Moving South - need advice on area's

glo1967

Hi all, due to my husband's job I am planning a move to Southampton / Bournemouth area in May. My husband works in Christchurch & I think I may end up getting a job in Southampton due to the nature of my line of work. We will probably be looking for somewhere to live in between these areas, so are looking to see if you can help us decide where to look. We have not decided whether to rent or buy yet, but will be looking for a flat / apartment with at least 2 bedrooms. Do you know good areas? Please advise of any really bad areas which we should avoid. Hope you can help. Thanks in advance..

Snow_Dog

Ringwood is quite a nice place and convenient for both southampton and christchurch (back roads down to christchurch even in rush hour wouldnt take too long) up to southampton by the a31, m27, can get bad during rush hour but tell me where isnt.

Youve also got the new forest on your doorstep there.

have a look round hightown just north side of ringwood.

otherwise you've got places like burton, just north of christchurch, if you start heading closer to southampton you are in the forest and i think you wont like the prices there.

if you want to move into bournemouth watch out for parts of boscombe, its supposed to be getting a makeover but until the junkies and immigrants get flushed away its not going to change.

if you head further west eg poole the commute up to southampton can get a bit of a pain, eg if you want to get to southampton centre for 8:30-9:00 you need to get going 7:00. though imo some of pooles surrounding areas are much nicer than bournemouth.

Woby_Tide

I still think Boscombe gets a bad press, pound for pound if you choose teh right parts of the area I think it's some of the best value in the town(though on current prices 'best value' is negligible.

Are you positive you'd need to work in Southampton for your line of work, Bournemouth/Poole?Christchurch is a big conurbation so is there no chance of work in that area? It just changes your requirements thats all and opens up pplaces to the west a bit more. Christchurch is mostly good areas, but if you weren't working locally you would be hampered getting in and out to other places a bit due its location and access routes(more so in Summer so don't necessarily be fooled if you look now though the winter roadworks plans should give you an idea.

If you did look at Bournemouth and wanted flats I'd also say Charminster, there has been such a glut of apartments recently that prices are falling quite a bit in that market so should be able to negotiate a fair bit, it's also quite a cosmopolitan area with a few specialist food shops and lots of restaurants to choose from.

fimonkey

First of all what's you budget? that'll determine GREATLY where you can and can't affort to live in these 'ere parts.

Also, what kind of area are you looking for? Charminster is overloaded with apartments, many of them rooms and flats let out to foreign students. If you want a busy cosmopolitan feel then that's your area (postcode BH8 if you want to check it out on rightmove). Winton also a cosmo area (and one notorious for traffic, as is Wallisdown, out towards Poole).

Boscombe is very up and coming, and will also be a busy cosmopolitan area once the new reef is built (at the moment, some area's of Boscombe are very run-down). depends if you want the hassle of driving 2mph behind thousands of 'grockles' (local word for tourists) in summer. Postcode BH5 for nicer area of Boscombe, Postcode BH1 for not so nicer area of Boscombe and Springbourne (and also Bourneouth town centre). Lots of bedsits in Boscombe.

East Boscombe, nice area as close to sea but away from Boscombe itself (and close to Christchurch). Postcode BH7, a few converted houses here. BH7 also covers Southbourne, v nice, and therefore overpriced, area with many new build flats being developed (maybe you'll be getting a bargain with these come May).

Avoid the Townsend estate, (BH9) and beware of properties in 'the lovely village of Throop' (also BH9). Throop is indeed lovely, but it's next to the townsend estate and EA's often take liberties when describing where a house really is. Also within Bourneouth be aware that Kinson and West Howe are traditionally 'cheaper' areas (with an associated perception of a higher crime rate, I don't know if that's true or not, but the area's are looked down upon by snobbier ppl).

Christchurch, V expensive! though goodness knows why (apparently all to do with a certain high school catchment area, two bed apartment in Christchurch in region of £150K and above). Postcode BH23 will take you to the whole of Christchurch from east Boscombe through to Highcliffe. Recommend Highcliffe if you're over 70yrs old and are planning to live for another 70 years. Only rubbish area in Christchurch is the Somerford estate. Ex council house estate, only rubbish if you're snobby, but many ppl down here are. Walkford is out by Highcliffe and very easy to get onto A35 and out onto M27 to Southampton (but again, journey times will double in summer when the caravans come out to play).

Burton, as mentioned above, comes under Christchurch postcode but council tax is more expensive and for that you get the pleasure of smelling the sewage works on a hot day!

Between Christchurch and Southampton, on the edge of the New Forest, is New Milton (BH24), plenty for sale here and at better prices, but some area's are 'chavvy'. (Hope that word doesn't offend anyone, not intended to, was best description of a few areas in New Milton). New Milton has a train station so easy to get to S'oton or Bmouth. There's a weird 'development' in New Milton, whereby it's 'for under 35's' only. Goodness knows what happens when you get to 35!! The houses on this development are in region of £160K for two beds, but beware, a few of these houses have been on sale for ages because they're really at the top end of a FTB budget and given most FTB's are in their early 30's now, it doesn't make sense to buy one of these houses as you won't be able to sell it on to 'an under 35 only' unless you keep the price low.

Further towards S'oton is Ashley (BH24), which is a mainly new development also (with no ridiculous age restrictions) and cheaper houses than Christchurch, BUT no train station so you defo need your own transport.

Finally, consider Ferndown (BH22), as it's directly on the A31 so you have a straight route out to S'oton if you're driving. However it's no where near a train or coach station and public transport stops at every lampost so it takes forever to get anywhere. Probably for this reason Ferndown is cheaper then the rest of Bournemouth (other than poorer area's mentioned above). Tricketts Cross also marketed as Ferndown, not as nice an area but some cheaper houses out here.

Also Ringwood, as mentioned above.

Finally, I haven't mentioned anything about the villages on the edge of, and in the NF, they are too numerous to mention and my poor pinkies are hurting from all this typing! PM me if you need specific info about an area and no I'm definately not an EA, I'm a frustrated FTB priced completely out of the market down here!!

robp

An Auntie used to live in Christchurch which was nice and an old friend lived in Corfe Mullen which was also quite smart.

Beware, the roads get mega busy in Summer with the tourists, so I'd advise living reasonably close to work to avoid the traffic.

Wonderful area though, one of my all time favorites!

Richard_Webster

If it was more Southampton than Bournemouth I might be able to make some more intelligent comments but I don't know the Bournemouth area as well.

fimonkey

LOL at Richard Webster for adding his two penneth worth anyway ;-) .... perhaps OP IS cosidering S'oton too? Just as easy (and cheaper in some areas) to live there and commute to Xchrich than other way round. Also, S'oton has better transport links to rest of UK, and an airport with more flights etc.

soappie

It certainly would help to know the OP's budget. Someone mentioned Charminster, but I'd be cautious. It's getting very much a student area these days - quite a lot of the houses are given over to the young.

And bits of Boscombe are very good even though bits of it are still very bad - particularly the east cliff areas and, as another person said, the BH7 area - but Beware Littledown on the edge of Castle Lane - the traffic is just too bad these days.

Though if hubby is working in Christchurch and OP is working in Soton, if they're both close to the stations, somewhere along the Bournemouth/Soton train line would be good - wouldn't have to cope with the traffic then. It would also make Poole a doable location.

glo1967

Thankyou all for quick responses.

My husband has been living in digs in Boscombe for the last 4 years & I generally get down there around 3-5 times a year. I do like Boscombe, we have made a few friends there.

If we do decide to buy our budget will probably be 130k-150k, for that we will need 2 bedrooms minimum, we do not want to be in a block with shared accesses & a huge yearly maintenance charge. We have also thought about the possibility of buying a static caravan on a site as well.

I am not ruling out Bournemouth / Poole areas for my work, however, as I work in the Import/Export/Shipping sector, Southampton would be the easiest location for me to get a job.

fimonkey

LOL, Good luck Glo, I've been looking for similar since April this year. PLENTY of places with 2 beds within your budget, as long as you don't mind two bedrooms meaning two single bedrooms, you're not bothered by a lease having just 50 years left on it, and you don't want space/privacy/a garden. Plenty of places within purpose built blocks too with HUGE service charges/ground rent etc.

NOTHING within your budget if you want share of freehold/freehold (or if there are, they're snapped up pretty quick), and garden.

PLENTY of mobile homes within that budget, but more difficult to get a mortgage on these, AND in some cases you have to vacate the plot for a month per year.

Bet you and I will be looking at the same properties in May then?!

fimonkey

glo1967 wrote: »

Thankyou all for quick responses.

My husband has been living in digs in Boscombe for the last 4 years & I generally get down there around 3-5 times a year. .

LOL, is that the secret of a happy marriage? only see your spouse 3-5 times a year and live at opposite ends of the country? .. he he, just teasing!