I was chatting with a friend recently who proudly announced she was buying a house in Charlton, South East London.  It wasn’t so much the fact that she was buying a house but more the prospect of buying in Charlton, prospect being the operative word.  According to my friend, Charlton is the next big thing in property investment, and she should know, having spent many years investing in property and buying all over London, she certainly has an eye for a bargain!  In fact she’s so certain of Charlton, she has plans to buy up the whole street!  I don’t know if she’ll manage that one, or if the allure will wear off and she’ll move on to the “other next big thing” but I’m sure she’ll make the most of it.  Charlton, if you didn’t know, is just a stones throw from Blackheath, South East London (where my friend is living at the moment).  It has plenty of good schools including a well known independent school, St. Edwards Junior School, for those with a budget to match.  Houses are a mix of 1930s semis, Victorians and post-war style with good sized rooms and the opportunity to modernise or renovate.  Average house prices start from £170,000 for one and two bed flats and £275,000 for a three bed house upwards of £330,000 for a Victorian terraced three or four bed house. 

Renting is also relatively good value with one bed flats starting from as little as £550 per month and a four bed family home for only £850 per month.  Not bad if you wanted to get a sample of the area first before buying.  Transport links are pretty good too, with the South Eastern Train Service from Charlton mainline station travelling to London Bridge station, Waterloo and Charing Cross in just 15 minutes, alternatively North Greenwich Jubilee line tube station is a short bus ride away.  There are also plenty of buses into town and Greenwich and Blackheath are both near by for nice bars, restaurants and shopping. 

I’ve never been much for these property fads and claims, especially when you can see the area is clearly a grot hole and would take another 10 years at least of regeneration to really come up in the world.  However, on this occasion, I am inclined to believe what my friend is saying, especially since, as she quite rightly pointed out, “they’re building a Marks and Spencer Simply Food store, so you know it’s go up in the world.”  But before you all rush out to buy in Charlton, or anywhere for that matter, make sure you do your homework, buying a home is a serious business.  Here are some useful websites to help you on your way:

www.propertyfinder.com, www.onestopestates.com, www.thinkproperty.com, www.rightmove.co.uk, www.fish4.co.uk, www.tfl.gov.uk, www.london.gov.uk, www.thisislondon.co.uk