“Due north of the Surrey Downs, Sutton residents don’t have to travel far to get lost in the rolling hills and mesmeric views, a unique privilege permitted to living in this part of London “
Moving to Sutton
This London borough nestled deep in South West London is one of the most tranquil boroughs in the capital, characterised by charming period housing, peaceful green spaces, and happy residents – an impressive 91% said Sutton was a ‘great place to live’ in 2014.
Families and retired couples are particularly drawn to the borough for this dual lifestyle, with good links to the centre of London alongside opportunities for a more rural way of life. Due north of the Surrey Downs, Sutton residents don’t have to travel far to get lost in the rolling hills and mesmeric views, a unique privilege permitted to living in this part of London.
However, despite the borough’s disguise as a rather slow and sleepy area, its also known a centre for innovation and excellence. As well as being home to the renowned Royal Marsden Hospital, the Institute of Cancer Research on Cotswold Road has undergone the first phase of a £170m project, named Sutton for Life, which has so far helped to build a Centre for Cancer Imaging to evaluate new treatment drugs. When complete, Sutton Council has said that the research campus will be the second largest of its kind in the world after the MD Anderson campus in Texas. Sutton is also a relatively fortunate borough, with one of the lowest child poverty rates in London.
House prices in Sutton
Another draw for families and first-time-buyers is the house prices – Sutton is one of the most affordable boroughs in London with an average house price of £442,403 as of April 2020, significantly lower than the London average. Detached and semi-detached houses are in good supply here, particularly those with gardens, and for those seeking some historic charm there are four conservation areas of Special Local Character across the borough filled with attractive Victorian properties.
“A real draw for families, Sutton is home to a selection of outstanding schools, and was ranking as the top performing area for GCSE results in England in 2011.”
Transport
Unfortunately for some local commuters, there are no Underground links here but Sutton does have an adequate pool of National Rail links, Thameslink services and bus services scattered throughout the borough which go someway to making up for this. A train journey to Clapham Junction or Victoria from Sutton takes a mere 30 minutes or less, with onward travel fast and straightforward from both of these locations. For drivers, the borough is only a few miles from the M25 whilst the A24 provides a straight route all the way to the heart of London.
Lifestyle
Sutton town centre is in many ways the heart of the borough, and it’s here that you’ll find the area’s best selection of shops and restaurants. Popular nationals such as Zizzi’s, Pizza Express, and All Bar One have restaurants here, alongside great independent options including Spaghetti Tree, Il Toscano, and Brasserie Vacherin, a traditional French restaurant run by celebrity chef Malcolm John. For something completely different, High Down Prison in Belmont is home to The Clink, a unique restaurant inside the prison run by a charity which seeks to rehabilitate prisoners through training.
As you’d expect from a quiet borough, retail offerings are relatively limited here – any resident looking to splash the cash is likely to hop on a train to central London instead. However, Sutton town centre does have two shopping centres, the Saint Nicolas Centre and the Times Square Shopping Centre, which offer a range of high street favourites such as Primark, Debenhams and New Look. There are also a number of useful shops on the High Street, including Specsavers and Waterstones, as well as a range of different bank branches.
Food shopping
For keen home cooks, a variety of supermarkets can be found in the borough including Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury’s, and both small and large branches of Tesco. You can also visit the monthly Farmer’s Market, which graces Sutton High Street at the beginning of every month.
Health and sport
Sutton has a reasonable selection of gyms and fitness facilities, including branches of major chains such as Fitness4Less, Virgin Active, and Nuffield Health Fitness and Wellbeing. There are a range of good council-run services including Westcroft Leisure Centre and Cheam Leisure Centre too. Some smaller boutique studios can also be found in the borough for pilates and yoga, as well as a dedicated gymnastics centre.
Culture
Council spending cuts in recent years have had an impact on the cultural offerings in Sutton, with the areas two leading theatres, the Secombe Theatre and the Charles Cryer Studio, closed in 2016 due to budget cuts. However, the borough still offers a number of quirky small museums such as the Honeywood Museum, Little Holland House and the Cockney Museum, as well as well as an Empire Cinema and a Vue Cinema. Numerous art galleries are popping up over Sutton too, adding a bit of creative flair to the mix.
“Sutton has a very respectable smattering of green spaces for residents looking to relax in natural surroundings, with an impressive 89 parks and boroughs totalling 1500 acres spread across the borough”
Schools and education
A real draw for families, Sutton is home to a selection of outstanding schools, and was ranking as the top performing area for GCSE results in England in 2011. Top primary schools in the area include St Mary’s RC Junior School, Barrow Hedges Primary School and Westbourne Primary School, all of which report over 97% of pupils achieving expected levels in English and Maths. For older students, St Philomela’s School, Glenthorne High School and The John Fisher School are among the best secondary schools in Sutton, while Sutton Grammar School and Wellington High School for Girls are the leading selective secondary schools in the borough.
Safety
Quiet and subdued, the London Borough of Sutton regularly ranks among the top 5 safest boroughs in the capital, with an average crime rate of 57 per 1000 people as of 2013 – lower than the UK average, and significantly lower than the London average.
Green space
Sutton has a very respectable smattering of green spaces for residents looking to relax in natural surroundings, with an impressive 89 parks and green spaces totalling 1500 acres spread across the borough. The historic Oaks Park in the south of the borough is home to a golf course, café and sports centre among other amenities, while Beddington Park in north west Sutton offers a Grade I listed manor house daring back to the 1500s, as well as a beautiful lake.
History
Once a manor belonging to the Benedictine Abbey of Chertsey, the London Borough of Sutton was a series of small villages and farming land until the arrival of the railway in the 1800s, bringing business, housing and prosperity with it.
How can OneDome help me move to Sutton?
As the first website in the UK connecting each step of the home buying or selling journey, we can help you move to Sutton. With OneDome, you can easily find your dream home in Sutton, get a mortgage, and complete the conveyancing process. Everything is done online and in one place as well, which results in your phone calls, trips to the post office, and paperwork being dramatically reduced.
OneDome makes selling your home effortless too. You can use OneDome to easily find and compare estate agents based on their location, success rate selling similar properties to yours, and their fees. If you have any questions about how else OneDome can help your move, get in touch with us on 020 3868 6262 today.