House vs. Flat - Struggling to Decide

bouicca21

I’d pick the area first, then see what was affordable and what sort of space you would get for the money.  Flats don’t necessarily come with cladding type issues, conversions have their own problems.  Look at it on a case by case basis.  But having said that I think your budget might buy a small house in a nice bit of zone 2 or 3 south of the Thames, south west as well as south east.

AdrianC

There's more to it than simple zones, of course.

I used to live in zone 7. Commuting by train from there was a damn sight easier than from where I spent student years, which was non-zoned but by distance would have been 3-4.

And, of course, it also depends on where in the centre you're going to. Sometimes, the trawl across the centre can be the slowest and worst bit.

Newnoel

My view, buy a house out Ealing / Hanwell way on the new Crossrail line:
Maps - Crossrail

Less than 40 minutes into Soho or to Canary Wharf.

House prices are likely to rise once the line opens in early 2022 

AFF8879

AdrianC said:

There's more to it than simple zones, of course.

I used to live in zone 7. Commuting by train from there was a damn sight easier than from where I spent student years, which was non-zoned but by distance would have been 3-4.

And, of course, it also depends on where in the centre you're going to. Sometimes, the trawl across the centre can be the slowest and worst bit.

Great point- I’d MUCH rather commute for 1hr each day on a nice, comfortable, air-conditioned National Rail service with seats available than do 30 minutes stood up/crammed in like sardines on a noisy, rattly, swelteringly hot tube line

AdrianC

AFF8879 said:

AdrianC said:

There's more to it than simple zones, of course.

I used to live in zone 7. Commuting by train from there was a damn sight easier than from where I spent student years, which was non-zoned but by distance would have been 3-4.

And, of course, it also depends on where in the centre you're going to. Sometimes, the trawl across the centre can be the slowest and worst bit.

Great point- I’d MUCH rather commute for 1hr each day on a nice, comfortable, air-conditioned National Rail service with seats available than do 30 minutes stood up/crammed in like sardines on a noisy, rattly, swelteringly hot tube line

Minor detail - the Zone 7 commute was tube, the 3/4 was not.

Windofchange

Do what I did a number of years back and get a motorbike. I commute 12 miles each way from the London suburbs into zone 1, and it takes 30 mins if traffic light, 40 mins if its a war zone. You don't have to worry about leaves on the line or being squashed against someone's armpit, and the petrol on my big boy bike is about £15 a week. On the 125 scooter you could do 140 miles on a fiver. Don't listen to people saying you're gonna get knocked off every day either - if you are sensible then it is a very safe way of commuting. The equivalent public transport journey for me is at least 1h15 each way, but more realistically 1h30 if I don't want to be working up a sweat jogging between stations. Allows me to have the best of both worlds - lovely large house in Greater London, but with only just over a half hour commute each way. 

If I had close to a million quid to spend on a property, there is no way I would be buying a central London flat. This isn't even related to all the cladding issues and the such. I would much rather go out slightly and get a nice big house that in essence will see me through whatever life brings in the future. There are plenty of train stations that run fast into central - anywhere North of Brighton on the Gatwick express line for instance will get you into Clapham Junction or Victoria within 30 mins, and taking your sort of money to Crawley, Haywards Heath etc will get you a large property (4/5 bedrooms) with a train service running 24 hours for your party nights. 

Ultimately I guess only you can decide what you want. At the age of 30, you aren't a 21 year old who is likely to remain clubbing and being silly for at least a decade longer. You are at that point in life where should you meet someone, marriage and kids is likely to happen pretty quick - i.e. you are ready to settle down and the biological clock is somewhat ticking. Do you want to buy a bachelor pad in Zone 2 just to have to go through the hassle of selling up and moving within a couple of years because your life has flipped upside down having met the person of your dreams? Far safer bet I would have thought to get the house now that you can grow into, but that isn't a pain to commute from. 

SaintJudy

With that budget you're definitely going to be able to get a house. I lived in Willesden Green (Zone 2 and 3) for 20 years and you could definitely get a house with that budget. You can even get a house in Highgate for that. I don't really see what the dilemma is? 

akorn77

SaintJudy said:

With that budget you're definitely going to be able to get a house. I lived in Willesden Green (Zone 2 and 3) for 20 years and you could definitely get a house with that budget. You can even get a house in Highgate for that. I don't really see what the dilemma is? 

There arent really any houses for that price in Highgate. Theres a couple for 800-850k but there on like a main road, which I dont want due to air pollution and noise. Ideally im looking to spend less. Had a browse around Finchley but again there was nothing in a good location. Quite a few near the A406 which is terrible air quality. House prices have rocketed up more than people realise...

AdrianC

If you're that worried about air quality and noise, can I suggest central London may not be the optimum location...?

(and, yes, the circulars are central)

Sunsaru

I used to live in Welwyn Garden City. 30 mins to Kings X on BR and for near on a £mill you could have your pick of houses.