SE London/North Kent - Where To Buy?

MaiTai

I am potentially looking to relocate to SE London/North Kent area in the not too distant future but am becoming increasingly perplexed on areas to pinpoint my search as I know very little about the area.

I have a very healthy budget for the area and am looking for a detached property (ideally a true bungalow) within a 3/5 mile radius of Sidcup inside the M25.

I am planning to spend a couple of weeks in the area over Easter but would be grateful for any suggestions on the good,the bad and ugly areas for me to both to explore and avoid.

Many thanks

DullGreyGuy

What do you count as a "very healthy budget"?

What other factors are you considering? Rooms, ground, type of location?

Greenwich is within 5 miles of Sidcup and is a really nice area but the cheapest detached property is £1.25m some friends are selling their home in that area and is currently asking £2.65m. Are these the types of budgets you consider healthy? Would you rather be closer to the center or further out from London?

MaiTai

Thanks

I am looking primarily at detached true bungalows and can afford anything currently listed on Rightmove for the area but am struggling to find anything half decent as I loathe the 1930’s styles that seem to predominate.However I wouldn’t completely rule out a detached house in the perfect location.

Ideally I would need 3/4 decent sized bedrooms the largest of which must be ensuite.I would also need a dedicated office space.I prefer an open plan living area with the addition of a separate snug/sitting room for evening use.Decent size plot not overlooked but I am not a gardener! 

I’m not a fan of London so proximity to the capital isn’t a factor.I currently live in a large village with an array of independent shops,coffee shops and cafe bars and would want to replicate this if at all possible.

ReadingTim

Not sure why you're looking to relocate to an area you clearly know nothing about, but anyway.... there are currently 216 bungalows listed on rightmove within a 5 mile radius of Sidcup, so it's not going to take that long to look through them all, and that's with no filter for budget - depending on what yours is, that list may reduce.  

Adding detached houses into the mix brings it up to 667 properties, but 200 of those are £1m+ and 36 over £2m.  

Given the better the area = the higher the price, I suggest you put in both an upper and lower amount into rightmove's filters - perhaps with the lower amount being 50-60% of the upper amount, and see what you like the look of.  If you keep noticing the same area coming up on multiple listings, that's probably the place to concentrate your search on.  

Tiglet2

Chislehurst is very desirable and not far from Sidcup.

diystarter7

ReadingTim said:

Not sure why you're looking to relocate to an area you clearly know nothing about, but anyway.... there are currently 216 bungalows listed on rightmove within a 5 mile radius of Sidcup, so it's not going to take that long to look through them all, and that's with no filter for budget - depending on what yours is, that list may reduce.  

Adding detached houses into the mix brings it up to 667 properties, but 200 of those are £1m+ and 36 over £2m.  

Given the better the area = the higher the price, I suggest you put in both an upper and lower amount into rightmove's filters - perhaps with the lower amount being 50-60% of the upper amount, and see what you like the look of.  If you keep noticing the same area coming up on multiple listings, that's probably the place to concentrate your search on.  

Hi
The highlighted bit, I was thinking like that but everyone is different.
Nicer parts of any town will cost a lot more than the average or run down parts.
Then consider if public traonsport/bus train is important as well as wrok, shops etc.
Google search etc, narrow down to two roads/properties and visit
Thnaks

MaiTai

For the nosier ones amongst you I am considering the move to be closer to my son and his family following the unexpected deaths of both my husband and daughter within weeks of each other earlier this year.

However they have only recently relocated back to the U.K. and are still very much finding their own feet in a new area.

Have been trawling Rightmove for the past few weeks and the lack of desirable bungalows is a little bit tragic unless you’re feeling the 1930’s vibes! Hopefully things will pick up as Spring approaches!

Tiglet2

Sorry for your losses MaiTai.  I have also lost a husband and a son, though many years ago now so can completely empathise.  Good luck finding the ideal bungalow, I have also been looking for a bungalow with similar requirements to yours and they are very difficult to find!

EssexHebridean

Oh MaiTai that's very sad - I'm sorry for your losses. I should imagine a fresh start somewhere new would be precisely the thing, as tough as I assume it will be to leave your current home.

Don't underestimate how far M25 noise will travel, but also bear in mind that leaves on trees in summer will block a surprising amount of it out. Also give thought to how areas you are looking at will be affected when there are problems on the M25 - Dartford for example can get gridlocked when there is an issue with the tunnel. Chiselhurst as already said is nice, Orpington has some nicer bits, and Belvedere is a bit more "London" but also very pleasant indeed. 

Something that may be worth pondering - the Elizabeth line and the High speed rail link have made travel from a little further afield into the area you are looking at far easier and faster in recent years - so it may be feasible to spread your net a little wider than you were thinking? (As a trade off places around the areas served by those have also seen an increase in prices as I understand it, however it sounds as though you are working with a fairly generous budget so that may not be an issue).

baser999

Tried Tatsfield? Or Keston, Farnborough perhaps. Would give you the rural setting you’re probably used to, with easy access to Bromley, main line rail links and the M25.
You say you’re moving to be nearer family, which area are they in?

MaiTai

baser999 said:

Tried Tatsfield? Or Keston, Farnborough perhaps. Would give you the rural setting you’re probably used to, with easy access to Bromley, main line rail links and the M25.
You say you’re moving to be nearer family, which area are they in?

I suspect these places may be a little further afield than I wanted as I want to be close to my son and his family to be on hand for Nanna duties when required!

They are currently renting in Sidcup and are looking to buy somewhere within my search area.I very much doubt they will stray further as the children are happy and settled in their new school.