Looking to buy on Monclar rd / Arnold AVE / Wanley Rd /Dowson close

[Lana305]

Hello there,

We are new to Camberwell/East Dulwich, having never lived here before, but we are looking to buy a lovely and spacious flat in one of the Southwark Council-owned blocks around Monclar Road, Arnold Avenue, Wanley Road, or Dowson Close.

We’ve visited the neighborhood several times during both the day and nighttime, and I really like how quiet and leafy it is, as well as how much space there is between the blocks. I’ve noticed it’s a mix of council and privately-owned flats, and it seems to be a nice blend of people.

My first question is about the residents: am I right in thinking this is a nice neighborhood? I would be grateful to hear about any experiences or observations.

My second question relates to service charges. In the block we are considering, the service charge is quite high in my opinion (£2,600 per year), though I understand this isn’t unheard of in London. However, I’ve noticed that some neighboring, similar blocks have much lower rates (£1,300 per year). Could this be due to recent costly work, or is it to subsidize the council-owned flats in the block?

Any opinions or experiences regarding service charges would also be very welcome.

Many thanks!

Yoh might be best off asking on the East Dulwich forum (or one of the ED Facebook groups). They are pretty active!

Thank you, I've posted the same message on the ED Forum as well. However mumsnet seems to be a fountain of knowledge when it comes to London neighbourhoods, so I’m hoping I might have some luck here too.🙂

I don't live there but go through it often, and I often think it would be a lovely place to live! Really quiet, amazing views, and handy for Sainsbury's!

Thank you! 💫

I'd be put off because Southwark has (or did have) a bad reputation as landlord. A long time ago now but we were looking at a flat where Southwark were the landlord and the reviews for them were not good. I'd have a google and see if that's changed.

I don't know the particular blocks you're looking at but both ED and Camberwell are nice. Loads of decent places to eat and drink in Camberwell. I'd say that Camberwell is slightly less polished than ED.

Yes, I can see that Southwark still has a bad re p online.
However I've spoken to a neighbour who has been really happy with her flat and how things are managed, and I see from the sale data that people tend to hold on to their flats in the block for a long time... For whatever that's worth.