Help finding somewhere to buy a flat in London!

[450Nick]

Hi all,

I'm currently looking around London to buy some property both to live in for now, and rent out in the future. I'm looking at about £250k limit, and ideally I'm looking for a 2 bed place so I can rent out one of the rooms to cover some of the monthly costs. The problem I'm having is deciding where to look...

I'm from Surrey, so my familiar choice is Clapham as I have friends there and it has good night life, ease of access to the city centre, and I can the price range puts 2 bed flats within reach. Other than that I'm a bit lost. I work in Holborn, so a short commute is pretty essential (I currently have a 90 minute commute and I hate it!) but I would like some good night life and a reasonable neighbourhood.

Can any of you guys offer some suggestions of places to look around the £250K mark? I've asked a few estate agents now but they seem to be pretty useless at helping me find some areas in which to look. They only seem to be good once I've given them a location!

Any help would be greatly appreciated

[alolympic]

Try Earlsfield. It's near to your friends in Clapham - literally a 2 minute train ride, leaving every few minutes. Train goes direct to Vauxhall and Waterloo so easy access to the city.
I say this, but if you can get a 2 bed place that is within this area, or anywhere within easy reach of Holborn, then I have been renting in London for 6 years in ignorance!
2 beds in a reasonable area for less than £300k won't happen in my experience.

[Timmy35]

alolympic said:

Try Earlsfield. It's near to your friends in Clapham - literally a 2 minute train ride, leaving every few minutes. Train goes direct to Vauxhall and Waterloo so easy access to the city.
I say this, but if you can get a 2 bed place that is within this area, or anywhere within easy reach of Holborn, then I have been renting in London for 6 years in ignorance!
2 beds in a reasonable area for less than £300k won't happen in my experience.

That's what I was thinking. £250k will get you a one bed flat in a decent area with good commuter links. As you say it's £300 plus for a decent sized 2 bed.

[okgo]

I imagine it will be a bit far out for you but...

Surbiton

15-20 mins from Waterloo on the train direct
5-10 mins from Clapham direct
Should be able to find an ok flat for that and the area is fairly pleasant.

[okgo]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Well if you live in the decent bit as I do its a 5 minute walk, in the morning the trains take 16-17 mins. Well I've lived in Kingston too, the trainline is woeful, but if I want to go out there I can walk there from where I live in 15 mins down the river.

I'm not saying its the best place out there, but its pleasant, got good links, train and road, and isn't that expensive. That said I'm leaving to move to Richmond but, for the money I really liked Surbiton.

[450Nick]

Thanks for the input guys, I suspected that 2 bed may be pushing it a little. Maybe I will have to look more realistically at a 1 bed and try not to get somewhere with ludicrous ground rent/council tax etc!

[okgo]

wandsworth is cheapest council tax in the land I think, so maybe Clapham would work...

[voicey]

Round Canary Wharf way you'll easily get a 2 bed for £250k. 15mins into the city on the DLR plus easy room letting to a wharf worker.

[Ungarsee]

2 words - Crystal Palace. Great pubs and restaurants and lots of independent shops. You'll easily get a 2 bed for £250k and depending on which station you're nearest you can be in London bridge or Victoria with in 20mins. Also east London line extension has just re opened which seems to have reignited interest. Lived there for 5 years and only moved away as needed somewhere more suburban (beckenham) but still go back to drink at the westow or eat at the exhibition rooms. Having lived in balham for a few years prior it's definitely got a clapham vibe to it but on a smaller scale.

The park is great as well on a nice summers day and you've also got the hill climb there in may which will hopefully become a regular event

[Ungarsee]

2 words - Crystal Palace. Great pubs and restaurants and lots of independent shops. You'll easily get a 2 bed for £250k and depending on which station you're nearest you can be in London bridge or Victoria with in 20mins. Also east London line extension has just re opened which seems to have reignited interest. Lived there for 5 years and only moved away as needed somewhere more suburban (beckenham) but still go back to drink at the westow or eat at the exhibition rooms. Having lived in balham for a few years prior it's definitely got a clapham vibe to it but on a smaller scale.

The park is great as well on a nice summers day and you've also got the hill climb there in may which will hopefully become a regular event

[Ungarsee]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Maybe 10 years ago but not now if you're near the triangle. Surrounding areas can be a bit ropey but every part if London has it's dodgy bits.

Triangle is key though as my flat was a 10 minute walk away and was considered too far out by most people viewing when we sold

[Ungarsee]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Ooh, and to quote your profile - 'don't knock it till you've tried it'

[Ungarsee]

It's got the lot!! There's also a great little antique market behind where pizza hut used to be. There's even a garden centre next to sainsburys!!!

Honestly, take some time to have a wander round the triangle on a weekend and if you still think it's a hole I'll buy you a pint (and then mug you on the way out)

[sjg]

What commuting methods do you want (or are willing to put up with)? Logical would be on the northern side of the Piccadilly line for a direct commute - I live near Finsbury Park (between there and Crouch End) and FP to Holborn is about 12 mins on the train. FP is well served with buses in all directions or if you don't mind a 10-15 minute walk to the station then that opens quite a big area. Other bonus of FP is that when there's the inevitable delays or closures on Piccadilly, you can use the Victoria line and vice versa.

Around here there are a few 2-bed £250k places for sale but you're mainly looking at ex-local authority blocks. 1 bed for that money opens up a lot more.

If you cycle/motorcycle there are quite a few nice areas that are cheaper just because they have poorer transport links.

[fido]

voicey said:

Round Canary Wharf way you'll easily get a 2 bed for £250k. 15mins into the city on the DLR plus easy room letting to a wharf worker.

True, but be prepared to suffer the Jubilee line / DLR every day .. personally i'd rather live in Surbiton and sit on the comfy fast train.
As said before, £250k isn't enough for a 2-bed in the posh bits of Clapham or Earlsfield - more like the surrounding i.e. Tooting or Colliers Wood, if you want to be near Tube.

[rlw]

FCC runs through Bromley straight in to City Thameslink in about 25 minutes. No brainer. Whether this will last or not remains to be seen but Holborn is a comfy walk from Blackfriars anyway so no problem.

And Crystal Palace is still a dump - the centre anyway - and even with the new tram/train line the commute is dire but...........you used to be able to get into Holborn Viaduct from there I think.

[bga]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

It still is a hole. I moved out of South London 6 months ago and even then it made Streatham look OK.

[angusc43]

How about Kensal Rise? (NW10). Easy commute to west end on Bakerloo Line. Lots of good local pubs/restaurants/shops. Portobello Road two miles away.

I've been there since 1997 and love it.

[Rags]

My suggestion:

My Mrs works in Holborn and just bought a flat near ealing - her theory is that anywhere on the central line is a doddle to commute. And she is right.

I live near Pimlico and it takes me just as long to get to Holborn as it does her some days.

However, I think you shouldn't always let where you work totally decide where you live.

Clapham and the surrounding areas are very vibrant these days and saturated with terraced houses within the £250k price bracket.

[Timmy35]

Rags said:

Clapham and the surrounding areas are very vibrant these days and saturated with terraced houses within the £250k price bracket.

I'm not necissarily disagreeing with you here......but are you sure about that? Terraced house at £250k? 1/ 1.5 bed flats maybe. I was looking in an estate agents window in Clapham a few days ago, and the only terraced house I could see were £300k plus in the more stty areas.