Areas in the West Midlands

pill

I am trying to decide where to concentrate when looking at areas to buy a house in.

Has anyone got experience of the following and surrounding areas?

Solihull, Maypole, Warstock, Kings Norton, Kings Heath, Wythall, Shirley etc.

I will look into the areas in more detail using upmystreet and police.uk in time, but I think someone with first hand experience would be able to summarise and maybe give me an idea on where to pitch the drawing pin to start my search.

p.s. Currently would need to travel to Halesowen and Nuneaton from this location.

Thanks.

daisymay2008

pill wrote: »

I am trying to decide where to concentrate when looking at areas to buy a house in.

Has anyone got experience of the following and surrounding areas?

Solihull, Maypole, Warstock, Kings Norton, Kings Heath, Wythall, Shirley etc.

I will look into the areas in more detail using upmystreet and police.uk in time, but I think someone with first hand experience would be able to summarise and maybe give me an idea on where to pitch the drawing pin to start my search.

p.s. Currently would need to travel to Halesowen and Nuneaton from this location.

Thanks.

Hi, I live in the West Midlands, and know B'ham quite well (but don't live that way)

Solihull and Shirley are pretty nice, Kings Norton has some decent places, I think the nicer areas of Birmingham tend to be Solihull, also Harborne and Moseley....

Halesowen also has some very nice parts, but depending on budget have you thought about the Bromsgrove area? very nice in parts close to Halesowen and links to M5

Doozergirl

What is the budget and what sort of features are you looking for in the house? If you describe your ideal house and budget,

Solihull, Harborne, Edgbaston and some part of Moseley are very expensive so you get less house for the money. Old Kings Norton, near the park and the green is a nice area, the houses there tend to be quite big and better value for money than the other areas. And you're 5 minutes straight down the road to the M42, Halesowen would be slightly more difficult to negotiate to through town.

Bromsgrove is a good call as you can get straight onto the motorway to both places so much less stop/start, has all the benefits of green fields but near to the city too and a choice of good schools. For a respectable area, the prices are fair and a lot of people move to Bromsgrove from Solihull looking for better value for money.

daisymay2008

Doozergirl wrote: »

What is the budget and what sort of features are you looking for in the house? If you describe your ideal house and budget,

Solihull, Harborne, Edgbaston and some part of Moseley are very expensive so you get less house for the money. Old Kings Norton, near the park and the green is a nice area, the houses there tend to be quite big and better value for money than the other areas. And you're 5 minutes straight down the road to the M42, Halesowen would be slightly more difficult to negotiate to through town.

Bromsgrove is a good call as you can get straight onto the motorway to both places so much less stop/start, has all the benefits of green fields but near to the city too.

never understood the attraction with edgbaston, i really don't like the place....

I think Selly Oak is pretty decent aswell

Doozergirl

daisymay2008 wrote: »

never understood the attraction with edgbaston, i really don't like the place....

I think Selly Oak is pretty decent aswell

I'm not a fan of Edgbaston either really; although we've sold houses there I find it just sprawls around pointlessly with no real heart to it. Selly Oak is student central, has a nice young atmosphere to it and lots of people around at all times but it's too busy for me. Bournville of course is nice but maybe a bit twee, it depends what you want - if you want a pub, you won't find it in Bournville!

I'd be interested to know something about the OP to be able to suggest the right sort of place. The areas are all very different.

pill

Budget would be £120-£150 ish, would want it to be a house, 2-3 bedrooms, driveway, not on a main road (or set well back if on a main road), not near flats, and not being snobbish but rather not buy within a council estate.

Just a quietish area with ease of communte, (OH needs to travel to Nuneaton, and I need to travel to Halesowen daily).

daisymay2008

Doozergirl wrote: »

I'm not a fan of Edgbaston either really; although we've sold houses there I find it just sprawls around pointlessly with no real heart to it.

It's probably easier to say the places (in my opinion) that I would avoid

1) Ladywood
2) Winson Green
3) Lozells
4) Newtown
5) Edgbaston
6) Balsall Heath
7) Smethwick
8) Small Heath
9) Weoley Castle
10) Druids Heath
11) Handsworth

areas I couldn't comment on are

Erdington
Northfield
Castle Vale
Bartley Green
Woodgate Valley

daisymay2008

pill wrote: »

Budget would be £120-£150 ish, would want it to be a house, 2-3 bedrooms, driveway, not on a main road (or set well back if on a main road), not near flats, and not being snobbish but rather not buy within a council estate.

Just a quietish area with ease of communte, (OH needs to travel to Nuneaton, and I need to travel to Halesowen daily).

think doozergirl may be best informed RE: house prices around brum, but I know you could pick up a decent 3 bed in halesowen for 150k
but please see my list above, some places I would not want to wonder around in the dark and i'm a strapping 6'2'' bruiser

Barneysmom

Of all the places you mention OP, Wythall is the nicest but I doubt you'd get one for your budget.
Bormsgrove isn't too bad.

pill

Doozergirl wrote: »

I'm not a fan of Edgbaston either really; although we've sold houses there I find it just sprawls around pointlessly with no real heart to it. Selly Oak is student central, has a nice young atmosphere to it and lots of people around at all times but it's too busy for me. Bournville of course is nice but maybe a bit twee, it depends what you want - if you want a pub, you won't find it in Bournville!

I'd be interested to know something about the OP to be able to suggest the right sort of place. The areas are all very different.

Not interested in living near a pub or nightclubs etc. Wouldn't want to be out in the sticks where I have to drive 30+ minutes to get to a supermarket either. Student areas don't particularly appeal either.

Bourneville, Selly Oak seem to be areas I will look further into - only problem I see is trying to go through Brum to get to Nuneaton. Thats the reason I was looking more to the south M42 links both ways.

Generally I prefer a quiet life - within 10-15 minutes drive to local amenities.

Now my perfect place would be somwhere like Clent or Romsley or maybe Belbroughton - but these areas are well out of my price bracket

Doozergirl

pill wrote: »

Budget would be £120-£150 ish, would want it to be a house, 2-3 bedrooms, driveway, not on a main road (or set well back if on a main road), not near flats, and not being snobbish but rather not buy within a council estate.

Just a quietish area with ease of communte, (OH needs to travel to Nuneaton, and I need to travel to Halesowen daily).

Hmm. Budget is pretty small so you've knocked out a few places but the top end of your budget will get you a nice 2 bed in Bromsgrove or a slightly older style 3 bed that needs a bit of decorating. Lots and lots of newish build houses there so they all come with driveways and 'quietish' would be how to sum up Bromsgrove in one word.

3 bed here, not so close to the motorway, but respectable older development. Houses are slightly cheaper in this bit because they are slightly older than a lot of houses.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-33133196.html?premiumA=true

Walking distance to the town centre and a south facing garden
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-32279396.html

Really lovely cul-de-sac this one, lots of trees
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-18028653.html

Not a bad price at all. Opposite the village shops, very handy for the motorway. The village is cheaper because it has a small amount of Council housing, lots of which is now owner occupied though.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-18586227.html

Older house, nice area near the Rugby club and train station.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-33511808.html

Otherwise, something like Cotteridge? Bournville for people without the money...
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-18772269.html
You start losing driveways though in town.