Areas to buy 2/3 bed house in south London

[Newnest58]

Recently divorced and looking for a small family home in south london.

looking for an area with a nice community feel, and good transport links. Need to get into London Bridge easily 2-3 times a week. Looking for a busy high street with decent pub, couple of good local restaurants and an independent coffee shop. Ideally close to a decent sized park.

budget is around 800k - looking at 2/3 bedroom place. Small garden if possible.

any recommendations?

Do you need schools?

no - 1 DD who is 15, so past all that...and hopefully opens up cheaper, but still good areas.

want somewhere I can grow old in.

Should add I’m mid 40’s, so that’s a while away!

so somewhere for professional middle aged woman where I can put down roots and feel at home.

Have a look at Brockley, SE4 - meets all your criteria I think

I live in Whyteleafe and it’s a nice town. Other surrounding towns are nice too. Whyteleafe has 2 train lines, one to London Bridge (Caterham line) and one to London Victoria / Thames link services (East Grinstead line) and a nice community feel. Definitely consider it. I also know a great ladies walking group I could recommend if you’re into walking and do end up moving to the area. Very sociable group, so would be a great way of making friends in the area.

Had never heard of Whyteleafe- it looks great. Might be a bit too far for me though as DD needs to travel to school in central London.

East Dulwich - trains to London Bridge, Lordship Lane for shops and cafes, Dulwich Park for green space. Also Peckham and Nunhead. Nunhead has a thriving centre and there is lots of green space. Nunhead transport not quite so good for London Bridge Peckham better transport but more expensive.
Rightmove suggests property that meets budget all round.

@Newnest58 where do you currently live & what do you like/dislike about it?

I wouldn’t think Whyteleafe would fit your high street criteria & it’s a place where you would drive a lot.

I’m London Bridge but can’t afford the size of home I’d need because we are splitting the house 50/50.

really love being central. But don’t have the cash I need for the size of place I’d like. I also think it’s missing a community feel because it’s so central.

I don’t want to be driving a lot so whyteleafe probably out of question. I want to still feel like I’m living in London. Suburbs are fine - but want to feel like I’m within easy reach of centre. I go to theatre a lot and don’t want to feel like it’s a big trip to get there.

Teddington is lovely with a mix of ages and lots of long term residents but not a quick journey to LB.

East Dulwich might work, it’s very popular with young couples/families which may be a good or bad thing.

Wimbledon

East Dulwich/Crystal Palace park area as suggested or a little further out, Beckenham. The Hayes (kent) line runs to Charing Cross and stops at LB and at New Beckenham. Anywhere on that line might be worth looking at.

Good luck with your search!

Hither Green towards Manor House Gardens. Really lovely houses, parks, a few independent restaurants, rhe station pub, and easy quick train to London Bridge in 10 minutes. Zone 3. You’d easily get something in your budget

I was going to suggest east Dulwich too. Where is your daughter ar school?;

Herne Hill is fabulous. You can easily walk to Dulwich Village too. You might only get a flat.

West Norwood?
Trains, quick buses to Brixton for tube, Superloop buses, walking distance to Tulse Hill for Thameslink, great coffee shops, Picturehouse cinema, the Feast…

I agree with Herne Hill, too, but more expensive.

Also look at Forest Hill: trains and Overground. (Can’t remember which line)

Second Hither Green - the station pub side, near manor park. Within budget. Near Greenwich and Blackheath.

it’s great and very quick (1 or 2 stops max) to LB

East Dulwich, Nunhead, Brockley, Herne Hill, Crystal Palace. West Norwood also a good shout - really solid community feel with lots of local businesses and your money would go further than the others. It's in__ between Streatham and Dulwich which are both great and offer v different vibes.

What about the new developments around Walworth Road - very central

Nunhead

Definitely only a flat, it’s too expensive

I’d always chose Sevenoaks but that may be too far out - they do have a event train station to London though.
otherwise in and around Bromley, chislehurst, Haynes

Sydenham. Trains to London Bridge are now only 2 an hour because of the Overground service, but the latter is more frequent and interchanges at Canada Water for the Jubilee line, and Whitechapel for Elizabeth line and Underground.

Crofton Park/Forest Hill? Very easy trains into London Bridge. Herne Hill is absolutely lovely and has great transport links into Blackfriars and Victoria, you’d have to change for London Bridge.

Or look on the line coming out of London Bridge down to East Croydon - East Dulwich, North Dulwich (you’ll get a lovely two bedroom period garden flat for your budget, may stretch to 3), Tulse Hill.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/170830796#/?channel=RES_BUY

It’s the Brixton end of Herne Hill not the Dulwich end, but I’ve seen others in the past.

Catford, Lee, Hither Green, Sydenham, St Johns,- basically most of Lewisham?!

Croydon is becoming really popular for younger families. And transport links are good if near stations.

Obviously Greenwich, Charlton, Woolwich are probably more reasonably priced but transport not so great.

Anywhere within a few mins walk of an Elizabeth line station, but that more east than south.