What would you do with £65k in London?

SecondTimeBuyer

My girlfriend and I have been looking in the Wandsworth borough (Putney, Earlsfield, Wandsworth, Balham, etc) with a budget not too dissimilar to yours. We had to up it to £290k (our maximum) and are currently looking at 1 beds with a garden (or 'private outdoor space'). We are sticking to Wandsworth as they have the lowest council tax in the UK.

RoBro_2

abankerbutnotafatcat wrote: »

The flat in Battersea (SW11) is ex-LA. What is your view regarding them?

We don't have a problem with ex-LA. 3-bed for 250k-ish in the Clapham/Wandsworth area would be wonderful.

SecondTimeBuyer wrote: »

My girlfriend and I have been looking in the Wandsworth borough (Putney, Earlsfield, Wandsworth, Balham, etc) with a budget not too dissimilar to yours. We had to up it to £290k (our maximum) and are currently looking at 1 beds with a garden (or 'private outdoor space'). We are sticking to Wandsworth as they have the lowest council tax in the UK.

Thanks secondtimebuyer! 290k for a 1 bed with garden space is a bit high for us - as you can see from the properties I've posted we're hoping for at least two bedrooms for 250k, and there are a few (though not loads) properties listed on websites which seem to provide this. Can you account for the discrepancy? Have you found that the properties are just not as good as they look on the websites, or is that just the cost of having a garden in this area?

abankerbutnotafatcat

RoBro wrote: »

We don't have a problem with ex-LA. 3-bed for 250k-ish in the Clapham/Wandsworth area would be wonderful.

To clarify i'm discussing SW11 which is Battersea/Clapham Junction (not far from Wandsworth Town) in the borough of Wandsworth not Clapham SW4 which is in Lambeth.

I did say £250k plus for a 3 bed ex-LA flat. The range would probably be £250k-£300k.

For £250k you'd get one of the less desirable 3 beds ex-LAs (i.e. in an unattrative block or without a garden etc but it could still be nice) or one of the nicer 2 bed ex-LAs. I'll try and post a few.

abankerbutnotafatcat

These are a selection of the 2/3 bed properties in that area. I'm not recommending any of them, I just picked a few to give you an idea. Remember that stamp duty increases at £250k on the whole price.

This is in a much-favoured gated-development directly opposite the back (Grant Road) exit of Clapham Junction. It was built as LA but has long been nearly all in not all private.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-22945437.html

Another 2 bed, looks to be a 6 storey block.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-23561457.html

Another 2 bed, low rise
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-34784005.html

A 3 bed
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-33163574.html

Another 3 bed (and sold). It's on the Winstanley estate which is considered on the 'livelier' areas locally.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-33762682.html

RoBro_2

Thanks banker Clapham Junction is where we rented before and were very happy - I wonder what the service charges are like on that place from your first link, with the gym and the pool. :eek: Doesn't look like it has central heating either..

abankerbutnotafatcat

The gym and pool are fairly modest and there are a lot of units to spread the cost between so they might not be that high. WBC also run a tight ship, my service charges have (fingers crossed) always been very reasonable.

If you're interested phone and ask the EA, they should be able to easily find out the last couple of years, that's if they don't already know because as I said, it is a very popular development.