Moving to Clapham Junction / Wimbledon advice ?

lampard

minibbb wrote: »

My sister has a one bedroom flat on Plough Road, Clapham which is literally a 2-3 min walk from the station.

Ive visited a few times and its great up there! The bars/pubs are good and most of the people who frequent them are professional types. Lots of building/developing going on atm!

She's moved abroad for a year and pretty sure their one bed flat is renting for about £1300 pcm but dont quote me on it!

The good thing is, the council tax is filthy cheap!

1300 is super xpensive !

Wow dunno if i could do that lol

abankerbutnotafatcat

For £1000 in Clapham Junction all you are likely to see are ex-council places or maybe tiny studio flats unless you're willing to share. £1300 is fairly normal for a spacious non ex-council 1 bed flat in a desirable location. To be honest, from the things you've written - not caring about bars etc and not wanting crime (it can happen anywhere but more likely in densely populated areas) or council blocks then CJ probably isn't your type of place.

lampard

abankerbutnotafatcat wrote: »

For £1000 in Clapham Junction all you are likely to see are ex-council places or maybe tiny studio flats unless you're willing to share. £1300 is fairly normal for a spacious non ex-council 1 bed flat in a desirable location. To be honest, from the things you've written - not caring about bars etc and not wanting crime (it can happen anywhere but more likely in densely populated areas) or council blocks then CJ probably isn't your type of place.

Perhaps although I have seen lots on estate agent sites for under that which look ok but anyway no biggie if it is under 1300 and they say it is something i dont want then I move onto the next one

abankerbutnotafatcat

lampard wrote: »

Perhaps although I have seen lots on estate agent sites for under that which look ok but anyway no biggie if it is under 1300 and they say it is something i dont want then I move onto the next one

The flats you are seeing may be ex-council - it often isn't obvious unless you see external pictures. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with ex-council - they can be in excellent locations, spacious and have low fuel costs (made to relatively high standards). It depends on the block/estate. However, your specification indicated you didn't want this. I actually bought an ex-council place in CJ - it represented excellent value and wasn't in a high rise or part of large estate.

Good luck with your hunt!!

daveb975

lampard wrote: »

Purely moving to cut down commute time and to work eat and sleep.

Not sure I understand - you live in Hersham and work in Guildford?

That is about 30 minutes on the train, compared to 45 from Wimbledon, and about 35 from Clapham Junction.

I can understand moving for other reasons, but this commute will surely be longer and cost you more money?

lampard

abankerbutnotafatcat wrote: »

The flats you are seeing may be ex-council - it often isn't obvious unless you see external pictures. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with ex-council - they can be in excellent locations, spacious and have low fuel costs (made to relatively high standards). It depends on the block/estate. However, your specification indicated you didn't want this. I actually bought an ex-council place in CJ - it represented excellent value and wasn't in a high rise or part of large estate.

Good luck with your hunt!!

Thanks

Just about staying away from crime really and council stuff seems to have a parallel with it, my partner has to walk home in the dark in the winter and i just would rather live in an area that has less chance (for want of a better word) of anything bad happening.

abankerbutnotafatcat

An awful lot of the council stock in CJ went private through RTB - you can often tell from the front doors even without using mouseprice etc. Those properties then quite often were rented out. As the rents are high in that area they tend to be rented out to high income earners. Of course it depends on the development but a lot of the more desirable (low rise or near river etc) ex council properties are privately rented by young professionals who value the excellent transport, zone 2 and bars/restaurants.

If you are still interested in CJ then maybe don't write a place off because it's ex council but do your research including walking home at night.

I walked home on my own for 10 years from CJ and didn't once have a problem (i'm a petite female). I'm in Surrey now and there is an underpass between the train station and home and I'm thinking that maybe in the winter when it's dark i'll walk the long way round just so I feel safer. In CJ most areas are well-lit and always busy so in a way I feel safer there.

Good luck OP. I still don't understand why you wouldn't rather live closer to work in lovely Guildford