Need Advice on Areas

Alan2020

We are looking at moving and our house is on the market. Basically we need a reasonable location that gives a good commuting time and a nice area.

I am working at Medway and the Wife needs to get to Neasden (North London). She will use trains/tube and I can either drive or take the train to Chatham.

Areas we have looked at include, Bromley (bromley south station), Greenwich (North Greenwich or Cutty Sark).

Ideally freehold property, driveway or garage, 2 bedrooms minimum, and our one way commute not exceeding 1.5 hours at most. Budget around 500K mark. Are we missing out on potential areas? Any advice will be great :beer::j
Many thanks

elverson

Orpington would be an easier commute to Neasden (one change at London Bridge or Waterloo East) than Bromley South.

hazyjo

Always quite liked Bexley, parts of Eltham/New Eltham are okay. Nicer areas of Blackheath, Greenwich and Westcombe Park are out of budget.


There was this which might be of interest but you won't get parking http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-61217362.html


Jx

Alan2020

Thanks, I am now going to explore the areas. Is tunnel avenue in North Greenwich any good?

elverson

The Blackwall Tunnel Approach Road is right behind the back gardens. Very congested so traffic noise and air pollution all day.

pineneedles

Tunnel Avenue is pretty horrible. We looked at some flats around there but my conclusion was I wouldn't want to live too close to either side of Tunnel Approach, too noisy and polluted and overall grim.

Hither Green, Lee and Catford all will have some nice streets within budget but most houses are terraces and don't have off-street parking or a garage. You have a better chance of that a little further out. Have never lived in Bromley myself but my impression is you do get more space for your money there.

elverson

Alternatively in the Kent direction, Gravesend or Ebbsfleet would give both of you a shorter overall commute, if your wife is happy to fork out for a High Speed season ticket.

AlexMac

HJ is right,

hazyjo wrote: »

... Nicer areas of Blackheath, Greenwich and Westcombe Park are out of budget...
Jx

as are the people who say that tunnel avenue is a bit grimy and polluted ... that area of the Thames flood plain used to be an industrial wasteland, and is still rather less desirable than areas just up the hill, (listed below) despite the "Greenwich Millenium Village" (which was built on formerly contaminated land which has been thoroughly cleasned and landscaped, but which is still a bit lego-like and soul-less) ...

...but given that you have correctly homed in on the ease of the commute from North Greenwich to Neasden on the Jubilee line (one of the few tubelines with aircon!) then you are right to look at places which are an easy bus link to N.Greenwich.

Which is a wide catchment, as after they built the O2/Millenium Dome, the staiton became a bus transport hub, with lots of routes converging on it, and good fast bus lanes the last couple of miles to avoid the congestion approaching the Blackwall tunnel.

If you do a map search on Zoopla, etc for "houses" in SE London then hover over those within 3 miles or so of the station, in SE3 (Blackheath & Kidbrooke), SE7 (Charlton), SE10 (Greenwich), or even bits of SE12 & 13 (Lee and Lewisham) and SE18 (Woolwich/ Plumstead- although that's pushing the commute) you'll find a suprising number of options; especially if you're not snobby about ex-council properties (there are many decent post-war cottage estates locally of 3-bed semis; many with off street parking).

OK, as HJ says, you wont get the posh bits of SE3 (Blackheath), so you'll be the "wrong " side of the A2 Rochester Way relief road, in Kidbrooke, but the overpriced "Kidbrooke Village" Berl=kly Homes development is changing that image.

The areas I mention are also mostly in London transport Zone 3 to cut the commute cost to around a grand a year, and many of them are near lovely parks and open spaces, many within a (stiff) walk to Blackheath, its Village and Greenwich Park, and close to good road links to the M25- I live in SE3 and can drive to France or Cambridge in less time than it takes to get to Heathrow!

Alan2020

Wow a lot of information :T Many many thanks, I will start exploring these options and may post a link to property to garner views

Alan2020

Any views on these please?
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-66886679.html

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-61032961.html

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-67563608.html

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-61104052.html

Many thanks

SuboJvR

My only thought would be that if you are moving further in toward London, I would focus your commute on the train, unless you work 'non standard' hours. Trying to drive out will be horrendous as you will hit the congestion that affects the A2, M25 and surrounding roads due to Dartford crossing.