Where in London?
Discussion
For various reasons, I may be looking to get a new property soon, been living out in SW burbs for a while, and while I like it, fancy a change. But think if I'm going to do it, needs to be worthwhile.
So, things I want, period 2 bed flat, 5-600k budget, work will always be in and around Oxford Circus/Tottenham Court Road - I figure that limits things somewhat to various tube lines and I do tend to think that it makes sense to live near to a single/short tube journey to work.
Things I like, somewhere you can walk around without fear of being mobbed by yoot, somewhere with fairly easy access out south/southwest as I do a lot of cycling, and lots of the events I do are that way, Surrey/Hampshire/Kent.
I've had a look at various things, ideally i'd have another £100k for a nice 2 bedder, but should be possible with that money I suppose. Brixton looked like a fairly good option, but still a bit grotty...
Thoughts?
So, things I want, period 2 bed flat, 5-600k budget, work will always be in and around Oxford Circus/Tottenham Court Road - I figure that limits things somewhat to various tube lines and I do tend to think that it makes sense to live near to a single/short tube journey to work.
Things I like, somewhere you can walk around without fear of being mobbed by yoot, somewhere with fairly easy access out south/southwest as I do a lot of cycling, and lots of the events I do are that way, Surrey/Hampshire/Kent.
I've had a look at various things, ideally i'd have another £100k for a nice 2 bedder, but should be possible with that money I suppose. Brixton looked like a fairly good option, but still a bit grotty...
Thoughts?
s1962a said:
Clapham South / Clapham Common or Oval/Kennington should fit your bill if within budget.
Also look around Victoria/Pimlico SW1 - some nice flats there in Victorian townhouses. Again not sure if within budget.
Latter two might need more inspection, think Kennington a bit ghetto. Also look around Victoria/Pimlico SW1 - some nice flats there in Victorian townhouses. Again not sure if within budget.
Should imagine SW1 will be out of budget.
Hasn't Brixton prices already peaked from a gentrification point of view?
How about Tooting Bec, has that area peaked? I was in the covered Tooting Market a few weeks back and boy has it changed- half of it is still your local businesses, but the other half is all Franca Manca, posh chocolatiers/juices and the like. Street outside is still scruffy as hell mind.
Think grotty/visible 'urban youths'/regular sight of crazy driving to some extent will be unavoidable unless you go for a 1bed, if the street you live on itself is nice and leafy then won't annoy you so much.
How about Tooting Bec, has that area peaked? I was in the covered Tooting Market a few weeks back and boy has it changed- half of it is still your local businesses, but the other half is all Franca Manca, posh chocolatiers/juices and the like. Street outside is still scruffy as hell mind.
Think grotty/visible 'urban youths'/regular sight of crazy driving to some extent will be unavoidable unless you go for a 1bed, if the street you live on itself is nice and leafy then won't annoy you so much.
Interesting thread, because this is something that I often consider doing and because I currently live in exactly the same vicinity as the OP.
One thing that has surprised me is the relative lack of difference in flat prices between Surbiton and reasonably nice parts of central London. In areas where the price of houses is double, flats might only be 20% more.
In a way, I'd have expected this to be the other way around, given that the people moving out of London with money to Surbiton and similar suburbs are doing so purely so they can swap a flat for a house.
The other thing less surprising thing that has really stood out is that it is hard to replicate a lot of the benefits of Surbiton in more central areas. A lot of people moan about the state of the high street in Surbiton, with it's fake homeless beggars and 24hr McDonalds, but even that part is actually quite nice compared to a lot of areas.
I have found that moving a bit further in to the 'posh' suburbs like Barnes or Wimbledon Village seems like it would really improve on that element, but perhaps still doesn't really feel like living in London.
Moving in a little further than that tends to be either a bit too grotty or very nice but ridiculously expensive.
Have you thought about SE London - East Dulwich or Blackheath?
One thing that has surprised me is the relative lack of difference in flat prices between Surbiton and reasonably nice parts of central London. In areas where the price of houses is double, flats might only be 20% more.
In a way, I'd have expected this to be the other way around, given that the people moving out of London with money to Surbiton and similar suburbs are doing so purely so they can swap a flat for a house.
The other thing less surprising thing that has really stood out is that it is hard to replicate a lot of the benefits of Surbiton in more central areas. A lot of people moan about the state of the high street in Surbiton, with it's fake homeless beggars and 24hr McDonalds, but even that part is actually quite nice compared to a lot of areas.
I have found that moving a bit further in to the 'posh' suburbs like Barnes or Wimbledon Village seems like it would really improve on that element, but perhaps still doesn't really feel like living in London.
Moving in a little further than that tends to be either a bit too grotty or very nice but ridiculously expensive.
Have you thought about SE London - East Dulwich or Blackheath?
kiethton said:
Blackheath/Greenwich should be alright - alternatively somewhere like beckenham?
You'll get a 1000+ sqft for the budget near to the station and is a nice part of the world to be - little further out than the others thiugj
Beckenham is a good one, but probably not different enough from where the OP is now in terms of feel.You'll get a 1000+ sqft for the budget near to the station and is a nice part of the world to be - little further out than the others thiugj
okgo said:
Too far.
I can get to my desk half way up Great Portland Street from Surbiton in 35 mins!
That's the other part I have found hard to replicate. My commute to the city is about 40 minutes door to door and that is shorter than it would be from a lot of the places I have looked at a lot further in.I can get to my desk half way up Great Portland Street from Surbiton in 35 mins!
Get on the right tube line and it will save a lot of time though.
Maxf said:
That's what I love about it. £20 in an uber, 50 mins on a bike (on the superhighway thingy) or 10 mins to London Bridge on the overground - but feels like you're way out of town.
Yeh, get that vibe, its nice enough, potentially not different enough. Uber to me not much more and I ride a bike to work in 50 mins too when not on the train. But then I do ride quite quick.The problem is that with 500/600k you can get something nice in somewhere like Wanstead (which will be a decent sized flat or modest house) but it won't feel like you are living in town.
I've lived in town -on the kingsland road and then bow and it was great. But you get noise and light pollution, recidivist criminals living a stones throw from you, drug dealing and other low level crime incidences on a daily basis. Its almost part of the deal if you want to feel the urban edginess.
You cant afford clerkenwell or Islington or anywhere in between on that budget for a good 2 bedder.
Id either stay where you are or take a punt on a rapidly changing area undergoing gentrification. Were it me, those areas would be e11/e10/e15 or somewhere in south london like Ladywell/brockley/catford or streatham
I've lived in town -on the kingsland road and then bow and it was great. But you get noise and light pollution, recidivist criminals living a stones throw from you, drug dealing and other low level crime incidences on a daily basis. Its almost part of the deal if you want to feel the urban edginess.
You cant afford clerkenwell or Islington or anywhere in between on that budget for a good 2 bedder.
Id either stay where you are or take a punt on a rapidly changing area undergoing gentrification. Were it me, those areas would be e11/e10/e15 or somewhere in south london like Ladywell/brockley/catford or streatham
kiethton said:
Blackheath/Greenwich should be alright - alternatively somewhere like beckenham?
You'll get a 1000+ sqft for the budget near to the station and is a nice part of the world to be - little further out than the others thiugj
1000sqft is tiny. You'll get a 1000+ sqft for the budget near to the station and is a nice part of the world to be - little further out than the others thiugj
You really need to be looking at upwards of 2,300sqft
Welshbeef said:
Maxf said:
Welshbeef said:
1000sqft is tiny.
You really need to be looking at upwards of 2,300sqft
For £5-600k? I think Birmingham is a bit too far from town You really need to be looking at upwards of 2,300sqft
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