Jump to content

Recommended Posts

A year ago I pondered this, but now as we think about selling, I'm racking my brains as to where in London we might go. Is there anywhere left that's affordable? We would love to stay in ED but it's gone waaaayyy too pricey for mere mortals.


We earn normal salaries and want to upgrade from a 1 bed flat to a 3 bed little house. Isn't that a fairly ordinary aspiration?


But I don't know of where that might be; unless we compromise hugely on neighbourhood safety and amenities.


(My friend is in a similar position, albeit as a first time buyer. With a lucky deposit of ?60k, they're finding even Walthamstow is out of reach..!)

Without knowing your budget it's tough to tell. We couldn't afford what we wanted in Peckham so moved to Forest Hill and we are very happy there but a house was still out of reach. We decided a large flat was a good compromise. You can get some houses in Catford for under ?500,000 but you'll have to be quick. Bromley is worth a look as is Beckenham.

Having just been through this and seen numerous flats in numerous areas I would probably say the following (though most of this is said in greater detail in the thread I started last year, posted above):


Penge (Where I'm currently proceeding on a flat) - Useful high street, couple of nice pubs, good stations (17 mins to Canada water from Penge West, 17 mins to Victoria from Penge East) and buses, good mix of housing stock for most budgets, bit rough round the edges but feels fine.


Sydenham - long and useful high street with anything you could really need, station and buses again decent.


South Norwood - Feels pretty run down right now, high street isn't up to much at the moment. Probably has the best transport though in terms of trains, with the overground and incredibly quick trains to London Bridge. Housing stock probably the best priced of the areas I've seen.


Croydon - Not half as bad as I thought it would be. Rapidly changing + improving + increasing in price, but prices are still (relatively) affordable. Good trains from West and East Croydon.

I had a friend who lived in South Norwood and had a number of issues with Crime.

I'd recommend Forest Hill, Sydenham or Penge.

But we live in Forest Hill and love it, you can walk to ED and Dulwich Village, theres Sydenham Woods, Horniman Gardens, the Farmers Market on saturdays, good coffee shops and lovely neighbours.

Me and my partner laughed at this property in our search. Seriously considered it. Then laughed again. We'd probably get sea sick!! There is an awesome looking one in Canary Wharf though. Beckenham, Penge, Anerley and Clock/Kent house for us. ED is just too ridiculously expensive.




The Minkey Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Fancy a life on the water

> http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope

> rty-46595761.html

New wave it depends where in South Norwood. I have a property just by Norwood country park, with the nature reserve.

Nearest tram link Croydon Arena. They are regenerating South Norwood, in the next year, then watch the house prices go up. 3 bed terraced houses are going for about ?300-?350.

I live round the corner in Shirley, prices again around the same, tram links from Elmers end. This area of Croydon is really up and coming, I would not dismiss it.

Even Penge is v pricey. When I was looking all you could get for ?325k was a beautiful but tiny one bed garden fat. Mind you that was right off the high street, so prime location.


parts of Thornton Heath borders SE19 (Crystal Palace) and properties there are far less pricey. I agree with previous post about Rightmove. I was on there every day researching every property in every postcode I could afford/could bear to live in, and just became an 'expert' in what was out there. Go and see as much as you can and you'll find it.

Take Note Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Even Penge is v pricey. When I was looking all you

> could get for ?325k was a beautiful but tiny one

> bed garden fat. Mind you that was right off the

> high street, so prime location.



No idea where you were looking, but there areds of flats in Penge for way less than ?300k.


http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/map.html?locationIdentifier=OUTCODE%5E2321&insId=1&minPrice=200000&maxPrice=325000&minBedrooms=2&includeSSTC=true&_includeSSTC=on

This old chestnut.


We moved to Catford. It's not as bad as people (including me) sometimes say it is. "Probably not the worst suburb in London".


Pros: space for ?, transport, some decent primaries, Sapporo Ichiban, Catford Constitutional, massive green space in Mountsfield and Forster parks (great for kids who scooter, dogs, semi-permanent accomodation etc.), TFC on Bromley Rd (with sensational prices on Kalamata olives and a strong bakery selection), Aldi, Lidl, Homebase and a myriad of warehousy DIY shops, a lot of long time residents who look after their houses. Quite suburban. Much handier to 2 (two) branches of Waitrose than ED (Beckenham and Bromley North).


Cons: concretey ugly town centre, nowhere to buy a decent coffee, bit stabby (allegedly). Quite suburban. Lewisham Council pretty useless. Some locals feel obliged to drive their "worked" Corsas playing urban hits at ~140dB with windows open. Bit of agg round the train stations. Massive gardens = massive garden labour required....flipping weeds.

miga Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> This old chestnut.

>

> We moved to Catford. It's not as bad as people

> (including me) sometimes say it is. "Probably not

> the worst suburb in London".

>

> Pros: space for ?, transport, some decent

> primaries, Sapporo Ichiban, Catford

> Constitutional, massive green space in Mountsfield

> and Forster parks (great for kids who scooter,

> dogs, semi-permanent accomodation etc.), TFC on

> Bromley Rd (with sensational prices on Kalamata

> olives and a strong bakery selection), Aldi, Lidl,

> Homebase and a myriad of warehousy DIY shops, a

> lot of long time residents who look after their

> houses. Quite suburban. Much handier to 2 (two)

> branches of Waitrose than ED (Beckenham and

> Bromley North).

>

> Cons: concretey ugly town centre, nowhere to buy a

> decent coffee, bit stabby (allegedly). Quite

> suburban. Lewisham Council pretty useless. Some

> locals feel obliged to drive their "worked" Corsas

> playing urban hits at ~140dB with windows open.

> Bit of agg round the train stations. Massive

> gardens = massive garden labour

> required....flipping weeds.


And the old Catford Bridge Tavern re-opening sometime in 2015

I think :)

An amazing 4 bed flat - split level, feel of a house, beautiful views- went for 500k on Pepys road near us in beautiful telegraph hill (better transport links than eD - although like Ed London Bridge is disrupting things)


There might have been something wrong with it (asking price 775) but maybe it just shows that you shouldn't be put off by asking prices and there are still bargains to be had...

I don't think you sound petulant. It's hard coming to terms with how little you get for your ?. Sobering to remember that being able to afford a family home anywhere in London is something of a privileged situation.


FWIW Catford (and Crofton Park, Nunhead etc.) are on a direct train line to Farringdon and Kings X in less than 30 minutes.

It does sound a little petulant I am afraid. At your age most people in London are still renting and haven't managed to buy their first place let alone their second.


Yes you have a reasonable budget and yes it does not seem fair that you can't buy a house where you want for that. However that is the reality of the situation. You now have to decide what is more important location or space. East Dulwich is not the cheap and slightly dowdy suburb it was 15 years ago. I expect if it still was you wouldn't be living there.


On your budget you can get a nice house in Catford or Bromley. Or you can stay where you are and upgrade to a larger flat. Your choice and to be honest be thankful you have the choice. Many of my friends a good few years older than you are moving out to areas you dismiss just to be able to afford a small flat.

Cyclemonkey Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> It does sound a little petulant I am afraid. At

> your age most people in London are still renting

> and haven't managed to buy their first place let

> alone their second.


It can be hard to come to terms with the idea of moving to a neighbourhood you wouldn't have even contemplated. I know this is probably awfully shallow, but for a lot of (most?) people, the kind of area they live can feel like a reflection on who they are - isn't this why different clusters of people (ethnicity, class, sexual preference, age etc.) form in different areas of London? It takes some re-training of neurological pathways to accept that ultimately a house is "a machine for living in". And on these boring, practical grounds somewhere like Catford ticks the boxes (Kings X, green space, even somewhere to go out and eat), but it requires a big shift in thinking if you've got a sizable budget and are used to living in ED.

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Take Note Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Even Penge is v pricey. When I was looking all

> you

> > could get for ?325k was a beautiful but tiny

> one

> > bed garden fat. Mind you that was right off the

> > high street, so prime location.

>

>

> No idea where you were looking, but there areds of

> flats in Penge for way less than ?300k.

>

> http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/map.h

> tml?locationIdentifier=OUTCODE%5E2321&insId=1&minP

> rice=200000&maxPrice=325000&minBedrooms=2&includeS

> STC=true&_includeSSTC=on



Raleigh Road. They turned down my offer of ?324,950 - it was hugely over-priced and very small and i'm so glad they turned it down, now!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Yes, because of course there were no violent robberies in the olden days. Pretty much no crime happened at all I believe through the entire Victorian era.
    • Hi all, Im a Southwark council leaseholder and live downstairs in a ground floor flat, there is one flat above me, it's a house with individual front doors leading from the street into the shared pathway. My neighbour told me he has had a ring doorbell installed, no discussion as to how I would feel being on camera everytime I go in and out or in my front garden. I was told it's only for deliveries and doesn't record and only activates when pressed, however I don't know this and I feel really uncomfortable everytime I'm out in garden or on doorstep talking to people. Everytime I walk in/out, it lights up and in the eve it has a  infra red  light. Now I've read up that as he said its only for deliveries, he could set it so it only activates when pressed, however it activates with its motion sensor. Had he said to me about getting it installed, I could have had the opportunity to ask about it recording etc but nothing except it's being installed and when I arrived home it was there. I don't like being horrible to people however I feel I have not been considered in his decision and I feel very uncomfortable as, some times I have to stand on doorstep to get signal for my mobile and I really don't like the idea of being watched and listened to. Has anyone got any advice as I'm beginning to get angry as I've asked about it once and was told it only activates when pressed. I believe this is not true. I know southwark council say you need to ask permission to make sure the neighbours are OK with it, I don't really want to go down that road but I don't know how to approach the subject again. They also put a shed approx 3 foot from my back room window, these places are built so my window faces their rear garden and there upstairs window  faces mine. They said it's there temporarily, that was over a year ago and it does affect the light, plus I'm hoping to sell up soon and the view from window is mainly a dark brown shed. When I've mentioned this, I was told they have no where else to put it, whereas originally they said its only temporary, Also the floorboards above are bare and I get woke early morning and at night, the thudding is so bad my light shakes and window rattles, so I mentioned this and asked if they have rugs, I was told when they get the boards re sanded they will get rugs, I should have asked if they could get rugs and just take them up when boards being done, which I would have done had it been me living above someone, their attitude was I can just put up with it until they are ready. so they had the floor boards done, and the workmen was hammering screws, yes screws, in the floorboards, I spoke to workmen to ask how much longer and they said yes, are using screws to make less noise! I could hear the cordless screwdriver, not an issue but for every screw there were at least 8 whacks, the owners had gone out to avoid the noise  so I  spoke to workmen as the noise was unbearable, the sanding, not an issue at all, people need to get things done to their home and I'm fine that on occasions there will be temporary noise. now I have a nice crack on my bedroom ceiling, I mentioned this to owner but no response, he said there were alot of loose floorboards and it will be much better now, not so noisy, as though I don't know the difference between squeaking floor boards and thudding, and nothing was mentioned re the crack or that they now have rugs, which if it were me, I'd be trying to resolve the issue so we can get on with feeling happy in our homes. so I'm feeling it's a total lack of consideration. these places are old and Edwardian and I've lived here over 40 years, had 4 different neighbours and it's only now the noise of thudding is really bad and the people before had floorboards but nothing like this. As you can probably tell I'm really wound up and I don't want to end up exploding at them, I've always got on with neighbours and always said if there's a problem with my dog, pls let me know, always tell me, however I feel it's got to the point where I say something and I'm fobbed off. I know I should tell them but I'm angry, perhaps I should write them a letter. Any suggestions greatly appreciated and thank you for reading my rant. 
    • Sadly, the price we now all pay for becoming a soft apologetic society.
    • Exactly the same thing happened to me a few years back; they were after my Brompton. Luckily there were only 3 of them so I managed to get away and got a woman to call the police, then they backed off, but not after having hit me in the back of the head first. Police said next time just give them what they want, but I sure as hell wasn't just going to hand over my bike to them!
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...