatch area is more affordable (Chingford is on mainline to Walthamstow/Liverpool Street but these areas are really stretching the definition of walkable to the station), or if you need to be on the central line I'd look at Loughton.

Just to add, what you'll be giving up most to be near station and the shops is house/garden size and character, like with most places I'd say.

Thank you all! I have started to look at Chingford to see if that would work better.

I had noticed looking along the Woodford to Epping it was hard to find those character properties. I'll admit it is a nice to have. Looking over to Chingford im finding a lot of houses I like with those big gardens and driveways. Walkable for me is up to 25 mins walk to the station and i dont mind a smaller kitchen if there's room to extend in the future.

I am excited about still being close to the forest if we go with Chingford. Can anyone share what the highstreet in Chingford is like? Also, are there good schools? Just planning ahead there as no kids currently. Is Chingford a good area?

So chingford is split into 3 main areas - the Mount (alright, a bit of a no man’s land, shops but not super trendy, far from the station), the Hatch (just as near to Highams Park as Chingford station, some nice areas, too far to walk really) and North Chingford (the area north of the Ridgeway, close to the Station and the forest).

North Chingford is the most desirable area, particularly Chingford Green which is the area around Station road with the nicest houses. High St (station road) has a good mix of shops & loads of independent restaurants but like very high st is suffering and has quite a few empty frontages right now. Very friendly people and community around Chingford Green, the main green space in the area.

It depends how old your kids are re education. Absolutely fantastic primaries (c of e, yardley, Whitehall, St Mary’s) and secondaries (Heathcote, Foundation) are ok, but changing every year dependent on the kids!

If you share any links to properties I can let you know thoughts on area, but probably best to come for a drive about.

This is a nice road but the house needs work https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138991943

This is very close to the station: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138946109

Again close to the station: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/135709436

Way more of a walk but v regular buses and nice street towards Ridgeway Park https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137131946

Oh just seen no kids yet - loads of good nurseries (although oversubscribed as it’s nappy valley round here these days!)

This is in Highams Park and close to the station.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/136384481?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

Thank you all, we will be going for a general look around to see what we think of the areas mentioned.

Hesitant to add to the unicorn list, 🙈 but ideally we wanted a semi detached!
Ive set up alerts on the usual sites and will see what comes up

Thanks all :)