Balham and Tooting have the "metro" factor
Like a lot of south London, Balham and Tooting spent much of the 20th century asleep in run-down respectability - until the Eighties property boom, when buyers priced out of neighbouring Clapham started to search further down the Northern line.
Today, homes in sought-after enclaves such as Heaver Estate, bordering Tooting Bec Common - which has a wonderful refurbished lido dating back to 1906 - command similar prices to Clapham, but in general properties remain a good 15 per cent cheaper.
Trinity Crescent is one of the most expensive roads in the area, boasting splendid mid-19th century stucco houses and handsome mansion flats. Here a boutique development of nine apartments (right) has been built on a former garden plot. The Art Deco-inspired low-rise architecture fits nicely into the tree-lined road.
The apartments are swish - with oak floors throughout, underfloor heating, luxury kitchens, generous-size balconies plus secure parking and bicycle storage. Prices start at £249,950 and rise to £435,000. Tooting Bec tube, the common and the villagey hub around Bellevue Road are a short walk.
Balham, nearer to Clapham, is trendier than Tooting, and is popular with young metro types who fill the bars and restaurants along the lively high road. Blueprint, just off the main drag, is a stylish gated-scheme of 50 flats on the site of an old printing works. Two-bedroom flats cost from £419,950. Call Foxtons on 020 8772 8000.
Metropolis, on Shipka Road, appeals to City bankers who are willing to pay as much for a large, superior apartment as they would for a smaller house in the area, according to Tom Yeomanson of Foxtons. This scheme has eight garden flats and duplexes with open-plan interiors and terraces. A 1,200 sq ft duplex is for sale at £565,000.
Nearby Trinder Mews is a tucked-away gated development of two-bedroom, eco-friendly houses, each with an open-plan kitchen-reception space opening onto a sizeable garden. The homes are likely to strike a chord with couples living locally who want to put down family roots in the area. Prices from £399,950 to £455,000. Call Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward on 020 8222 7200.
Today, homes in sought-after enclaves such as Heaver Estate, bordering Tooting Bec Common - which has a wonderful refurbished lido dating back to 1906 - command similar prices to Clapham, but in general properties remain a good 15 per cent cheaper.
The apartments are swish - with oak floors throughout, underfloor heating, luxury kitchens, generous-size balconies plus secure parking and bicycle storage. Prices start at £249,950 and rise to £435,000. Tooting Bec tube, the common and the villagey hub around Bellevue Road are a short walk.
Balham, nearer to Clapham, is trendier than Tooting, and is popular with young metro types who fill the bars and restaurants along the lively high road. Blueprint, just off the main drag, is a stylish gated-scheme of 50 flats on the site of an old printing works. Two-bedroom flats cost from £419,950. Call Foxtons on 020 8772 8000.
Metropolis, on Shipka Road, appeals to City bankers who are willing to pay as much for a large, superior apartment as they would for a smaller house in the area, according to Tom Yeomanson of Foxtons. This scheme has eight garden flats and duplexes with open-plan interiors and terraces. A 1,200 sq ft duplex is for sale at £565,000.
Nearby Trinder Mews is a tucked-away gated development of two-bedroom, eco-friendly houses, each with an open-plan kitchen-reception space opening onto a sizeable garden. The homes are likely to strike a chord with couples living locally who want to put down family roots in the area. Prices from £399,950 to £455,000. Call Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward on 020 8222 7200.
