choose your estate agents carefully. for the budget mentioned, sign up with Heart. also keep an eye on new builds. There have been some great ones in Mitcham/Streatham. Always keep an eye on Clapham Park, more bang for your buck than Balham proper...

[quote="chima"]Hi, I have lived in Furzedown for 3 years now and would really recommend it. We moved from a flat in a conservation area close to Balham and bought a house for pretty much the same price! Many people living here are like minded professionals who have moved from Clapham/Balham in order to up size and be close to good schools. The community spirit here is amazing and I feel that Furzedown is a little secret gem! Prices have increased quite a lot over the past year but I am sure you could find a 2 bed flat within your budget. Good luck with your search. ...[/quote]

hi chima, great to know…from july we'll be neighbors. I would love to know more about community and things around there. thanx
nuvola

http://andrewsonline.co.uk/sale/details/91675/Oldridge-Road-LONDON-SW12-8PJ

House in Nightingale Triangle, ex-council, not the prettiest but a lovely quiet road and local area - while very near Balham... it is a steal!

Hi, I have lived in Furzedown for 3 years now and would really recommend it. We moved from a flat in a conservation area close to Balham and bought a house for pretty much the same price! Many people living here are like minded professionals who have moved from Clapham/Balham in order to up size and be close to good schools. The community spirit here is amazing and I feel that Furzedown is a little secret gem! Prices have increased quite a lot over the past year but I am sure you could find a 2 bed flat within your budget. Good luck with your search. ...

We have just bought a 3 bedroom maisonette in woking close off priory lane sw14/15 They are ex council and sell for about £375k but it is a really friendly estate and only 5 mins walk from Barnes station. It's a great place if you just want to get back on the ladder and don't mind forgoing the victorian style!

Do you have to be in London? What about moving out to the suburbs? Places like Harpenden are on really quick commuter lines. Also the Sutton/Epsom area is on a good train line and near lovely country and with good schools. Personally I'd much rather live in these places that Streatham or Tooting, especially with kids. You could have a nice house with a garden if you moved out of London. Even somewhere a bit closer in like New Malden is better value and still quite nice. If your income's not on a steep upward trajectory and you're going to have to move out of London anyway, I'd have thought it would be better to do it now before you've put down roots and made lots of friends in the area.

We just bought a house in furzedown (beetwenn tooting bec and streatham) close to the common and very nice area. Have a look around there prices are much more reasonable. Sw17 postcode

it's so hard particuarly when the market is so competitive, no doubt you'll just find your perfect house and someone else will snap it up!
Have you ever considered using a buying agent to help you. Before i set up my website I assumed they were only for very big budgets but I've since discovered this isn't the case. They will charge you a fee but when you're looking in areas you don't know it might be worth the fee. Also they will help with negotiation and find things before they hit the open market. I think they are worth considering in markets like this. I've written about them on my site if you want more information (although that focuses on the move out of London). I know of a great london company - two brothers called Sam and Dan Edington. They might be worth talking to for some advice and I know they work with all sorts of budgets.http://www.edingtons.co.uk/

http://lifeafterlondon.com/useful-information/buyingselling-a-house/buyingagents/

hi ! Quick question on Streatham Hill...if looking in the area, which schools would I want to be near?

I second boonkoh's post.

I can't comment on prices, but we live off Bedford Hill, a stone's throw from the common and just love it there. Lovely and quiet with loads of 'wild life', so close to the common and yes the tube station is 10-12 mins' walk away, but I use my bike to get back and forth, which then only takes a few minutes.

Look between Balham Station and Streatham Hill station. Definitely loads of 2 bed properties available below £500k.

If you do a Right move search, especially around the area of the Telferscot primary school.

Most of the houses/flats there are two beds. The downside is a bit of a walk to Balham station (10minutes) but there is a bus that goes through. Plus its a super quiet area and really safe.

Isleworth is very bad for low flying planes & plane noise. I would look at Tooting, Streatham & the other aresa suggested.

Do try setting up an alert for those postcodes on righmove, register with ALL the estate agents & draw the actual area on a rightmove map so see what you can get for your budget.

Good luck :)

Have you thought about east dulwich? You can still get a nice 2 bed flat with Garden round there for 500k,lordship lane is really buzzing with cafes, nice shops, bars etc and it is v family friendly. There are also some excellent state schools (heber, Goodrich) if you do stay longer. I'd definitely look there if I was in your shoes. Been viewing lots of flats there in recent months. Lots of families/young professionals are buying there who are priced out of clapham/ Balham/battersea.

Hi,
Just really see ALL the estate agents, it took me almost one year to find a 3 bedroom flat with garden in Clapham when I wanted to move from North London in 2009. Some of them did not register me, others gave up with my budget after a few viewings, other tried to convince me to buy a 1 bedroom flat showing me some flats which actually were so badly priced (they were actually on the market for years and may still wait for a buyer today :-(.
It has been difficult, but at the end I found within my budget which was similar to yours, I would only add that you have to check on a daily basis if anything new is coming up as the best offers sell really fast,

Good luck

It was on rightmove under chiswick, price up too 500k.

I know that road really well, if I was looking for the same criteria as you I would go for this but it depends where you need to commute too etc.

My husband doesn't use the train he cycles or vespa's up to town and it is 45 mins door to door.

If you would like to know anymore about the area pm me x