Where would you buy for 900k in London?

[SD25]

3-bed (minimum) house. No further out than Zone 4. Decent access to Paddington. Prefer urban feel than suburban. Good high street and schools for DD.

We like SE London but Dulwich is a bit out of price range for something nice so perhaps Forest Hill/Sydenham but not sure about schools. West London we don't know so well but most of the nicer areas seem too expensive.

The secondary schools in Forest Hill and Sydenham are dire unless you pay. A lot of people move during late primary due to this.

Primary schools are good; but it's a sketchy place for teenagers even with the house prices.

West Dulwich (cheaper than East or Village) Zone 3, or Nunhead, Zone 2?

Kentish Town, Wesbourne Park, Queens Park, Kensal Green, Shepherd's Bush, East Acton, Gospel Oak.

You certainly won’t get a minimum 3 bedroom house in Queen’s Park, Gospel Oak or Kentish Town for 900k! I would also doubt most of the other areas, but don’t know them as well.

We have neighbours who sent their kids to local schools in Forest Hill and Sydenham and their kids have turned out as medical doctors (2), one is doing a Ph.D in maths, having got a first from Bristol, another graduated in modern languages last year from a RG university and is doing well in marketing on a pretty competitive grad scheme. Obviously, they were bright kids with supportive, well-educated parents - maybe the same is true of yours?

Schools are important, not underestimating it, of course. But given the pressure on finding good housing in London, it might be worth thinking about saving some money on housing costs, finding a house in a neighbourhood you like and can afford and using some cash to augment a less-than-stellar school with tuition? Speaking as a parent whose child was not a particularly enthusiastic participant at school, but who got good grades with the benefit of some timely tuition at A level (wish I'd known this for GCSE, and saved myself a lot of angst).

I have a friend who has just bought a 3-bed house for £900k in Ealing.

Paddington access would be via the Elizabeth line from Forest Hill/Sydenham - you go to Whitechapel on the Windrush line and change.

Exactly - unless equipped with a Time Machine

Why not head west on the Lizzy line or GWR?

@BigSkies2022 I confess I am slightly surprised. In my area of Forest Hill there was a positive scramble at 9 to educate children out of the area given the lack of choice. I remember looking and realising that there was only one "good school" in OFSTED terms that I would choose. The proximity to Dulwich meant a lot of children ended up being privately educated or bussed out to Kent grammars.

This was only a few years ago so I doubt it has changed much.

Queens Park
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/152981624#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/156107174#/?channel=RES_BUY

Gospel Oak
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/155663687#/?channel=RES_BUY

Kentish Town
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/157511639#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/154781588#/?channel=RES_BUY

Ealing. Excellent schools and 10 mins on the Elizabeth Line to Paddington.

^I know that street in Gospel Oak extremely well. They're little houses but perhaps a bit better than the photo suggests, and literally 5 mins to Hampstead Heath. It depends whether you'd sacrifice having a bigger place for the location. NB if it's where I think it is a couple of the other houses in that row have recently added an extra floor on the top.

Acton or Ealing. Acton is 6 mins from Paddington on Elizabeth line.

Well, without derailing the thread, I think my point was that parents can get very hung up about 'good' schools, when most schools are capable of getting good results for their bright pupils, who come from supportive/engaged families, maybe also willing to pay for extra tuition. Very academic schools, like selective grammars, are by definition already teaching the students that are easiest to teach and capable of good results. Private schools, with their extra resources, high expectations (and a fair bit of selection as per the schools in south east London) are good at raising the exam performance of an average child.

But the OP wasn't really asking about my view of how to navigate school choice, so I will bow out!

Ealing, Chiswick or Bromley-by-Bow

Is Sydenham School (the girls state school not the private school) quite well regarded? That was in our mind for Forest Hill/Sydenham.

Not sure how we feel about the ex-council style house in Kentish Town/Gospel Oak. And what's the school situation there? We have friends who moved out of Chalk Farm for schools (with boys).

Chiswick - seems unlikely to find something that isn't compromised for under 1mill but haven't looked extensively. And thought similar about Ealing.

Sydenham School was the good school I considered. But there was little other choice and the area had become unsafe. I moved.

Hanwell - few stops down from Ealing, great schools, cheap (relatively speaking!), <15 mins from Paddington on Elizabeth line

where did you move to?
I can't say I find FH or Sydenham (not Bell Green end) unsafe but each to their own.

Yes, my girl and boy who went to Sydenham Girls and Forest Hill boys only managed to scrape AAA and A*AA at A level, like many of their friends. Shocking schools, terrible pupils and teachers ... don't risk it whatever you do!

It doesn't meet your criteria but I moved to Beckenham/Bromley. There was a lot more choice in terms of schooling for girls, and it was a lot safer.

A lot of Sydenham parents did the same.

Forest Hill and Sydenham was a good place, but the schools weren't what I wanted

Definitely Ealing/Hanwell area - look at Boston Manor, Hanwell, Northfields, South Ealing, Ealing Broadway. Great secondary schools. Elizabeth line to Paddington. I agree that Chiswick is too expensive.

hi Op

have you looked East?

loads of gorgeous houses on The Stow Brothers - Hackney Bow and Walthamstow all fantastic, they’re kinda the ‘Modern House’ of east

www.stowbrothers.com/property/ridgdale-street-bow-2/