Where to buy within commuting distance of London for a 475-500k budget?

[roamingcat]

Hi all,

We've been living in Croydon for several years but as we start to look towards the future and having children we think it's probably time to move. However, we're a bit limited for choice as we don't have a huge budget (for London) and both of us commute everyday so we can't live too far out. We're hoping the hive mind will be able to help us find some good options. Our current criteria is:

• 475-500k budget (thinking ahead to nursery fees we probably can't stretch any further than this)
• 2-3 bedrooms (we would like to have two children)
• Ideally a trainline which goes into a couple of central london stations, or allows for a change at clapham junction as we work in different areas of London (ideal stations are clapham junction, london victoria, london bridge, waterloo)
• For the area itself we're just looking for somewhere that feels safer than Croydon with a couple of nice independent coffee shops and restaurants, a park to go for nice walks/park run and things to do in future with kids (e.g. swimming pool). We also ideally need to live somewhere where things are relatively walkable as I don't drive but DP does.

Thanks all!

Forgot to say, re. Leighton Buzzard, the advantage of a very small town is that everything is very walkable - I didn't drive when my first baby was small and it was very doable - a short walk to town centre, supermarket, park, baby and toddler groups, etc

Can you do tube rather than train as massive cost and frequency difference? eg Loughton on central line. Great for families as right by Epping forest

Yes the car comes in handy when you have to get dc from nursery, childminder etc, without one you need a school on the way to the station.

And obviously to live very close to both.

You could get a 3 bedroom in Chessington, which is part of Greater London (LA is Kingston upon Thames). It has trains go to Waterloo and it is a bus ride into Kingston.

Eltham and Shooters hill areas might be worth a look? Seen 3 beds for about 450 k in nice roads around there. Se London is easily commutable in by rail from Woolwich, charlton or blackheath, north Greenwich tube, plus Elizabeth line in Woolwich gets you to Liverpool St super quick now? Plus bonus oxleas woods and Greenwich park?

Mottingham has nice parks and is quiet and quite safe. Cheap houses for London. Train to London Bridge/charring cross

Whereabouts in Croydon are you? I live in the borough and you can definitely get a house in south east London in that budget. South Norwood is very different from west Croydon and addiscombe is different again. It really depends what you want and where you look.

I live round the corner. It's across the main road from phipps bridge but the estate doesn't affect us at all. We've been here for over 8years. Never any trouble, nice residential road, kids playing out together, lovely neighbours who have also all lived in their houses for years. Mitcham is one of those places where literally road by road is completely different and it shouldn't be judged as one place. We got our house for an absolute bargain, presumably because people approach it as being one homogeneous part of London (and a particularly shitty one at that) but it is so different within each little area. We have loads of greenery around, a great playpark for the kids, Morden Hall is brilliant. We have been very happy here so far.

Is 100mins + to charring cross and a train ticket is £60 a day. 😂not quite the 45 mins OP had in mind and definitely not doable with two young kids - she’d never see them!

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/151176281

Redhill? Quick into London Bridge and Victoria!

I second @Peonies007

Woking is a great commuter town. More affordable and much better rail connection to Waterloo/Clapham Junction compared with Guildford and Weybridge which have been also mentioned. Good luck with the move, OP!

Chelsfield, Orpington or Bromley

Dunton Green

Are you both likely to be in London jobs for the long haul, post kids, op? Are there decent wfh/hybrid options? I would be very thoughtful if your jobs will inevitably keep you in a London office. It’s difficult to sustain daily double commuting post kids.

Bexley, Sidcup, Bromley, Plumstead Common, all SE London going into LB and Waterloo -zones 4 or 5 but only 15-30 minute train journeys. Very good schools in Bexley borough in particular.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/154057622

Lots of properties like this in DA14 or DA15

If I were you I would stay in the London travel card zone or commuting costs can ruin your life! How about something like this:
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/152976548

Short bus ride to New Eltham station where the quickest trains to LB take 15 mi utes.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/152580167

@Sunnyshoeshine Im glad you are happy but I’m a Londoner who grew up not far from Mitcham & so I do understand how every road is different & plenty of SW London is much nicer/safer than it was in my day. Nonetheless I wouldn’t want to raise teenagers in that part of Mitcham.

Plus it’s more like a 25 min walk from there to CW tube and the best secondary non faith option would be Harris Wimbledon I assume? Harris schools are pretty marmite.

The line up to Peterborough. Hitchin?

Chingford - overground into Liverpool Street and near Walthamstow for Victoria line.

I don't know why you are arguing with me over walking distance to the tube. Have i hit some kind of nerve? 5mins difference is nothing. DH is over 6' and does it 15mins. Maybe you are a slow walker?

OP doesn't even have kids yet so a lot can change in 11yrs at least. I'm sure he/she would do their own research into secondaries for their children that havent been conceived yet if they wanted to seriously consider the area.

Another mention for Woking - very quick train to Waterloo