Bringing cool areas and designer homes within budget

There are plenty of opportunities to part-buy/part-rent a designer home in a cool London district – at Royal Arsenal Riverside in Woolwich; Fish Island in Hackney; Greenwich Peninsula and Nine Elms, to name a few. And there are even cheaper homes in pockets of the capital reaping the rewards of regeneration.

Take Walthamstow in east London, which is Zone 3 on the Tube and has 20-minute Overground trains to the City. For many years, it was under a veil, but steady improvements, including a town centre facelift plus new cafés, late bars and a farmers’ market, are encouraging people to settle. Artists priced out of Hackney are also moving in.

Walthamstow has a history of crafts and manufacturing, while a purposebuilt “people’s workshop” in Blackhorse Lane aims to encourage more locals to learn skills such as furniture making. Close by is the town’s handsome Victorian library, built by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, while another area highlight is the William Morris Gallery, historic home of the influential Victorian designer and poet. The Chain is the latest town centre development, with 518 flats just a 10-minute walk from Walthamstow Central station. Prices start at £91,250 for a 25 per cent share of a one-bedroom home. Call L&Q on 0333 255 0770. The same housing association is selling shared ownership apartments at Deptford Landings in south-east London. Prices start at £125,625 for a 25 per cent share of a two-bedroom apartment (full price, £502,500). The scheme is close to Greenwich town centre and its majestic park. Call 0333 999 7836.