House Hunter

The HOUSE HUNTER

This month FTB goes on the hunt with Tiffany and Robyn Edwards who are looking for their fi rst home in south east London, with a minimum of one bedroom and a balcony or terrace terrace

PROFILE

Names Tiffany, 34, and Robyn Edwards, 33 Occupations Care manager, retail manager Maximum budget £180,000 Requirements An apartment with one or more bedrooms in south east London – ideally Woolwich and the surrounding areas. Outside space in the form of a balcony or shared garden is a top priority, along with good access to Kent

What they wanted…

Robyn and I have been renting together for ve years – rst with friends in a house share and then in a studio at. Even though our current place is tiny, the rent is so expensive and we know we’d be happier in our own place, paying for our own mortgage. We’ve been trying really hard to save, but it’s dif cult when your rent is so high. We’ve still managed to get around £18,000 in savings, which gives us a budget of around £180,000. I work in Woolwich and often work nights, so it’s important that we’re within a 30-minute drive of my work – even closer if possible. Robyn works in retail and often rotates around stores in south east London, so her commute will always vary. We both love cooking so we’d like a good array of shops and a market nearby, and we also like nothing better than eating out in local restaurants, so some good options for that would be a big bonus!

What we found…

THE LAKESIDE LOVELY THE LANDMARK DEVELOPMENT

Southmere Thamesmead, south east London

FROM £91,500*

Kidbrooke Square Kidbrooke, south east London

FROM £360,000*

Southmere, set by a lake, has a pretty outlook, plus a range of on-site amenities and good commuting links. The rst shared ownership one, two and three bedroom apartments recently launched, and the site will be home to more than 500 properties. The development will also house a public square, library, tness studio and cafe. Inside, the properties have been thoughtfully designed, with open-plan living areas that open to generously sized balconies and terraces. Nearby Abbey Wood will soon bene t from Crossrail services. This new collection of homes sits opposite Kidbrooke Village, an area that has bene ted from regeneration and features brand new shops, local amenities and an award-winning park. The studio, one and two bedroom homes here are sleek and contemporary, with stylish, neutral decor for the thoughtfully designed living spaces, leading to private outside spaces. Upmarket Blackheath and famous Greenwich are comfortably close, while Kidbrooke railway station is seconds from the front door, for trains to London Bridge in 15 minutes.

peabodysales.co.uk

*Based on a 30% share of the full market value of £305,000 n hgsales.com

*Shared ownership prices released later this year

What they thought…

This whole area near Abbey Wood is being regenerated and we’re really looking forward to seeing what happens here. The development looks amazing – set around the lake and with some really great things for locals being created too. We particularly like the idea of having new shops and restaurants nearby, and a brand new gym would be a welcome neighbour! The homes here are very attractive and well designed and de nitely a far cry from our shared accommodation of the past. Great location for us too, in terms of work and family.” This is another good location for us – good for getting to work, but also nice and close to lots of our favourite places. Greenwich and Blackheath are super-close and have so many great places to eat and enjoy a night out. We also like that the homes are so close to Kidbrooke station as it just makes getting around so easy, and there are convenient local shops. We’re really keen on the idea of being close to such great parks, too – Cator Park is right on the doorstep and would be perfect for enjoying the sun come the summer time.”

THE LIVELY LOCATION THE EASTENDER

Deptford Landings Deptford, south London

FROM £125,625*

Three Waters Bow, east London

FROM £120,000*

Bustling Deptford is home to lively bars, cafes and community projects, with Greenwich, Peckham, Brixton and the Docklands all a short bus, train ride or cycle away. With its convenient Zone 2 location close to Surrey Quays, all of London life is on the doorstep. The two, three and four bedroom apartments here also enjoy plenty of green space – they are built around shared communal areas, which include a brand new park and water feature. All this with the River Thames less than a few minutes’ walk away – stylish urban living at its best. Flanked by river, creek and canal, these new homes enjoy peaceful, panoramic waterside vistas – all just minutes from east London’s bustling Bow. There is a range of one, two and three bedroom properties available, all with private balconies as well as access to communal raised gardens and a roof terrace. Residents also have access to a state-of-the-art screening room and 24-hour concierge. Canary Wharf can be reached in just over 10 minutes by DLR, while some of east London’s nest places and parks are a short bus or bike ride away.

lqhomes.com

*Based on a 25% share of the full market value of £502,500 peabodysales.co.uk

*Based on a 30% share of the full market value of £400,000

We lived in Deptford for a couple of years and really loved it. It’s changed quite a lot, but some of the best parts of the area – including the market – will just never change. There’s a lot of character to this part of town and it’s also in such a great spot for getting around south London and to the river. These apartments are so stylish – we really love the tiling in the kitchens, the oor-to-ceiling windows and the iron balconies – it’s all really classy. The views over the area look good too, which I’m sure we’d enjoy taking in over dinner.” We do love east London and Bow! We used to come here a lot when we had friends in the area and got to know it quite well. We love Roman Road market, and Shoreditch and Hackney are both so close, too. We’re really impressed with these apartments – it would seem that they all have lovely waterside views and there’s so much lovely parkland right on the doorstep, which is great for such an urban area. The DLR and transport links are excellent, but for us south Londoners, it’s probably a little further a eld than we’re looking.” Wow, the views here look amazing! The development is right on the river, which would be a dream come true for us. We never imagined that sleek riverside apartments would ever be on our list of possibles, given our more modest budget. It’s in an interesting location, too – it’s technically north of the river, but is so easy to get to from the south, that it wouldn’t make much difference to where we live now in the south. There seems to be lots of regeneration in the area and nice places to go, including some very cool riverside bars and cafes within around 10 minutes’ walk. What we really love is that the apartments are all above the sixth oor, meaning that you’re guaranteed a good view, whichever way you’re looking. The communal gardens will be great for meeting neighbours.”

First choice!

THE THAMESIDE VIEWS

Woolwich Reach Silvertown, east London

FROM £93,750*

Located on the northern banks of the River Thames, with Woolwich in plain sight, residents at this new development will have an enviable address – with superb river views and easy access to both east and south east London. The one, two and three bedroom properties here feature bright, open-plan living areas that lead to private balconies, while the larger homes have an en suite from the main bedroom. Residents share pretty podium gardens, while Royal Victoria Gardens sits right outside the front door. From King George DLR, trains reach central London in just over 20 minutes. Woolwich is a short walk via the Thames foot tunnel.

nhgsales.com

*Based on a 25% share of the full market value of £375,000

THE NEXT STEP

“We’re very much sold on the idea of moving to Woolwich Reach and just need to get things moving. We’ve just nalised our mortgage offer in principle so we know exactly how much we can borrow, and we’re all set to go and view the show home and check out the area – we really can’t wait!”