To people who know/live in Surbiton.

Penelopa.Pitstop

I have the question for people who live or know Surbiton area.
I consider buying a house in the council/ex-council area on Hobill Walk. Is it safe area? I'm not sure whether houses and flats are still council or ex-council. Are there any know problems? Vandalism, nasty neighbours etc?
I went there on Saturday evening to checks for any party or teenagers walking/partying etc. It was quiet and peaceful.
Here's the example property in the area - http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-8058756.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy

This is the only area I can afford a house in Surbiton. In past I lived in mansion house and then in apartment with roof terrace and I really dream about garden now.
The alternative is a flat in Surbiton Park Hill or somewhere near the station but then after few years I will have to move again to my dream house. Not sure is it moneywise to change properties every few years.

I've read a lot about council estates and areas and I don't know what to expect really. I'm foreigner, currently renting a flat on Richmond Hill, never knew anyone living in such area, never visited any council estate, and never had any dealings with nasty neighbours. I would prefer to live in safe area so I'm not afraid to walk from station to home in the evenings/late night.

What do you think about it? Any advice welcome.

Penelopa.Pitstop

No one knows Surbiton?
I just viewed few houses and I'm interested in one on Smith Street. However still trying to learn something more about the area.

beerhunter

I don't know the area that well, but I'd say (from the few times I've been through the area) generally it seems safe although not the nicest. You might get some better local information at http://www.surbiton.com/forums

MandyMcG

Have you looked at upmystreet.com?

jyonda

I grew up in Surbiton. You will be fine buying in these locations, the council properties in Surbiton would mostly have been bought and sold on to people like you who want to be close to Surbiton station. Just don't pay a fortune for it in the current climate. At a reasonable price it will be a sound buy but if they want top dollar for it then go elsewhere.

Penelopa.Pitstop

Thanks Jyonda,
I was looking for that kind of information. I checked all websites I could, but they are mostly about Surbiton or Berrylands in general. Nothing about ex-council properties.

I checked checkmyfile.com for information about particular post code, checked the prices of sold properties etc. I even checked insurance for my car and compared the cost to my current location and few other post codes in Surbiton.

Houses have reasonable prices for the area and I plan to use current situation on the market to my advantage.

jyonda

Have you thought about other areas? You will get more house for your money in Worcester Park, Stoneleigh or even Morden. The benefit of Morden is that it's on the Northern line, cheaper and if you buy in the Morden Park area it's actually quite nice. Surbiton is definitely not what it once was. 15 years ago it had an almost villagey atmosphere with a mainline station into London but not anymore. There's been rampant housing development in the area and the high street now has lots more pubs, a Starbucks, a big Waitrose and much less charm. The local facilities aren't great, there's no real leisure centre to speak of like New Malden and it's way too crowded. I don't live there anymore.

Generali

That bit around Surbiton station used to be ok if memory serves (it's been a while).

There used to be a pretty good pub nr there (George and Dragon?).

Sounds like it wasn't what it used to be though. HPI is ruining the South East IMO.

kingston1_2

The area around the 'Alpha Estate' is one of the worst in Surbiton, but not too bad in absolute terms. I have lived in Kingston/Surbiton for many years, and have never heard of any real problems there.

It is quite convenient for the back entrance to the station, and you will really get a lot more for your money than in the rest of town.

As you have probably noticed, prices in Surbiton vary massively on the exact location. You can buy a 3 bed semi on King Charles Road for £400k, or pay £750k for an almost identical house on one of the roads by the river.

Penelopa.Pitstop

Thanks for giving the name of the estate. I couldn't find it anywhere and didn't know how to find more information about it. Now I can do proper research :-)

kingston1_2

jyonda wrote: »

Have you thought about other areas? You will get more house for your money in Worcester Park, Stoneleigh or even Morden. The benefit of Morden is that it's on the Northern line, cheaper and if you buy in the Morden Park area it's actually quite nice. Surbiton is definitely not what it once was. 15 years ago it had an almost villagey atmosphere with a mainline station into London but not anymore. There's been rampant housing development in the area and the high street now has lots more pubs, a Starbucks, a big Waitrose and much less charm. The local facilities aren't great, there's no real leisure centre to speak of like New Malden and it's way too crowded. I don't live there anymore.

I have lived in the Surbiton area for 10 years and I think it has actually improved in relative terms, especially in comparison to the areas you mention. What you have got to remember is that the whole of the UK is not what it was 10-15 years ago.

The High Street (Victoria Road) has always been a bit scruffy, primarily because of the close proximity to Kingston making it very much a 'B' shopping location. A lot of the developments have actually improved this. Starbucks may not be ideal, but it is better than an empty shopfront or charity shop. The Surbiton Plaza development will tidy up the whole area around the old Post Office.

The really nice part of Surbiton is the Maple Road area. It is only one 'block' off the town centre, but retains a reasonably villagey feel. Some nice bars and restaurants have sprung up, fuelled by all of the younger people buying property in the surrounding roads as they are priced out of Clapham and Wimbledon. In a strange way, this seems to have actually improved Surbiton as an area.

You get what you pay for to a certain extent. It is only really the central part of Surbiton that commands high prices. As you move down towards Tolworth it is little more expensive than places like Worcester Park

The proximity to the river, parks and short walk to Kingston centre will ensure that central Surbiton remains a popular choice, but for families there are better value locations as you mention. The lack of leisure centre is less likely to be a problem for most as gym provision is good locally.