Where house prices are still rising and easy to commute to London?

zagubov

You might have more luck in South London as there may be less competitive pressure on moving there. The tube maps make SW London seem tiny and SE London almost non-existent.

Locals who are more familiar with rail maps know that there's plenty of good places available.

Living amongst professionals is perfectly easy to do in London. There are areas that are dodgy and if you suggest them, the anonymous posters on this forum will probably warn you of them quite quickly.

Miranda25

Tiglet2 said:

Miranda25 said:

RelievedSheff said:

Miranda25 said:

Leigh-on-Sea and Southend-on-Sea are neighboors. What makes Leigh-on-Sea much better? (I am just curious).

Budget today £280k. It can be £300k in one year time.

I have another dilemma which I did not consider before:
I did not realize that transport infrastructure does not develop outside of London.
Today had chat with a colleague at work and realized that I need to drive if I want to live somewhere outside of London.

I am confused now what to do (as I am not sure how quickly can pass exams and have driving license).

I think you need to have a sit down and figure out what is actually important to you when/if you move. You seem to be worrying about too much at once and not coming up with any clear aims and goals.

It certainly isn't true that you have to drive if you want to live outside of London. Plenty of people don't drive outside of London and go about their day to day business perfectly happily. 

Public transport can be very hit and miss and varies wildly from area to area. Something to definitely consider but it doesn't mean that you have to have driving lessons straight away.

Your budget isn't huge for the areas that you are looking at, so you are going to have to make compromises somewhere.

Yes you are right 100%.

I cannot make my mind whether I need to go with:

- flat in London (and all facilities around) but I scare that it would be unsellable in the future due to those ground rent issues (and new law on ground rent introduced just recently so plenty of flats in the UK will be affected by it)
- small houses in areas close to London or even in Greater London but houses are not really nice and I would need to make refurbishments which again I am not after as I prefer to spend my money on holidays and seeing the world 
- better houses but location will be further from London, eg. Ashford, Folkestone, Milton Keynes, Haywards Heath, Eastbourne.... 
- continue to rent (but it is silly to rent for many years if I can buy?)

Thank you.

OP, I think you need:

     To live in London
     Easy Access to the London tube/train/bus network
     Easy commute to London Bridge, i.e. SE London, S London, Kent, Surrey.

So, in order to get the above, you should look at flats, not houses, as your budget won't be enough for a freehold house in these areas.

If you buy a new build flat with a new lease, there will be no ground rent. The first phase of the promised leasehold reform to abolish ground rents for newly built properties came into force in June 2022. This has outlawed the charging of ground rent on new leases – so good news for anyone buying a new build. 

However, new build flats don't usually increase much in value in the first few years, so consider how long you intend to live there.

Yes I thought about it and almost bought a flat in Bexleyheath (new build). 
But people keep telling me that it is not worse to buy new build and they fall in value quickly (as let's say in one year time it would be already not a new build)

Another thing - I would like to have a place with a garden, for example:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137635475#/?channel=RES_BUY

Would this be better than a flat?

Regarding a price (outside of my budget):

As with all negotiations, when you are making an offer on a house, start low. A good rule of thumb though is to offer 5% to 10% lower than the asking price.

Tiglet2

Miranda25 said:

Tiglet2 said:

Miranda25 said:

RelievedSheff said:

Miranda25 said:

Leigh-on-Sea and Southend-on-Sea are neighboors. What makes Leigh-on-Sea much better? (I am just curious).

Budget today £280k. It can be £300k in one year time.

I have another dilemma which I did not consider before:
I did not realize that transport infrastructure does not develop outside of London.
Today had chat with a colleague at work and realized that I need to drive if I want to live somewhere outside of London.

I am confused now what to do (as I am not sure how quickly can pass exams and have driving license).

I think you need to have a sit down and figure out what is actually important to you when/if you move. You seem to be worrying about too much at once and not coming up with any clear aims and goals.

It certainly isn't true that you have to drive if you want to live outside of London. Plenty of people don't drive outside of London and go about their day to day business perfectly happily. 

Public transport can be very hit and miss and varies wildly from area to area. Something to definitely consider but it doesn't mean that you have to have driving lessons straight away.

Your budget isn't huge for the areas that you are looking at, so you are going to have to make compromises somewhere.

Yes you are right 100%.

I cannot make my mind whether I need to go with:

- flat in London (and all facilities around) but I scare that it would be unsellable in the future due to those ground rent issues (and new law on ground rent introduced just recently so plenty of flats in the UK will be affected by it)
- small houses in areas close to London or even in Greater London but houses are not really nice and I would need to make refurbishments which again I am not after as I prefer to spend my money on holidays and seeing the world 
- better houses but location will be further from London, eg. Ashford, Folkestone, Milton Keynes, Haywards Heath, Eastbourne.... 
- continue to rent (but it is silly to rent for many years if I can buy?)

Thank you.

OP, I think you need:

     To live in London
     Easy Access to the London tube/train/bus network
     Easy commute to London Bridge, i.e. SE London, S London, Kent, Surrey.

So, in order to get the above, you should look at flats, not houses, as your budget won't be enough for a freehold house in these areas.

If you buy a new build flat with a new lease, there will be no ground rent. The first phase of the promised leasehold reform to abolish ground rents for newly built properties came into force in June 2022. This has outlawed the charging of ground rent on new leases – so good news for anyone buying a new build. 

However, new build flats don't usually increase much in value in the first few years, so consider how long you intend to live there.

Yes I thought about it and almost bought a flat in Bexleyheath (new build). 
But people keep telling me that it is not worse to buy new build and they fall in value quickly (as let's say in one year time it would be already not a new build)

Another thing - I would like to have a place with a garden, for example:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137635475#/?channel=RES_BUY

Would this be better than a flat?

Regarding a price (outside of my budget):

As with all negotiations, when you are making an offer on a house, start low. A good rule of thumb though is to offer 5% to 10% lower than the asking price.

That house does look very nice, but I wonder if the garden may not be peaceful as it backs on to an A road.  There is an M&S nearby, but as far as I could see, no Waitrose.  There is a Tesco and a Lidl.  Byfleet station looks to be quite a long walk.  

It looks as though the house has only just been advertised, so probably no bargain reductions to begin with.  Yes, I think this would be better than a flat, but sometimes it is important to decide whether the location is more important than the size of the property.

Miranda25

Tiglet2 said:

Miranda25 said:

Tiglet2 said:

Miranda25 said:

RelievedSheff said:

Miranda25 said:

Leigh-on-Sea and Southend-on-Sea are neighboors. What makes Leigh-on-Sea much better? (I am just curious).

Budget today £280k. It can be £300k in one year time.

I have another dilemma which I did not consider before:
I did not realize that transport infrastructure does not develop outside of London.
Today had chat with a colleague at work and realized that I need to drive if I want to live somewhere outside of London.

I am confused now what to do (as I am not sure how quickly can pass exams and have driving license).

I think you need to have a sit down and figure out what is actually important to you when/if you move. You seem to be worrying about too much at once and not coming up with any clear aims and goals.

It certainly isn't true that you have to drive if you want to live outside of London. Plenty of people don't drive outside of London and go about their day to day business perfectly happily. 

Public transport can be very hit and miss and varies wildly from area to area. Something to definitely consider but it doesn't mean that you have to have driving lessons straight away.

Your budget isn't huge for the areas that you are looking at, so you are going to have to make compromises somewhere.

Yes you are right 100%.

I cannot make my mind whether I need to go with:

- flat in London (and all facilities around) but I scare that it would be unsellable in the future due to those ground rent issues (and new law on ground rent introduced just recently so plenty of flats in the UK will be affected by it)
- small houses in areas close to London or even in Greater London but houses are not really nice and I would need to make refurbishments which again I am not after as I prefer to spend my money on holidays and seeing the world 
- better houses but location will be further from London, eg. Ashford, Folkestone, Milton Keynes, Haywards Heath, Eastbourne.... 
- continue to rent (but it is silly to rent for many years if I can buy?)

Thank you.

OP, I think you need:

     To live in London
     Easy Access to the London tube/train/bus network
     Easy commute to London Bridge, i.e. SE London, S London, Kent, Surrey.

So, in order to get the above, you should look at flats, not houses, as your budget won't be enough for a freehold house in these areas.

If you buy a new build flat with a new lease, there will be no ground rent. The first phase of the promised leasehold reform to abolish ground rents for newly built properties came into force in June 2022. This has outlawed the charging of ground rent on new leases – so good news for anyone buying a new build. 

However, new build flats don't usually increase much in value in the first few years, so consider how long you intend to live there.

Yes I thought about it and almost bought a flat in Bexleyheath (new build). 
But people keep telling me that it is not worse to buy new build and they fall in value quickly (as let's say in one year time it would be already not a new build)

Another thing - I would like to have a place with a garden, for example:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137635475#/?channel=RES_BUY

Would this be better than a flat?

Regarding a price (outside of my budget):

As with all negotiations, when you are making an offer on a house, start low. A good rule of thumb though is to offer 5% to 10% lower than the asking price.

That house does look very nice, but I wonder if the garden may not be peaceful as it backs on to an A road.  There is an M&S nearby, but as far as I could see, no Waitrose.  There is a Tesco and a Lidl.  Byfleet station looks to be quite a long walk.  

It looks as though the house has only just been advertised, so probably no bargain reductions to begin with.  Yes, I think this would be better than a flat, but sometimes it is important to decide whether the location is more important than the size of the property.

How station can be a long walk if it is 0.6 mile please? I am confused. What distance considered to be not a long walk?

I think you are right about sound from the road.

Tiglet2

Miranda25 said:

Tiglet2 said:

Miranda25 said:

Tiglet2 said:

Miranda25 said:

RelievedSheff said:

Miranda25 said:

Leigh-on-Sea and Southend-on-Sea are neighboors. What makes Leigh-on-Sea much better? (I am just curious).

Budget today £280k. It can be £300k in one year time.

I have another dilemma which I did not consider before:
I did not realize that transport infrastructure does not develop outside of London.
Today had chat with a colleague at work and realized that I need to drive if I want to live somewhere outside of London.

I am confused now what to do (as I am not sure how quickly can pass exams and have driving license).

I think you need to have a sit down and figure out what is actually important to you when/if you move. You seem to be worrying about too much at once and not coming up with any clear aims and goals.

It certainly isn't true that you have to drive if you want to live outside of London. Plenty of people don't drive outside of London and go about their day to day business perfectly happily. 

Public transport can be very hit and miss and varies wildly from area to area. Something to definitely consider but it doesn't mean that you have to have driving lessons straight away.

Your budget isn't huge for the areas that you are looking at, so you are going to have to make compromises somewhere.

Yes you are right 100%.

I cannot make my mind whether I need to go with:

- flat in London (and all facilities around) but I scare that it would be unsellable in the future due to those ground rent issues (and new law on ground rent introduced just recently so plenty of flats in the UK will be affected by it)
- small houses in areas close to London or even in Greater London but houses are not really nice and I would need to make refurbishments which again I am not after as I prefer to spend my money on holidays and seeing the world 
- better houses but location will be further from London, eg. Ashford, Folkestone, Milton Keynes, Haywards Heath, Eastbourne.... 
- continue to rent (but it is silly to rent for many years if I can buy?)

Thank you.

OP, I think you need:

     To live in London
     Easy Access to the London tube/train/bus network
     Easy commute to London Bridge, i.e. SE London, S London, Kent, Surrey.

So, in order to get the above, you should look at flats, not houses, as your budget won't be enough for a freehold house in these areas.

If you buy a new build flat with a new lease, there will be no ground rent. The first phase of the promised leasehold reform to abolish ground rents for newly built properties came into force in June 2022. This has outlawed the charging of ground rent on new leases – so good news for anyone buying a new build. 

However, new build flats don't usually increase much in value in the first few years, so consider how long you intend to live there.

Yes I thought about it and almost bought a flat in Bexleyheath (new build). 
But people keep telling me that it is not worse to buy new build and they fall in value quickly (as let's say in one year time it would be already not a new build)

Another thing - I would like to have a place with a garden, for example:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137635475#/?channel=RES_BUY

Would this be better than a flat?

Regarding a price (outside of my budget):

As with all negotiations, when you are making an offer on a house, start low. A good rule of thumb though is to offer 5% to 10% lower than the asking price.

That house does look very nice, but I wonder if the garden may not be peaceful as it backs on to an A road.  There is an M&S nearby, but as far as I could see, no Waitrose.  There is a Tesco and a Lidl.  Byfleet station looks to be quite a long walk.  

It looks as though the house has only just been advertised, so probably no bargain reductions to begin with.  Yes, I think this would be better than a flat, but sometimes it is important to decide whether the location is more important than the size of the property.

How station can be a long walk if it is 0.6 mile please? I am confused. What distance considered to be not a long walk?

Oh, sorry missed that.  Not a long walk, though the measurement will probably be as the crow flies.  Maybe go and view.

MultiFuelBurner

Miranda25 said:

Tiglet2 said:

Miranda25 said:

RelievedSheff said:

Miranda25 said:

Leigh-on-Sea and Southend-on-Sea are neighboors. What makes Leigh-on-Sea much better? (I am just curious).

Budget today £280k. It can be £300k in one year time.

I have another dilemma which I did not consider before:
I did not realize that transport infrastructure does not develop outside of London.
Today had chat with a colleague at work and realized that I need to drive if I want to live somewhere outside of London.

I am confused now what to do (as I am not sure how quickly can pass exams and have driving license).

I think you need to have a sit down and figure out what is actually important to you when/if you move. You seem to be worrying about too much at once and not coming up with any clear aims and goals.

It certainly isn't true that you have to drive if you want to live outside of London. Plenty of people don't drive outside of London and go about their day to day business perfectly happily. 

Public transport can be very hit and miss and varies wildly from area to area. Something to definitely consider but it doesn't mean that you have to have driving lessons straight away.

Your budget isn't huge for the areas that you are looking at, so you are going to have to make compromises somewhere.

Yes you are right 100%.

I cannot make my mind whether I need to go with:

- flat in London (and all facilities around) but I scare that it would be unsellable in the future due to those ground rent issues (and new law on ground rent introduced just recently so plenty of flats in the UK will be affected by it)
- small houses in areas close to London or even in Greater London but houses are not really nice and I would need to make refurbishments which again I am not after as I prefer to spend my money on holidays and seeing the world 
- better houses but location will be further from London, eg. Ashford, Folkestone, Milton Keynes, Haywards Heath, Eastbourne.... 
- continue to rent (but it is silly to rent for many years if I can buy?)

Thank you.

OP, I think you need:

     To live in London
     Easy Access to the London tube/train/bus network
     Easy commute to London Bridge, i.e. SE London, S London, Kent, Surrey.

So, in order to get the above, you should look at flats, not houses, as your budget won't be enough for a freehold house in these areas.

If you buy a new build flat with a new lease, there will be no ground rent. The first phase of the promised leasehold reform to abolish ground rents for newly built properties came into force in June 2022. This has outlawed the charging of ground rent on new leases – so good news for anyone buying a new build. 

However, new build flats don't usually increase much in value in the first few years, so consider how long you intend to live there.

Yes I thought about it and almost bought a flat in Bexleyheath (new build). 
But people keep telling me that it is not worse to buy new build and they fall in value quickly (as let's say in one year time it would be already not a new build)

Another thing - I would like to have a place with a garden, for example:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137635475#/?channel=RES_BUY

Would this be better than a flat?

Regarding a price (outside of my budget):

As with all negotiations, when you are making an offer on a house, start low. A good rule of thumb though is to offer 5% to 10% lower than the asking price.

If the property had been for sale for a number of months then yes an offer below at 5-10% to get the ball rolling would be good..10% £30k discount on this property may though offend the sellers. But if you aren't bothered and can find suitable properties easily then that doesn't matter.

You have to do your research of the area fully and if you really want a house then pay the full asking if you do. You won't get a "deal" everyone you buy but if that is your motivation spread your net wide and offer on multiple houses well under asking and see what you catch.

Sg28

subjecttocontract said:

The title suggests that the OP wants an easy commute to London. I find it hard to believe that a journey from North Essex to London could be described as easy.

Chelmsford is 37 minutes to Liverpool street.

Noneforit999

2childmum2 said:

If you need to commute make sure you check the cost. We were looking at moving out of SE London to Tonbridge as we thought it might be cheaper but the money we would have saved on the mortgage was swallowed up by the cost of the commute.
We looked at varying distances and it was the same wherever we looked. We decided to stay put and have a shorter commute and the convenience of all the amenities we have nearby.

This is a good point also, especially if you have to travel into London 5 days a week and also need to get the tube on top as part of this.

If I had to get a season ticket plus a tube pass, I would be looking at close to £7k a year

Tiglet2

Sg28 said:

subjecttocontract said:

The title suggests that the OP wants an easy commute to London. I find it hard to believe that a journey from North Essex to London could be described as easy.

Chelmsford is 37 minutes to Liverpool street.

Yes, that's true, but OP currently lives in the Beckenham area and commutes to Waterloo/London Bridge area, so I don't think Chelmsford is the right compromise for OP.

hazyjo

Miranda25 said:

hazyjo said:

Miranda25 said:

Leigh-on-Sea and Southend-on-Sea are neighboors. What makes Leigh-on-Sea much better? (I am just curious).

Budget today £280k. It can be £300k in one year time.

I have another dilemma which I did not consider before:
I did not realize that transport infrastructure does not develop outside of London.
Today had chat with a colleague at work and realized that I need to drive if I want to live somewhere outside of London.

I am confused now what to do (as I am not sure how quickly can pass exams and have driving license).

Unfortunately Leigh's well out of budget. I'd stick to Tunbridge Wells (where I've previously considered) if you can get a small house there. Or consider a flat in a small block or conversion. I started off with 2 flats, nothing wrong with that.

I only use my car to head to the swimming pool or to see family. I take the train or walk everywhere else. EVERYTHING is on my doorstep (even the pool - I just don't like coming out 'cold/wet/looking a sight' while walking home!).

https://www.essexlive.news/whats-on/upmarket-seaside-town-thats-full-8177890

Leigh is not out of budget:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/135670082#/?channel=RES_BUY

Tunbridge Wells is not out of budget too:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137598986#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137307251#/?channel=RES_BUY

Regarding flat - do you think I should not scare all the issues with ground rent which can make the flat unsellable in the future (when I need to sell it)?
I cannot do attachments on forum, otherwise I would attach what I mean.

I did see that, but figured it was too far from the station if you also had another 20 odd mins' walk the other side. I'd also be trying to get south of London Road. It is fairly near Waitrose though!