What to know about Balham & Clapham South

From trendy boutiques, buzzing bars and even a golf course, there's enough to keep everyone busy in Balham – and prices are relatively affordable too, despite having risen as Balham's charms are being discovered. The Balham branch of Marsh & Parsons has houses and flats for sale throughout Clapham South, Balham, Tooting Bec, Tooting Broadway and Wandsworth Common.

"The attractions of the area," says Sales Manager of Marsh & Parsons, Laura Wilcox-Chandley, "are the wide open spaces – the commons of Wandsworth, Clapham and Tooting. You can also be in the West End and City in 20 minutes via the Northern Line and Thameslink trains."

The area is also blessed with excellent schools, including Aldebrook Primary, Holy Ghost and Henry Cavendish, as a well as a French Lycée, and all are a big draw for growing families, not forgetting that Balham has the second lowest council tax rates in London.

"The most exclusive and expensive houses for sale by Marsh & Parsons are between the commons, Abbeville Village and the Nightingale Triangle," says Laura. And on the Heaver Estate there are large double fronted houses with big gardens.

Popular with first time buyers and young families alike, Balham is starting to rival the more established neighbouring residential areas "Balham is like Fulham was 20 years ago. It offers good quality housing at an excellent value." House prices are no laughing matter, however, and have doubled in the past five years. Proof of its popularity as a great place to live.

Celebrity residents of Balham have included celebrity chef Ainsley Harriet, the writer of Only Fools and Horses John Sullivan and property presenter Sarah Beeney.

As one of the premier estate agents selling properties in the Balham area, Marsh & Parsons prides itself on its local know how. From the best schools in the area to the finest boutiques, bars and restaurants and the cost of a resident's parking permit, staff at Marsh & Parsons have their finger firmly on the local pulse.

Property Types in Balham & Clapham South

With beautiful Victorian and Edwardian period houses dominating the area there is also a great selection of attractive period conversion in Balham. Additionally, a selection of mansion blocks offer an alternative form of period property in Balham and Du Cane Court offers an impressive Art Deco building.

So, what will you get for your money in Balham & Clapham South?

Marsh & Parsons, Balham's premier estate agent has studio flats for sale in Victorian conversions with prices starting from £200,000. A one-bedroom flat for sale will cost from £290,000, although ex- local authority flats start from £230,000. For two bedroom flats buyers can expect to pay more than £400,000, although ex local authority flats are for sale from £300,000 and a garden flat in Yukon Road SW12, for example, will cost just under £425,000.

There is also newly built properties for sale through Marsh & Parsons in Balham and a one-bedroom, fourth floor flat in Latitude on Clapham Southside SW4 will cost a little more than £350,000 and a two-bedroom flat in Gateway House on Balham Hill SW12 will cost about £420,000.

Houses for sale start at about £550,000, for which you can expect to get a modern three-bedroom house close to Tooting Bec Common. For families looking for more accommodation, Marsh & Parsons is selling four bedroom 1930s' semi-detached houses on Poynders Road SW4 for just under £600,000 – the added benefit of such properties is that they all have large gardens. Prices in the SW17 postcode around Tooting Bec are slightly lower than Balham and five-bedroom Edwardian houses here sell for around £600,000. Nightingale Triangle SW12 is one of the most popular areas of Balham and for around £620,000 you could buy a two-bed property on Bellamy Road or a three bed house on Badminton Road for £805,000. Ormeley Road SW12 is a quiet residential street close to the heart of Balham and here four-bedroom houses sell for about £750,000.

The Balham branch of Marsh & Parsons also sells property in Tooting with a garden flat in Moring Road selling for around £355,000

Nightingale Square SW12 is one of the very best addresses in Balham with houses overlooking the communal gardens – they also have private gardens selling for as much as £1.5 million. Although some houses in Balham come with parking spaces, resident's permits – like most things from Lambeth Borough Council – are cheap and cost just £75 for 12 months. Or for the same amount if you are in the Wandsworth Borough Council.

What else can you expect from Balham & Clapham South?

Balham and its surrounds have a buzzing and trendy nightlife and is home to London's longest-running brewery, so it is only right that it has excellent pubs, which include: Gigalum, overlooking Clapham Common, which has a wonderful beer garden; The Duke of Devonshire, on Balham High Road SW12, which serves delicious Sunday roasts; The Nightingale, a great traditional pub with good food in the heart of Balham's Millionaires' Row; The Avalon with leather sofas, pub grub and a TV showing Sky Sports; and The Grove, a recently refurbished pub with a dining room on Oldridge Road SW12. Balham's social scene has always been at the cutting edge and the Banana Comedy Club was the springboard for the careers of Al Murray, Eddie Izard, and Mark Thomas.

For more formal dining, there is Newtons on Abbeville Road, which serves European cuisine with a hint of Thai; Double Espresso on Station Parade SW12, serves probably the best pizzas in London; Nanglo on Balham High Road is Nepalese – not to be confused with Indian, which is served by the ever-popular Bombay Bicycle Club on Nightingale Lane SW12. For fans of belly dancing and Persian food, Dish Dash holds classes every Wednesday night as well as a stylish bar. Restaurant critics have piled gushing praise on Exhibit near Balham Tube station and it is home to the stylish twentysomethings and media types who flock there most nights for the food, cocktails and DJ. Every Tuesday, it shows a movie and a dinner and film package costing just £20.

Shopping in Balham has improved dramatically, not only with the arrival of Waitrose but also a host of independent boutiques, which include Fifi Wilson's women's fashion shop and Josephine Ryan interiors. There are also three street markets in the area at Hildreth Street SW12, Battersea High Street SW11 and Northcote Road SW11. For the more active pursuits there are of course the three commons, as well as cricket pitches, angling ponds, Australian Rules football, tennis courts, cycle paths, leisure centres and gyms. The Central London Golf Centre in Wandsworth has a nine-hole course, driving range and golf shop.

Green spaces in Balham & Clapham South

Balham is ideally located for a wealth of green open recreational spaces. Balham offers easy access to Clapham Common, Wandsworth Common and Tooting Bec Common. Tooting Lido in Tooting Bec Common is the biggest open-air pool in Europe and is open between May 26th and September 30th, while Clapham Common presents one of the city’s biggest firework displays for Bonfire Night and Wandsworth Common offers a huge 73 hectares of green space with a rich selection of amenities.

Transport in Balham & Clapham South

Balham boasts an excellent location with convenient transport links with both London Underground and National Rail services. London Underground services are available at the following stations:-

Balham (Northern Line, Zone 3)
Clapham South (Northern Line, Zone 2)

Click here for a London Underground map.

Balham Station also offers National Rail links to the City and the West End.

There is a great selection of bus services from Balham. Click here for information about bus routes in Balham.

Which London Borough is Balham in?

The majority of Balham is located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. Please click here for more information relating to council tax bands, parking permits and healthcare services in the borough of Wandsworth.

How can I find out about schools in the Balham area?

For a comprehensive list of schools in the Borough of Wandsworth please click here.

Which London Borough is Clapham South in?

Clapham South is situated in the London Borough of Lambeth. Please click here for more information relating to council tax bands, parking permits and healthcare services in the borough of Lambeth.

How can I find out about schools in the Clapham South area?

For a comprehensive list of schools in the Borough of Lambeth please click here.