First time buyer in London: Tooting/Mitcham v South Norwood?

WagathaChristie

Hi all, looking at buying a 2-3-bed house in south London, as makes sense for my work commute (office in Westminster and need to be in 3-4 days a week).

In terms of areas, I have in mind South Norwood and the Mitcham end of Tooting (area around Tooting station), as they both have good transport links and are in budget. What do you think of them as potential areas to consider?

I visited S Norwood for the first time last week and liked it as an area and it’s got good transport links. I’ve got a viewing coming up in Mitcham/Tooting next week, so plan to visit it properly then, but have already been once before to visit a friend who lived there, and thought it seemed okay.

Both seem to be a mix of up and coming and gentrified - perhaps S Norwood more gentrified? Both have green spaces fairly nearby (S Norwood country park and Tooting has Mitcham common and Tooting Bec a good walk/bus ride away). Tooting seems to have better transport links as it’s not too far from Colliers Wood tube, and it’s also more central than SN, as it’s in zone 3 rather than zone 4.

The other thing to consider is S Norwood has the Crystal Palace stadium in it, which I think is quite cool as I love football and I think it’s good for the area to have it, but I’m wondering what it would be like to live around there on match days? Would it get very noisy and crowded? Thanks!

pretamang

my first house was in Mitcham, very close to Tooting. Loved it and was sad to leave (had to move out of London as the family grew bigger).

Tooting High Street and the market has so much going on, so being within walking distance of that is a great location. Mitchem itself seems to show some signs of regeneration and had some hidden gems too. Tooting and Mitcham FC is a great non-league club to go and watch. Mitcham Eastfields station is also a good option on a separate line straight into central London.

Selling/buying tip:
When we sold I looked for a local estate agent and told them what price I wanted for the house, they literally laughed at me and said no chance. I went with Foxtons instead who were based in Tooting, higher fees but they bring buyers from Tooting/Clapham/Streatham etc. and within weeks found a buyer offering a price very close to asking. Seems that whilst you can be very close to Tooting (Wandsworth borough), some will consider the postcode CR4 (Mitcham borough) a big factor - we were only a few streets away from being in SW. So do have a look at local agents where they might be pricing houses close to Tooting in the Mitcham bracket.

bouicca21

A friend lives in S Norwood, not too far from Selhurst Park and tells me that he always knows when Palace have scored a goal. It does get a lot of traffic on match days, but some of the roads near Selhurst Park are for residential traffic only.  

I’ve never quite made up my mind about the area, it’s definitely marmite.  I hate Portland Road, but once away from there the streets are quiet and pleasant. Transport connections are great, there are some lovely properties and lots of green space.

Martico

Next home game for Palace is on Sunday, 2pm. Why not spend the afternoon in the area, see what you think?

WagathaChristie

Thanks all! Really appreciate your thoughts. I’ll be heading to Tooting/Mitcham on Sat to do some viewings then and will be in S Norwood on Sunday to see what it’s like on a match day. If you have any other thoughts or advice, please do pop it here. Thanks again! 

WagathaChristie

Just out of interest, what do you think of these 2 houses (both near Tooting station)? I’m going to view both this week.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/156240512

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/156954842

I prefer the second one by miles, personally (mainly as it’s a bit cheaper than the first much and in much better condition, so I could potentially move in straightaway without needing to do any immediate work). The only downside is it is small (843 ft). However, it would initially be just for me to live in, to start with, and there is potential to extend up and out, so I think I could easily make it into a bigger house (e.g. at least 1,500 sq ft, I reckon). The estate agent says a couple of offers have already been made on it.

WagathaChristie

Would also appreciate your views on this house in Mitcham as well please - https://oaksestateagents.com/property/fernlea-road-mitcham-london/

moneysaver1978

WagathaChristie said:

Just out of interest, what do you think of these 2 houses (both near Tooting station)? I’m going to view both this week.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/156240512

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/156954842

I prefer the second one by miles, personally (mainly as it’s a bit cheaper than the first much and in much better condition, so I could potentially move in straightaway without needing to do any immediate work). The only downside is it is small (843 ft). However, it would initially be just for me to live in, to start with, and there is potential to extend up and out, so I think I could easily make it into a bigger house (e.g. at least 1,500 sq ft, I reckon). The estate agent says a couple of offers have already been made on it.

How's your DIY or do you have contacts in the building trade? The first house looks like it has damp issues so a big no from me, personally.

When viewing a house that you like, try visiting the street at different times (e.g. evening so you can see how busy the road is), and also visit a local pub to see what people in the area are like. Perhaps strike up a convo with them as you get far more interesting and useful info than from the estate agents!

Albermarle

WagathaChristie said:

Would also appreciate your views on this house in Mitcham as well please - https://oaksestateagents.com/property/fernlea-road-mitcham-london/

I prefer this one.

Of the other two, the first one obviously has had some kind of water burst. It is the same price as the second one, but nearly 40% bigger so must be some serious issues with it.
The second one has an odd appearance externally, but OK inside.
The third one has a similar floor space to the second but £75K cheaper, perhaps because it is a terrace.

WagathaChristie

Thanks Albermarle! 

In terms of my preference between the two areas, I think South Norwood is still definitely a possibility, but I think Tooting is a more convenient location overall.

I currently work in St James’ Park/Westminster, but that may change, and whilst both areas are convenient for that sort of commute, Tooting/Mitcham is more central and closer to more transport options.

I also love going into central London and want to do that as easily as possible, as I love going to theatres/concerts/restaurants in Soho/Southbank, and I’m leaning towards Mitcham as an area rather than S Norwood. And I also like the idea of potentially getting the bus home from central London - either for the whole journey or for part of the way - which I think would be possible if I lived in Mitcham but not in S Norwood.

Also, I hate to ask, as it makes me sound awful, but out of S Norwood and Mitcham, which one generally has more potential for further development and gentrification? I think that’s an important thing to bear in mind, and I’ve heard some people say Mitcham has less potential than SN (although I know this is very subjective), but keen to hear your thoughts. I just want to keep an eye on the future and how buying in these areas might work out as a future investment, to help me move further up the property ladder as and when needed. 

Thanks!

Albermarle

I lived in the area nearly 40 years ago, so have no idea about current gentrification etc. 
I was only commenting generally on the actual properties.