Buying in South-East or South London

Miranda25

Hi Guys,
I currently live in Bromley and hoping to start flat hunting soon. Ideally looking for a flat in Bromley area but prices are too high here. That's why I decided to look wider but need to consider a safety of the area too. Could you help me please to identify the areas which are nicer and safer out of the following:
-Bromley
-Orpington
-Sidcup
-Swanley
-Bexley
-Bexleyheath
-Dartford
-Eltham
-Erith
-Beckenham
-Croydon
-Sutton
-Mitcham
-Purley
-Coulsdon
You can just rank them starting with the best ones :-)) Or just comment if it is easier. I am not looking for any schools. Just flats with affordable prices and nice transport links and within safe areas! Something nice like Bromley :-)) Ideally within M25 as I will use help-to-buy scheme. Many thanks for your help.

zagubov

Where do you need to travel to?
How far do you want to travel to for entertainment.
You're not giving us much to go on.
Croydon's massive, got good transport links including to both main airports, massive variation in housing sizes and costs, crime rates.
Coulsdon's more small town villagey, reasonably good links to London, not much to do of an evening, less crime
Purley's in between, better links more to do at night.
Sutton's got good links, lots of shops, express bus to Heathrow.

Miranda25

I am working in Central London but it may change.
Entertainment, night life are not really important. What is more important is safety as I am running almost every day in area where I live. 

happy_2008

What is your budget? Some of the areas you listed above are much cheaper than others.

Miranda25

Currently £260k but it may change by the end of the year.

Miranda25

I find out that Swanley has affordable flats. Then I googled a safety position there and was not happy what I read. Also the information which I will find on google can be old and not relevant. That's why I decided to create this thread:-))

hazyjo

It can take up to an hour to cross London at busy times. Plus, do you really want a long tube journey, possibly one with changes?

My best advice - find out where you'll be working, then decide.

I've lived in Eltham before and felt perfectly safe. But there are areas/ roads there too avoid - same as probably all you listed.

We need to know budget too.

Bexley is nice. Love Beckenham, but it may be too 'London' for you.

I would also suggest waiting until all this covid malarkey is over, and spending a night or two in each area that ends up on your shortlist in an Airbnb. Have honest chats with the owners. It really helped me. I found out things I'd maybe not have gleaned from Internet groups or my own research such as which roads were used as cut throughs, etc.

Personally I'd eliminate Dartford and Erith from your list.

Miranda25

hazyjo said:

It can take up to an hour to cross London at busy times. Plus, do you really want a long tube journey, possibly one with changes?

My best advice - find out where you'll be working, then decide.

I've lived in Eltham before and felt perfectly safe. But there are areas/ roads there too avoid - same as probably all you listed.

We need to know budget too.

Bexley is nice. Love Beckenham, but it may be too 'London' for you.

I would also suggest waiting until all this covid malarkey is over, and spending a night or two in each area that ends up on your shortlist in an Airbnb. Have honest chats with the owners. It really helped me. I found out things I'd maybe not have gleaned from Internet groups or my own research such as which roads were used as cut throughs, etc.

Personally I'd eliminate Dartford and Erith from your list.

Thank you. Honestly, I never could understand how people know which roads are safe and which roads to avoid within the same area. 
Budget is £260k right now but it might change by the end of the year. I need to look at new properties as I am going to use help-to-buy scheme.

hazyjo

Make sure they're not incredibly overpriced if using HtB (often the case). Compare against what you could afford without it too.

bouicca21

I’d add Penge to your list. But even so I don’t think £260k will go far. Also you need to think about which terminus in central London is best for your commute.  Picking somewhere near the right line makes a huge difference to a commute - unless you are planning on cycling in, which as I have discovered during lockdown, is easier than it sounds.

As for ‘safe’, well much depends on perception.  I once lived in Catford which some people think is unsafe, but I liked it and never had a problem  I have also lived in parts of Eltham, which is pretty bland and which most  people think is definitely safe, but I got mugged outside the Greenwich uni campus.  You literally need to go and wander the streets at different times to get a feel for how you relate to the area.

The_Earl_of_Streatham

May I suggest adding Streatham to the list. Three stations, lots of buses. I have it on good authority, too, that since lockdown the feudal overlord hasn't invoked his right of droit de seigneur even once.