Property

You are never going to own a stately home; peasant. So why not buy a property next to one? Charlton in South East London is part of the Royal borough of Greenwich, with good schools, parks, great views and Charlton House - regarded as the best preserved Jacobean house in London, built in 1607. However, unlike Greenwich town and neighbouring Blackheath, it is actually affordable. Ok some bits are a bit down on their luck, but in general it is...

“It isn’t pretty but it has a big black plastic cat,” I was told a few years ago by my girlfriend who is from around that area. A few years on and it’s exactly the same. I guess in a rapidly changing London some consistency is quite comforting. This is the South East London as Del Boy would have seen it. There has been loose talk of regeneration for years, I fear the cat might go to the plastic animal...

Clapham arrived on the scene years ago, and put SW4 firmly on the map. Few can remember it used to be regarded as quite a rough area. Now it is one of busiest drinking/eating areas in London, with many venues full every day of the week. It used to be full of Australians, but they appear to have been priced out the places like Acton. Now Clapham is firmly the HQ for the young Home Counties set in London. Rugby...

You thought of David Beckham didn’t you? So did I, it is nothing to be ashamed of...embrace it. Beckenham is a traditional London suburb - to the South East of the capital - with pleasant tree lined streets, Edwardian houses and the vague feeling it was once a village before London expanded like Eric Pickle’s waistband. I guess it is Kent at heart, but London in outlook. And wait for it, it’s cheap. Not Aldi prices of course, but just about...

Do you like stuffed animals? (Well I do), then Forest Hill in South East London is the place for you. The Horniman museum has a huge collection and would be on your doorstep if you bought here. And a lot of people have been purchasing properties in the area. I’m not sure if it is due to the extensive taxidermy offering or the leafy streets and still fairly reasonable prices. Reasonable for London you understand, not in the traditional sense...

Tooting in South West London, is just one stop from up-market Balham and it is fast seeing the same gentrification of its Northern Line neighbour, which means you guessed it…the bargain boat has sailed. It has two tube stops; Tooting Broadway is the bustling multicultural area and Tooting Bec is quieter, more desirable and as expected more pricey. You have the feeling some of the less successful curry houses (of which there are many) might soon become trendy boutiques. Day after...

Haggerston became the next affordable spot in East London, after the cost of properties in Dalston hit the roof. However,the prices have caught up and bargain hunters have gone even further out east. Still, Haggerston is really worth looking at. It sits between De Beauvoir Town, Dalston, Shoreditch and Hoxton. Parts of the area also flank beautiful Regent’s Canal. There are some nice Victorian streets and the roads coming out from Queensbridge Road are particularly pleasant. Famous for In 2009...

Cool and quirky Camden Town is London’s answer to San Francisco. Although it’s in North London, being just above Kings Cross it can still easily pass as being central. When you alight from the tube for the first time the High Street that greets you is mesmerising. Giant boots kicking into buildings, tattoo parlours and alternative shops sit on this busy road. Camden Town is full of wonderful weirdness. The market is a great place to find alternative clothing and...

The leafy suburb of Chiswick is the jewel of West London. Beautiful enough to attract the rich and famous, but far away from Central London enough not to cost the Earth. Chiswick High Road that slices the town in two has a certain continental feel to it, while the traditional public houses maintain its Englishness. Branching off from the High Road are rows upon rows of elegant, tree-lined avenues where large semi-detached homes gracefully stand. Chiswick is essentially a family...