House Hunter

The HOUSE HUNTER

This month FTB goes on the hunt with Fiona and Tim Seccombe who are after a one or two bedroom home in London

PROFILE

Names Fiona Seccombe, 28, and Tim Seccombe, 30 Occupations Web designer, Marketing Manager Maximum budget £150,000 Requirements A one or two bedroom home in London with a balcony or terrace, good transport connections, green spaces, shops and places to eat nearby

What they wanted…

We are looking for a home in London after working and living overseas for three years. We came back to London in early 2020 and moved in with my mum in Peckham, south London. It was supposed to be temporary – then the pandemic hit! We stayed with mum while we both found remote work, and we’ve stayed there through the lockdowns, using the time to save for a deposit. We’ve all been happy with the situation, but we are ready to get ourselves a home of our own! As my mum is in south London, we’d ideally like to be within a 30-minute journey from her. After such a long time in lockdown, we are really looking forward to meeting up with friends and enjoying and exploring London again, so we’d like somewhere that helps us to do just that. Good transport links, cafes and parks would be nice to have within walking distance. We have just under £20,000 saved and are looking at a budget of £150,000 – so a shared ownership place would suit us.”

What we found…

THE BUZZING LOCATION THE ICONIC VIEWS

No 4 Oxford Road Maida Vale, north west London

FROM £118,750*

Dockside at Millharbour Isle of Dogs, London Isle of Dogs, London

FROM £121,875*

Located in London’s NW6, close to Maida Vale and buzzing Kilburn, the new homes at No 4 Oxford Road have a bit of everything. Overground and Bakerloo Line stations are within a two-minute walk, along with Kilburn’s high street. Paddington Rec, Kilburn Grange and Queen’s Park are among the green spaces nearby, while Maida Vale’s canalside bars are excellent. The one bedroom homes are in a boutique period conversion, with terraces for the apartments on the lower oors, and a pretty mix of period and contemporary features. Canary Wharf and the Thames lie moments from the door at this new collection of homes in an iconic setting. The one and two bedroom apartments at Dockside have excellent views over the district and lie close to open spaces, shops and transport links. The properties have been thoughtfully designed, with bright open-plan living spaces, sleek tted kitchens with integrated appliances, and private outdoor space. South Quay DLR is under ve minutes on foot, while the immediate local area is home to restaurants, shops, gyms and a GP surgery.

nhgsales.com

*Based on a 25% share of the full market value of £475,000 nhgsales.com

*Based on a 25% share of the full market value of £487,500

What they thought…

This small development feels really exclusive. We like the style of the period property, which is quite different to other developments in the area. The homes are beautifully nished, and there’s a good amount of natural light, too. Location-wise, it’s great for getting around! Kilburn is lively and fun, with a theatre and lots of places to eat, and the travel links are excellent. I’ll be working in the of ce three days a week soon, and getting into central London would only take 10 minutes from here.” We love the urban feel here – there’s so much to do right on the doorstep, which is just our cup of tea. The river and docks are very near, and being close to that, as well as to the shops and cafes at Canary Wharf, would be fantastic. It’s also so simple to get south of the river – you can walk to Greenwich from here, so getting to my mum (or vice versa) would be pretty easy. We could afford two bedrooms here, which means more space for homeworking or having people to stay – a big plus for us.”

THE CONVENIENCE KING THE WATERSIDE HOMES

Lazenby Square Bermondsey, south London

FROM £135,000*

Heron Quarter at Woodberry Down Manor House, London Manor House, London

FROM £106,250*

Set around a stunning courtyard, the new homes at Lazenby Square offer a tranquil retreat from city life, which lies just on the doorstep. The one, two and three bedroom apartments are bright and spacious, with balconies, and en suites in the bigger properties. These Zone 2 apartments are just a 15-minute walk from Tower Bridge, the river front, Borough Market and everything those areas bring for around-the-clock entertainment. Bermondsey Spa Gardens can be reached in under a minute, with supermarkets, shops and cafes slightly further. Heron Quarter marks the latest shared ownership phase of the wider Woodberry Down development – a landmark project in north London. These one and two bedroom homes are set around the West Reservoir (now a sailing lake), providing waterside views and panoramic skyline vistas. Inside, the homes have stylish nishes including oak-effect ooring, tiled bathrooms and low energy lighting. Nature is close at hand, with wetlands just moments away, while trendy pop-ups, delis and cafes can be found in nearby Stoke Newington.

peabodysales.co.uk

*Based on a 25% share of the full market value of £540,000 nhgsales.com

*Based on a 25% share of the full market value of £425,000

We lived in Bermondsey before we went overseas and we loved it. The proximity to Borough Market and the river is great, but it’s also close to Peckham, Brixton and Camberwell, so the choices for going out are secondto-none! The apartments are lovely and the central courtyard is great as you’ll always have somewhere to relax. We have plenty of friends nearby, so we’d never be short on company. The area is also changing for the better – so it’s exciting to see such positive growth.” There’s so much green space here, it looks beautiful. This development really does seem to be an oasis of calm, and it would be amazing to be so close to wetlands and have a lake to sail on. We have heard so much about places like Stoke Newington and Finsbury Park as one of Tim’s colleagues moved here a few years ago. It sounds like a really cool place with a creative community and lots of young residents. It may be a few miles too far away from my mum for us, but it is a fantastic option.” This is a remarkable location! To be this close to Battersea Park and the river would be a dream come true for us. Not only do we get to come back to south London, but we would be in an area that we never thought we’d be able to afford to live in. The styling inside the homes is really impressive – the kitchens are very stylish, and we love the ooring, it is really good quality. Of course, the whole development looks great too – the communal gardens are amazing, and when we’re working from home it’ll be so handy to have a cafe right on the doorstep. This is a great place for seeing our friends, too – it’s easy to get across the river, and getting to my mum in Peckham will be a cinch!”

First choice!

THE SOUGHT-AFTER ADDRESS

The Windsor Apartments Battersea, south London

FROM £150,000*

With beautiful Battersea Park on the doorstep, and the Thames within a few minutes by foot, these new homes occupy an exclusive and highly desirable location. One and two bedroom apartments are available here through shared ownership, created as part of a larger development set within 2.5 acres of landscaped gardens. The homes have been created with modern living in mind, with open-plan living areas, private balconies, built-in storage space and quality xtures and ttings. For the one bedroom apartments in Radley House, Clarion Housing is offering a £2,000 John Lewis incentive and service charge paid for a year! windsorapartments-sw11.co.uk

*Based on a 25% share of the full market value of £600,000

THE NEXT STEP

“We absolutely love the look of these apartments – the communal grounds and the amazing location. We are super-excited at the prospect of moving to Battersea and will get the ball rolling with mortgage applications and registering interest as soon as possible.”