The average spend of a first-time home in the capital may be nudging towards £500,000, but canny buyers could find suitable digs for little more than half that.
Before you extract yourself to Zone 6, consider the surprising number of London homes that slide in under – or on – the £300k mark.
Though endless bedrooms (or a private garden) are unlikely at this price point, a smart one- or two-bedroom flat with a balcony, parking spot and feasible commute is perfectly possible for those willing to rummage on Rightmove.
Sometimes it’s a matter of geographical tweakage – instead of Crystal Palace, try neighbouring Anerley or Penge – or a willingness to put aside period aspirations for a Thirties mansion block.
We’ve found appealing homes for sale in every borough.
Barking and Dagenham
Barking Riverside, £260,000
A smart, industrial-feel one-bedroom flat within walking distance of Barking Riverside station. Perks include parquet floors, a new kitchen and bathroom and secure underground parking.
Purple Bricks, 020 3906 2908
Barnet
Hendon, £300,000
This refurbed one-bedroom flat in Hendon comes with off-street parking and a share of the freehold. There’s also a vast garden shared with a handful of residents from other apartments.
YRT Residential, 020 3840 4000
Bexley
Erith, £300,000
Though in need of a total overhaul, this pretty two- or three-bedroom end terrace house has a large back garden and views over Northumberland Park. It’s being sold without a chain.
EweMove, 01234 860681
Brent
Kingsbury, £275,000
A two-bedroom maisonette near Roe Green Park with a balcony, garage and further off-street parking. It’s within walking distance of huge Fryent Country Park, plus Kingsbury Tube station for the Jubilee line.
Cow & Co, 020 3780 4690
Bromley
Anerley, £299,995
A bright one-bedroom flat in a prime position between Crystal Palace Park and South Norwood Lake and Grounds. Perks include a south-facing balcony, a parking space and an affordable service charge.
Martin & Co, 020 8771 9990
City of London
Aldgate, £245,000
For sale by public auction, this good-size studio has a separate kitchen, a balcony and several storage cupboards. It’s within half a mile of Aldgate, Aldgate East and Liverpool Street stations.
Network Auctions, 020 3988 4381
Camden
West Hampstead, £295,000
A characterful studio apartment occupying the top floor of a smart period house between Kilburn and Hampstead. Offered chain-free, it benefits from handy eaves storage.
Croydon
Tooting, £300,000
This airy split-level apartment comes with its own front door and a Juliet balcony overlooking treetops. In all there’s 600 square feet of space, including an open living area with a smart contemporary kitchen.
Dexters, 020 8545 8582
Ealing
Ealing, £295,000
A first floor flat in an attractive Thirties block with off-street parking and a wall of built-in storage in the bedroom. It’s on the market without a chain.
Savills, 020 3840 3965
Enfield
Palmers Green, £300,000
A spacious ground-floor garden flat near Broomfield Park, with the potential to turn one of two reception rooms into a second bedroom. Only 49 years remaining on the lease.
Antony Pepe, 020 3897 2950
Greenwich
Greenwich, £270,000
This well-proportioned one-bedroom flat is within walking distance of Maze Hill station, Greenwich Park and the River. It’s also ideally placed for Canary Wharf commuters.
Foxtons, 020 3840 3567
Hackney
Hackney Central, £300,000
This two-bedroom flat, a stone’s throw from Hackney Central station, is well-placed for the best of Hackney. The two bedrooms are of roughly equal size and there’s lift access.
4Sale, 020 3909 0353
Hammersmith and Fulham
East Acton, £300,000
An unusual one-bedroom freehold house at the end of a short terrace, with a south-facing rear patio. Minutes from East Acton station, it offers quick access to the A40 without suffering from close proximity to the road.
Churchill & Mathesons, 020 3840 3711
Haringey
Muswell Hill, £300,000
£300,000
It’s being sold as a studio, but this top floor flat within an appealing Edwardian house has a separate single room that could be used as a bedroom or study. There’s also handy eaves storage and access to a shared garden.
Hamptons, 020 3582 1196
Harrow
Stanmore, £300,000
A chain-free ground-floor flat with its own entrance in a characterful house next to Stanmore Country Park. Though on the very fringes of London, the Jubilee line offers relatively quick access into town.
Gibbs Gillespie, 020 3907 2916
Havering
Gidea Park, £300,000
An almost 700 square foot apartment on the first floor of a low-rise block, with two bedrooms, a separate kitchen and a utility area. It’s on the market without a chain.
Balgores, 01708 204467
Hillingdon
Hayes, £300,000
A smart fifth-floor apartment in a modern canalside scheme nears Hayes & Harlington station. Residents have use of a swimming pool and gym, plus landscaped communal gardens.
Hastings International, 020 3871 7044
Hounslow
Isleworth, £300,000
This one-bedroom apartment is part of an appealing red-brick converted Post Office. Offered chain-free, it comes with secure allocated parking and has just had a new boiler installed.
Yopa, 01322 952994
Islington
Finsbury Park, £300,000
A spacious chain-free studio with a separate kitchen, hallway and almost 50 foot south-west facing private garden. From here it’s a short walk to Finsbury Park station, with its Victoria and Piccadilly line connections.
David Andrew, 020 3909 7873
Kensington and Chelsea
Holland Park, £300,000
Though in need of considerable work, this two-bedroom mews house has plenty of charm. It’s in a prime position between Holland Park and the bustle of Shepherd’s Bush.
Druce, 020 3376 6022
Kingston Upon Thames
Surbiton, £300,000
A bright top floor flat in a red-brick house on the London Surrey border, with pretty communal gardens and free street parking. It’s within walking distance of Surbiton station.
Surbiton, 020 3856 8039
Lambeth
Tulse Hill, £300,000
With two double bedrooms and residents parking, this flat near the edge of Brockwell Park is a sensible choice for first-time buyers. It’s also within walking distance of Brixton Tube for a guaranteed seat on the Victoria line.
Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, 020 3879 5248
Lewisham
Forest Hill, £300,000
This chain-free one-bedroom flat is within striking distance of Forest Hill station, plus a cluster of cafes and supermarkets. With a modern kitchen and white walls throughout, it offers something of a blank canvas.
Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, 020 3835 5504
Merton
Raynes Park, £300,000
A second floor flat in an attractive Thirties block, set in its own landscaped grounds. Handy for Raynes Park station, it’s ideal for a first-timer or downsizer.
eXp, 03304 609968
Newham
Royal Docks, £300,000
A well-laid out one-bedroom flat in a characterful converted grain store, close to the waterfront and DLR stations. Further perks include a balcony, concierge and no onward chain.
Lloyds Residential, 020 3906 8588
Redbridge
Woodford Green, £300,000
A compact but smart one-bedroom flat on the top floor of a low-rise block near Woodford station. It comes with an allocated parking space and a share of the freehold.
Bairstow Eves, 020 3835 6392
Richmond Upon Thames
Teddington, £279,950
A small but smartly refurbed studio within a handsome Building on Townspace Merit in the heart of Teddington. Highlights include a sleek modern kitchen and no onward chain.
Ross Hand, 020 8977 9770
Southwark
Bermondsey, £292,000
This well-proportioned flat is part of a Pocket Living scheme, so any buyer would need to be a first-timer based in Southwark. There’s a host of communal extras, including two roof terraces, a co-working space and bike storage.
Alex & Matteo, 020 3983 1833
Sutton
Sutton, £300,000
A well-maintained two-bedroom apartment in a smart Art Deco block tucked away from busy roads. Perks include a share of the freehold, off-street parking and no onward chain.
Yopa, 01322 952994
Tower Hamlets
Bow, £300,000
A one-bedroom flat for sale in Bow Quarter, close to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. A host of facilities, including a gym, sauna and pool, are on offer to residents.
Oliver Jaques, 020 3909 6690
Waltham Forest
Walthamstow, £275,000
A distinctive flat with double-height ceilings in an old warehouse, converted five years ago. Perks include integrated Bluetooth speakers and Smeg appliances, plus a shared roof terrace.
Central, 020 3834 8367
Wandsworth
Balham, £300,000
A bright one-bedroom flat within a Victorian house in Balham’s Heaver Estate. Perks include high ceilings and access to a mature shared garden. No chain.
Westminster
Little Venice, £295,000
A one-bedroom apartment on 18th floor of block overlooking the canal, with far-reaching views of London. It’s within walking distance of Regents Park, Maida Vale and Notting Hill.
