London flat for oldie

[RacingSnail]

Can I ask for some ideas about pleasant and safe-ish areas for an older person to live in London, please? I'm thinking ahead, as I will not be retiring until next year (I'll be 66) and want to finish my working life before I make the move.

I'd be buying a flat... don't mind a 1-bedder but 2 would be nice... and I'd like to be in zone 3 or a bit further out. Must be fairly well connected transport-wise as I don't drive, but pleasant and safe-ish are the main things. I'd be looking at up to about £450,000 in today's market I think... I realise prices will be different in a year's time. Any ideas?

ealing/Hanwell? Greenest borough and on the Lizzie line.

You tend to get the most for your money in the SE, and the nice bits are leafy - have a look at Blackheath, Greenwich village (you’d get less for your money there), Crystal Palace (hilly, but 3 train lines), W Dulwich maybe, Sydenham, Forest Hill.

Great idea to move to London in your 6Os I think.

My flat is on the border of East Dulwich and Forest Hill and is currently on the market at £375k. The market is currently depressed for flats in my area...due to obvious factors I think the bubble may have burst. My neighbours downstairs bought at the height of the market at £410k and are now in negative equity.

Where I live is not on top of the shops in East Dulwich nor in the pretty back doubles but it's a safe area with loads to do. The Overground isn't far and there is two buses to Central London nearby. My block doesn't have a lift (so not future-proof for you) but I think you'd do well living around here.

Muswell Hill in North London is a lovely area and feels very safe. But you would probably only get a 1 bed for 450k, unfortunately.

Watching with interest

Crystal Palace, Greenwich, Beckenham all good ideas.
A bit further out - zone 4 - but Beckenham would suit you very well I think great transport, green, safe and lots going on.

Crystal Palace/Upper Norwood.

My DF was there until his late 80s in a 2 bed flat. Bit hilly but lots of buses (with free bus pass) and 3 railway stations for when he wanted to visit us (we're in Wilts).

He refused point blank to move.

Walthamstow? Good transport links, lots going on.

Blackheath. Nice villagey feel, safe and reasonably affluent but flats available at that price point. Has lots of community stuff going on. Has a train station and buses and you can connect to the DLR easily. You can walk/run on the heath, it's close to Greenwich park and the river. Muswell Hill is nice but transport is not great - no stations nearby - and all round there (MH, Highgate, Crouch End) is hilly and has got quite expensive.

Thanks, everyone. At this point I have to come clean and say that I'm already in London (east), but I fancy a move and a fresh start and unfortunately I'm woefully unfamiliar with other areas, or at least unfamiliar with what they are like today rather than what they were like back in the 80s and 90s.

I was really interested to find out what areas other people considered pleasant and safe... or at least as safe as it's possible to be in London. So much is down to perception, isn't it? Walthamstow, for example, I do know slightly and find it neither pleasant nor safe.

You have given me some great ideas, and I think a couple of days tubing and training it around London might help to open my eyes a bit.

Perhaps start by looking at areas that have what you need such as a decent high Street, good transport links, parks and open areas then look at the crime statistics for those areas to see the safest places. It might be a start.

I'd look at Forest Hill/Crofton Park/Brockley. Good communities, lots of green space, good transport links

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/151989557#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/148337006#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/152118827#/?channel=RES_BUY

Examples of what you can get in Beckenham for your money OP - all v good locations, near to green space and public transport. V family friendly area, feels very safe.

My mum recently bought a beautiful 2 bed flat in a block for over 55s. £345 quite a big service fee but does include heating and gardening etc. it's in the nice part of Woodford 10mins if that walk from the tube.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/150939350#/?channel=RES_BUY

this is a lovely area. Near shops and high street. Train and tube. And steps away from the common and the lido

Hi I'm retired and live in a flat in Putney. The river and Richmond Park are close by; we have lots of buses as well as mainline and tube here and Waitrose and Gail's 🤓. Lots of flats to choose from as prices have flatlined and I doubt they will go up in the next 12 months as many rentals are now on the market.

Don't buy an over 55 flat! They can only be resold to a limited market or over 55.

Chiswick. Probably only get a one bed shockingly or perhaps Richmond/Kew.

Well done for making plans as well at a sensible age.

I'd move to Crystal palace. Lovely Park. It's supposed to have quite a villagey vibe. And the flats are gorgeous. Look at this one!

In fact, look at all of these, well within your budget:

Crystal Palace 2-beds under 475k

It’s not a nice leafy area though, no harm to it.

Lloyd Park to the north is big and green, Wood St end is not far to Epping Forest walks, and Marshes / Walthamstow Wetlands if you're on the St James Street end. Like lots of London, plenty of green pockets that are easy to access 😊

The over 55 thing surely only matters if you're planning on further moves?

I have lived in Walthamstow - still have friends there there who always talk it up but it's hardly safe . I Have been mugged there and my son in law was attacked and left fir dead so a definite no