Where to move - South London

[Xelawho]

Gathering the Mumsnet wisdom.

My husband, 2-year-old and I currently live in Herne Hill and love it, but we can’t realistically afford to buy a house here.

Where would you look if you wanted something with a similar feel - an independent, village-y high street with cafés, a great sense of community, fantastic schools and good access to green space (love Brockwell Park)?

Our rough requirements:

• Budget up to £950k
• Ideally a 4-bed house (doesn’t need to be big)
• Access to really strong state schools - we don’t want to have to rely on private
• Family-friendly, walkable, not all chains
• Decent green space nearby
• Reasonable commute to Clapham Junction (husband works long hours; I mostly WFH)

Any suggestions for areas that might fit, or ones you’d seriously consider if you were us? I have the sad suspicion that such a place doesn’t exist, but hoping for some recs!

Addiscombe. Some lovely houses and nice people.

Maybe long along the train line between Clapham junction and Brockley? Also check out Hither Green/Ladywell/Blackheath

If you find out let me know, also hanker after a house in Herne Hill. Surprised you can’t get a terrace for £950k though?

I would second this. East Croydon a stones throw away with a 10 min train to Clapham junction. West Norwood might be worth a look and you could get the house there with that money.

I moved from Herne Hill to Crystal Palace and haven't looked back. I love that I'm still on the 196/468 route.

The triangle is great for cafes, restaurants and independent shops. Loads of green space and dinosaurs...

Transport is good - I'm just about closer to Norwood Junction which is great for fast trains to London bridge. But crystal palace is great for the overground and getting to East London.

Schools - loads of great primaries. Cypress and Rockmount in particular but have very short distance offered. Secondary - much better options than a few years ago but do need to research and understand the admissions policies.

Some options
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/87538785
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/170565881

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/165749006

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/170643041

Sorry I can’t help but laugh, addiscombe, villagey feel? It’s absolutely dire as is most of south London, urban and gritty (herne hill too) not villagey. I grew up there and when I’m back on necessary visits I can’t wait too leave. To get to Clapham junction and have a villagey feel just move out of London, you’ll get a better house too.

I know! Really can’t get a terrace under £1.2 million in Herne Hill these days - madness!

Thank you all for the suggestions already! So helpful

Not sure I’d ever call Herne Hill gritty! But different strokes - we love being in the city but are open to moving a bit further out - I think we might need to. But also really love places like Crystal Palace so interested in hearing others’ thoughts

Forest Hill and Sydenham are quite a bit cheaper than Herne Hill.

Ham, Surbiton, carshalton, Cobham

Palace, Sydenham, Penge (Penge and Kent house are about 6 minutes from HH on the train, so super quick to get back, and right by Crystal Palace park). Watch your Boroughs; Croydon is bankrupt.

Decent primaries all round with less pressure on places than in previous years; secondaries include Norwood, Sydenham (girls), Forest Hill boys and Kingsdale (which has weird admissions policies). Lots of Harris schools if that's your flavour. You'd get 4 beds in Penge or palace for 950k.

I don’t think she means villagey as in “tractors and sheep”. She means villagey as in “area of London with aspirational independent shops, good coffee shops, and a clear centre”. Like Wimbledon Village or Hampstead Village, not a hamlet in Dorset.

OP I’d look at Crofton Park. My brother just moved there and I was pleasantly surprised. Forest Hill and Sydenham would also be good shouts, or the area between the Tulse Hill end of Brockwell Park and Streatham.

You probably will also find a Victorian or Edwardian terrace in your price range in either the Loughborough Junction end of Herne Hill (off Milkwood Road), the Brixton end (by Morval Road), or if you are happy with 3 bedrooms, look at the Delawyk Crescent and Sunray Estate in North Dulwich (which are also both in the catchment for decent schools).

The biggest issue is secondary schools if you are 100% ruling out private. Are you catholic? this will give you more options?

Your best borough is Richmond as there are a few excellent state secondaries. Teddington fits the nice high street but unsure if your budget would get you a 4 bed.
Kingston & Sutton have grammars & some very good non selective options. Some great green spaces & full of families.

SE suffers from a lack of excellent secondary options.

I’d look at Sydenham- leafy and undervalued I think in terms of property
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/166342619#/?channel=RES_BUY

As you only have a 2 yr old be mindful of shrinking birth rates which are impacting London schools in particular. You want a full school!

schoolsweek.co.uk/how-falling-school-rolls-are-not-just-londons-crisis/

You could look at Furzedown, Tooting, bits of Streatham. Lots of green space and young families.

Yes, you could look at Graveney but you would have to live very close.

Have you considered neighbouring areas within walking distance of HH? Streatham Hill, Tulse Hill, West Norwood? Not villagey themselves but easy access to HH/Brixton etc.

I live near herne hill. I would say you could afford 3 bedroom for 950k? I'm surprised about this!
Another great area is blackheath/kidbrooke (good commute to clapham junction) but for secondary, you might have to consider private if you want excellent. Someone else above suggested delawyk crescent, that might work!

In surbiton you’d get a 4 bed semi for 900k. It’s a bit further out but only three stops to Clapham junction. It’s not exactly villagey but a nice small town with low crime and good schools. Lovely walk along the river to Kingston. Kingston is nice too and similar price but a slower and less frequent train. Richmond and Teddington further along the river are a bit nicer but out of your price range. You can cycle there along the tow path though for a nice day out.

That Panmure Road one is near a lovely primary school as well (Kelvingrove) and a little strip of coffee shops etc. You'll need to decide if you still want to be 'proper London'- shorter commute, still near HH- or out to the suburbs (bigger house, longer commute).

Agreed, that’s what we really need to figure out. I think the problem is our heart is in the city - we both grew up in the countryside and love the energy and community of the city. I love that our son has friends from all over the world and we can spend our weekends pottering around, going to coffee shops and fun events. I absolutely loved being on maternity leave in London.

But it feels like the suburbs tick more of the boxes long-term, especially if we have another child. Bigger houses and gardens, more countryside walks, good schools…

As @bathsmat mentioned, it’s the secondary school issue that I’m finding so confusing. There are so many great primaries in South London, but feels like strong secondaries are few and far between. A lot of our friends are planning on moving or going private for secondary, but ideally we’d like somewhere we could stay. Friends have mentioned Carshalton, Surbiton and Teddington (though that sounds like it’s out of budget), so we’re going to go check them out.

Thanks again for the feedback! It’s so helpful

So many do choose private for secondary or move out so it impacts the schools, primaries are generally very good as you say.

You can have a look at league tables or the gov site

https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/?searchtype=search-by-la&keywords=Richmond+upon+Thames&page=1&radius=3&schoollevel=IsSecondary&la=318

Also it depends on how you define fantastic, there are areas mentioned above where I wouldn’t class the school options as fantastic but people want different things.

From memory the only non grammar option in Carshalton is a Harris.

West Norwood!

In catchment for Julian’s and then Dunraven or Norwood School!

We definitely need to do more research on secondaries. Right now, we’re in catchment for very good schools (Judith Kerr for primary and Charter North Dulwich for secondary). The ideal would be similarly excellent schools but appreciate that’s one of the reasons Herne Hill is out of budget for us!