Where to buy in London?

Cornucopia

As a general rule, you can tell what a London suburb will be like by how far out it is.

There are a few exceptions, but Zone 2-3 will be areas that were developed in Victorian times. Lots of terraced streets, though the houses can vary in size quite a bit. They are mostly now downmarket areas that are coming up because of property prices. They will still have a mix of social housing and private, often with large social housing estates of variable reputation.

The main exceptions (which are posher) are: Hampstead & Highgate, Islington, Docklands, Blackheath & Greenwich, Dulwich, Clapham/Battersea.

Zone 4-5 is much more typical suburbia - often built in the 1930s & 1950s. They are greener and more family-oriented. West & North London are generally more expensive than South & East.

Zone 1 is pretty much all posh, all expensive now.

Cornucopia

cupid_s wrote: »

I think we could possibly get somewhere for ~300k if we did live further out, but the mortgage on that would only be £780 a month cheaper than a 500k house closer to my work.

But commuting from there would be an extra 7k a year for us compared to somewhere in zone 3, such as Tooting or Walthamstow, so once you work out accommodation plus transport we’re only £2400 a year better off living further out. That’s not taking into account the fact that about half of the extra £780 we’d be paying each month on the mortgage would be coming off the capital so we'd get it back when we sell.

Also when we eventually want to sell and move the mini cupids out to a bigger house, we only have a house worth ~300k to sell, as opposed to a house that is worth ~500 (probably significantly more seeing as prices are rising much faster in London than outside it).

Then there’s additional issues of how we get home from central London when we’re out later than the trains run. If it’s outside the bus zone I have no idea how we’d get back because we certainly can’t afford taxis twice a week.

So in the decision between house cost and commute cost, there is no decision for us really.

It sounds as though you've done your sums pretty well. And, yes, the simple answer to getting back to Ebbsfleet after 00:30 is that you don't stay out that late.

I suspect that when you start looking into it, you'll see that there is a different lifestyle between the London Z2/3 suburbs and the home counties. Which you prefer is very much a matter of personal preference.

verulamium

Tooting is bit rough in certain parts but they have an abundance of period houses for under £500k closer to the Streatham side of Tooting. An increasing number of young people are moving there due to its proximity to trendy and now expensive Balham and Clapham. As a bonus, it is also only 15 mins away from Brixton on the Tube.

On the north side of the river, have a look at Wood Green and Turnpike Lane (zone 3). Plenty of 3 bedroom terraces for well under £500k.

Acton is said to be going places as it is probably the last not-too-expensive inner London district with a 'W' postcode. Crossrail kinda helps as well.

totallybored

I liked living in Tooting, it was probably my favourite place I've lived in London. However, I did live at the Tooting Bec end and could walk to Balham for the bars and restaurants which is a bit different from the Mitcham end! I was also in my 20s and could cope with the northern line every day for a couple of years. Where I lived has flats for 500k these days and there is no way I'd now want to do that commute.

I think how old you are, what you like to do in your free time and if you have kids will depend on which area OP. If you like going out in town and want an OK commute I'd recommend Streatham. It's only a quick bus to Brixton and the Victoria line and that would be a bearable commute for me. However, if you have kids then I probably wouldn't want to bring them up in Streatham and I'd be looking further out of London or one of the more family friendly bits of SE London like Forest Hill.

I now live in a grotty bit of South London but I have a Victorian terrace with a garden and if I go out I'm not too far from Crystal palace which has bars and restaurants. The commute is 25 minutes to Victoria and I get a seat which was fine.

Lizling

Another recommendation for Tooting

I'm on the Tooting/Streatham border and totally love it here. Both Balham and Tooting Broadway are within walking distance of Tooting Bec, but more and more often, I'm going to Tooting Broadway because a lot of new places have opened there. Best curries in London, especially in some of the canteen style places Crossrail will be arriving in Tooting Broadway eventually, too. The Common's lovely to have, and there's the lido too.

Bad points- the High Street is a nightmare to drive along and traffic can be really heavy along Trinity Road too, so be careful of ratruns. The High Street looks shabby and is quite bad for non-food shopping. Tooting Bec tube gets very busy in the mornings (but at least you can usually get on, unlike Balham and the Clapham stops.)

cupid_s

totallybored wrote: »

I think how old you are, what you like to do in your free time and if you have kids will depend on which area OP.

We are early thirties and no kids, but they are pretty much a definite for within the next 2 years or so. So somewhere with a decent primary school would be good, though we'd be happy to travel a longer distance to take them to school, especially if it was vaguely on our route to work.

Until then we will be going out quite a bit, museums, parks, bars, restaurants, plus tourist-type things as my OH hasn't really ever spent much time in London. Although I live in a lovely area at the moment, I never really go out there anyway, so the nightlife in the immediate area isn't important at all.

Halle71

Night out in Tooting:

Start with cocktails at the Little Bar
http://www.timeout.com/london/bars-pubs/little-bar

Dinner at Ricks
http://www.ricks-restaurant.co.uk/
or Tapas at Graveney and Meadow
http://graveneyandmeadow.com/

End with Dancing at the Tram
http://tootingtram.com/

Brunch the next day at our lovely local
http://www.thegorringepark.co.uk/Home.html

There are lots of 'good' (Ofsted) primary schools including the brand new, shiny Tooting Primary School and lots of things to do with young children - Tooting is rapidly becoming a fully paid up member of Nappy Valley. In the last week there has been an article in the Sunday Times about Tooting and in this week's Timeout it is mentioned as the location for the London foodie to live.

Like I mentioned, Tooting now feels like Brixton did when I left 4 years ago. It is grubby round the edges, not as clean or 'villagey' as Balham but that makes it affordable and, if you can drag yourself to the other side of the overground station, you get a lot more for your money and some lovely Edwardian properties.

Over and out from the Tooting (borders) marketing board :rotfl:

By the way, unless you go private you will not be able to travel for your kids school as catchment areas these days are about 200m! So consider carefully.

cupid_s

Halle71 wrote: »

Over and out from the Tooting (borders) marketing board :rotfl:

Do you work in sales at all?! If not maybe you should. I'm convinced anyway and will definitely check it out.

Halle71 wrote: »

By the way, unless you go private you will not be able to travel for your kids school as catchment areas these days are about 200m! So consider carefully.

I don't think we'll have problems there as we will be adopting and "looked after children" have priority over anyone else, even people living in the catchment area who already have siblings at the school. One less thing to worry about at least (though if we weren't adopting we wouldn't have to be so fussy about what we bought in the first place)

hazyjo

cupid_s wrote: »

I don't think we'll have problems there as we will be adopting and "looked after children" have priority over anyone else, even people living in the catchment area who already have siblings at the school. One less thing to worry about at least (though if we weren't adopting we wouldn't have to be so fussy about what we bought in the first place)

As an adoptee, just curious as to whether that's a new thing, or who's told you that/where you read it... can understand with fostering, but adoption? Adoptees basically take on a new identity and I certainly don't have to state that I'm adopted on passport applications, driving licence, etc. I'm now officially someone else and am considered a dependant of my parents with regards to anything legal.

Jx

cupid_s

hazyjo wrote: »

As an adoptee, just curious as to whether that's a new thing, or who's told you that/where you read it... can understand with fostering, but adoption? Adoptees basically take on a new identity and I certainly don't have to state that I'm adopted on passport applications, driving licence, etc. I'm now officially someone else and am considered a dependant of my parents with regards to anything legal.

Jx

It's definitely a new thing, only come out last year or so, and I was told by the socials workers who were assessing us for adoption. Looked after children always used to have priority, but adopted children weren't classed as looked after as soon as they were adopted. But now the law has changed and they are (as long as they used to be looked after by the council, so we obviously can't go and get a couple of kids from China and get them into whatever school we want!).