Maple Road, Centaur House, SE20

A well-sized two-bedroom flat on Maple Road in SE20, with a large private terrace to the rear and a large, social, open-plan kitchen and reception room. Conveniently located in the creative heart of Penge, it’s a great lifestyle location, with multiple transport links in easy reach. Offered with a 122-year lease and reasonable service charges of only £1200 a year, with no ground rent.

The living space is really impressive here; it’s a very social layout, ideal for entertaining friends or just catching up with a partner at the end of the day while cooking. There’s space to zone the room with a decent-sized dining table and large sofa (or two!), so there is no need to compromise on furniture here. The décor and light are notable; it’s got charm and character, and the light is fantastic, especially at the beginning of the day, given the large east-facing windows.

The kitchen runs along one wall and is very well presented, with gloss handleless units in a very light warm grey. For those who love to cook, there’s the all-important gas hob, an under-counter oven, and a freestanding oak-topped island that seats two on bar stools and doubles as prep space.

The bathroom is nicely finished with full-height marble-effect tiling from floor to ceiling. There’s a full-size bath with an overhead rainhead shower, which is behind a crittall-style black-framed shower screen, a contemporary wall-hung WC, and a vanity unit; it’s all properly done!

The principal bedroom is at the rear and is very quiet. It has real personality in its décor and has a lovely, airy quality to it, afforded by the large sliding door that leads onto the terrace. The second bedroom is another sizeable double room and is also rear-facing with its own set of sliding doors onto the balcony. It’s currently set up as a bedroom and home office simultaneously, without either use feeling compromised.

The terrace is a proper one, facing west; it gets the sun in the latter part of the day, which for many will be preferable, especially when entertaining outdoors. Arranged in an L shape, it’s decked, private, and sheltered, it’s also large enough for a full rattan corner sofa set and BBQ, with room to move around. As mentioned, both bedrooms open onto it directly, which means on a warm afternoon, the whole rear of the flat has air and light. There is currently a freestanding plastic storage shed on the balcony, which would be removed, making it larger. Whilst on storage, there is a secure, communal storage unit built under the flat, which is really useful for storing larger items.

Maple Road sits just off Penge High Street, which puts you at the heart of Penge. It’s a beautifully vibrant area with a strong street art scene. We love the colour and texture this gives the local community, and locals are rightfully proud of it, with many local homeowners donating spaces to local artists. For shopping and amenities, there’s a Lidl and a decent-sized Sainsbury's both within a few minutes' walk, a growing number of independent cafés and restaurants filling in the gaps, and the kind of everyday convenience that means you're rarely more than five minutes from whatever you need. Crystal Palace Triangle — the independents, coffee shops, the Everyman, the Saturday food market down Haynes Lane — is a short bus ride up the hill. Crystal Palace Park is closer: 200 acres, the boating lake, the Victorian dinosaurs, and the soon-to-be revamped National Sports Centre for anything more outdoorsy and structured.

For transport, the flat is seriously well connected, with Penge East only 0.3 mi away, with a direct service to Victoria and Blackfriars. Penge West is only slightly further at 0.4 mi away, offering both access to the Overground’s Windrush Line and the Southern service to London Bridge.  Local bus routes are also fantastic, so there’s always a route in or out, regardless of delays, cancellations, etc.