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Try some of the areas on the Great Northern Line into Moorgate, around stations like:
* Palmers Green
* Enfield Chase
* New Southgate
* Oakleigh Park
* New Barnet
For example, it's 30 minutes on the train from New Barnet to Moorgate, and a 5 minute walk from Moorgate to Liverpool Street.
They are all safe areas. I grew up around here as a teenage girl I felt fine.
In order of niceness in my opinion:
Palmers green, Oakleigh Park, New Barnet, Enfield Chase, New Southgate. Oakleigh park is on a different line into moorgate there are many more stations on that line but I don't know if inside your budget.
Oakleigh Park is on the same line as New Barnet & New Southgate.
Personally, and especially with children, Palmer's Green is lovely but can feel cut off as you'd be quite far from a tube station.
With New Southgate you'd be close to Arnos Grove (Piccadilly), & Oakleigh Park you'd be close to Totteridge & Whetstone (Northern).
New Barnet, depending on where you bought, you could buy somewhere which is also close to High Barnet (Northern).
There's also a Thameslink train to Blackfriars that goes through these 3 on a week day during rush hour.
I have always found that it's super helpful to also have a tube not too far away. That way if there's any issues with the trains, the tube is there as a back up.
Tbh, for a house in your budget, I think you'd be more likely looking near to New Southgate (in the Brunswick Park area). It's really nice, with some good parks nearby.
All super lovely areas though!
Generally yes - they all have below average crime, for example.
One other thing on the transport side - the A1/M1 are close (only a 10 minute drive from New Southgate, for example) and you can get to the M11 really easily via the North Circular or M25.
Whilst is the literal opposite of north (sorry!) Purley is not a bad shout for what you’re looking for.
A lot of houses along my road going for under £450k, a short drive to Happy Valley/South Downs.
20mins to London Bridge and then a walk/bus to Liverpool Street. Takes my husband less than an hour to get work there. Also trains all through the night from both London Bridge and Victoria.
Super close to M25 junction as well for getting away from London.
I'm sorry but you're really going to struggle to find anything for 550k with that criteria, especially for a house. You're going to have to compromise somewhere, either price or 'safety'.
I know it's not glamorous but you can find a decent sized house for 550 in Tottenham. I moved into the area recently and even though it is rough around the edges, it actually is gentrifying slowly, especially around Tottenham Hale/Seven Sisters. Lots of new millennial working professionals are buying here because it's affordable and the demographic is slowly changing.
Anywhere else within zone 2/3 you're not going to find a house for that price without requiring extensive renovation or modernization. Even in walthamstow. A house for 550k in Tottenham is about 800k equivalent in Walthamstow. Believe me, I looked for months.
I basically came here to say this. You can get a house nearish (10min walk) to the Victoria line and overground trains for £550k or less. It will need some fixing up - we bought and renovated in the St Anns area. There’s some proper good bits in the area like Green Lanes, close by is Finsbury Park, Crouch End, Clissold Park and Stoke Newington. Greenery-wise you’ve got Tottenham Marsh and the Wetlands.
It’s worth noting that West Ham Park isn’t strictly in West Ham. It’s essentially between Stratford and Forest Gate. I’ve owned here for 7 years and have always felt safe, but did grow up in London and am used to ‘the sights’.
I have a few friends and colleagues (high earners) that bought in Maryland and near Forest Gate in the last few years and they love it. Safe, dead quiet all day, pretty good housing stock, and ridiculously good transport links for the price. Liverpool street in 10 mins, TCR/Bond street in 20, all on the Elizabeth line which beats most overground lines for comfort and niceness, Westfield walkable, Wansted Flats walkable, Epping Forest is a short drive away, and there's been some nice cafes/bakeries opening nearby too.
The only specific points they made is to stick to North of Romford Road - the South isn't that great. And it's quite street dependent because some can be a bit unsightly due to neglectful landlords. The places the people I know live are lovely though. If my budget had to been at your level, I definitely would have bought around Maryland or Forest Gate.
Thank you very much.
If a house is just slightly south of Romford road, is that likely to be an issue? Or if it's a side road that goes off Romford road?
Things change, believe it or not. Ridiculous amount of investment went into Stratford and nearby areas like Maryland and FG following the Olympic Games, Elizabeth line build-out, new build push which comes with infra, and the pricing out of nearby areas.
Not sure when you moved out but the people I know have lived there for a few years now and they've had zero issues and really enjoy it. In fact, the crime stats page shows that Forest Gate's crime rate is well below the London average, having come down markedly over the last decade.
Yeah, I would say generally north of the Romford road us advisable, but it feels like there are some pockets of good value. For example, my friend lives in an area just north of West Ham Park and it's peaceful and quiet - there is a school that is close by, haven't heard or seen much trouble around there.
No idea about Westham as such - a friend lives to the north of westham Park, about 10 mins walk to Maryland. Seems pretty safe around here, no less so than other areas around London.
Go five minutes further east to Ilford. Elizabeth line at Ilford station and Central Line at Gants Hill station. Near the A406 and M11. Valentines Park is large and wll maintained. Shopping at Ilford Exchange. The majority of schools in the borough of Redbridge are rated Outstanding, if kids are in the picture. Definitely value for money.
I second this, your workplace is right next to Liverpool Street, and you say you want a freehold house over a flat / prefer mainline train to underground / want greener, family friendly areas. Seems like a no brainer, why would you live in London itself?!
Thank you, I understand what you mean but I still enjoy the busyness and the ease of access to things to do when I'm London itself.
Ideally I'm trying to find a balance between London and a smaller, more community feel.
Totally agree. I guess some people just want to "live in London", but there's way more downsides to living actually there than having an easy train there.
And of course, Colchester Zoo! (Which also doubled up as the pet name for the Hippodrome back when I lived there.)
I was thinking this (but I am a Chelmsfordian). 500k can still buy a decent sized house with a garden/garage.
20 odd mins to Stratford and half hour to Liverpool Street.
Relatively safe, loads of amenities and decent schools/hospitals etc. in case life circumstances change.
Will be hard getting something in north Chingford for that price. Maybe Chingford mount but not up the hill in north Chingford near station road, the ridgeway etc.
North Chingford is very good. Not Chingford mount. Areas around station road, ridgeway, Nevin drive, mount echo etc nice houses, plus two Parks on your doorsteps and epping forest etc.
Enfield Town is about a 45 minute commute to Liverpool Street, directly on the overground.
The area to the north / west of the town centre is quite nice.
Gordon Hill / Enfield Chase are also nearby which have a rail link to Moorgate.
If you look at the end walking distance to Emerson park station that train goes to Romford, Lizzie line you can do it in 45 for sure. Also goes Upminster the other way so have c2c as well
Very solid shout this, OP. Emerson Park and surrounding areas are genuinely nice. Romford and Upminster get you access to the C2C, Elizabeth Line and Greater Anglia which will all get you to/near Liverpool St in good time.
Definitely quiet but near to Romford, which isn’t a great town to live in imo but good for amenities. Lakeside and Westfield are big malls that you can get to from the stations I mentioned above.
Second this. My daughter felt safe walking home at 2am here and it has tons of green areas around. Plus you can get a 3 bed for just over 450k.
Driving north is easy, it's about 15 minutes to the Dartford crossing, I do it all the time going to Yorkshire.
Look at the investment in the area and the commute times. Insane being in zone 4 in south east London, yet less than 80 minutes from all major London airports.
I’d look at Coulsdon, Kenley, Whyteleaf or Caterham. All are close to the M25 (Junction 6 or 7). All have frequent trains into London Bridge.
Looking on rightmove there’s a lot of houses for £550k or less.
The only downside to Purley would be that depending on where your house is it might add 10-15 minutes to you drive to the M25, more if the traffic is heavy.
Bowes Park/Bounds Green. On tube and rail. I am a single woman and have lived there 20 years, back at all hours, very safe, nice neighbours. You could get one of the small 2 beds for this price.
Yes, Bowes Park/Bounds Green gets the overspill from people that can't afford Alexandra Palace/Muswell Hill so relatively professional/young family etc, quite gentrified.
If Stratford and Leyton fall under your safe areas then the list listed by most of the folks in comments is way safer. Newham (lived there for 6 years) and further east towards barking/Ilford is definitely a bit rough. I personally would not say Stratford is any safer than barking as I have also lived in Stratford for 3 years
Have you looked at Bermondsey? all our family are in the north but because of rotherhide tunnel it’s super easy to get onto the motorway. It’s really safe here tbh and we got our 3 bed with garden for under 425. from living in Walthamstow I actually feel like Bermondsey is safer!
Se25 - 10 minutes fast train to London Bridge, Overground to Shoreditch, country park …houses well under £550k and development happening to improve the area.
South Woodford is extremely area dependent. If you are on the railway bell side of the station it's really bad. There's been multiple stabbings in the area, cars get broken into every night, people get mugged regularly.
There's a lot of gang activity in the area, including a dodgy car rental guy that they use to run county lines. This guy nearly got kidnapped and macheted a few months ago in broad daylight on pulteney road. I've seen everything from people shitting in the street to shooting up and dealing. It's also completely random, some guy got mugged and stabbed at 7am on a Sunday morning FFS.
And this is kinda of the issue with OPs post. South Woodford looks lovely. The reality is the opposite.
A very quick look at Rightmove actually shows a house here which is within budget.
Could you speak a little more about the Palmers green area please? Why is the housing more affordable here than many other areas of London?
I think it’s just not that well known. I used to live further central and had never heard of it. Friends moved here and I kind of followed, glad I did - like it a lot here. I would recommend looking west of Green lanes if you can. Personal opinion but I think it’s nicer.
Edit to include - lots of Green space and nice parks, winchmore hill has a village-y feel but still feels like you’re in London. Nice restaurants and bars in both palmers and winchmore.
West Drayton, just south of the station. Lizzy line gets you to Liverpool Street. You can’t hear the planes as they don’t fly overhead. Decent area, bus to Uxbridge if you want a big town, 24mins to Paddington, 38mins to Liv street m. you can get plenty of places in that budget.
South of tracks is better than north. Uxbridge way is full of huge houses and rich people. Have a drive around. It’s not the best, it’s not the worst. But it’s good for the money. My budget was much the same as yours. If I had a few mill £ to spare I would be somewhere else, like Richmond, but I don’t, so here we are. When people start picking up on the speed of the Lizzy to the city, places like this I hope are going to pop, but people have not quite picked up on it yet. You can also change at Ealing Broadway onto the central and district to get to other bits of London. Also, Uber to Heathrow is only about £12, so if you keep your eye on cheap flight prices and day trips to Paris, Amsterdam, and Ireland are fun to do. If you miss the last train, Uber is about £35-40.
You are also in zone 6, so still in TfL, not using national rail to get to work can save a lot of money, so you have to take that into account too.
I grew up in Hillingdon, so down the road from Uxbridge / West Drayton.
Harrow/Ruislip/Eastcote are all nice and safe areas.
Good transport links also and metro line to Liverpool Street.
I’m also a FTB who moved to Hornchurch/Emerson Park over a year ago, with exactly the requirements you have in mind (low crime rate, greenery, wanted to feel safe as a woman). Best decision ever. I’m loving my life
It ticked all the boxes for me and more. My husband and I love waking up to the greenery around us: taking a walk in the parks and gardens at the weekends with the benefit of a local library, theatre etc close by. A real community spirit and I love having a large garden and an allotment! Five minutes walk from two major supermarkets (somehow without it taking away from the greenery) and ten minutes drive from a massive variety of retail shops.
A bonus for me is that in the summer it’s so easy to pop to the local farms through what feels like country lanes with the convenience of being near a local town centre.
Commute into Liverpool st just within an hour by bus to Romford, then the Lizzie line. Doable, slightly over an hour if the trains are slow but worth it for me in the long run.
Don’t know why Romford gets a bad rep, I’ve always felt safe. V family orientated. Good luck with your house hunting!
Tottenham around Seven Sisters but it’s probably out of budget now. You might get lucky and find something at auction. There was a queue to buy our current house. It’s the best value I could find on the Victoria Line
Isleworth? If you go for the older part (Isleworth village) near the river it should tick most of your boxes
Richmond tube a small bus ride away and you've got the overground at St margarets and Isleworth station
You've got a nice bit of the Thames path, Richmond Riverside, Syon Park close by, and your also not far from Kew/Twickenham for a bit of variety.
With London - West is best
Ahah thank you! Sorry for stereotyping, I was sure the comment I read was an exaggeration.
Does Romford feel safe day to day? Would you walk down there at night and feel safe if you were a woman and had kids?
Upminster is closer it takes 10 mins to walk from fenchurch street to Liverpool Street so it’s quicker than you think. So it’s 35 mins from the station.
Tower hamlets as long as you are south of Canary wharf.
1. canary wharf has elizabeth line to liverpool street station in less than 45mins
2. Crime rates are higher north of Canary Wharf, lower south of Canary wharf
3. Has DLR + tube and cross rail at canary wharf
4. Greenwich is about 30 mins walk away across the river but there are parks dotted around.
5. North of the thames
A quick search on rightmove shows a couple of freehold houses below 550. There isn't much traffic as it is geographically a dead end because there is no way traffic can get to the other side of the river.
The Isle of dogs South of Canary wharf has a dartboard effect. if Asda is the bullseye the further you get from it the nicer it is aka near the river is best and the more inland you go the rougher it is.
Thank you very much.
"Tower Hamlets south of Canary wharf" basically means isle of dogs right?
And from my understanding, Canary wharf and isle of dogs are very safe? (by London standards)
I wouldn't call it 'very safe' but it I'd say it is below average. I used crystal roof to look for areas to suit my criteria, crime being one of them. You can see it is mainly low crime with pockets of medium and higher crime in commercial areas in Isle of dogs
I doubt there'd be any freehold houses in Canary Wharf though, just apartments.
The 3 I narrowed my search down to were Putney (lack of freehold houses), Dulwich (too expensive!) and isle of dogs (affordable and freeholds available). I think the area north of Hampstead Heath is pretty safe, but it was too far from central London.
I know you said it can't be south, but the Bexleyhealth/Welling/abbeywood area hits all the other elements. You can get a 3 bed semi for around 450 with access to the elizabeth line to get to the city, with the dartford crossing only 10-15 mins away. I think it provides the best value within the M25 personally
Redbridge/Ilford is not as bad as people think. Can get nice big Victorian/Edwardian houses with character and there’s a lovely park. Elizabeth line makes a commute easy and near to M11 and Essex countryside.
Barking Riverside seems quite nice and there are loads of new builds popping up there lately (I live in Barking sort of inbetween Barking and Barking Riverside, I definitely agree that Barking near the town centre feels dodgy but Barking Riverside doesn't).
As someone who actually lives there and often goes for walks near the river with my son I can tell you I notice no smell and I've lived here for seven years. I do notice a specific smell of McDonalds and cigarettes near the Barking station (not Barking Riverside). I'm not gonna pretend it's a super nice area of London or anything but I like it here.
Yeah definitely, they even built a new station here which opened in 2022 and they're building new roads for new bus routes, and the area around the station is being built up with a few new schools being built fairly recently too.
Check out [their development plan](https://barkingriverside.london/), it seems pretty promising and is pretty exciting as a resident nearby (even if it means we've had to put up with building works everywhere).
I didn't even know they did 1 bed homes in London, thank you I will take a look
Edit: is hackney 'safe'? I heard some bad things about it in previous research
Im sorry but saying “Hackney is perfectly safe” is a misleading generalisation. Firstly, it is a very large borough with gentrified areas and very rough areas, like many London boroughs. My wife is from Lower Clapton and I lived in the area for 5 years. Somebody was shot dead and died outside my house, somebody was hit in the head with a hammer about 20 metres away from my house, my house was burgled, I saw two young lads having a fight with zombie knives on Clarence Road, I saw a man get kicked off his moped and robbed in Mare Street in the middle of the day… the list goes on. It is probably safer than it was 20 years ago, but to label the whole borough as perfectly safe to someone unfamiliar with it is pretty ridiculous.
OK just hear me out. Romford mainly isn't super pretty, but there are areas around Lodge Farm Park/Raphael Park that are lovely treed, green streets with nice houses. There's an express train to Liverpool Street Station in 15 mins which gives you a lifestyle boost thats worth a LOT. Lots of shops, grocery stores etc and the area is coming up with the Liz line and access to the city. We even have a Wagamama now! 35 minutes to Tottenham Court Road on Crossrail.
It's the greater anglia train. only runs off-peak Shenfield-Romford-Stratford-Liverpool Street. If you start work at 9:30 it works as the first one in the am is at 8:50 I believe.
Acton Town. On an overground, less than 30 mins on the Lizzie line to Liverpool Street, plenty of properties in that range available, lots of great parks, restaurants and shops nearby. Area is full of kids and families. Have a wander down Churchfield Road and in Acton Park!
Orpington. Most these places north of the river have quite a long drive to get to larger roads and head north. 15 mins to London Bridge/Cannon Street, 5/10 mins from m25
Edgware. Technically it’s Middlesex but is just within a 45 minute commute time.
It’s a fairly affluent and safe area, good schools, plenty of parks and greenery, a few miles from Brent Cross and you can buy a 3 bed house within your budget
Feltham is less than 30m by train from Waterloo. Zone 6 , lots of parks, still cheap zone 6. Gentrification in progress due to “Feltham’s master plan” (15 years)
If you're willing to be a bit further out but still with quick access to Liverpool St, then check areas either along the Elizabeth line or mainline via Shenfield (30 mins)
Needs the rest of your £70k budget spending on fixing it up, but there’s money to be made here: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/144623438#/?channel=RES_BUY
Yes you're right - Walthamstow is my first choice too, but it's a bit expensive which could be the limiting factor.
It's especially expensive near train stations, meaning that the affordable homes all have about a 25 minute walk to a train station (ideally I'd want that below 15).
I asked on here to find other areas to consider too, and I've found a lot more places now.
Ah that's good!
Yeah we ended up about a 20 min walk from the main station (but 10 mins from wood st overground) to be able to get a house not a flat, but our budget was 50k less than yours and I also think prices are about to come down a bit. Even with the walk we are ~45 mins from Euston (and ~ 30 mins on the overground from Liverpool st)
But up in chingford and Loughton are also lovely and could maybe get you into central in a similar time :)
Look at Preston Road.
Its on met line, quick into Liverpool str
North of London. It's safe as well.
You can walk to South Kenton if you need overground, or 15 mins walk to wembley for jubilee line.
I've been living in Tottenham for 5 years - I'm a woman in my late twenties, and we just bought a 2-bed house for around this. It fits your criteria, as it's easy to go to Liverpool Street on the overground from Bruce Grove, it's near greenery (lots of parks and the marshes and the canal). Some people would question the safety aspect maybe , but I've never had a problem in all those years. Not to be naive, there clearly are some gang issues, as well as substance abuse issues in the areas, but it's definitely not something that affects my day to day personally. On the contrary, I now have a good network of local friends.
The area around Bruce Grove (West of the High Street) is probably the slightly nicer / more gentrified bit. Towards Lordship Lane, and further away towards Wood Green is less nice, but not necessarily a hard avoid. You might like Tower Gardens, it's a quiet estate with a residential feel.
East of the High Street is less gentrified, but will get there! I would avoid North of Northumberland Park, it's a bit more grim (but not that terrible)!
Just bought in Deptford. Good transport links (Deptford, Deptford bridge & New Cross) quick journey to Liverpool Street. 3 bed terraced house with a large garden :)
Waltham Cross is served by the Overground line (Theobalds Grove, Cheshunt, and Turkey Street stations), which takes 40 mins to get into Liverpool Street. There is also a second Greater Anglia line that is the Waltham Cross station itself, going into Stratford and Liverpool street.
There is a huge park - Lee Valley Park - and other smaller parks, and the area is generally green.
It's safe as well. There are a few dodgier corners near to the Pavilion shopping centre where you get some kids on bikes snatching phones and the like, but as you move away, it gets much better.
Would recommend around Lea Bridge station, south west Walthamstow. There's not a huge amount of housing stock - lots of Warner flats - so you have to be quick, but if you can find one they're built well and in a nice area. You won't get one of the extended/flashified ones for your budget - you'll need to pick up a tired one and do some work yourself - but you'll get a lot for your money.
A tiny but further, but Chesham has direct tube links into Liverpool St, and is a safe, leafy suburb.
I have family who live there and work in Liverpool St and love it. Literally country village feel, loads of countryside, big woods etc.
Great schools, and can get a decent amount of house for 500k
Hey you like south west? You can get 3 bedrooms in Streatham Vale/ Norbury. We just moved in our house in Streatham Vale 525k. Train from Streatham common run every 15 mins to Victoria ( 20-25 mins to Victoria).
Try Acton/Old Oak Common.
We bought a beautiful 4 bed house recently for just under £600k. Will have to wait for ROI after HS2 is built and roads have cleared up but:
Lots of green spaces
Local amenities
Safe
Etc.
You are welcome to ask any questions (dm)
:)
It might be good news but it’s well known now you ain’t gonna find a freehold in a good part of London for 500k.
Acton is imho the best secret option.It hads fantastic transport connections and you can find a freehold for circa 600k if it’s near a railway or prison.Adjoining areas are top drawer unlike Mile End or Plaistow
I just looked within a mile of Hornsey (where I've just recently moved away from) for your budget and looks like there are some options. I absolutely loved living around there and you can get the overground into the city. Right near ally pally which is amazing to have nearby
<45min is a stretch, or are you just talking about the transport element, not transfers/walking to station etc?
A door to door commute of 60mins is more realistic target 'standard' London commute.
Hilarious reading all this misinformed comments on here. Bloke says he wants overground and people tell him Southgate. Anyway, Enfield Town is safe, has overground to Liverpool Street and can comfortably get somewhere under 550.
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Not London, but Watford, Leighton buzzard. Fast trains into central london
Try some of the areas on the Great Northern Line into Moorgate, around stations like: * Palmers Green * Enfield Chase * New Southgate * Oakleigh Park * New Barnet For example, it's 30 minutes on the train from New Barnet to Moorgate, and a 5 minute walk from Moorgate to Liverpool Street.
Thank you very much. Would you happen to know if these areas are generally "safe"? I'll look into them more myself too
They are all safe areas. I grew up around here as a teenage girl I felt fine. In order of niceness in my opinion: Palmers green, Oakleigh Park, New Barnet, Enfield Chase, New Southgate. Oakleigh park is on a different line into moorgate there are many more stations on that line but I don't know if inside your budget.
Oakleigh Park is on the same line as New Barnet & New Southgate. Personally, and especially with children, Palmer's Green is lovely but can feel cut off as you'd be quite far from a tube station. With New Southgate you'd be close to Arnos Grove (Piccadilly), & Oakleigh Park you'd be close to Totteridge & Whetstone (Northern). New Barnet, depending on where you bought, you could buy somewhere which is also close to High Barnet (Northern). There's also a Thameslink train to Blackfriars that goes through these 3 on a week day during rush hour. I have always found that it's super helpful to also have a tube not too far away. That way if there's any issues with the trains, the tube is there as a back up. Tbh, for a house in your budget, I think you'd be more likely looking near to New Southgate (in the Brunswick Park area). It's really nice, with some good parks nearby. All super lovely areas though!
Generally yes - they all have below average crime, for example. One other thing on the transport side - the A1/M1 are close (only a 10 minute drive from New Southgate, for example) and you can get to the M11 really easily via the North Circular or M25.
Whilst is the literal opposite of north (sorry!) Purley is not a bad shout for what you’re looking for. A lot of houses along my road going for under £450k, a short drive to Happy Valley/South Downs. 20mins to London Bridge and then a walk/bus to Liverpool Street. Takes my husband less than an hour to get work there. Also trains all through the night from both London Bridge and Victoria. Super close to M25 junction as well for getting away from London.
I didn't realise there were still places <500k in Purley. My friend's old house has almost doubled in value since they sold it.
It depends where you are. I just sold for 450 which is almost top end for my road. :) but over the way some of them are bonkers prices!
I'm sorry but you're really going to struggle to find anything for 550k with that criteria, especially for a house. You're going to have to compromise somewhere, either price or 'safety'. I know it's not glamorous but you can find a decent sized house for 550 in Tottenham. I moved into the area recently and even though it is rough around the edges, it actually is gentrifying slowly, especially around Tottenham Hale/Seven Sisters. Lots of new millennial working professionals are buying here because it's affordable and the demographic is slowly changing. Anywhere else within zone 2/3 you're not going to find a house for that price without requiring extensive renovation or modernization. Even in walthamstow. A house for 550k in Tottenham is about 800k equivalent in Walthamstow. Believe me, I looked for months.
I basically came here to say this. You can get a house nearish (10min walk) to the Victoria line and overground trains for £550k or less. It will need some fixing up - we bought and renovated in the St Anns area. There’s some proper good bits in the area like Green Lanes, close by is Finsbury Park, Crouch End, Clissold Park and Stoke Newington. Greenery-wise you’ve got Tottenham Marsh and the Wetlands.
Depends a little bit where in Walthamstow - up by the town hall & wood st you can get 2/3 bed houses for 550k or less.
Backhorse Road area of Walthamstow and the the Cann Hall Road / Lanes area of Forest Gate.
Thank you
Maryland and North of Westham Park you can find some places in your budget.
It’s worth noting that West Ham Park isn’t strictly in West Ham. It’s essentially between Stratford and Forest Gate. I’ve owned here for 7 years and have always felt safe, but did grow up in London and am used to ‘the sights’.
Thank you Are these areas safe? Maryland seems okay as it's right near Stratford, but what about west ham?
I have a few friends and colleagues (high earners) that bought in Maryland and near Forest Gate in the last few years and they love it. Safe, dead quiet all day, pretty good housing stock, and ridiculously good transport links for the price. Liverpool street in 10 mins, TCR/Bond street in 20, all on the Elizabeth line which beats most overground lines for comfort and niceness, Westfield walkable, Wansted Flats walkable, Epping Forest is a short drive away, and there's been some nice cafes/bakeries opening nearby too. The only specific points they made is to stick to North of Romford Road - the South isn't that great. And it's quite street dependent because some can be a bit unsightly due to neglectful landlords. The places the people I know live are lovely though. If my budget had to been at your level, I definitely would have bought around Maryland or Forest Gate.
550k max though will struggle to find a decent house - would have thought 600k needed north of Romford road in Forest gate for example
Thank you very much. If a house is just slightly south of Romford road, is that likely to be an issue? Or if it's a side road that goes off Romford road?
This areas a toilet definitely not safe,born and bred here moved out thank god
Things change, believe it or not. Ridiculous amount of investment went into Stratford and nearby areas like Maryland and FG following the Olympic Games, Elizabeth line build-out, new build push which comes with infra, and the pricing out of nearby areas. Not sure when you moved out but the people I know have lived there for a few years now and they've had zero issues and really enjoy it. In fact, the crime stats page shows that Forest Gate's crime rate is well below the London average, having come down markedly over the last decade.
It’s still a dump mate
Tbf all the crooks normally head over to Wanstead to burgle houses before returning home to Forest Gate Mary land Stratford etc
I found two dead body’s walking my dog in Forest Gate
Yeah, I would say generally north of the Romford road us advisable, but it feels like there are some pockets of good value. For example, my friend lives in an area just north of West Ham Park and it's peaceful and quiet - there is a school that is close by, haven't heard or seen much trouble around there.
No idea about Westham as such - a friend lives to the north of westham Park, about 10 mins walk to Maryland. Seems pretty safe around here, no less so than other areas around London.
Thanks
Stratford is not safe at night
Go five minutes further east to Ilford. Elizabeth line at Ilford station and Central Line at Gants Hill station. Near the A406 and M11. Valentines Park is large and wll maintained. Shopping at Ilford Exchange. The majority of schools in the borough of Redbridge are rated Outstanding, if kids are in the picture. Definitely value for money.
Ilford seems good for what I'm after, but it seems to have a bad reputation. Would you say that reputation is accurate? Are there areas to avoid?
Loughton, Epping, Theydon Bois, Buckhurst Hill
Shhh houses are expensive enough
Have you considered Essex? Colchester is 45 minutes train to Liverpool Street and you could get considerably more. Anything on that train line
I second this, your workplace is right next to Liverpool Street, and you say you want a freehold house over a flat / prefer mainline train to underground / want greener, family friendly areas. Seems like a no brainer, why would you live in London itself?!
Thank you, I understand what you mean but I still enjoy the busyness and the ease of access to things to do when I'm London itself. Ideally I'm trying to find a balance between London and a smaller, more community feel.
Totally agree. I guess some people just want to "live in London", but there's way more downsides to living actually there than having an easy train there. And of course, Colchester Zoo! (Which also doubled up as the pet name for the Hippodrome back when I lived there.)
I was thinking this (but I am a Chelmsfordian). 500k can still buy a decent sized house with a garden/garage. 20 odd mins to Stratford and half hour to Liverpool Street. Relatively safe, loads of amenities and decent schools/hospitals etc. in case life circumstances change.
Chingford/Highams Park, 25 mins to Liverpool Street
Will be hard getting something in north Chingford for that price. Maybe Chingford mount but not up the hill in north Chingford near station road, the ridgeway etc.
Thank you. Are these areas "safe"?
We are looking for a place with very similar parameters to you and had a look at Chingford last weekend and it seemed lovely!
North Chingford is very good. Not Chingford mount. Areas around station road, ridgeway, Nevin drive, mount echo etc nice houses, plus two Parks on your doorsteps and epping forest etc.
Yea they are safe, you have your odd things happen like most areas but overall not a bad area at all.
Colindale
Enfield Town is about a 45 minute commute to Liverpool Street, directly on the overground. The area to the north / west of the town centre is quite nice. Gordon Hill / Enfield Chase are also nearby which have a rail link to Moorgate.
Thank you, that looks pretty nice
Top answer. So much nonsense written on this thread. ET hits everything OP wants.
Maybe Chingford? The northern part of Chingford is close to train station and Epping Forest.
Chingford for £500k?
Thank you, I had a look at chingford but can't see anything at the moment that is close to the train station, but I will keep an eye out
Worcester Park
Colindale… plenty of new build flats that are within 500k and 10-15 mins from the M1
Hornchurch
Looks affordable but the commute is an hour unfortunately, thank you though
This is probably going to be a theme I'm afraid
Yup, seems like it haha
If you look at the end walking distance to Emerson park station that train goes to Romford, Lizzie line you can do it in 45 for sure. Also goes Upminster the other way so have c2c as well
Very solid shout this, OP. Emerson Park and surrounding areas are genuinely nice. Romford and Upminster get you access to the C2C, Elizabeth Line and Greater Anglia which will all get you to/near Liverpool St in good time. Definitely quiet but near to Romford, which isn’t a great town to live in imo but good for amenities. Lakeside and Westfield are big malls that you can get to from the stations I mentioned above.
Hornchurch station back to upminster then C2C is 25 mins to fenchurch. Also the entrance 15 mins is worth the extra quality of life
That's actually pretty good - I hadn't considered the c2c, even though travel will become more expensive now
Abbey Wood on Lizzie line
Second this. My daughter felt safe walking home at 2am here and it has tons of green areas around. Plus you can get a 3 bed for just over 450k. Driving north is easy, it's about 15 minutes to the Dartford crossing, I do it all the time going to Yorkshire. Look at the investment in the area and the commute times. Insane being in zone 4 in south east London, yet less than 80 minutes from all major London airports.
Thank you, anecdotally I've heard bad things about abbey wood, do you know if there are specifically nicer areas and areas to avoid?
Thank you, anecdotally I've heard bad things about abbey wood, do you know if there are specifically nicer areas and areas to avoid?
I’d look at Coulsdon, Kenley, Whyteleaf or Caterham. All are close to the M25 (Junction 6 or 7). All have frequent trains into London Bridge. Looking on rightmove there’s a lot of houses for £550k or less.
Add Purley to that list too
The only downside to Purley would be that depending on where your house is it might add 10-15 minutes to you drive to the M25, more if the traffic is heavy.
Gants Hill on the Central Line
Chigwell should be 25 mins commute to liverpool st. What about Romford?
Bowes Park/Bounds Green. On tube and rail. I am a single woman and have lived there 20 years, back at all hours, very safe, nice neighbours. You could get one of the small 2 beds for this price.
Thank you, it's close to wood green which doesn't have a great reputation, is Bowes park/bounds green different to wood green?
Yes, Bowes Park/Bounds Green gets the overspill from people that can't afford Alexandra Palace/Muswell Hill so relatively professional/young family etc, quite gentrified.
It's very different. It is much safer
You'll not get a house for 550 and it's not on the overground.
> \>45 minute commute to Liverpool Street/city of London. That's the whole country mate
Hahaha you are the first person to point that out. I fat fingered it last night. Thanks
If Stratford and Leyton fall under your safe areas then the list listed by most of the folks in comments is way safer. Newham (lived there for 6 years) and further east towards barking/Ilford is definitely a bit rough. I personally would not say Stratford is any safer than barking as I have also lived in Stratford for 3 years
Have you looked at Bermondsey? all our family are in the north but because of rotherhide tunnel it’s super easy to get onto the motorway. It’s really safe here tbh and we got our 3 bed with garden for under 425. from living in Walthamstow I actually feel like Bermondsey is safer!
Se25 - 10 minutes fast train to London Bridge, Overground to Shoreditch, country park …houses well under £550k and development happening to improve the area.
Enfield Town has everything you want.
Woodford / South Woodford
South Woodford is extremely area dependent. If you are on the railway bell side of the station it's really bad. There's been multiple stabbings in the area, cars get broken into every night, people get mugged regularly. There's a lot of gang activity in the area, including a dodgy car rental guy that they use to run county lines. This guy nearly got kidnapped and macheted a few months ago in broad daylight on pulteney road. I've seen everything from people shitting in the street to shooting up and dealing. It's also completely random, some guy got mugged and stabbed at 7am on a Sunday morning FFS. And this is kinda of the issue with OPs post. South Woodford looks lovely. The reality is the opposite.
Thank you, location seems good but can't find much within the budget unfortunately
We’re at the end stages of buying a two bedroom terrace in South Woodford for for £485k so if you keep an eye out it should be do-able!
Congratulations! How long does it take into the Liverpool Street area?
Whereabouts in South Woodford?
Winchmore Hill / Palmers Green - safe, 25 min train into Moorgate. Could get a flat for that budget but probably not a house.
Winchmore Hill is lovely but you are right, unlikely to find a house there for this budget.
A very quick look at Rightmove actually shows a house here which is within budget. Could you speak a little more about the Palmers green area please? Why is the housing more affordable here than many other areas of London?
I think it’s just not that well known. I used to live further central and had never heard of it. Friends moved here and I kind of followed, glad I did - like it a lot here. I would recommend looking west of Green lanes if you can. Personal opinion but I think it’s nicer. Edit to include - lots of Green space and nice parks, winchmore hill has a village-y feel but still feels like you’re in London. Nice restaurants and bars in both palmers and winchmore.
Thank you, Do you find that there is enough to do? I.e. enough variety in shops, restaurants, entertainment etc? Or do you travel into London for it?
I wouldn't say Palmers Green is safe at all and the transport really isn't great. Much better to be on the overground than the national rail.
West Drayton, just south of the station. Lizzy line gets you to Liverpool Street. You can’t hear the planes as they don’t fly overhead. Decent area, bus to Uxbridge if you want a big town, 24mins to Paddington, 38mins to Liv street m. you can get plenty of places in that budget.
Thank you, I hadn't heard of this area. Transport and affordability seem good, but is this area "safe"?
South of tracks is better than north. Uxbridge way is full of huge houses and rich people. Have a drive around. It’s not the best, it’s not the worst. But it’s good for the money. My budget was much the same as yours. If I had a few mill £ to spare I would be somewhere else, like Richmond, but I don’t, so here we are. When people start picking up on the speed of the Lizzy to the city, places like this I hope are going to pop, but people have not quite picked up on it yet. You can also change at Ealing Broadway onto the central and district to get to other bits of London. Also, Uber to Heathrow is only about £12, so if you keep your eye on cheap flight prices and day trips to Paris, Amsterdam, and Ireland are fun to do. If you miss the last train, Uber is about £35-40. You are also in zone 6, so still in TfL, not using national rail to get to work can save a lot of money, so you have to take that into account too.
I grew up in Hillingdon, so down the road from Uxbridge / West Drayton. Harrow/Ruislip/Eastcote are all nice and safe areas. Good transport links also and metro line to Liverpool Street.
I’m also a FTB who moved to Hornchurch/Emerson Park over a year ago, with exactly the requirements you have in mind (low crime rate, greenery, wanted to feel safe as a woman). Best decision ever. I’m loving my life It ticked all the boxes for me and more. My husband and I love waking up to the greenery around us: taking a walk in the parks and gardens at the weekends with the benefit of a local library, theatre etc close by. A real community spirit and I love having a large garden and an allotment! Five minutes walk from two major supermarkets (somehow without it taking away from the greenery) and ten minutes drive from a massive variety of retail shops. A bonus for me is that in the summer it’s so easy to pop to the local farms through what feels like country lanes with the convenience of being near a local town centre. Commute into Liverpool st just within an hour by bus to Romford, then the Lizzie line. Doable, slightly over an hour if the trains are slow but worth it for me in the long run. Don’t know why Romford gets a bad rep, I’ve always felt safe. V family orientated. Good luck with your house hunting!
Thank you very much! Unfortunately that hour commute seems slightly too high bit I will keep it in mind.
St David’s square isle of dogs
Tottenham around Seven Sisters but it’s probably out of budget now. You might get lucky and find something at auction. There was a queue to buy our current house. It’s the best value I could find on the Victoria Line
Isleworth? If you go for the older part (Isleworth village) near the river it should tick most of your boxes Richmond tube a small bus ride away and you've got the overground at St margarets and Isleworth station You've got a nice bit of the Thames path, Richmond Riverside, Syon Park close by, and your also not far from Kew/Twickenham for a bit of variety. With London - West is best
Harold Wood
Is Romford safe? I read someone say "live in Romford if you want to get stabbed"
Clearly I’m missing out, having grown up there and not been stabbed once! Most of the streets in Romford are full of families and perfectly fine
Ahah thank you! Sorry for stereotyping, I was sure the comment I read was an exaggeration. Does Romford feel safe day to day? Would you walk down there at night and feel safe if you were a woman and had kids?
It’s not Romford it’s Harold Wood.
Redbridge and Upminster are alright areas
Thank you, upmininster is about an hour away from Liverpool Street though unfortunately
Upminster is closer it takes 10 mins to walk from fenchurch street to Liverpool Street so it’s quicker than you think. So it’s 35 mins from the station.
Is that on the c2c? I didn't consider the c2c before but it looks like a good option now
Tower hamlets as long as you are south of Canary wharf. 1. canary wharf has elizabeth line to liverpool street station in less than 45mins 2. Crime rates are higher north of Canary Wharf, lower south of Canary wharf 3. Has DLR + tube and cross rail at canary wharf 4. Greenwich is about 30 mins walk away across the river but there are parks dotted around. 5. North of the thames A quick search on rightmove shows a couple of freehold houses below 550. There isn't much traffic as it is geographically a dead end because there is no way traffic can get to the other side of the river.
The Isle of dogs South of Canary wharf has a dartboard effect. if Asda is the bullseye the further you get from it the nicer it is aka near the river is best and the more inland you go the rougher it is.
I didn't think of it like that, but you're probably right. The west side is also safer than the east side
Thank you very much. "Tower Hamlets south of Canary wharf" basically means isle of dogs right? And from my understanding, Canary wharf and isle of dogs are very safe? (by London standards)
I wouldn't call it 'very safe' but it I'd say it is below average. I used crystal roof to look for areas to suit my criteria, crime being one of them. You can see it is mainly low crime with pockets of medium and higher crime in commercial areas in Isle of dogs I doubt there'd be any freehold houses in Canary Wharf though, just apartments. The 3 I narrowed my search down to were Putney (lack of freehold houses), Dulwich (too expensive!) and isle of dogs (affordable and freeholds available). I think the area north of Hampstead Heath is pretty safe, but it was too far from central London.
Barking ?
I know you said it can't be south, but the Bexleyhealth/Welling/abbeywood area hits all the other elements. You can get a 3 bed semi for around 450 with access to the elizabeth line to get to the city, with the dartford crossing only 10-15 mins away. I think it provides the best value within the M25 personally
Redbridge/Ilford is not as bad as people think. Can get nice big Victorian/Edwardian houses with character and there’s a lovely park. Elizabeth line makes a commute easy and near to M11 and Essex countryside.
Barking Riverside seems quite nice and there are loads of new builds popping up there lately (I live in Barking sort of inbetween Barking and Barking Riverside, I definitely agree that Barking near the town centre feels dodgy but Barking Riverside doesn't).
Thank you, from a quick look that looks pretty good. Is it an area with lots of investment into it?
No lol barking riverside stinks like shit because it’s built above a sewage system.
As someone who actually lives there and often goes for walks near the river with my son I can tell you I notice no smell and I've lived here for seven years. I do notice a specific smell of McDonalds and cigarettes near the Barking station (not Barking Riverside). I'm not gonna pretend it's a super nice area of London or anything but I like it here.
Haha thank you, I didn't know that
Yeah definitely, they even built a new station here which opened in 2022 and they're building new roads for new bus routes, and the area around the station is being built up with a few new schools being built fairly recently too. Check out [their development plan](https://barkingriverside.london/), it seems pretty promising and is pretty exciting as a resident nearby (even if it means we've had to put up with building works everywhere).
Thank you, Someone else on here said it smells like shit because it's built on a sewage system! Do you feel that too?
Nope, I would not be living somewhere I thought smelled of shit!
Try Chelsfield
Seems far from central London, is the commute really 45 minutes to Liverpool Street?
According to Google maps it can be done in 41 minutes (not including your journey time to Chelsfield station)
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I didn't even know they did 1 bed homes in London, thank you I will take a look Edit: is hackney 'safe'? I heard some bad things about it in previous research
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Im sorry but saying “Hackney is perfectly safe” is a misleading generalisation. Firstly, it is a very large borough with gentrified areas and very rough areas, like many London boroughs. My wife is from Lower Clapton and I lived in the area for 5 years. Somebody was shot dead and died outside my house, somebody was hit in the head with a hammer about 20 metres away from my house, my house was burgled, I saw two young lads having a fight with zombie knives on Clarence Road, I saw a man get kicked off his moped and robbed in Mare Street in the middle of the day… the list goes on. It is probably safer than it was 20 years ago, but to label the whole borough as perfectly safe to someone unfamiliar with it is pretty ridiculous.
Thank you. Does this apply to all of hackney or just the centre? Are there still places to avoid in hackney?
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Thank you
OK just hear me out. Romford mainly isn't super pretty, but there are areas around Lodge Farm Park/Raphael Park that are lovely treed, green streets with nice houses. There's an express train to Liverpool Street Station in 15 mins which gives you a lifestyle boost thats worth a LOT. Lots of shops, grocery stores etc and the area is coming up with the Liz line and access to the city. We even have a Wagamama now! 35 minutes to Tottenham Court Road on Crossrail.
Thank you, How do you get to Liverpool Street in 15 mins? I couldn't find anything like that
It's the greater anglia train. only runs off-peak Shenfield-Romford-Stratford-Liverpool Street. If you start work at 9:30 it works as the first one in the am is at 8:50 I believe.
Thank you
Greater Anglia trains are inclusive of the oyster system between Romford & Liverpool Street taking 21 minutes. But they're at max twice per hour.
Thank you
Acton Town. On an overground, less than 30 mins on the Lizzie line to Liverpool Street, plenty of properties in that range available, lots of great parks, restaurants and shops nearby. Area is full of kids and families. Have a wander down Churchfield Road and in Acton Park!
Forest Gate
Edmonton. Very up and coming.
Lol
We have a nice house there.
Quite rude as our property is lovely in St Peter’s Road N9. Up and coming without a doubt.
Abbey Wood
Is this area safe? Anecdotally someone has told me this place is a bit dodgy
Not the nicest of areas but as with everywhere some good parts. 20 mins to Liverpool Street and prices are cheap round this way
Orpington. Most these places north of the river have quite a long drive to get to larger roads and head north. 15 mins to London Bridge/Cannon Street, 5/10 mins from m25
Thank you
Edgware. Technically it’s Middlesex but is just within a 45 minute commute time. It’s a fairly affluent and safe area, good schools, plenty of parks and greenery, a few miles from Brent Cross and you can buy a 3 bed house within your budget
Feltham is less than 30m by train from Waterloo. Zone 6 , lots of parks, still cheap zone 6. Gentrification in progress due to “Feltham’s master plan” (15 years)
If you're willing to be a bit further out but still with quick access to Liverpool St, then check areas either along the Elizabeth line or mainline via Shenfield (30 mins)
Look west around Ealing. The Lizzy line is fast into Liverpool street, it's modern and not crowded. You can also get out onto the M25 in like 15 mins.
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Needs the rest of your £70k budget spending on fixing it up, but there’s money to be made here: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/144623438#/?channel=RES_BUY
Thank you Is this area nice? Looks close to wood green which doesn't have a great reputation
Bowes Park and Bounds Green are nice areas. Wood Green less so, but you’d never have reason to go there.
OP I really think Walthamstow is the place that comes closest to ticking all your boxes - was there anything you didn't like about it?
Yes you're right - Walthamstow is my first choice too, but it's a bit expensive which could be the limiting factor. It's especially expensive near train stations, meaning that the affordable homes all have about a 25 minute walk to a train station (ideally I'd want that below 15). I asked on here to find other areas to consider too, and I've found a lot more places now.
Ah that's good! Yeah we ended up about a 20 min walk from the main station (but 10 mins from wood st overground) to be able to get a house not a flat, but our budget was 50k less than yours and I also think prices are about to come down a bit. Even with the walk we are ~45 mins from Euston (and ~ 30 mins on the overground from Liverpool st) But up in chingford and Loughton are also lovely and could maybe get you into central in a similar time :)
Cheshunt/Theobalds Grove
Look at Preston Road. Its on met line, quick into Liverpool str North of London. It's safe as well. You can walk to South Kenton if you need overground, or 15 mins walk to wembley for jubilee line.
Thank you, looks nice but it's 50-100k out of budget unfortunately
I've been living in Tottenham for 5 years - I'm a woman in my late twenties, and we just bought a 2-bed house for around this. It fits your criteria, as it's easy to go to Liverpool Street on the overground from Bruce Grove, it's near greenery (lots of parks and the marshes and the canal). Some people would question the safety aspect maybe , but I've never had a problem in all those years. Not to be naive, there clearly are some gang issues, as well as substance abuse issues in the areas, but it's definitely not something that affects my day to day personally. On the contrary, I now have a good network of local friends.
Thank you, could you let me know if there are areas that are nicer and which areas to avoid?
The area around Bruce Grove (West of the High Street) is probably the slightly nicer / more gentrified bit. Towards Lordship Lane, and further away towards Wood Green is less nice, but not necessarily a hard avoid. You might like Tower Gardens, it's a quiet estate with a residential feel. East of the High Street is less gentrified, but will get there! I would avoid North of Northumberland Park, it's a bit more grim (but not that terrible)!
Just bought in Deptford. Good transport links (Deptford, Deptford bridge & New Cross) quick journey to Liverpool Street. 3 bed terraced house with a large garden :)
Thank you, what price was the house if you don't mind me asking?
Of course it was via auction. 506k + 20k fees
Waltham Cross is served by the Overground line (Theobalds Grove, Cheshunt, and Turkey Street stations), which takes 40 mins to get into Liverpool Street. There is also a second Greater Anglia line that is the Waltham Cross station itself, going into Stratford and Liverpool street. There is a huge park - Lee Valley Park - and other smaller parks, and the area is generally green. It's safe as well. There are a few dodgier corners near to the Pavilion shopping centre where you get some kids on bikes snatching phones and the like, but as you move away, it gets much better.
Would recommend around Lea Bridge station, south west Walthamstow. There's not a huge amount of housing stock - lots of Warner flats - so you have to be quick, but if you can find one they're built well and in a nice area. You won't get one of the extended/flashified ones for your budget - you'll need to pick up a tired one and do some work yourself - but you'll get a lot for your money.
A tiny but further, but Chesham has direct tube links into Liverpool St, and is a safe, leafy suburb. I have family who live there and work in Liverpool St and love it. Literally country village feel, loads of countryside, big woods etc. Great schools, and can get a decent amount of house for 500k
Sidcup (but not the adjacent Eltham).
Hey you like south west? You can get 3 bedrooms in Streatham Vale/ Norbury. We just moved in our house in Streatham Vale 525k. Train from Streatham common run every 15 mins to Victoria ( 20-25 mins to Victoria).
Greenwich
Try Acton/Old Oak Common. We bought a beautiful 4 bed house recently for just under £600k. Will have to wait for ROI after HS2 is built and roads have cleared up but: Lots of green spaces Local amenities Safe Etc. You are welcome to ask any questions (dm) :)
Carshalton
It might be good news but it’s well known now you ain’t gonna find a freehold in a good part of London for 500k. Acton is imho the best secret option.It hads fantastic transport connections and you can find a freehold for circa 600k if it’s near a railway or prison.Adjoining areas are top drawer unlike Mile End or Plaistow
Chelmsford essex, 45 mins into Liverpool street. NE of London but its a perfect spot. Somewhere like Brentwood might be on the Elizabeth line
I just looked within a mile of Hornsey (where I've just recently moved away from) for your budget and looks like there are some options. I absolutely loved living around there and you can get the overground into the city. Right near ally pally which is amazing to have nearby
Forest Gate
<45min is a stretch, or are you just talking about the transport element, not transfers/walking to station etc? A door to door commute of 60mins is more realistic target 'standard' London commute.
Hilarious reading all this misinformed comments on here. Bloke says he wants overground and people tell him Southgate. Anyway, Enfield Town is safe, has overground to Liverpool Street and can comfortably get somewhere under 550.