Where to buy in London??

Ruthie5

Hi Moneysavers. We live outside London, but my husband works in London for part of the wek. he's based just near Monument and bank Tube stations. For a while, we've been renting a flat, but plan to buy a property down there.

We're looking for a 1 bed flat. 20 minutes from his work. £250k max budget. Idealy we don't want to do any work on it, and ideally we don't want to buy anything in a Council block.

I'm going to see some flats this week in areas like Bethnal Green, Whitechapel, Mile End, Bow road, Isle of Dogs, Rotherhilde, Lambeth and Brixton.

I'm already doubtful about the Brixton one. The lambeth one is right by the Imperial War Museum, so I'm hoping that area is okay.

If you could let me have any thoughts on the above areas, I would be really grateful. Also, given the above criteria, do you think there are other areas we should be looking at? It seems hard to get the balance of price...location...and quick journey to work.....

Thanks in advance, Ruthie xx

brit1234

I would wait till after the Olympics, it will be a better buyers market. Hopefully the London bubble would of clearly popped by then.

I would miss out Brixton if you can get the chance.

katejo

Ruthie5 wrote: »

Hi Moneysavers. We live outside London, but my husband works in London for part of the wek. he's based just near Monument and bank Tube stations. For a while, we've been renting a flat, but plan to buy a property down there.

We're looking for a 1 bed flat. 20 minutes from his work. £250k max budget. Idealy we don't want to do any work on it, and ideally we don't want to buy anything in a Council block.

I'm going to see some flats this week in areas like Bethnal Green, Whitechapel, Mile End, Bow road, Isle of Dogs, Rotherhilde, Lambeth and Brixton.

I'm already doubtful about the Brixton one. The lambeth one is right by the Imperial War Museum, so I'm hoping that area is okay.

If you could let me have any thoughts on the above areas, I would be really grateful. Also, given the above criteria, do you think there are other areas we should be looking at? It seems hard to get the balance of price...location...and quick journey to work.....

Thanks in advance, Ruthie xx

Have you considered Walthamstow (20 mins from Liverpool St by overland train) and also has tube? You could get a good 1 bedroom period flat for under £200K or a 2 bedroom for slightly more but still under 250. Alternatively a terraced house for 250K to avoid leasehold. I previously had a flat and now a house there.

johnnyredgate

Think you really need to look at the area near to the property as areas can vary so much in a short distance in London. My father lived near to that area, nearest underground was the Oval for Northern line and also a short walk from his house to Vauxhall station for Victoria line and BR, the area improved over the years pub opposite my dads house has completely changed I guess in line with the changing popluation, nice food etc there now, lots of little restaurants, and very easy travel into central London. Lots going for the area, sad to sell his house last year.

dacouch

brit1234 wrote: »

I would wait till after the Olympics, it will be a better buyers market. Hopefully the London bubble would of clearly popped by then.

I would miss out Brixton if you can get the chance.

There's nowt wrong with the right areas in Brixton, very good transport links and many parts are already being gentrified. A lot of people are predicting it's a future boom area.

Granted there are some parts you would not want to buy in, but with a little bit of research these are obvious

VfM4meplse

Ruthie5 wrote: »

We're looking for a 1 bed flat. 20 minutes from his work. £250k max budget. Idealy we don't want to do any work on it, and ideally we don't want to buy anything in a Council block.

I'm going to see some flats this week in areas like Bethnal Green, Whitechapel, Mile End, Bow road, Isle of Dogs, Rotherhilde, Lambeth and Brixton.

I would give all of these areas a miss. I know TH and Newham very well and wouldn't live there if you paid me - although there are some lovely properties, it's the proximity to less desirable areas that is the issue.

I would instead highly recommend that you look slightly further along the Central Line to Wanstead, Redbridge and Gants Hill (18, 20 and 22 minutes away from Liverpool Street respectively). For the sake of a few extra minutes per day you'll get a lot more for your money and they are well-to-do, safe environments. The areas are also a sound bet if you ever want to let the flat out in the future.

HTH.

cattie

Lambeth near the War Museum is a great area, as long as it isn't on any of the local council estates, but it doesn't sound like it. A lot of MP's live in the area because of it's proximity to Westminster. Lambeth North tube station is only down the road. And there are some lovely properties in the area.

I myself lived in the area for 15yrs and was very happy there & loved how easy it was to travel into central London. I always used to say you could travel to anywhere in the world from there. Handy for Lambeth North and Elephant and Castle tube stations, as well as Waterloo mainline station. Victoria just a few mins away by bus or tube, so getting to airports and similar stuff was really easy. London Bridge station again just a few mins way by bus. When I lived there I was able to walk to work, which saved a fortune on fares.

Elephant and Castle is now undergoing a huge regeneration and is quite a hip place to be. In fact, anywhere in the SE1 or SE11 postcode is now.

mimimt

I've lived in Rotherhithe/Surrey Quays for more than 5 years and really like the area. I recently bought my 1-bed flat for £250k. I live next to Greenland Dock so it's beautiful and quiet. I work at London Bridge so I either get the bus to work or the river boat ( Greenland Pier is 3 minutes from my place).

You have lots of amenities in the area too. The huge Tesco at Surrey Quays that opens 24/7, the Surrey Quays shopping centre and the leisure complex with Odeon, bowling, etc.

I don't want to post my address on the board, but will pm you my post code and some extra details.

ruggedtoast

cattie wrote: »

Lambeth near the War Museum is a great area, as long as it isn't on any of the local council estates, but it doesn't sound like it. A lot of MP's live in the area because of it's proximity to Westminster. Lambeth North tube station is only down the road. And there are some lovely properties in the area.

I myself lived in the area for 15yrs and was very happy there & loved how easy it was to travel into central London. I always used to say you could travel to anywhere in the world from there. Handy for Lambeth North and Elephant and Castle tube stations, as well as Waterloo mainline station. Victoria just a few mins away by bus or tube, so getting to airports and similar stuff was really easy. London Bridge station again just a few mins way by bus. When I lived there I was able to walk to work, which saved a fortune on fares.

Elephant and Castle is now undergoing a huge regeneration and is quite a hip place to be. In fact, anywhere in the SE1 or SE11 postcode is now.

Elephant and Castle is grim. It might be being smartened up a bit but its still one of the only areas on central London I know of that isn't even safe to walk through during the day.

I would be really wary of buying somewhere in one of these areas at the moment, they have a long way to go before they would be considered nice, but a very short fall back to being awful.

There aren't any fundamental reasons to believe that London's gentrification will continue, and quite a lot of warning signs that its about to go into reverse.

cattie

I have friends who have lived in the Elephant and Castle area for donkey's years and I can assure you, nothing bad has ever happened to them. To say such a busy, bustling place is unsafe even in the daytime is ridiculous. It's no worse than any other busy, densely populated area of the city.

All areas in London have good as well as bad, it's part of city life and I'd far rather walk along London Road alone at 1am than a quiet out of the way suburban street. The more people that are about, the safer you feel.

ruggedtoast

cattie wrote: »

I have friends who have lived in the Elephant and Castle area for donkey's years and I can assure you, nothing bad has ever happened to them. To say such a busy, bustling place is unsafe even in the daytime is ridiculous. It's no worse than any other busy, densely populated area of the city.

All areas in London have good as well as bad, it's part of city life and I'd far rather walk along London Road alone at 1am than a quiet out of the way suburban street. The more people that are about, the safer you feel.

You are tripping it is a complete dive. It is absolutely terrifying at night and I know of people being mugged in broad daylight.