Where to buy for £1.4m in London

[Whit9623]

Mumsnetters,

We have been going around in circles and would love some suggestions on where to buy.

-Work is in the West Hampstead area, we drive so don’t have to be close to any public transport
-Budget is 1.4-1.45m or less if house needs work
-We spend a lot of time home so value having some space but would equally love somewhere with a decent high street
-4 bed semi or detached house with garden and off street parking
-Good independent schools nearby for DC (prep or pre prep or all through)
-Family all in south west London
-Don’t mind driving 45-60 min to work but would need to live close to schools
-ideally London but also considering commuter towns

Would appreciate any advice/recommendations of areas! Links to houses would be brilliant.

That's an eye-watering amount of cash to put into property in the current climate, especially with London probably being the area most likley to suffer the most in an adjusting market. Could you not reduce your risk, adjust your budget/expectations and invest the remainder into alternative assets or investments ? Or is that something you already do ?

Wandsworth?

Not if that’s what the house and associated lifestyle you want costs, surely? I’d hate to have money sitting in investments having had to compromise on my house.

Diversification is sensible but one assumes the OP is comfortable with their budget.

Agreed; a house is primarily a home and in the medium / long term any london property in a half decent area will be fine. The reality is not buying means spending £50k or more a year in rent for the type of thing the OP is looking for. In 5 years, having spent £250/£300k in rent, whill £1.4m house really only be worth £1.1mm? I reckon there's a fair chanve that the right property will at worst still be worth £1.4m, and at best more than that. So not buying has a minimum cost of £250k over the period...

somewhere like stanmore may be a good call. you have north london, habs, st margerates etc nearby and coaches to st helens/merchant taylors and pretty easy to get to west hampstead (and always get a seat!) you'd get what you want easily less than what you want.

Mill Hill with the thameslink to west hampstead is also good for the same reasons

What weird advice

Anyway, I’d look at Earlsfield, lots of 4/5 bedroom houses, good schools, green space for that price

Thank you all for the suggestions!

We know the Stanmore area very well as we used to live close by but we don’t love it for some reason. I think it may be a bit too far out and quiet for us.

Considering both Earlsfield and Wandsworth but can’t seem to find anything decent within budget. Some of the houses for example have two bedrooms on each floor and we have young kids so want to have at least 3 rooms on one floor.

@Whit9623

£1.4m is a good budget, but you may struggle to get a semi/detached with 4 beds in the London zones with the layout you are seeking.

If you need 3 beds on 1 floor, you are looking at a house that is a natural 3 bed rather than one with the extra space gained via a loft conversion.

West Hampstead also complicates things as it means SE/E London are not practical and those are the areas where you would find what you need within budget.

I'd recommend some parts of Kingston, Putney and Wimbledon. Look for Edwardian in the latter two as they are wider, Kingston may have more modern detached housing within that budget.

Good private schools are accessible in all those areas (KCS, WHS, PHS etc)

That would buy you a large garden flat or house in Cricklewood etc which is very near West Hampstead.