Eight of the best project homes on the market now – all under the new London average of £526k

Five project homes for sale – all under £526k London average - (ES)

The average cost of a London home dropped to £526,000 in September, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

News of the 0.5 per cent dip may offer limited comfort to first-timers scrambling for a deposit in a year which has proved a mix bag for buyers.

For imaginative house hunters hoping to stretch their budget, a dated or down-at-heel home (is that original parquet under the stained carpet?) could be the key to getting on the ladder, even if renovations are slow.

All sliding in under the £526,000 price tag, here are eight of the best fixer-uppers for sale now.

Upper Norwood, SE19

Beauchamp Road, SE19 (Truuli)

£525,000

The paint may be peeling and the dado rails ancient, but smarter neighbours give a sense of the post-reno potential of this generous four-bedroom Victorian home in unsung Upper Norwood. Proximity perks include the independents of Crystal Palace and Dulwich, and it’s on without a chain.

Truuli, 020 3834 8533

Tottenham, N17

Gedeney Road (Paul Simon)

£525,000

This deceptively spacious cottage-like semi has four bedrooms and only slightly tired blank-slate decoration. It’s part of the Tower Gardens Conservation Area – Tottenham’s answer to Hampstead Garden Suburb – and has good-size gardens to the front and rear.

Paul Simon, 020 3892 9609

Brockley, SE4

Beverley Court, SE4 (Acorn)

£514,950

This appealing two-bedroom house is part of a private cul-de-sac in Brockley Conservation Area. Perks include parquet floors and an attractive original staircase, though there is plenty of work to be done for those up for a project. It’s on without a chain.

Acorn, 020 8059 2656

Sydenham, SE26

Fairlawn Park, SE26 (Acorn)

£525,000

This chain-free Victorian terrace is in need of a total overhaul, though solid wood floors and high ceilings are a good place to start. The layout is classic, with three bedrooms and a long, connected reception and dining room, but the kitchen is more generous than most.

Acorn, 020 8103 5931

Tooting Bec, SW17

Fransiscan Road, SW17 (Foxtons)

£525,000

This two-bedroom time capsule is on the first floor of a smart Edwardian house near the Tube and Common. On the market without a chain, it’s an ideal project for someone keen to put their stamp on a property without contending with major building works.

Foxtons, 020 3897 9998

Catford, SE6

Datchet Road, SE6 (Mann)

£500,000

Well-proportioned rooms and a fourth bedroom in the converted loft are among the highlights of this period home on the border with Forest Hill, though any buyer is likely to redecorate throughout. It’s on the market without a chain.

Mann, 020 3907 3438

New Malden, SW20

Beverley Way, SW20 (Curchods)

£500,000

Minutes from a nature reserve, this three-bedroom Thirties semi has bags of potential. Significant updates are required inside and out, but there’s lots to build on with generous rooms, a garage, some Art Deco-style details and a genuinely huge garden.

Curchods Estate Agents, 020 3835 5418

Walworth, SE17

Wooler Street, SE17 (Acorn)

£475,000

This spacious two-bedroom apartment, on the first floor of a charming period terrace near Burgess Park, has been well maintained but requires gentle modernising. Unusually it’s being sold with the freehold, and there’s no onward chain either.

Acorn, 020 7123 8490