Where to buy home in London ?

[Omsairama]

Hi all,

We’re first time buyers and have a budget of 700K. It’s getting hard to find the right house also as we haven’t decided on the areas we want to live. We don’t want flat but semidetached 3 bed wirh more than 1000sqft with a garden preferably in a safe area. We’re currently looking at Pinner but nothing available. Can someone please suggest good areas to live in London? We live in west London currently and prefer north or west. Also, how’s Mill Hill? And if anyone from Mill Hill please suggest streets/area in Mill Hill. Thank you. All suggestions welcome.

Ruislip? Lots of green space, good schools. You'd get a 3 bed in your budget there.

Is there a particular location you need to commute to? Look carefully at the tube map and pick a good line.

Thank you

Yes, to central London. Thanks for asking. So tube or national rail. Don’t want it more than 1 hour each way. How’s Thames link ?

Thameslink is great.

But which bit of central London? City has different connections to Westminster.

Random point but depending on which mainline station you need to get to there's many commuter towns which are under an hour - as an example if you're looking at Euston then Milton Keynes is 35 minutes...

You'd have to live on the outskirts. You won't get anything central for that money

Barnet? On tube line snd pretty safe. Thameslink is awful BTW.

Our jobs can be anywhere from Baker Street, Mayfair and St Paul’s/Bank. Thanks.

which stations are good to stay near for commuting to central London? Thanks

Thameslink has bad frequency or just unreliable? Thanks.

Also, which trainline is better compared to Thameslink? Thank you

Thameslink isn't bad, I regularly commute on it. Trains are frequent.

Look on SE London. St John’s etc. You should get what you want for that budget, good connections to town.

Thameslink it depends which lines the trains to and from Peterborough and Cambridge which run through St Pancras, Farringdon, London Bridge etc are awful. Delays every single day and cancellations. Other Thameslink may be better but not those lines nor the Luton services.

Try Bedford

Thank you. Do you commute from Mill Hill to central London?

I haven't done from Mill Hill in a few years now, but it was never bad. Also did Ruislip to Euston (on the Met line) and that wasn't bad either.

Ah I see you've posted your budget in this thread. You may struggle with £700k for a decent 3-bed semi in Mill Hill, you may have to make compromises e.g. on a main road (avoid houses on Barnet Way aka the A1 like the plague unless you don't mind constant traffic, the pollution that comes with it and waiting forever to pull out of your drive), or not being walking distance to Mill Hill Broadway station, or needs a bit of doing up, or being in "Mill Hill" but it's actually Edgware, Colindale or Burnt Oak by postcode. It's not completely unfeasible though, you'd just need to be patient or lucky.

Barnet might have more options just because it's a little further out zone-wise.

Also echoing PPs who say Thameslink is shit. Let's just say I've made a lot of delay repay claims. I do find it depends on which line you need though. I currently live on the Cambridge/Peterborough part and it's always bloody delayed or cancelled. But I think the route that goes to Luton tends to be a bit better, though I may be wrong as I never need to get it.

Thameslink isn't bad. Mill hill is probably too expensive. You might be better towards burnt oak for affordability but it isn't that great an area. South London? Friend just bought in Peckham which I thought was not great but apparently there are some really nice parts of your look hard and theirs was 700 but is a doer upper. Otherwise further out Palmers green or bounds green maybe for price and house size might get you something if you search?

How far out are you willing to go? Zone 5 in SE London has plenty of choice, good schools, lots of green spaces. Only one example in West Wickham - there are plenty more..

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/144466640

What about Isleworth or Whitton? They are close to Richmond/ Twickenham but much cheaper. Or Hanwell/ Hounslow even.

It depends on what you’re looking for - moving to Bedford is very different to moving to the suburbs. If you move to a commuter town you will spend a lot on trains. If you move to a suburb like isleworth it’s much closer to nice London areas but sometimes it can seem a
bit gritty. it also depends what you like to do - do you like to go into London at the weekend etc. do you want children (schools etc)

Thank you so much! Talking about postcode, Is all of NW7 Mill Hill? Or only area near Mill Hill Broadway station. I was wondering if the area close to the school or Mill Hill East station is considered Mill Hill.

wow! delay claims for Thames link clarifies it. if I need to commute to central London and I live near Broadway station, will it be Cambridge part? Sorry for asking this as I have never taken national rail. Also, is national rail expensive? Commuting everyday one can take a pass I think.

i can see properties on right move just above/north or northwest of KFC/apex corner, is that area good or considered Mill Hill?

thank you again. 🙏

Thank you. I’ll look the suggested areas.

Thank yo for your suggestion & sharing the link.

Since we commute to central London and can be Baker Street, St Paul’s or Mayfair, With long working hours, ideally maximum 1 hour commute time.

Will check Wickham. How expensive is the commute to central London?

Borehamwood and elstree is about 25 mins to kings cross . It's not expensive but actually Hertfordshire although easily commutable to London. Lots of houses are solid reasonably sized 50s council houses with good gardens although there are others. It depends what you want. I think you need to narrow down your requirements a bit more.
Actually in London? How much do you want to spend on commuting? Are you bothered about the typee if house< 30s, 50s, new build, estate etc). What kind of stress and demographic will you settle for for your budget in London given your price constraint, how far from a station, schools and amenities. What sacrifice in the of roars, train lines, needs for refurbishments. Consider these and then ask again. London is so vast and you are literally asking for a needle in a haystack it's incredibly hard to answer and be that much help. S but more information might give a bit more insight and provide more help as to what might give realistic areas to look in.

Thank you! Insightful. I’ll check the areas you mentioned.