Buying in Milton Keynes

Lavendyr

As for what she might get for £150k, a quick browse on Rightmove showed up the following (all in decent areas):

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-19243874.rsp?pa_n=32&tr_t=buy

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-17799062.rsp?pa_n=33&tr_t=buy

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-16271554.rsp?pa_n=35&tr_t=buy

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-17680601.rsp?pa_n=45&tr_t=buy

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-18350672.rsp?pa_n=46&tr_t=buy

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-16791973.rsp?pa_n=46&tr_t=buy

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-18664718.rsp?pa_n=2&tr_t=buy

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-17552522.rsp?pa_n=2&tr_t=buy

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-18122942.rsp?pa_n=3&tr_t=buy

TTMCMschine

Lavendyr wrote: »

Stony Stratford is a really lovely little town, but I'd avoid Wolverton if poss - I did actually live there for a while and found it quite a rough place.

My mum lived in Stony Stratford, and Wolverton. Stony is very picturesque, but my mum never had any problems in Wolverton. It was very nice, good amenities, and i thought the old railway workers cottages were lovely. She had a beautiful flat. Wolverton was built because of the railways. There are a lot of people who appreciate it's history. There seemed to be a good mixture of backgrounds who lived there. The 60's shopping centre called the Agora centre and it's wonderfully kitsch. In fact my uncle had shown my mum wolverton, simply because of the kitschness. The centre only has independant discount shops. Ok it not the prettiest, but it has things like a wonderful wi "fair" once a month, with stalls selling jam etc. I wouldn't knock either, except to say stony will be quite expensive. Newport Pagnell is very nice too, picturesque as well. All three have good facilities.

smartmove07

Monkston and Tattenhoe are another couple of nice areas in MK.

Lavendyr

Hmm, my experience of Wolverton was very different to your mum's, I guess. I lived in one of the terraced roads (the ones with the garages on separate small roads round the back) and most of my memories involve police around the neighbours' every night, kids vandalising cars, cars being stolen, squatters causing trouble and lots of generally antisocial behaviour. And I thought the Agora centre was one of the ugliest buildings in existence, but I guess we'll agree to differ there. :P I've lived in a number of areas in MK and had friends in many more and Wolverton rates more highly than Conniburrow, Fishermead, Coffee Hall etc, but not as highly as Stony, Newport Pagnell, the Shenleys or any of the other places I've mentioned above.

Browns Wood, Wavendon Gate and Walnut Tree are also nice areas, by the way, OP. But with MK it really depends what you want -do you want nicer old houses and more of a 'town' feel or do you want to live on a housing estate where there is perhaps one 'shopping centre' with a Tesco express and so on? Personally I'd prefer a place that has a bit of history and feels like a community in its own right, which is why I recommend places like Newport Pagnell and Stony Stratford (and it is my feeling that these areas are more likely to appreciate in value than 'modern box' houses on housing estates), but there are a lot of nice, well-regarded housing estates in Milton Keynes as well.

infernalaffairs

Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated. Having spoken to my sister, shes after a town feel type of place rather than an estate or in her words, purely residential.

beingjdc

infernalaffairs wrote: »

Have the recommended areas generally been good in terms of property values going up? As my sister has a 2 year fixed term contract she may move depending on where her work takes her. Wouldn't want to be stuck if properties are slow to sell.

The past is not a good indicator of the future, so be careful with this logic - in the US, the areas which have gone up fastest are now the ones falling the fastest.

TTMCMschine

Lavendyr wrote: »

Hmm, my experience of Wolverton was very different to your mum's, I guess. I lived in one of the terraced roads (the ones with the garages on separate small roads round the back) and most of my memories involve police around the neighbours' every night, kids vandalising cars, cars being stolen, squatters causing trouble and lots of generally antisocial behaviour. And I thought the Agora centre was one of the ugliest buildings in existence, but I guess we'll agree to differ there. :P I've lived in a number of areas in MK and had friends in many more and Wolverton rates more highly than Conniburrow, Fishermead, Coffee Hall etc, but not as highly as Stony, Newport Pagnell, the Shenleys or any of the other places I've mentioned above.

My mum's flat overlooked a tennis club, near the park area, but it was on the same road as the terraces. She just never had any trouble. I know the Agora centre is ugly, but i thought it had a certain charm. Hence why i used the word kitsch. I have no doubt it didn't have any trouble, however a lot of professional people live there as well. A lot of my mum's work colleagues lived there. I can think of far worse places to live. Some of Milton Keynes is incredibly run down, you only see this if you travel through the little estates. However as we all know you don't see these if you have a car, because of the layout. I once got a bus, and was a bit shocked by what i saw.