Any London experts about?

[KerfuffleShuffle]

Dh has accepted a job in South Bank area of London so we'll be looking to relocate from the north. I lived for 12 months in zone 2 West London 14 years ago but otherwise we're rather clueless on London.
Max budget £400k - £425k. We'd like somewhere between zone 3 and zone 6 with at least 2 double bedrooms. Ideally a house but flat in converted house/very small block would be ok. Whilst we don't mind a more mixed socio-economic area, we'd really like somewhere that still has walking access to independent coffee/bars/restaurant, safe parks and good state primaries.
We don't have a strong preference for north/south/east/west as Dh will only be in the office 2-3 days a week, but easier the commute the better.
Does this place even exist in London? Or are we just dreaming?

East for that budget probably, unless you look at zone 5/6. Wanstead in zone 4 would meet your criteria but budget may be tight

South bank next to Waterloo so you could move quite far out and get more for your money, and still have a not too bad commute

You won’t get a house, but if you’re happy with a flat, there are plenty around Waterloo/Southbank within your budget. (And being close by will mean no travel costs!)

Zoopla search here

Maybe think about a few questions -

Do you want to be near a tube?
Would you be happy with overground only?
Do you definitely want to be in London itself? (If commuting straight into Waterloo, then lots of Surrey is opened up for you if you dont want a city lifestyle and might put less pressure on the budget?)
You mention primaries - do you have DC and how far are they off secondary?

Those might guide you to certain areas over others and then you can narrow your search.

For example, you could get a house with a garden in our part of z3 for your budget, but the secondaries are tricky unless you are happy with single sex / Catholic and its a very mixed area. Some parts are not nice and its about knowing almost road by road where is the best place to be. It's not for everyone so I wouldnt necessarily recommend it to someone just moving to London. Whereas if you have a DC that is going to be needing secondary in the next few years, I wouldn't worry too much about being near a good primary - there are great primaries pretty much everywhere in London. But instead focus on being near a good secondary, which is much more important.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/161371292#/?channel=RES_BUY

@MitchamMum thanks for this. Can I gather from your username that you're in Mitcham? We do want to be in London but do not mind whether we are near the underground or overground. DC is a toddler still so many years off secondary but single sex/catholic would not be a problem for us either. We live in a very mixed (economic and culturally diverse) area of our city now so this wouldn't bother us but we would like nice amenities and obviously, but the less anti social behaviour on our street, the better.

Bexley Borough would be good (DA14/DA15) and you’d get a two bed within budget. Quick trains to Waterloo East, great schools, grammar area for secondary, very green, improving high streets and lower crime than most London Boroughs. Easy to get in to central London, countryside in Kent or East Sussex and several coastal spots an hours drive away. Look at Sidcup.

If you don’t mind something a bit more urban then SE18 (Woolwich/Plumstead). Good transport links.

2 bed house that is.

You can get a good 2 bed flat or maisonette in Surbiton/Thames Ditton for £450K. Possibly even a small house (might be nearer Tolworth). For a Waterloo commute I think these are the nicest areas you’ll find for your budget. Good schools, green, Surbiton high street superb for cafes, pubs and shops. And a fast line to Waterloo too.

I would look at trains into Waterloo or Waterloo East - that means south east or south west London. Clock House is zone 4 and easy access to Beckenham and Penge High Streets. It also has a great coffee shop and bar on its doorstep. There will be lots of converted Victorian houses with a flat in that area and trains every 15 minutes to Waterloo East.

Yep I would look at South Easr London and then you can get a train to London Brodge or Waterloo East

For that budget Forest Hill, Penge, Sydenham etc.. could get you a flat. For a house you will need to go a fair bit further out and compromise on location. If he only needs to be in the office a couple of days a week then further oit may be fine - look at places like Hayes, Shortlands, Bromley.

Maybe burn oak, the area that is close to mill hill, edgware, borehamwood.

Greenwich
Westcombe Park
Charlton
Eltham
Maze Hill

15/20 minutes to Central London, looking on rightmove there are a few within your budget.

Agree with this advice. Buy as central as you can for £425k, it will make your life so much easier.

In general London flats are not a good investment & house prices in the North are growing. Would you ever plan to move back?

Also really look at schools, many areas are suffering from falling rolls as families have left/aren't having dc.

I would never ever buy a leasehold property again. You don’t own anything, plus the service charge keeps going up up up.