7 underrated London areas you might actually be able to buy in

From leafy suburbs to built-up spots outside of the centre, there’s someting for everyone eyeing up the daunting property ladder.

Purley

You get the best of both worlds in this leafy suburb in Croydon, London’s most southerly borough.

You can access completely fee-free mortgage advice with London & Country (L&C) Mortgages, a partner of Metro.

Customers benefit from:
– Award winning service from the UK’s leading mortgage broker
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Unlike many mortgage brokers, L&C won’t charge you a fee for their advice.

Find out how much you could borrow online

Croydon town centre, retail parks and an Ikea superstore are minutes away, and you can stretch your legs while enjoying the views in wild green spaces such as Happy Valley Park or Farthing Downs, and unwind with a pint in a traditional pub.

If you prefer long-distance walks, explore the North Downs Way from Caterham, just one stop from Purley on the line linking London and Brighton.

Where to buy

North Acton

Move to the most affordable part of fashionable Acton and you’ll have supermarkets, sports facilities, restaurants and the Grand Union Canal on the doorstep.

You’ll live five minutes along the Central line from Ealing Broadway and just over half a mile from Acton Main Line station, on the Elizabeth line.

Brentford

Given its location next to Chiswick and the Thames, and across the water from Kew, it’s no wonder that Brentford is such hot property.

Major investment has brought a revitalised high street and waterfront, new cafés and eateries, a new stadium for Brentford FC and thousands of new flats to this previously industrial area.

Brentford and Kew Bridge stations have services to Waterloo, or jump on a bus to pick up the Piccadilly, District and Mildmay lines.

One, two and three-beds start at £98,750 for 25 per cent of £395,000 and applicants with a local connection to the London Borough of Hounslow are given priority, sales.sng.org.uk

West Ham

Canary Wharf, the City and Stratford are all less than ten minutes by Tube from West Ham, one of the best-connected and most affordable areas in Zone 2.

If it has escaped your attention, that’s because until recently there wasn’t much interest but now an entire new neighbourhood is taking shape.

Kidbrooke

If you’d love a south-east London address but Greenwich or Blackheath are beyond your reach financially, check out Kidbrooke – in particular Kidbrooke Village, a thriving new village with a strong community spirit.

Only 16 minutes from London Bridge, it has a new station, a rewilded park and a village square where a regular farmers’ market and other events take place.

Harrow

It used to be seen as predominantly a family-focused area but with thousands of new flats already delivered or under way, Harrow has flung open its doors to singles and couples too.

Commuting is a breeze from Harrow-on-the-Hill, which is on the Metropolitan line or 15 minutes by train to Marylebone, though locals have everything they need on the doorstep – shopping and sports centres, parks, pubs and clubs, plus history and culture in the oldest part, around the world-famous Harrow School.

The one-bedroom flats at Sheepcote Road in HA1 are designed to maximise space and light, with tons of built-in storage, high ceilings and oversized windows, plus communal areas including courtyard and rooftop gardens, an allotment and co-working lounge.

Priced at 20 per cent below the local market value, they start at £274,000, pocketliving.com

Hendon

There’s something for everyone in this corner of north-west London.

In the case of those looking to buy for the first time, that means an impressive array of new-builds coupled with an increasing range of amenities.

The Northern line at Colindale and Hendon station, for Thameslink trains, are in easy reach.

Square Roots Hendon, in the heart of the action in NW9, consists of 244 studio, one, two and three-bedroom flats and duplexes with private outdoor space, landscaped gardens and play areas.

Prices start at £73,125 for 25 per cent of £292,500, squareroots.co.uk