Census 2021 puts Forest Hill at 6,684 households with a median age of 36. The mainly Victorian stock is mixed-tenure, which is why 42% houses and 58% flats need different handling in SE23.
Private renting sits at 27% and owner-occupation at 54%; the first group books driveway cleaning at short notice, the second plans it.
Walls are dot-and-dab plasterboard over blockwork; locally that also means with metal stud partitions between rooms — and with 27% of homes here privately rented, it sets the booking date as often as the job does, so the fixing that matters in Forest Hill is chosen on site — the usual failure here is short screws that grip only the board and slowly lever it off the dabs on these streets — with 19% social-rented stock locally, block access is agreed with the estate office first.
Two streets can behave very differently in Forest Hill: the Horniman Museum, the hill views and a compact village centre. The quote reflects the street the job is actually on. Forest Hill is outside the Congestion Charge zone but inside ULEZ; our vehicles are compliant, so nothing is added for it.
On access, steep gradients, narrow hill roads and permit bays around the station — one reason one technician and a van-mounted hot-water pressure washer for most driveways; two on larger block-paving jobs where re-sanding is included, since brushing sand in is a second task run alongside the wash. Fitters travelling in use Forest Hill (Overground).
