Tychen Posted May 2, 2022 Share Posted May 2, 2022 After a few years in Sydney, we need to make a decision about whether to move back to London. I'm looking for ideas about where to live - which would help to contextualise other aspects like housing, atmosphere, schools etc. When we left London we were living very centrally with one baby. Now we would be leaving with two young kids, so will need to tick very different boxes! The essential things we are looking for are. reasonable commute both to the City (eg Liverpool Street/Moorgate stations) and to Westminster (eg Victoria/Charing Cross stations) good schools (state or independent) low street crime (still traumatised by the moped phone snatchers in Islington) If it is possible to get a detached house or large terrace for sub £2 million, that would be excellent. Any ideas will be appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted May 2, 2022 Share Posted May 2, 2022 1 hour ago, Tychen said: After a few years in Sydney, we need to make a decision about whether to move back to London. I'm looking for ideas about where to live - which would help to contextualise other aspects like housing, atmosphere, schools etc. When we left London we were living very centrally with one baby. Now we would be leaving with two young kids, so will need to tick very different boxes! The essential things we are looking for are. reasonable commute both to the City (eg Liverpool Street/Moorgate stations) and to Westminster (eg Victoria/Charing Cross stations) good schools (state or independent) low street crime (still traumatised by the moped phone snatchers in Islington) If it is possible to get a detached house or large terrace for sub £2 million, that would be excellent. Any ideas will be appreciated! Not quite on the Liverpool St/Westminster lines but my son and his wife have a very nice house in Kingston on Thames for well less than that. Train to Waterloo - quick link then to the City and not too far to Westminster (my son loved to cycle that route, took him about 45 minutes through Richmond Park, my daughter in law gets the train also to Westminster), Trains seem to be OK and reasonably regular. Norbiton is the next suburb in and it seems pretty nice too. Schools seem to be very good if my grandson's school is anything to go by. May not be the side of town you are thinking of but if you dont mind half an hour on the train it's not too bad. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIG85 Posted May 3, 2022 Share Posted May 3, 2022 (edited) If you're looking somewhere closer to town than Kingston or Norbiton, then maybe look at somewhere like Battersea, which is close to Clapham Junction which has trains to both Victoria (for Westminster) and Waterloo (for the City via the W&C line). Should (just about) be able to get a terrace there for sub GBP2m. If there are moped phone snatchers in Islington then there could be moped phone snatchers anywhere in London tbh. Edited May 3, 2022 by DIG85 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tychen Posted May 4, 2022 Author Share Posted May 4, 2022 On 02/05/2022 at 16:05, Quoll said: Not quite on the Liverpool St/Westminster lines but my son and his wife have a very nice house in Kingston on Thames for well less than that. Train to Waterloo - quick link then to the City and not too far to Westminster (my son loved to cycle that route, took him about 45 minutes through Richmond Park, my daughter in law gets the train also to Westminster), Trains seem to be OK and reasonably regular. Norbiton is the next suburb in and it seems pretty nice too. Schools seem to be very good if my grandson's school is anything to go by. May not be the side of town you are thinking of but if you dont mind half an hour on the train it's not too bad. Thank you - those sound like great options, will look into them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tychen Posted May 4, 2022 Author Share Posted May 4, 2022 23 hours ago, DIG85 said: If you're looking somewhere closer to town than Kingston or Norbiton, then maybe look at somewhere like Battersea, which is close to Clapham Junction which has trains to both Victoria (for Westminster) and Waterloo (for the City via the W&C line). Should (just about) be able to get a terrace there for sub GBP2m. If there are moped phone snatchers in Islington then there could be moped phone snatchers anywhere in London tbh. Ah thanks for the idea. Hadn't thought about that part of town, but yes there are lovely parts of Battersea, will look into it. There was a news report (this would have been around 2018) that Islington and Camden were by far the top boroughs for phone snatchers. Will need to check whether that's changed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemesis Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 49 minutes ago, Tychen said: Ah thanks for the idea. Hadn't thought about that part of town, but yes there are lovely parts of Battersea, will look into it. There was a news report (this would have been around 2018) that Islington and Camden were by far the top boroughs for phone snatchers. Will need to check whether that's changed... I have many friends in Islington and Camden. Prior to COVID I used t go back there for a couple of weeks once or twice a year. I have never come across anyone who fell prey to mobile snatchers, not anyone who knows anyone! Its a crime that can (and does) happen anywhere in the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tychen Posted May 4, 2022 Author Share Posted May 4, 2022 1 hour ago, Nemesis said: I have many friends in Islington and Camden. Prior to COVID I used t go back there for a couple of weeks once or twice a year. I have never come across anyone who fell prey to mobile snatchers, not anyone who knows anyone! Its a crime that can (and does) happen anywhere in the world. Perhaps your friends have a better sense of self preservation than my circle, I don't know. It happened to me once, and I've seen it happen several times. Worst in the more central parts of Islington and Camden close to the City I think. It is (or at least, was) a much worse problem at least in those parts than say, in Sydney, where people seem to just pull out their phones on street corners without any fear of a moped mounting the kerb and snatching it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliG Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 2 hours ago, Tychen said: After a few years in Sydney, we need to make a decision about whether to move back to London. I'm looking for ideas about where to live - which would help to contextualise other aspects like housing, atmosphere, schools etc. When we left London we were living very centrally with one baby. Now we would be leaving with two young kids, so will need to tick very different boxes! The essential things we are looking for are. reasonable commute both to the City (eg Liverpool Street/Moorgate stations) and to Westminster (eg Victoria/Charing Cross stations) good schools (state or independent) low street crime (still traumatised by the moped phone snatchers in Islington) If it is possible to get a detached house or large terrace for sub £2 million, that would be excellent. Any ideas will be appreciated! Hi, Im currently in London planning a move to Aus, but have considered relocating within London at various points in my life. Here are a few things to think about: 1. STAMP DUTY - This is relevant given the size of your budget: They changed how UK stamp duty is structured a few years back - it is now particularly steep on expensive homes. Its tapered but the rate goes up to 12% for the bit above £1.5million, so £2m works out at over £150k. Also, I think im right in saying that you'd have to add 3% if you kept your Aus property (as your UK property would be classed as a 2nd home). Stamp duty calculator here: https://www.gov.uk/stamp-duty-land-tax/residential-property-rates 2. COMMUTE - 'reasonable commute' can mean different things to different people... - Do you want inner city hustle and bustle, outer ring leafy suburbs, or a commuter belt country retreat? - Lots of recent rail upgrades: 'Crossrail' is about to open to the public within this month or so running east to west. Thameslink has recently been upgraded for north/south link (incl Brighton). The 'Overground' is a big section or inner city rail taken over by the mayor and running with frequent metro style services... - Train fare rises are linked to inflation so long (distance) commutes can be pretty steep. You can get to Ashford (60 miles from London) in 37 mins but you'll pay for it. - Cycling becoming much more popular - some parts have much better infrastructure than others... 3. SCHOOLS - Im generalising but these days its actually hard to find an area of london without a good primary school - but catchments can be quite small which might matter if you have your heart set on a specific school. Secondary schools much more variance in quality. Private schools are more frequent in the other suburbs but there are still plenty closer in. Grammar schools are in high demand but only certain boroughs have them: https://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/choosing-a-school/grammar-schools/local-authorities 4. CRIME - Crime map here: https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/london-crime-map-shows-londons-19654472 but I'd take the crime stats with a pinch of salt. With a healthy budget you'll probably buy somewhere reasonably affluent and crime stats will probably relatively low. The exception are busy inner city places (like islington) where you can get a bit more street crime - but its still pretty rare: eg Westminster is Londons most 'dangerous' borough but it also one of the most affluent and I've never felt unsafe... 5. BUILDING WORKS - I don't know how long it will last, but post pandemic and Brexit builders costs and wait times have gone sky high. Perhaps something to bear in mind if you might have fancied a dooer-upper. It can still be done but it might take longer and be less profitable than it once was. Good luck! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted May 5, 2022 Share Posted May 5, 2022 8 hours ago, AliG said: Hi, Im currently in London planning a move to Aus, but have considered relocating within London at various points in my life. Here are a few things to think about: 1. STAMP DUTY - This is relevant given the size of your budget: They changed how UK stamp duty is structured a few years back - it is now particularly steep on expensive homes. Its tapered but the rate goes up to 12% for the bit above £1.5million, so £2m works out at over £150k. Also, I think im right in saying that you'd have to add 3% if you kept your Aus property (as your UK property would be classed as a 2nd home). Stamp duty calculator here: https://www.gov.uk/stamp-duty-land-tax/residential-property-rates 2. COMMUTE - 'reasonable commute' can mean different things to different people... - Do you want inner city hustle and bustle, outer ring leafy suburbs, or a commuter belt country retreat? - Lots of recent rail upgrades: 'Crossrail' is about to open to the public within this month or so running east to west. Thameslink has recently been upgraded for north/south link (incl Brighton). The 'Overground' is a big section or inner city rail taken over by the mayor and running with frequent metro style services... - Train fare rises are linked to inflation so long (distance) commutes can be pretty steep. You can get to Ashford (60 miles from London) in 37 mins but you'll pay for it. - Cycling becoming much more popular - some parts have much better infrastructure than others... 3. SCHOOLS - Im generalising but these days its actually hard to find an area of london without a good primary school - but catchments can be quite small which might matter if you have your heart set on a specific school. Secondary schools much more variance in quality. Private schools are more frequent in the other suburbs but there are still plenty closer in. Grammar schools are in high demand but only certain boroughs have them: https://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/choosing-a-school/grammar-schools/local-authorities 4. CRIME - Crime map here: https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/london-crime-map-shows-londons-19654472 but I'd take the crime stats with a pinch of salt. With a healthy budget you'll probably buy somewhere reasonably affluent and crime stats will probably relatively low. The exception are busy inner city places (like islington) where you can get a bit more street crime - but its still pretty rare: eg Westminster is Londons most 'dangerous' borough but it also one of the most affluent and I've never felt unsafe... 5. BUILDING WORKS - I don't know how long it will last, but post pandemic and Brexit builders costs and wait times have gone sky high. Perhaps something to bear in mind if you might have fancied a dooer-upper. It can still be done but it might take longer and be less profitable than it once was. Good luck! Reference your last point, my son’s planned extension, he lives in Bristol, has doubled in cost from last years estimate. Having to seriously reconsider how much they now have done. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tychen Posted May 11, 2022 Author Share Posted May 11, 2022 On 05/05/2022 at 04:30, AliG said: Hi, Im currently in London planning a move to Aus, but have considered relocating within London at various points in my life. Here are a few things to think about: 1. STAMP DUTY - This is relevant given the size of your budget: They changed how UK stamp duty is structured a few years back - it is now particularly steep on expensive homes. Its tapered but the rate goes up to 12% for the bit above £1.5million, so £2m works out at over £150k. Also, I think im right in saying that you'd have to add 3% if you kept your Aus property (as your UK property would be classed as a 2nd home). Stamp duty calculator here: https://www.gov.uk/stamp-duty-land-tax/residential-property-rates 2. COMMUTE - 'reasonable commute' can mean different things to different people... - Do you want inner city hustle and bustle, outer ring leafy suburbs, or a commuter belt country retreat? - Lots of recent rail upgrades: 'Crossrail' is about to open to the public within this month or so running east to west. Thameslink has recently been upgraded for north/south link (incl Brighton). The 'Overground' is a big section or inner city rail taken over by the mayor and running with frequent metro style services... - Train fare rises are linked to inflation so long (distance) commutes can be pretty steep. You can get to Ashford (60 miles from London) in 37 mins but you'll pay for it. - Cycling becoming much more popular - some parts have much better infrastructure than others... 3. SCHOOLS - Im generalising but these days its actually hard to find an area of london without a good primary school - but catchments can be quite small which might matter if you have your heart set on a specific school. Secondary schools much more variance in quality. Private schools are more frequent in the other suburbs but there are still plenty closer in. Grammar schools are in high demand but only certain boroughs have them: https://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/choosing-a-school/grammar-schools/local-authorities 4. CRIME - Crime map here: https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/london-crime-map-shows-londons-19654472 but I'd take the crime stats with a pinch of salt. With a healthy budget you'll probably buy somewhere reasonably affluent and crime stats will probably relatively low. The exception are busy inner city places (like islington) where you can get a bit more street crime - but its still pretty rare: eg Westminster is Londons most 'dangerous' borough but it also one of the most affluent and I've never felt unsafe... 5. BUILDING WORKS - I don't know how long it will last, but post pandemic and Brexit builders costs and wait times have gone sky high. Perhaps something to bear in mind if you might have fancied a dooer-upper. It can still be done but it might take longer and be less profitable than it once was. Good luck! Thank you, those are great tips. The stamp duty is ridiculous, it's essentially throwing a whole mortgage deposit in the water (although in the equivalent price range it's also ridiculous in Australia...) May I ask if you ever considered any particular areas in the "outer ring" or "commuter belt" categories? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted May 11, 2022 Share Posted May 11, 2022 My sister-in-law and husband have just moved from Hertford to Cheshunt. There are regular trains from there into London which takes about 40 mins. In 2019 Cheshunt was named the best place for London commuters to live. It has a lovely 1000 acre park and competitive property prices. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip1 Posted May 11, 2022 Share Posted May 11, 2022 2 hours ago, Toots said: My sister-in-law and husband have just moved from Hertford to Cheshunt. There are regular trains from there into London which takes about 40 mins. In 2019 Cheshunt was named the best place for London commuters to live. It has a lovely 1000 acre park and competitive property prices. Cheshunt is a very nice place. I’ve never been keen on Hertford so I think they’ve made a good move. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted May 11, 2022 Share Posted May 11, 2022 1 hour ago, Tulip1 said: Cheshunt is a very nice place. I’ve never been keen on Hertford so I think they’ve made a good move. I like Hertford. The in-laws lived in a small, very old house on the river. Some lovely pubs and places to eat in the town. When my sister lived in London, I used to bounce between her place in Putney and the in-laws in Hertford. Next visit I can go to sister in Edinburgh and the in-laws in Cheshunt. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip1 Posted May 11, 2022 Share Posted May 11, 2022 5 hours ago, Toots said: I like Hertford. The in-laws lived in a small, very old house on the river. Some lovely pubs and places to eat in the town. When my sister lived in London, I used to bounce between her place in Putney and the in-laws in Hertford. Next visit I can go to sister in Edinburgh and the in-laws in Cheshunt. Yes it does have some nice pubs etc. I certainly don’t think it’s a horrible place, just somewhere I’m not too keen on, I don’t really know why. I had a friend many years ago that moved to Cheshunt and it is a very nice place. Enjoy your next visit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Flu Posted May 15, 2022 Share Posted May 15, 2022 Eastham comes to mind as in cheaper in London terms, but not great, outside of good commuting. They are building quite a bit there, so perhaps some of the edges are less pronounced than in the past? The ground scene may have improved as well. Just a thought. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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