Outer London - why why why?

[PropertyThreadsName]

This is a post for me to vent. I could scream instead but I’m being considerate of the neighbours.
I’ve been trawling Rightmove for a few days now looking for a 3-bedroom semi (or better) in Richmond-Upon-Thames. I knew that our budget wouldn’t get us the house that we have now (we’re just a little further out of London), but I can’t believe how very little you get.
Anything affordable within our budget of £850-80K is either a small terrace or a 1970s build, which I worry is poorly soundproofed and has asbestos.
I don’t know what to do. I’m desperate to move to be in a more vibrant area with access to amenities but I can’t see how we’ll find anything suitable within our budget. If I returned to work, which I hope to do soon, we could extend our budget to perhaps £1.2-3m. But I don’t want to wait that long. Also, I’d rather use my salary for extracurricular activities for our DC and other things to improve our quality of life.
Is anyone else feeling at a loss about the egregious house prices of outer London? I want to move back in, but these prices are keeping me out.

Richmond is a very expensive area.

Options you have are to buy a smaller place in Richmond or a bigger place somewhere not as nice.

Or if you’re renting, stay where you are until you go back to work and can afford a bigger house in Richmond.

Does it have to be Richmond? Probably one of the most expensive areas. Have you tried slightly further afield… Ealing to the north, more around Kingston/Norbiton/Earlsfield?

Richmond is ridiculously expensive, for sure. Virtually anywhere else in outer London would be cheaper and TBH just as nice, I think Richmond is quite overrated

Don't dismiss 70s build out of hand, especially in that area where lots are well built Span or Lyons examples. They tend to be brilliantly flexible "boxes" where you can really adapt the space for your needs, and we did not have any notable issues with asbestos

You’ll find what you want in Surbiton/Berrylands/New Malden. Richmond is very pricey.

Most of us in outer London can’t afford Richmond! The collective scream would be deafening.

I hope you find an alternative area that suits your needs.

Cut your cloth to your circumstances and stop whinging.

YABU

Richmond-Upon-Thames, not specifically Richmond town. Gosh, I would cut off a cuticle (with pain medication administered) to be able to actually afford Richmond. I meant the wider borough.

There are dozens of nice areas within a few miles of Richmond for your budget.

You've literally picked the most expensive area and are now complaining you can't get what you want.

Which is generally very expensive. Look at Kingston, Surbiton, New Malden etc and you may find something (a tiny bit) cheaper

Try Isleworth? It's a nice15 minute cycle ride from there to Richmond town, and significantly cheaper.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/156227177#/media?id=media0&channel=RES_BUY

Not pretty but great location by the river.

It's the prerogative of any MN'er to complain. It's in full recognition that it isn't comparable to problems such as poverty, homelessness etc.

If you want vibrant then I'd go further out of London, a completely different city and be at the heart of that. Presumably you can both get flexible jobs to WFH if you are in senior roles.

May I ask why it has to be Richmond borough? As other posters have said, almost anywhere in outer London is cheaper than Richmond! You can live relatively close and pay a lot less. If it
has to be Richmond borough you are most likely to have success in the Whitton area of the
borough towards Hounslow or in Ham.
edited for typos

But even just the borough is really expensive.

There are lots of vibrant areas of London that are cheaper. I don't even think Richmond is a very happening borough - it always feels very suburban to me

Crystal Palace is very trendy at the moment for families, for example

We currently live just outside of London, in Surrey. Now we have a young DC I want to move back to the borough. I know it well, having bought my first property there.
While Surrey isn’t working for us, I do love the green space it provides. It is this and the fact that I still have friends in the area that draws me back. The schools are also very good.

Richmond is very expensive. There are much cheaper outer London boroughs. Have you looked at Ealing, Hanwell, Bromley etc?

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/158100902

This is great. Don’t be put off by the railway line - it’s fine. The road used to be a rat run but now has been made a low traffic neighbourhood so only residents can use it. You would have to convert it back from two flats to one house but to have off street parking…it’s so much house for the money in this area. Close to the river, nice local shops and stations, on bus routes.

What about Twickenham

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/71030396/?search_identifier=f75c55f2886528ae1e60455cbd7c9866544cf37e1c3809fb6628f3e0335db960

Is Forest Hill too far off your hoped for location? Lots of great properties in budget, has become vibrant, transport great…

I do love Richmond so I feel your pain. Every now and then I have a fantasy look on Rightmove and then buy a lottery ticket!
Whereabouts are you now? And what exactly are you looking for? How old are your DC? I’m guessing that, if you’re only just thinking about extra-curricular, they’re probably very young. Is there an urgency to moving now? As you say, if you return to work and add your salary to the multiplier, then you’ll be in a very different position. I doubt many buying in Richmond recently have done so on the basis of one salary.
If you do want to move soon, don’t rule out the 70s places. They may be ugly but they tended to be quite spacious and have decent gardens. Plus they’ve been standing for 50 years now so they can’t be that shoddy!

Kingston has most of this too and is (a fraction) cheaper

Forest Hill whilst lovely is nothing like RUT. It's built around the South Circular for a start!

I don't do the lottery, but every now and then I do purchase a few Omaze tickets 😆Yes, Rightmove is not the place for the pragmatist 😅