Walthamstow E17

tm_simpson

Just wanted to share my thoughts on Walthamstow and hopefully get other peoples perspectives.

I have seen the area mentioned a few times in various threads about where to buy in London.

I have been looking around the last few weekends. I have a budget of £320k and am looking for a 2/3 bed terrace house within 10 mins walk of the tube.

My thoughts are that the area east of Hoe St is nicer around Howard Rd / Church Hill Rd, this is nearer to the Conservation village. However there are not too many properties on the market.

There seems to be a lot of property for sale on roads off Forest Rd which are nearer Blackhorse Road tube. I wonder what peoples thoughts are of this area are?

I saw a nice property near Bakers Arms, but I think the areas isn't as nice and its only really served by buses.

My perception of the market is that good stuff goes quickly and often doesn't make it onto Rightmove. About 80% of the properties on Rightmove are Sold STC which sort of backs this up.

botchjob

I've piped up a few times about Walthamstow (an area after my own heart) and it sounds like you have a pretty good handle on the area. I agree about Bakers Arms as not being up to much. On your budget I'd also agree that the northern bit around Hoe Street, east or west, is the place to look. Unlike the Bakers Arms end of Hoe Street, there are visible green shoots in the northern end. There's a well rated primary school in Greenleaf Road so, if that's not going to be of interest for you any time soon, look outside the catchment area for less competition and a bit more value. I don't know the area around Blackhorse Road so can't really comment.

As for there not being much on the market, it's worth making your own efforts. We found our place in the 'stow by pounding the pavements (and google street view!), drawing up a wish list of streets, and within those streets a wish list of houses, then doing a polite hand delivered mailshot to around 100 possible houses. We got 4 replies, liked 3, offered on 2, and bought 1.

You may have seen it but The Guardian featured the 'stow last Saturday so worth looking that up. And there is also a worryingly trendy looking new estate agent about to open in Orford Road, no doubt to appeal to all those people from Stokey and Finsbury Park moving this way. I don't see E17 becoming trendy any time soon but it's a nice and underated place to live.

VfM4meplse

There is a small area west of Shernhall Street, along Addison Rd and beyond that is an oasis within an absolute dump. Yes Hoe St is thriving, but it's also filthy dirty. The Bakers Arms shouldn't even be on your horizon - although there are plenty of decent folk that live there amongst the drug addicts and the housing estates behind the Tesco near Capworth St. Maybe that's just the reality of Walthamstow and Leyton? It's described as "vibrant" and "buzzing" when in reality it's a dive. Certainly not the area you'd choose to bring kids up in if you want them to be children and not tainted by their environment.

I cannot understand the demand in that area, albeit it's usually young professional couples drawn to the area. I also realise that affordability is an issue, but IMHO I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole. Just look at what's around it! You'd get more for your money along the central line - look to Redbridge.

tm_simpson

Thanks for the tip on the guardian piece - I had missed that, here is the link
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013/jan/18/lets-move-walthamstow-north-east-london

I will have to do some investigating of places along the central line as well.

botchjob

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Certainly not the area you'd choose to bring kids up in if you want them to be children and not tainted by their environment..

One could make the same dullard point about pretty much any area of London you name to mention. There are good bits. There are not-so-good bits. It’s London, innit. Where do you live, Buckingham bleeding Palace? Name any London borough and some chippy bright spark with a belly full of bile will call it a hole cos they got burgled there once, yada, yada, yawn, yawn, zzzz.

It’s actually a very good place to bring up kids, there are some v. good primaries, has a strong sense of community, and lots of young families. Secondary schools are more challenging but, again, that’s an issue with London as a whole.

I think the comments in that Guardian link give a good sense of what people who live in E17 really think of it. The vast majority of comments are very warm.

melodramaticme

My thoughts are that the area east of Hoe St is nicer around Howard Rd / Church Hill Rd, this is nearer to the Conservation village. However there are not too many properties on the market.

There seems to be a lot of property for sale on roads off Forest Rd which are nearer Blackhorse Road tube. I wonder what peoples thoughts are of this area are?

These areas are very variable, and you really need to visit to see what suits you best. The area from Church Hill Road down towards Wood Street and Forest Road has some very nice property and you are close to many amenities including Waltham Forest College and the Town Hall. Towards Blackhorse Road Station is more industrialised, and Blackhorse Road itself has several industrial estates. Higham Hill and Priory Court have had a poor reputation in the past but may be improving now. it is a while since I have been there. Much depends on what facilities you want to have available, but most amenities are quite close at hand, including Epping Forest the edge of which is at the end of Forest Road, or can be reached by bus through Chingford or Loughton from Walthamstow Central station.

Good luck in your search:)

sinbad182

I say this everytime I see Walthamstow mentioned - Its not a nice place, and for the best part its inhabited by not very nice people.

Its good value for money and its close to underground transport links. The conservation village is ok.

However, there is a reason for its good value. Even if you lived in or near the village part, you're still surrounded on all corners by a very ropey area, and very dodgy people. If you live outside of this area you're basically in a dump. You dont get something for nothing, and Walthamstow is cheap and has a 'reputation' (to be polite) for a reason.

Panda78

Not much i can add to the good advice given, but as i've lived in E17 for over 10 years, i'll agree that the village and Church Hill Road areas are the ones you want to stick with. As well as being the nicest, they are also within 10 mins of the tube.

Upper Walthamstow is past Homebase/Wood Street area on Forest Road. Some nice bigger houses around there and slightly cheaper due to the longer walk to tube - about 15-20 mins.

There are other nice houses around the Queen's Road area (but not Markhouse Road - too busy). You could walk around that area to see what you think. It's not a pretty looking area, but close to the tube and as with anywhere in London, it's a mixed bag.

I've viewed some 2 bed terraced houses on a lower budget - £250K and they were not in great shape. I guess people have not had the money to maintain their homes. In your price range OP, you should be able to find a very nice home there. Good luck.

VfM4meplse

Panda78 wrote: »

I guess people have not had the money to maintain their homes. In your price range OP, you should be able to find a very nice home there. Good luck.

My guess is it's because they've been bought by LL and not maintained.

VfM4meplse

botchjob wrote: »

One could make the same dullard point about pretty much any area of London you name to mention. There are good bits. There are not-so-good bits. It’s London, innit. Where do you live, Buckingham bleeding Palace? Name any London borough and some chippy bright spark with a belly full of bile will call it a hole cos they got burgled there once, yada, yada, yawn, yawn, zzzz.

^^^^ A case in point, who would want their children raised in an area where people express themselves like this (and worse).

I've worked in Waltham Forest for years, and there's a good reason that a chunk of the population is transient - those who can move on to better places as soon as they can.

EmmaHerts

I lived there for a year and liked it. The only things I did not like about living in both Walthamstow and Leyton was the litter on the street.