Help! Where to live with 5 day a week commute

[Caracal]

Looking to buy in London or surrounding areas, we have always lived in central London but now with one DS and a second on the way we need to upsize from our 2 bed flat and can't afford to stay where we are. Our main requirements are:

• budget of approx 1 mil
• 3 or 4 bedrooms
• in a catchment area for good state primaries
• under 1 hour commute to Canary Wharf (door to door), we both need to be in the office 4-5 days a week
• walking distance to a station as I don't drive

We like SW London (Richmond, Wimbledon, Balham etc) but not sure we can get a decent place for our budget. Not interested in a massive renovation project. Not keen on Greenwich/Blackheath etc even though appreciate they are convenient for CW. Further out, we like some parts of Surrey but most towns seem to be 1 hour plus commute to CW.

Any suggestions? Are my expectations totally unrealistic? Thanks in advance!

Sevenoaks?

4 bedrooms

in Merton Park

£900K

Lizzie line, Hanwell or eb would be perfect.

Somewhere on the Windrush overground line -Crystal Palace, Sydenham, Forest Hill etc. Overground to Canada Water than Jubilee line to Canary Wharf. You'll definitely get 3 or even 4 beds in your price range and its within your 1 hour commute.

I’d imagine OP wouldn’t consider
those neighbourhoods.

Because they’re downmarket of Blackheath and Greenwich which she’s already ruled out.

Maybe yourself and this poster should have a chat!? Beckenham up to central will be under the hour and it’s a pretty nice part of the world. Meet her at 1.1 million!?

www.mumsnet.com/talk/property/5128463-struggling-to-sell-house

Thanks for all the suggestions so far! Will definitely check out Ealing, Hanwell and Sevenoaks. As PP mentioned not especially keen on Crystal Palace / Forest Hill areas.

Shenfield or Brentwood (Shenfield has the fast train service tho). Canary Wharf a doddle to get to. All local schools are excellent - option of non-denomination or church schools. £1m would buy you a lovely house, off street parking, walking distance to the station and a big garden.

Look a bit more towards South Wimbledon - there is a 900K on Pelham Road added today. Always a seat on northern line to London Bridge, then Jubilee to CW.

The OP has been very clear in her preferences.

@Caracal , for £1m you should manage a 3 bed in some parts of SW that have the demographic and vibe you are after. They won't be natural 3 beds, the 3rd bed will be in the loft, so this gives you a view of footprint.

Look at East Sheen, the South Park Gardens area of Wimbledon and Raynes Park. You will also likely be able to find the occasional 3 bed in Balham/Clapham/Battersea, but they will likely have a 'defect' unacceptable to you (not a period home, on the high street etc)

Look at the lines out of Waterloo. Short tube journey to CW and you can get a lot of house for your money.

Staines for instance. 35 mins to Waterloo on the fast train. House close to station well within budget also close to excellent primary school.

Sevenoaks, Petts Wood, Orpington areas are on the train line to Lewisham where you can pick up the DLR.

Thanks - yes that's what I suspected. There are quite a few online in those areas in our budget but I figured once I actually look they will likely have issues.

Have you looked up the central line? You could get a 3 bed in Wanstead or South Woodford? Leytonstone has a lot of professional families but I think you’d fine it more Crystal Palace.

Came on here to say Wanstead. Wanstead high street is lovely and very good state primaries.

This is a bit above budget but would give a feel. Lovely park, etc. https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/150554315#/?channel=RES_BUY

@Caracal @Femmefatality I already linked (up thread) to a four-bedroomed house in Merton Park, near to South Wimbledon tube station, up thread! Fourth bedroom is in the loft. £900K.

@BIWI OP said she is not keen on a massive renovation project. That house will need every room doing, hence the price.

Fair enough. But most of that would be decorative - I wouldn't say it's a massive renovation. Kitchen and bathroom, obviously.

And given that houses in this part of SW London routinely go for around £1.1/£1.2m, it's a good investment.

I'm always surprised at what you get for tyour money in Worcester Park.

SW London/Surrey don't lend themselves to Canary Wharf.

I'd have said Beckenham and potentially some of the Essex Towns. With the faster lines, might some of the Kent Towns/villages work: Smarden, Aylesford, West Malling, etc

Teddington : vg schools, 3 beds, 2 bath for £1m approx, 4 beds if you're lucky, great high street, Royal parks, river, easy to M3/A3, six trains an hour to Waterloo taking 35m.

Also look at Hampton, Isleworth, parts of Twickenham.

Richmond/SW London is a sod of a commute to CW especially if you are both based there almost 100% of the time. You'll have no contingency for any child related issues, nursery pick ups etc with the transport network. There's no way to make it faster door to door.

SW London to CW can be a pain. I'd only consider it if I was on the Northern line so doing exclusively Tube. No way would I do a 5 day commute with kids on reliance on the SW Train network.

Fair point about not wanting to rely on SW trains, hadn't considered that re getting back on time as we only rely on the tube now which js generally fine. SE definitely makes more sense location wise and I will look into all the places suggested! The trouble is we prefer SW/Surrey and we're much more familiar with those areas but sounds like it's unrealistic for a 5 day a week commute with young kids.

Unfortunately that one looks like a bit too much of a project for us!