To ask would you buy a fab house in a crap area?

[BebeRainbow]

Or would you rather buy an average house in a naice area ? Just looking for the General consensus really

Looking at moving house, as ours is too small and I don’t like the area, it really is a shit hole. if we move to a better area we won’t get much at all for our money

But in areas that are ... less nice (but probably slightly better than where we are) you can get something pretty special fairly affordably.

We are in the midlands

Just moved into a “lost” area in Zone 3 into a massive house with a massive garden after living in a nicer area in a tiny house with no garden. Despite the rep, our neighbours are delightful, the local park is beautiful and full of friendly people, and I have a shit ton of space! I’d say research the street and the local amenities rather than taking a broader view of the area.

I’m sure they did a study that showed that people are happier living in the biggest house in a poor area rather than the other way round.
I live in a nice area. But it’s hard being the one with the crappy cars and we can’t fix the drive etc

We learnt from our mistake , bought a house in apparently an up and coming area and after 2 years living there we decided to sell, downsize and move to a better location. Good luck!

Funnily enough my friends in the poshest part of Brum (Harbourne) have been burgled several times and I live in up and coming Erdington with no problems, lovely neighbours, nice Victorian street and stones throw from Sutton Coldfield- never been burgled.

I wouldn't

Best advice we ever had was to buy the worst house in the best road. The value is in the plot. We have the smallest house on a good road which means we look out on nice houses and have the advantages if a good location. We have enough space for us and if we want to sell someone will pay a good price for the plot and can then rebuild if they want.

We bought a flat in a crap area back in 2008. Last year we moved to a house .3 of a mile away and the flat had almost doubled in value. Don't always listen to people who tell you not to live in the crap areas. The one I live in has gone from being generally downtrodden to now being one of the most popular areas in the city. Do your research first, get the feel for the area/house and make up your mind that way.

We bought in a shit part of London we know is getting better. Been here 5 years and changed quite a bit. If there was no sign of that we’d have been slower to buy here. If no sign of getting better buy something in a nice area you can extend, maybe more than once.

Location beats everything else hands down.

I think it partly depends on what stage of life you're in and what you're looking for from the move.
We bought a nice house in a not so great area for our first house. But it was just the two of us, we worked full time and had the flexibility to travel to more desirable areas for socialising etc. In those circumstances it was nice to live in a nice house and we didn't really have any need to engage in the community side of things.

Fast forward 10 years, we moved when we had 2 small children. Our priorities were a village community with good schools because that was what we wanted for the children. So we absolutely went for location over house.

Either choice can be the right one - you just need to decide what your priorities are.

No way. Area is by far the most important thing.
We bought a shit house but have done it up now. The area is perfect for us and near really good schools.

Phil and Kirstie always say “buy the worse house on the best street”. You’ll always be able to add value, but you’ll obviously never be able to move a nice house to a better area.

Haven't read replies,but don't they (estate agents etc) say buy worst house in the best area. You can do up the house

I'd risk the nice house in the crap area if I thought it was going to improve. If you buy on the edge of an area that's becoming gentrified, there's a good chance that the area where you buy will be in the next wave of gentrification.

Park near the local shops on a Sat/ Fri night and people watch. If you feel unsafe, consider a different area.

I’d say

1. Big enough house
2. Location (not just “nice” area but walk to school, good buses, for us cycle commute)
3. The house itself

We have a dull 60s semi but all the other boxes ticked so this is our compromise. It’ll never be wow in kerb appeal but it’s big enough and in the right place for us.

I think it depends on the definition of ‘crap’.

If it’s a poverty, crime-filled area, then avoid.

If it’s a poorer, but decent area, with regeneration, signs of investment, then yes.

If it’s surburbia with average schools, shops, etc, then yes.

If in the nice area, all you can afford is a shoebox that won’t accomadation any future plans for family, etc, then no.

Sometimes posh isn’t best, if your lifestyle is different to those around.

I’m a ‘happy compromise’ person. I know location is meant to be preferable over house, but I wouldn’t sacrifice house space totally.

No point moving from one shit hole area which you hate to another shit hole area which you will probably also hate.

I moved to a good area purely based on the catchment for amazing schools. Stayed in shit areas before and it didn’t bother me but a good school, I won’t compromise on.

LookAtMeLookAtMoy

We have done just that. We are in a quiet part of town with shocking reputation and once we are home the house could be anywhere, our house is 25% than the last place we lived.

I did something like that as well. When I bought this house my choice was 3-bed semi way out in the suburbs or a big terraced house on a bad street close in towards city centre. I love my house, it has big rooms and lots of space. I don't like the feral children who play outside all day when not at school, banging things with sticks, breaking things, but once my front door closes I don't care what they're doing.

We are “the wrong side of the roundabout “ ( according to Estate Agents) of the poshest village in our area
It’s a 10 minute walk to the “right” side and we get all the nice restaurants shops etc but paid £30k less for our house.
Where we live is actually really nice with no problems at all but it’s just not seen as X village ( despite having the same postcode) so if your situation is similar to that then go for the nicer house.

Another one who would say that it depends what you mean by 'crap area' really. Some people might think I live in one of those: I'm in a new build estate in the suburbs, near to a well-known tower block housing development, but my children can play safely in the street and walk to school on their own, I've got a half hour commute (by bike) to work, I like my neighbours, and I'm typing this at my kitchen table with sun streaming in the french windows through which I can see nothing but trees and sky.

When we were house hunting, on quite a limited budget, I didn't rule anywhere out until I went to see the house and spent some time in the area to get a feel for that too.

It totally depends what the "crap" area is like.

I have friends who could have bought shabby Victorian houses in Hackney, Dalston etc in the early 90s, but bought average semis in average suburbs for the same price. Financially, a huge mistake. But Dalston honestly was a shithole at the time (and in my view still is), so they really couldn't have raised families there.

If it's just snobbery, I might go for the less nice area, myself. But if it's unsafe, then no.

When we were house hunting, on quite a limited budget, I didn't rule anywhere out until I went to see the house and spent some time in the area to get a feel for that too.

Totally agree.