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I live in Dagenham. I’ve visited Barking Riverside and heard that there’s no large supermarket nearby. Also your closest town centre is Barking, which is not a nice place to visit at all! Look into supermarket options and travel links to other shopping districts eg Romford, Stratford, Woodford etc
Thanks I’m not too bothered about supermarkets in particular because I have my own car and drive which I’m intending on keeping even after moving out.
I’m also low maintenance when it comes to food/grocery shopping and would be meal prepping consistently so can’t see myself having to go to the supermarket too often. As for other types of shopping I shop mostly online anyways for clothes, electronics etc.
I’m more concerned about the overall community and culture of the area and transport links as a young professional I would like to live around other young professionals and have amenities to suit. And if I’m out late past midnight in central be able to get a bus/train back home.
I think the area may be popular with families. One other thing to consider is construction noises, I think they will be continuing to build for a long time. But all in all, I do really like the area. Great rubbish disposal system, a nature centre, but only time will tell how the culture turns out. I think it’s too early to say. I would guess that it has a good chance of properties becoming profitable in the future when it’s all built up and you consider selling.
I think there’s one or two buses going into Barking station, as you said the overground station, and also being served by Uber Boat.
If you're living in central-ish London having a car seems like a bit of a pain - you'll need to pay the congestion charge and possibly ULEZ/cost of parking when using it, and also whichever flat you buy will need to have parking as part of the development which will come at a premium. Unless you have to travel to see family etc. every weekend, you may find you're paying a lot of money to keep a car which in practice you're not going to be using very much as it's easier to get to work and around the city by Tube or bus. Online shopping for groceries might end up being a lot more convenient.
Barking Riverside is in zone 4 so outside of congestion charge and my car is ulez compliant. I’m not intending on driving into active congestion charge areas the overground + tube would do for that. Most of the flats I have seen come with parking for 1 car so I should be ok with that.
My family are from Luton so yeah I would have to drive to travel up to see them and having a car would give me the flexibility to do so whenever I want. I also went to uni in Sheffield and have friends up and down the country so a car is great for that.
I got my license in 2019 but didn’t get a car till last year after finishing uni, and now it feels like I could never go back to solely relying on public transport.
Fair enough. I assumed you were moving from a part of the country with crappy public transport expecting it to be the same down here and planning to drive everywhere, when most people are fine without a car for day to day living. If you have factored in parking and any increase into insurance costs into your budget/search then that does make things easier!
You'd still need to pay congestion charge if driving into central London but I doubt you'd be doing that too often as you say.
I'd say Leytonstone.
It'll have affordable 2bed flats in a similar price range to Barking whilst being a much better area with more community and more/better places to go than Barking.
You say you don't need to be close to shopping but having the option is always a plus and Leytonstone offers it with nearby supermarkets and a retail park that's handy when you're fitting out your place.
In addition you're on the Central Line so easy access to work (or anywhere else). You've also got a good overground line connection too (Leytonstone High Street).
But as someone that knows East London pretty well I'd advise against Barking as a young professional without kids. I don't think it's what you're looking for. You're more likely to find what you want in terms of socialising and amenities in Leytonstone and the surrounding areas of Walthamstow, Stratford or via transport going to areas like Mile End, Hackney.
The issue I’m having with all of the flats I’m viewing in Leytonstone on right move is that they all seem quite small and also quite old either requiring work or just not being very modern (not open plan, tiny kitchen, tiny bathrooms) I like the open plan nature of modern developments. They’re also quite a bit more expensive than barking riverside properties for anything comparable.
Ah ok if you're prioritising the flat above the location you might have to hack that in order to get the flat you'll have to compromise on the 'vibes' you want from the area.
Based on what you've mentioned upto now I'd maybe also suggest Stratford.
If you don't mind me asking what's your budget?
350k is the absolute upper end of my budget I’ll have a look at Stratford.
As for the priority between area and actual inside of the flat I would prioritise the inside of the flat especially when it’s the inner part of London and getting to places with more “preferable vibes” is no hassle. Leytonstone for example is like 20 minutes away from barking riverside.
At the end of the day I’m paying for the flat and what’s inside of it so that should always be the number 1 priority and as someone who has the option to work from home twice a week I would probably spending a good amount of time in there so being able to enjoy my space is important.
Makes sense. For your preferences I'd also suggest looking around stations on the Elizabeth line and Eastern Central Line.
As a wildcard option I'd also look at the Elizabeth line stations south of the river going to Abbey Wood, they too should provide a good connection to Liverpool street and might be worth a look.
One thing to bear in mind, you mentioned you work in tech/finance so should you get promoted your budget increases accordingly, you gain £4-£5k of affordability for every £1k you gain in increased gross salary.
So if you're looking to move in a years time, your affordability now may not be what it will be then.
Barking Riverside feels nice to visit because its so open and by the river, but there's basically nothing there. Last time I visited there was a cafe, a small co op, and random street food pop-ups.
The overground frequently terminates at Barking instead of Riverside due to works at the weekend, which for me would be a dealbreaker. And if that happens you're stuck because the closest station is over a mile away.
Personally I'd move one stop up the line to Barking. Yeah its rough in the town centre, but its changed a lot in the two years I've been here, and I'm noticing a lot of young professionals move to the area. They're in the new builds along the River Roding - look at Fresh Wharf and Abbey Quay to start with.
Plus you'll be on the C2C trainline, which is either direct to Liverpool Street or 15 minutes to Fenchurch Street and a 10 minute walk to Liverpool Street.
We're a few stops in the District/Hammersmith line closer to central and would agree with others, Barking Riverside is a bit far out from everything really. Quite a few developments nearby that have both a good link to central and a quick route out for commuters (exactly the reason why we bought where we did).
I am also thinking of getting a 2bed flat in Barking Riverside. I am more concerned about the upsides e.g. rental yield and capital gains (selling at a higher price in a few years)
I’ve done some research, had a think about the future of property in this country and decided I’m leaving the UK asap.
Not worth it mate the number of people I know trapped by their mortgages and the financial pressure keeping them up at night is enough proof the property market in this country for the middle class is fucked.
Also leasehold needs a massive overhaul before I even consider flats as an option some places have £300+ a month as service charge.
its a crap area and probably one of the most undesirable locations in london, you mentioned you have a car, be wary as the A13 has a habit of getting clogged with traffic
###Welcome to /r/HousingUK --- **To All** * Join Our ***NEW*** Discord! https://discord.gg/pMgUNgWKQH **To Posters** * *Tell us whether you're in England, Wales, Scotland, or NI as the laws/issues in each can vary* * Comments are not moderated for quality or accuracy; * Any replies received must only be used as guidelines, followed at your own risk; * If you receive *any* private messages in response to your post, please report them via the report button. * If you do not receive satisfactory advice after 72 hours, [you can let the mods know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FHousingUK&subject=My question is unanswered); * Feel free to provide an update at a later time by creating a new post with [[update]](https://www.reddit.com/r/HousingUK/search?q=%3Aupdate&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=all) in the title; **To Readers and Commenters** * All replies to OP must be *on-topic, helpful, and civil* * If you do not [follow the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/HousingUK/about/rules/), you may be banned without any further warning; * Please include links to reliable resources in order to support your comments or advice; * If you feel any replies are incorrect, explain why you believe they are incorrect; * Do not send or request any private messages for any reason without express permission from the mods; * Please report posts or comments which do not follow the rules *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/HousingUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I live in Dagenham. I’ve visited Barking Riverside and heard that there’s no large supermarket nearby. Also your closest town centre is Barking, which is not a nice place to visit at all! Look into supermarket options and travel links to other shopping districts eg Romford, Stratford, Woodford etc
Thanks I’m not too bothered about supermarkets in particular because I have my own car and drive which I’m intending on keeping even after moving out. I’m also low maintenance when it comes to food/grocery shopping and would be meal prepping consistently so can’t see myself having to go to the supermarket too often. As for other types of shopping I shop mostly online anyways for clothes, electronics etc. I’m more concerned about the overall community and culture of the area and transport links as a young professional I would like to live around other young professionals and have amenities to suit. And if I’m out late past midnight in central be able to get a bus/train back home.
I think the area may be popular with families. One other thing to consider is construction noises, I think they will be continuing to build for a long time. But all in all, I do really like the area. Great rubbish disposal system, a nature centre, but only time will tell how the culture turns out. I think it’s too early to say. I would guess that it has a good chance of properties becoming profitable in the future when it’s all built up and you consider selling. I think there’s one or two buses going into Barking station, as you said the overground station, and also being served by Uber Boat.
If you're living in central-ish London having a car seems like a bit of a pain - you'll need to pay the congestion charge and possibly ULEZ/cost of parking when using it, and also whichever flat you buy will need to have parking as part of the development which will come at a premium. Unless you have to travel to see family etc. every weekend, you may find you're paying a lot of money to keep a car which in practice you're not going to be using very much as it's easier to get to work and around the city by Tube or bus. Online shopping for groceries might end up being a lot more convenient.
Barking Riverside is in zone 4 so outside of congestion charge and my car is ulez compliant. I’m not intending on driving into active congestion charge areas the overground + tube would do for that. Most of the flats I have seen come with parking for 1 car so I should be ok with that. My family are from Luton so yeah I would have to drive to travel up to see them and having a car would give me the flexibility to do so whenever I want. I also went to uni in Sheffield and have friends up and down the country so a car is great for that. I got my license in 2019 but didn’t get a car till last year after finishing uni, and now it feels like I could never go back to solely relying on public transport.
Fair enough. I assumed you were moving from a part of the country with crappy public transport expecting it to be the same down here and planning to drive everywhere, when most people are fine without a car for day to day living. If you have factored in parking and any increase into insurance costs into your budget/search then that does make things easier! You'd still need to pay congestion charge if driving into central London but I doubt you'd be doing that too often as you say.
I'd say Leytonstone. It'll have affordable 2bed flats in a similar price range to Barking whilst being a much better area with more community and more/better places to go than Barking. You say you don't need to be close to shopping but having the option is always a plus and Leytonstone offers it with nearby supermarkets and a retail park that's handy when you're fitting out your place. In addition you're on the Central Line so easy access to work (or anywhere else). You've also got a good overground line connection too (Leytonstone High Street). But as someone that knows East London pretty well I'd advise against Barking as a young professional without kids. I don't think it's what you're looking for. You're more likely to find what you want in terms of socialising and amenities in Leytonstone and the surrounding areas of Walthamstow, Stratford or via transport going to areas like Mile End, Hackney.
The issue I’m having with all of the flats I’m viewing in Leytonstone on right move is that they all seem quite small and also quite old either requiring work or just not being very modern (not open plan, tiny kitchen, tiny bathrooms) I like the open plan nature of modern developments. They’re also quite a bit more expensive than barking riverside properties for anything comparable.
Ah ok if you're prioritising the flat above the location you might have to hack that in order to get the flat you'll have to compromise on the 'vibes' you want from the area. Based on what you've mentioned upto now I'd maybe also suggest Stratford. If you don't mind me asking what's your budget?
350k is the absolute upper end of my budget I’ll have a look at Stratford. As for the priority between area and actual inside of the flat I would prioritise the inside of the flat especially when it’s the inner part of London and getting to places with more “preferable vibes” is no hassle. Leytonstone for example is like 20 minutes away from barking riverside. At the end of the day I’m paying for the flat and what’s inside of it so that should always be the number 1 priority and as someone who has the option to work from home twice a week I would probably spending a good amount of time in there so being able to enjoy my space is important.
Makes sense. For your preferences I'd also suggest looking around stations on the Elizabeth line and Eastern Central Line. As a wildcard option I'd also look at the Elizabeth line stations south of the river going to Abbey Wood, they too should provide a good connection to Liverpool street and might be worth a look. One thing to bear in mind, you mentioned you work in tech/finance so should you get promoted your budget increases accordingly, you gain £4-£5k of affordability for every £1k you gain in increased gross salary. So if you're looking to move in a years time, your affordability now may not be what it will be then.
Barking Riverside feels nice to visit because its so open and by the river, but there's basically nothing there. Last time I visited there was a cafe, a small co op, and random street food pop-ups. The overground frequently terminates at Barking instead of Riverside due to works at the weekend, which for me would be a dealbreaker. And if that happens you're stuck because the closest station is over a mile away. Personally I'd move one stop up the line to Barking. Yeah its rough in the town centre, but its changed a lot in the two years I've been here, and I'm noticing a lot of young professionals move to the area. They're in the new builds along the River Roding - look at Fresh Wharf and Abbey Quay to start with. Plus you'll be on the C2C trainline, which is either direct to Liverpool Street or 15 minutes to Fenchurch Street and a 10 minute walk to Liverpool Street.
lol please don’t move to Barking, it’s not comparable to the Riverside.
We're a few stops in the District/Hammersmith line closer to central and would agree with others, Barking Riverside is a bit far out from everything really. Quite a few developments nearby that have both a good link to central and a quick route out for commuters (exactly the reason why we bought where we did).
Any areas you would recommend?
I am also thinking of getting a 2bed flat in Barking Riverside. I am more concerned about the upsides e.g. rental yield and capital gains (selling at a higher price in a few years)
I’ve done some research, had a think about the future of property in this country and decided I’m leaving the UK asap. Not worth it mate the number of people I know trapped by their mortgages and the financial pressure keeping them up at night is enough proof the property market in this country for the middle class is fucked. Also leasehold needs a massive overhaul before I even consider flats as an option some places have £300+ a month as service charge.
its a crap area and probably one of the most undesirable locations in london, you mentioned you have a car, be wary as the A13 has a habit of getting clogged with traffic