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Original poster

Can’t afford a nice are of London, where shall we move?

82 replies

fantillie · 26/12/2023 23:20

As precious as this sounds, we’d rather move out of London than live somewhere not naice.

It is what it is, I like nice surroundings, and being in a run down area makes me unhappy. Dh and I both agree that location is far more important than the property.

We actually prefer flat living to house living (I grew up in a city where no one has a house).

We would like a 2-3 bedroom property. Our budget is around £700k and we only want to live somewhere which most mumsnetters would describe as “posh”. In London we like Primrose Hill and Notting Hill, Canonbury, Clapham Old Town.

We were thinking about moving to Bath? Jericho/Summertown in Oxford or Clifton in Bristol. We only need to be in London once a month or so. We had considered somewhere like Harrogate but didn’t click with it when we visited.

OP posts:
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KingsleyBorder · 27/12/2023 13:33

OP says she grew up in a city where nobody has a house. I don’t think any UK cities fit that description. I think more likely Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo etc.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with aspiring to live in an attractive street with nice period housing stock.

KingsleyBorder · 27/12/2023 13:34

MikeRafone · 27/12/2023 11:39

@KingsleyBorder. Always curious if you actually were & whether you were at cedars or in the other that was edgehill

@MikeRafone I think you might have tagged the wrong poster as I have no idea what you’re talking about!

ILeftMyHeartInLondon · 27/12/2023 13:37

Ah so probably not a Londoner. Bottom line though, you can get a bloody decent flat in London for 700k.

Sensibleandboring · 27/12/2023 13:40

fantillie · 26/12/2023 23:20

As precious as this sounds, we’d rather move out of London than live somewhere not naice.

It is what it is, I like nice surroundings, and being in a run down area makes me unhappy. Dh and I both agree that location is far more important than the property.

We actually prefer flat living to house living (I grew up in a city where no one has a house).

We would like a 2-3 bedroom property. Our budget is around £700k and we only want to live somewhere which most mumsnetters would describe as “posh”. In London we like Primrose Hill and Notting Hill, Canonbury, Clapham Old Town.

We were thinking about moving to Bath? Jericho/Summertown in Oxford or Clifton in Bristol. We only need to be in London once a month or so. We had considered somewhere like Harrogate but didn’t click with it when we visited.

Choosing where to live is always an interesting journey! It really depends on what you prioritize. Personally, I like to start by thinking really locally: what I want to experience when I open my front door—what sights, smells, and sounds. What kind of community and neighbors do I want to be a part of? And where do I want to take my walks?

LindorDoubleChoc · 27/12/2023 13:45

It sounds like Winchester would suit you perfectly. And only an hour on the fast train to Waterloo.

newnamethanks · 27/12/2023 13:47

It's not snobby pp to want to live in a reasonable area. When I lived in London, walking the dog on New Years day morning, I'd be kicking White Lightning and Stella cans put of the way and avoiding the occasional snoozing celebrant. Moved to a more provincial place, on my first New Years day dog walk, no abandoned empty cans but one empty Moet bottle lying in the road and a nearby Jack Wills necktie. No boozers lurking.😀

SnowRoomAtTheInn · 27/12/2023 13:49

What does ‘naice’ mean? I mean, Primrose Hill is a tiny area and has been strictly for the seriously rich ever since I can remember (now in my 40s). Clapham has always been ‘posh houses next to not posh bits’ and has a high crime rate. Theyre completely different. Do you want a village feel? Nice independent shops? Good parks? What are your criteria?

There are plenty of aesthetically pleasing enclaves in London where you can get a 2-bed flat for 700k, but the areas you’ve mentioned are quite disparate. I don’t really get what you’re after?

I’d look at some of the nicer suburbs of London before I’d move to a small town with your budget. I mean, Bath/Bristol/Cambridge ain’t Primrose Hill! Grin

Silentknight6 · 27/12/2023 13:53

Surprised by everyone mentioning York, it’s quite rough at the weekend

Sodndashitall · 27/12/2023 14:36

Highbury is just as nice as Canonbury IMHO and a fraction cheaper especially if you go for a non period property.
If you are in a strong position eg cash or renting then ypu can make offers as well. My sibling has just bought a 2 bed property in Higbury suvstantially under your price range and got 15k off asking partly due to being chain free.

SidandAndyssextoy · 27/12/2023 20:09

Silentknight6 · 27/12/2023 13:53

Surprised by everyone mentioning York, it’s quite rough at the weekend

Only bits of it. You can easily avoid the drunken types if you know where not to go.

TizerorFizz · 27/12/2023 20:33

I think you can buy in lovely areas of London and be away from not so nice areas. Just check where underground or station is and route to shops.

Clapham is pretty loud on the “strip”
but is popular. Primrose Hill is expensive but other very pleasant areas are within reach financially. I think the op needs to evaluate what they want in a city. Or a smaller city like Oxford or Cambridge. Both have lots going on but aren’t London! Good areas of Oxford and Cambridge are expensive!

TizerorFizz · 27/12/2023 20:38

Not sure Jericho in Oxford has lots of that’s. A 2 bed terrace is around £650,000. There are other very pleasant areas of Oxford that are a bit less.

Babymamamama · 27/12/2023 20:44

Been to Bath and found quite a bit of begging in the town centre ...nowhere near as naice as I expected. I think from your list OP it seems you like certain style of grander properties which often split into nicely proportioned elegant flats. Canonbury certainly is adjacent to lots of social issues and knife crime etc. And although Primrose Hill is gorgeous adjacent Camden is very rough round the edges. Even Notting Hill is super mixed and the juxtaposition of the haves versus have nots can be uncomfortable.

FKATondelayo · 27/12/2023 20:53

OP: I want to live in a flat in an affluent / 'posh' part of a historic, interesting city on a trainline to London where I won't get mugged. £700k

Responses: why not live in Walthamstow or Kentish Town? How about this 5 bedroom farmhouse in Derbyshire?

FFS.

Cheltenham is a good suggestion.

Brexile · 27/12/2023 20:53

TizerorFizz · 27/12/2023 20:38

Not sure Jericho in Oxford has lots of that’s. A 2 bed terrace is around £650,000. There are other very pleasant areas of Oxford that are a bit less.

It's been nearly 23 years since I moved out of Jericho so I don't know what it's like now, but I could never see why it was considered posh. It was a bit of a dump back then, and I don't think less "naice" areas were actually any worse. I don't know why you'd live in Oxford if you weren't studying there, it's always been gridlocked and grim, and no cheaper than London IIRC

TizerorFizz · 28/12/2023 00:00

I like Oxford! I agree there’s enough pleasant areas in Oxford to choose from. It has loads going on when compared to many similar cities. You will find using a car a pain in many places but the buses work pretty well there. The council is anti car in Oxford but I think, apart from that, it has lots going for it. I like Cheltenham too but it’s much smaller than Oxford. Both have great restaurants!

PercyPigsInBlankets · 28/12/2023 00:21

£700k in naice parts of London (or Oxford) means you’ll be the povvos. Particularly in areas with period housing stock, where some have been converted to flats, there can be a real snobbery about flat living. Are you ok with that?

TizerorFizz · 28/12/2023 04:55

In attractive areas like Jericho in Oxford, many of the houses are small terraced Victorian workers houses. It’s not an area full of grand houses split into flats and not the same as the spacious houses converted to uni flats in North Oxford. So you are just part of a community which is mostly smaller houses. Finding flats there wouldn’t be easy.

overwork · 28/12/2023 11:41

What is a povvos?

KingsleyBorder · 28/12/2023 11:53

overwork · 28/12/2023 11:41

What is a povvos?

The poor people.

Startingagainandagain · 28/12/2023 12:04

Oh dear...

I had a friend who lived in a posh part of London in a lovely building and had constant issues with her equally wealthy neighbours: noise (loud music, parties), people storing stuff in the corridors, a prostitute living there...

She had judges, actors, diplomats and foreign royalty as neighbours.

But hey, nice bit of snobbism for wanting to live only in 'posh areas' although it seems like you can't afford to.

@newnamethanks

''It's not snobby pp to want to live in a reasonable area. ''

That is not what was said though. The OP wants a 'posh' area...not just a safe area with a decent high street and facilities...