Welling or Hornchurch

[Sjoe]

Hello All,

I am in a big dilemma currently and would really appreciate your input.

I posted a few weeks ago seeking advise about the Welling area in South London as it was one of the areas I had been considering relocating to. Thank you once again for all of your responses.
I have since then seen a few properties and shortlisted 2. One is a 3 bedroom house on the south side about 10mins walk from Welling station. This property will require some work before it could be moved into however, I have always wanted a project hence I am excited at the prospect of possibly being able to create a dream home. This property has a garden approximately 80-90ft long and a total area of 1178sq ft. It also has the potential for a side, rear and loft/dormer extensions hence a lot of potential. Most important of all, as I have an almost 1yr old now, is the availability of two outstanding and two good ofsted rated schools within less than half a mile from the property.
The second property I'm considering is in Hornchurch; Essex. Also a 3bed with total area of 934.5sq ft so it's definitely smaller however, it's ready to move into. It is in a very good condition as the owners have recently carried out some modernisation. Garden is 125ft long; beautifully landscaped with lots of evergreens. There is also potential for a side and rear extension but not a loft conversion due to the height of the roof. Also, it is of non standard construction; BISF which means it has a steel frame rather than brick. My mortgage broker has confirmed I should not have a problem obtaining a mortgage for this property. There are 3 primary schools, one rated outstanding and the other two good by ofsted and one high school rated good within 0.5miles.

Personally, I would like to stay in the south as family would be much closer and it's been my home for many years. Also, given the house in Welling requires refurbishment, I could really put my personal touch all over it. My son will also have access to better school eventually including some grammar schools.
Having said that, the house in Hornchurch is ready to move into with a beautiful and considerably bigger garden. Whilst not exactly to my taste the potential to change things around is also there.
They are both within the same price range £525K -£550K hence it seems the Hornchurch property would be the better option .... help please!

Sorry, I know nothing about Hornchurch but was born in Welling & went to secondary school there (BGS). I have live in nearby Bexley & Dartford & now live about 5 miles from Welling.

What do you want to know ?

And I know about Hornchurch but not Welling!

I think rather than choosing between the 2 houses, you really need to decide on area first.

How old is your son? Is he likely to get into a grammar school? If debatable/too young to know, are the normal secondary schools good in Welling? I really wouldn't go by ofsted though. That's just a tiny snapshot of what the school was like when it was visited. They didn't used to check schools once they were outstanding (ridiculous I know) they only changed this a few years ago and are still sorting this. Use the government website to compare school performance within local authority.

@Biggaybear I am trying to understand from an objective point of view which house given the general characteristics I mentioned might be a better option

OP, reading your post, it sounds to me like the Welling house meets all your preferences, apart from needing work/refurbishment. You can do one room at a time in a timescale to suit you and your budget. While the Hornchurch property sounds great, I don't think your heart is in that location.

Don't know about Hornchurch but I wouldn't choose to live in Welling.

@Frecklespy I'm not excited about either locations though I do prefer Welling as it is in the south and closer to family.

I'm trying not to end up making and decision based on emotions and sentimentality.

From your updates it seems to be more about the actual houses than locations. If you dont particularly need to be in either then maybe keep looking.

FWIW, Bexley would be a better area if choosing S.E London or even Bromley. I'm sure you can get a 3 bed in those areas for £550k although they wont have much of a garden.

I'd do a bit of research and try and find a location that DOES make you happy. I really wouldn't base your decision solely on the house.

How did you find the house in Hornchurch if it's not where you'd prefer to be? Have you visited the area?

There are good parts and less nice parts of Hornchurch, like most areas. On the whole it's not a bad place to live though. Lots of amenities and the public transport is excellent.

Where are you currently?

Can only comment on Hornchurch as that's where I live. Obviously they are completely different areas.

Hornchurch has lots of benefits, lots of green space, great schools, a theatre, lots of beautiful parks in Havering, great transport links, district line takes around 40 mins to the city and you're very close to the A127,A13, M25. There are some less desirable parts, where in Hornchurch are you looking?

@UncomfortableSilence thank you for your comment. It's in Albany Road in Hornchurch. About 10mins walk from Elm Park tube station.

@CellophaneFlower Thank you for your response. A friend of a friend recently bought a house there and said it was a very nice area so then I started looking around there too. I'm currently in Denmark Hill.

I know this road well. Does the house happen to be next to the shops?

Actually it's not the one I'm thinking of as that's got more bedrooms and a smaller garden!

@CellophaneFlower no shops just homes left and right

These are surely not the only two houses available that suit your needs, OP? Can you give us a sense of your priorities? So far it sounds like: 2-3 beds, good school, proximity to family (who are in … Welling?), a ‘project’. Do you have any commuting requirements? Need to be near public transport? Need walkable local shops / cafes and restaurants / open space (any or all of the above). Etc.

So, that road you have harrow lodge park at the end, with the new swimming pool and sports centre and a lovely cafe on the lake. It's about 20 mins walk from romford station too, for the lizzie line. There's a good Tesco just across the road. We still use that one despite living closer to another now!

My eldest used to go to both the secondary and the primary off that road. It was a long time ago though and they've both changed names now.

It's not a bad road (lot of teenagers walking down it to and from school obviously) and well situated.

But in answer to your question about these two specific houses, all other things being equal I wouldn’t go for one which is non standard construction. That would be a factor for me, even if I could get a mortgage on it.

I've just checked and it states the council have brought it up to standard.