Commutable Towns and Cities close to London

Windofchange

spoovy said:

I moved away from a one bed flat in South Croydon last year after living there for six years.  The southern areas are not too bad in themselves, but the problem is central Croydon, the influence of which is slowly creeping south.

If you get a flat with a parking space and basically never go anywhere other than in your car then maybe it would be ok, but don't even think about popping into town -- central croydon (which includes East and West Croydon stations) has become really quite frightening over the last few years with the spiralling amount of violent crime.  I'm from a rough part of Birmingham so I don't frighten easily, but it seriously got to the point where I felt like I needed eyes in the back of my head every time I went out.

Shoplifting has got to the point where people just walk in, fill their bags and run out, battering any security guard that tries to stop them.  Stabbings were weekly news.  Apartment blocks see forced entries and randoms roaming the corridors or sleeping in the lobby (this at a friend of ours who still lives there and is desperate to leave -- he also witnessed a stabbing while putting the bins out). There was even an actual sword fight between rival drug gangs right in the town centre last year, in the middle of the day while people were shopping.

A really quick google shows Croydon as a borough being 16th out of 32 in London for crime:

https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/most-dangerous-boroughs-live-london-16767639

Who in London hasn't got a story about witnessing shoplifting or a violent assault? I lived in Fulham for a while and saw some bloke getting his moped taken off him at machete point. I've lived in Putney and had my motorbike stolen twice alongside witnessing a violent fight in the street outside with about 50 people. I lived in South Wimbledon for 6 months and someone attempted to mug me in my first week before there was a shooting outside my house a month later. Sure, in the 25 years I lived in Croydon I have seen shoplifting and a mugging. What in essence you are saying is that there are shoplifters in a town centre, and some knife crime. Where is the news there? I currently live just outside of Croydon and never feel unsafe or otherwise when walking around the area. I don't feel protective of the area at all, and readily acknowledge there are some really shady bits, but to suggest the whole place is giant crack den is a bit far fetched. As I said originally, avoid the area around Croydon hospital and down to broad green and you get some lovely places to live. South Croydon has been regenerated with the restaurant quarter, and has some lovely flats and houses, particularly as you head out towards Whitgift school. East Croydon has a young trendy vibe growing with the box park and the new build flats. Towards where I am in Addiscombe, Shirley and Lloyd park it is very green and quiet. No problems at all, and both myself and the other half walk about at night on our own without a care in the world. 

I think Croydon is one of those places like Bromley - an outer London Town centre that has become a bit run down and neglected over the years, and has a bit of a who'd want to live there reputation with no real reason. Unless the OP comes back and furnishes us with an idea of what their budget is, the whole thread is pointless anyway, but if he's talking 200k or less then short of an enormous crash in prices, he won't find anything he wants to buy in or around London. A friend of mine just brought in Mitcham which is another area with a bit of a reputation, and it took her a 50k gift from her parents alongside a 40k a year job to squeak onto the ladder with a flat that needs a lot of work doing to it. Unless the OP is earning banker money, they have a bit of a shock coming when it comes to seriously considering buying, especially if it will take another 2 - 3 years for them to save the 30k deposit in which time who knows where prices will be. Before crashy and graphs jump in with a -50% estimation as a minimum - you don't have a crystal ball anymore than I do....

Crashy_Time

Windofchange said:

spoovy said:

I moved away from a one bed flat in South Croydon last year after living there for six years.  The southern areas are not too bad in themselves, but the problem is central Croydon, the influence of which is slowly creeping south.

If you get a flat with a parking space and basically never go anywhere other than in your car then maybe it would be ok, but don't even think about popping into town -- central croydon (which includes East and West Croydon stations) has become really quite frightening over the last few years with the spiralling amount of violent crime.  I'm from a rough part of Birmingham so I don't frighten easily, but it seriously got to the point where I felt like I needed eyes in the back of my head every time I went out.

Shoplifting has got to the point where people just walk in, fill their bags and run out, battering any security guard that tries to stop them.  Stabbings were weekly news.  Apartment blocks see forced entries and randoms roaming the corridors or sleeping in the lobby (this at a friend of ours who still lives there and is desperate to leave -- he also witnessed a stabbing while putting the bins out). There was even an actual sword fight between rival drug gangs right in the town centre last year, in the middle of the day while people were shopping.

A really quick google shows Croydon as a borough being 16th out of 32 in London for crime:

https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/most-dangerous-boroughs-live-london-16767639

Who in London hasn't got a story about witnessing shoplifting or a violent assault? I lived in Fulham for a while and saw some bloke getting his moped taken off him at machete point. I've lived in Putney and had my motorbike stolen twice alongside witnessing a violent fight in the street outside with about 50 people. I lived in South Wimbledon for 6 months and someone attempted to mug me in my first week before there was a shooting outside my house a month later. Sure, in the 25 years I lived in Croydon I have seen shoplifting and a mugging. What in essence you are saying is that there are shoplifters in a town centre, and some knife crime. Where is the news there? I currently live just outside of Croydon and never feel unsafe or otherwise when walking around the area. I don't feel protective of the area at all, and readily acknowledge there are some really shady bits, but to suggest the whole place is giant crack den is a bit far fetched. As I said originally, avoid the area around Croydon hospital and down to broad green and you get some lovely places to live. South Croydon has been regenerated with the restaurant quarter, and has some lovely flats and houses, particularly as you head out towards Whitgift school. East Croydon has a young trendy vibe growing with the box park and the new build flats. Towards where I am in Addiscombe, Shirley and Lloyd park it is very green and quiet. No problems at all, and both myself and the other half walk about at night on our own without a care in the world. 

I think Croydon is one of those places like Bromley - an outer London Town centre that has become a bit run down and neglected over the years, and has a bit of a who'd want to live there reputation with no real reason. Unless the OP comes back and furnishes us with an idea of what their budget is, the whole thread is pointless anyway, but if he's talking 200k or less then short of an enormous crash in prices, he won't find anything he wants to buy in or around London. A friend of mine just brought in Mitcham which is another area with a bit of a reputation, and it took her a 50k gift from her parents alongside a 40k a year job to squeak onto the ladder with a flat that needs a lot of work doing to it. Unless the OP is earning banker money, they have a bit of a shock coming when it comes to seriously considering buying, especially if it will take another 2 - 3 years for them to save the 30k deposit in which time who knows where prices will be. Before crashy and graphs jump in with a -50% estimation as a minimum - you don't have a crystal ball anymore than I do....

I think the London market was creaking anyway, before this emergency, might be few less bankers around as well after this plays out so I think the level London was at previously isn`t necessarily a guide to the future.
When you say "attempted to mug" do you mean that you showed them the error of their ways? I`ve got a vision of you sneaking out in a coat with the collar up and a black commando hat, Charles Bronson style....

lisyloo

numbercruncher8 said:

The person lived there for 6 years.... I think you're putting words into their mouth when they said its awful...they actually said nothing of the sort. South Croydon is not Central Croydon. People living in Addiscombe or Purley would have the same problem, and they are regarded as nice places. I know the area really well, and they are right about the other areas of Croydon. But living in that place you don't have to go there at all if you don't want to. 

But the fact is about London that many good parts are not far away from many bad parts. For example, I grew up in East London. There are some fashionable bits of Leytonstone and Walthamstow, and there are some very bad parts where I wouldn't feel safe at night. But I wouldn't let the bad parts rule out a move totally to these areas, it depends.

I too would regard myself pretty street-safe, and in terms of safety living in the place mentioned - a 0.1m trek from the station here is much safer than living 0.5m from a 'better' station, especially at night.  

I am not saying its perfect, but the budget is a massive limitation, that is fact. Writing something off when you have not been there is the type of snobbishness I was talking about.

It isn't going to be for everyone, but that's the compromise people take. Other places are nicer but in terms of commute to work there isn't going to be much cheaper. Fact is, if they had a bigger budget, I would have posted something different, and I already said staying put may be the best option. London isn't for everyone. 

I don’t have to put words into anyone’s mouth, posters can see what was written.
i agree that writing something off because of reputation is premature, but if it’s especially cheap and someone gives first hand experience of it not being safe then I would write it off as I don’t believe there are decent places close to a station for £200k without a reason.
there are compromises and there are red linee.
ive tried to explain many times what that means so for example most people would not tolerate a high violent crime rate.

lisyloo

Crashy_Time said:

lisyloo said:

I’m not one of those people who believes “well move then” is a good response for 10 million commuters, but in this situation and as already mentioned it is worth considering if there is a better life outside of London. Sometimes the answer is no (prices are correlated with the availability of jobs and salary levels) but it’s worth asking that question.

Prices are correlated with the availability/price of credit and sentiment, sentiment at the banks and also with the public, and at the moment all these factors are being tested. Best bet for anyone thinking of buying just now is to sit back and see what happens, what have they got to lose?

This person is not looking at buying now, there are miles off.
they are just looking for reasonable areas.
they have disappeared - I’m guessing because they are miles off affording anything reasonable.
i agree with you that for most people it’s not a good time to buy to buy a residence, but for investors with cash there’s always a good price.

Consecca

Not disappeared folks! But will fill out that budget calculater that @Emmia kindly linked me too.  Seems like that will be a key detail in getting more fine tuned realistic options for me back.  Will post back with the results, but I'm already anticipating that my budget will be no more than £200,000 and less given the feedback I have read so far, but I always knew that London and anything closer to London than where I am now was going to be way out of my league.

Consecca

The results are in!  Please see attached @Emmia
Not sure what to make of all those numbers to be honest or how I should be analysying them?

bucksbloke

@Consecca
You won't get a bedsit in a nice area of Kent or Essex for £200k

sharp910sh

£200k will not get you much at all tbh in the areas you are looking at.

GDB2222

Rightmove has 4700+ listings within 40 miles of LUTON for 2+ bedrooms priced at  £180-220k.

hazyjo

Forget all I mentioned. Definitely not in budget.

Agree with sharp910sh unfortunately.

In your shoes, I'd buy in Gravesend. I think it has an awful lot of potential.