Finding a nice area in SE London

[Nady91]

Hello,
I am looking for advice regardin buying a new home and schools in the area I have in mind. My husband got a new government job and he will be based in South East London. We currently own a flat in Romford, so we will probably try to sell to buy a new home in them.
My concerns:

• I am looking at Woolwich and Abbey Wood area and they seems a but empty. There isn't a single cinema which is very unusual for London. It looks like there are only houses and no amenities (compared with Romford)
• Schools: after moving, we would like to start a family but I can't find reliable info about schoools in that area. I am aware of the grammars in Bexleyheath but I believe having a back up is always a good idea. Education for me is really important so once I have a family it will be my top priority
• NHS. Here in Romford the NHS does not seem good. My gp practice is terrible. The doctors are terrible, I would never trust them especially in case of pregnancy. How is the NHS IN SE London? Any experience?

we are also considering staying in Romford, however schools are not really the best here which means considering private education or private school for sixth form. Any advice is welcomed. Thanks

What's your budget? SE London is a big place, it stretches all the way from the Thames down to Kent. Where do you both have to commute to? SE London has no tube so you weill rely on trains or buses.

If you are keen in Grammar Schools places on the Kent border are probably a good shout - Bromley, Beckenham, West Wickham, Sidcup etc..

There are big teaching hospitals in SE London - King's, Lewisham etc.. I have no issue with my NHS dentist or GP but I don't have much cause to use the NHS much.

Woolwich isn't the nicest, some parts are good though. For cinema we tend to go to the 02 at Greenwich. Woolwich Riverside, blackheath, oxleas woods and Greenwich town centre (plus Greenwich park) are our go to places for doing things. For shopping we go to bluewater which is fantastic and about 20 minute drive. Eltham for high Street shopping or Lewisham for the Street Market. Ark Greenwich Free School is an outstanding state secondary, eltham hill is good for girls. Lots of good primaries (christ church shooters hill is outstanding). NHS acceptable and probably no worse than Romford. Hope that was helpful. Elizabeth line has really helped with transport to central its a nice varied area, I like it!

The budget is not the best unfortunately. I am looking for properties around 400k. My current office is in Paddington, but I hope to find another job at some point.

I'd be looking further into Kent personally, Edenbridge, Sevenoaks, tonbridge and T Wells
Good luck

Depending on your budget, Peckham and Camberwell have nice parts, Nunhead is lovely as well. Lewisham is much better than it was - and all have good transport.

Right. So £400k - house or flat?

You could stretch that to a purpose built or ex LA flat in areas like Catford, some parts of Forest Hill, Penge, Bromley etc..

But in reality you are looking at places like Woolwich, Eltham, Abbeywood, Lee - if you want a house and even then it may be a stretch.

Anywhere in a grammar school catchment area will command a premium.

budget?

pretty much drives everything

ooof £400k that’s paltry i’m afraid for SE london

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138229178?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY 2 beds for 375k and within cachment for outstanding primary and secondary?

How many bedrooms do you need op? I'd avoid abbey wood... Woolwich is marginally better

@Ginmonkeyagain Yes, I would be looking for a house since we now have a flat. I am not looking for the best property as long as I can move in. I'll be happy to do works afterwards. I am looking for a property with a good potential

There are two cinemas with planning permission in Woolwich, surely one will come eventually - one where the covered market is now and one up near the old town hall. Also you can jump on crossrail to all sorts of places.

There are lots of good primaries in the area, secondaries are a bit more hit and miss but in 12 years time that could be quite different.

@Comedycook at least 2
we now live in a 2bed flat so I woudn't go for a 1 bed house

Unfortunately, with that budget and looking for a house, you aren’t going to be in the nicer parts of SE London.

Do you have to live near your husband’s work?

@Evanesy well it's not that I have to, but since we are expats and alone in London having at least one of us that can live and work in the same area could be advantageous. We are planning to get a car at some point so living 20min drive from Woolwich would be nice. From Romford is a 40min drive at the least

You could probably get a two bed flat for 400k in some of the nicer areas but you'll struggle to get a house and will probably have to look at the slightly less nice areas if it's a house you want

I would seriously consider these two OP, I know one is a flat but it's in a very nice setting and both are 3 bed - that budget is low for London for anything but a2 bed- and tight for a 2 bed too - it's nearly always going to be flats- so compromise somewhere is needed- you won't get much of a house even quite a bit further out

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/141457280

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86566281#/?channel=RES_BUY

Actually Lee/Plumstead isn't a bad shout. TBF of you live in Romford now Plumstead or Woolwich is not going to be a shock!

Hi OP, I've lived in South East London for decades. There are some fabulous urban areas with a lot going on. East Dulwich/Peckham/Nunhead, is very popular, good bars good schools, good cinemas, fairly good train service. But these areas are popular so cost more than your budget.
I live in Honor Oak Park and there is no cinema nor swimming pool. But both are on two or three direct forms of transport.
The only two useful things I have to say are: secondary schools change depending on who runs them, but academic research shows the factor which determines what your child gets is what you and your partner do.
Secondly, if you work in Paddington that is great if you can get a property on the overground, we are all obsessed with the overground because we don't have a tube. The overground interchanges with the Elizabeth Line at Whitechapel you see.
Good luck, myself I would stay in East London with your budget rather than Bexley or Charlton.

The main priorities are schools & with your budget you will struggle particularly for secondaries. Maybe look at outer areas/borders.

I think you are also used to Romford being more of a contained town centre - the areas you looked at are more suburbs. Try looking at Bromley and Bexley that have defined town centres with cinemas, shopping malls etc... But you may struggle to get a house with £400k because as people have said they sit in or near the Kent grammar catchments.

You would be able to buy a two bedroom house in Sidcup reasonably easily. It's a fairly boring area but is very safe and has good transport links to London and is near to good hospitals, shopping, schools etc.

Woolwich and Abbey Wood of course now have the Elizabeth line, so there is now great tube transport.
OP look at Plumstead, up the hill from Woolwich but still accessible in terms of transport. You may still be able to get a 2 up 2 down Victorian terrace house for your budget.
nice primary schools, lots of secondaries in the wider area.
There is huge competition for the grammar schools across Bexley and Greenwich boroughs. So you mustn’t rely on this being an option.
NHS wise there is QEH and Lewisham hospitals. Maternity services have been good in my experience.

West Norwood, SE27.

Great area, nice houses and really good schools..both primary and secondary.

Has a nice mix of a whiff of gentrification but still a 'locals' area with people who have lived in the area for years. Not ridiculously sanitised, but not a complete shithole either.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/142090574#/?channel=RES_BUY