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!

Beckenham or Bromley are worth looking into.

Charter North is another league compared to somewhere like Dunraven or Norwood

Would you not consider 3 bedroom? Even going out of London or proper suburbs, you'd need to drive more, kids may not be on the doorstep to school or their classmates. It's not as diverse and again it's not guaranteed that they'll get into grammar or the school stays good, while in this area you'll always have options.

Yes we are in catchment of charter North thankfully, we are going to private now and hope to continue or if finances don't allow go to charter North, which is incredibly lucky. But when you're surrounded by so many good schools, it's also hard to choose. Esp for young kids who you don't really know what they want/need

It’s so tricky, isn’t it? Tbh I’m not even sure we could get a 3 bedroom house in the area for £950k now. My husband would be happy upsizing to a larger flat, but I’m not quite ready to let the house dream go, if there are other similarly great areas that tick those boxes! But agreed you can’t go wrong w/ the schools in this area. Private isn’t totally out of the question, but I’d feel much happier knowing there were some great state options. Your situation sounds ideal!

Yeah a lot changes as well as your kid is a little older and a sibling/siblings arrive. We are glad we haven't moved out. But costs have been difficult to maintain, and I guess that is the sacrifice for staying in this area and wanting a family.

Carshalton Girls is not a grammar school (not sure if it has a brother school?).

I don't think it's true that secondaries are not good. You're still in London where the standard of schools is the best in the country. A lot of people still have a really outdated idea of what secondary schools in London are like, plus there are so many you can always change. Parents also get obsessed with particular schools (Kingsdale, the Charters) where the reality is that most kids will do well in most places, or you might have send or other issues to factor in by then.

Fwiw OP we've stayed reasonably central and are glad. There was probably a point during primary where the big suburb house might have been better but for teens being near transport and activities and not having to drive everywhere is amazing.

Surbiton - 20 mins to CJ on the train, two small high streets, upmarket mostly, lots of local events and family festivals etc, great schools (catchment area for Tiffin) and near both Bushy, Richmond and Nonsuch park.

5 bed for £995k - https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/171146261

4 bed £950 - https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/170850833

Nunhead? Butcher, baker, fish mongers, cafes. Close to Peckham Rye and Telegraph Hill parks. Unlikely to get a 4 bed but you might manage a 3 bed.

Nunhead also close to queens road Peckham (or Peckham) for the overground to Clapham junction.

If I loved Herne Hill there’s not a chance I’d be looking at Bromley or Teddington. So far out of the city.

Zone 2 SE London is where you want to be looking. If you need Clapham junction you want the Peckham overground line. We’ve lived in the area for the last 10 years (having been in Brixton previously) and there’s not a chance we’d move. Some really great primaries and a really wonderful community.

I’d have recommended Telegraph Hill but prices have shot up now so 3 bed terraces are £1.2m

Or you could look around Ruskin Park? Not sure what the area is called - Loughborough junction?

It's Denmark Hill on the other side of Ruskin Park. Merging onto North Dulwich

I’ve got friends who live on Kemerton Road so opposite end of the park to Denmark hill station, anyway, that’s a nice area!

Teddington is probably out of budget, but Teddington families move to Hampton when that happens, and you have a good budget for Hampton:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/167580065#/?channel=RES_BUY

This is on for £800k and near the station. Trains are only every half hour (which is why Hampton is cheaper), but it only takes 30 mins into Clap Junc.

You might just squeak somewhere in Fulwell or North Sheen. Or if more frequent trains are more important than villagey, there's Whitton.

If I loved Herne Hill there’s not a chance I’d be looking at Bromley or Teddington. So far out of the city

I loved being more central pre dc and with small dc but things change as they get older plus excellent schools were top priority for me but everyone is different.

There are very good schools centrally too. Appreciate everyone is different but the OP said she wants to say more central if possible.

West Norwood.
Good primary and secondary options.
Good housing stock, nice community and 25 mins into London Bridge or Victoria from WN station, or 15 mins by bus to Brixton for the tube.

As I said people have different views on what an excellent school is & imo there are not loads of amazing secondary options in London, particularly if you discount the grammars. It’s why parents start going nuts in Yr 4 onwards.

London has the highest proportion of 'Outstanding' schools in the country, at one in 4 rather than one in 5, the average across the country. .

A lot of the most sought after schools and those which get highest overall GCSE results though are due to the cohort and the demography which get in.

And the OP not being able to afford the catchment for the Charters is a case in point.

Amongst my friends Dc, who all went to Kingsdale, Charter, Dunraven and Elmgreen and one at Graveney, they have all performed the same (very well!) relative to their potential and ability.

Of course demographics matter & it’s often true that a dc who is high performing will do well in most schools and you can see that looking at prior attainment and results. I know dc who have done well and not so well at local schools. I work in one of the “excellent” schools & have a fair few friends & family that have been around various schools so I’m sure that influences me too.

The OP's child is 2. Loads can change in 10 years- great schools go bad, schools everyone thought were rubbish go good. You also have no idea what your child's aptitudes and needs are at 2. If I was her I'd find a nice community with decent primaries and start there.

There’s a 4 bed on the Cator estate in Blackheath up for £950k.
possibly the poshest bit of SE London, a few minutes walk to Blackheath station.
it’s not a gorgeous house but you can’t beat the area

@TheatreTheatreI also know a lot of people with children in the schools you mentioned, and have the same positive feedback. Lots of different abilities, and all doing well.

Used to live around there. More limited schools - the primaries are still excellent (Jessop and St Saviours, though St S may be merging with another school). Secondaries would be Evelyn Grace, which really isn’t great at the moment.

Great houses, transport and amenities though. Fifteen minutes walk to Brixton, Camberwell and Herne Hill, multiple parks (Ruskin, Myatts Field), increasingly decent coffee shops in LJ itself.