Buying a house in the wrong post code.

[Abby23]

Hello

My sister and hubby are moving to MK for a while. Hubby is a doctor taking up rotation.

To the point, they have have found a BEAUTIFUL house on the Woolstone/Spingfield border. They are going through purchase. If you know MK, Woolstone is one of the best areas and Springfield is not. I don’t think it’s terrible, but I am only re iterating what my sister tells me. To get to the house on the ‘better’ part, you drive through areas that are’t so affluent.

Should they continue with purchase as the post code is in the less affluent part?. Even though, proximity wise, it is closer to Woolstone?. Due to this, the house is cheaper but it is still expensive by most standards.

To put into context, For those of you based in west London, It’s a bit like buying on the Queen’s Park, Kilburn, Harrow Road, Maida Vale borders. Up until recently, Maida Vale was the only sought after location. The rest were questionable.

I would appreciate your OBJECTIVE comments please.. Especially so if you know MK. I can’t advise my sister as I don’t know MK plus when I have been there it does not seem rough to me when I compare with parts of London where people are still paying £650k plus for a flat!

thank you and please don’t think we are being snobby,

I think you should really settle down and leave your sister to it, this isn't your home nor your money nor your business. They have decided to make a house purchase; wish them well and send a plant when they move in.

Is there disagreement between your sister and her husband. Not sure why you are involved or care! If you are not being snobby, what actually is the issue?

Jesus Christ!!! You are coming across as being the worst kind of snob. Who gives a damn about postcodes. If they like the house and it gives them what they want go for it. It's about making a home together not a bloody post code.

For the record Kilburn is North West London as is Queen's Park, not West.

If your sister has asked your opinion, simply tell her you don't know the area so are unable to comment.
If she hasn't, why would you involve yourself.

Your question - does postcode matter. The answer is 'only if it matters to you'. Postcode will matter to some - it won't matter to others.

We have friends who live in a lovely house in a dodgy area and they lie and say their house is in the next village along... They do them! We chose to live in a smaller house in a beautiful desirable area. Each to their own. Your sister is bu to worry what other people think. If she likes the house buy it. If she doesn't, don't.

How does a house have the wrong postcode. It surely has the right postcode for the area it is in. Misses point but your thread title makes it aound like something else entirely.

Why don’t you mind your own business and just be supportive of whatever choice THEY make?

If you know MK

Do you know MK, @Abby23 ?

I am only re iterating what my sister tells me.

ok, so what's your perception of Springfield? What do you think of it first hand from your experience?

It’s a bit like buying on the Queen’s Park, Kilburn, Harrow Road, Maida Vale borders. Up until recently, Maida Vale was the only sought after location. The rest were questionable.

I'm sorry but I really struggle not to disagree with this. It's an unnecessarily simplified and (sorry) somewhat snobby take on the area.

Queen's Park has been desirable to those who know, for quite a while now. Not "up until recently".

Yes the bit towards Harrow Road has always been , and continues to be lively. But I knew people from uni 20 years ago who settled there quite quickly and it was not 'questionable' back then.

Also referring to areas as "Maida Vale borders" is a bit estate agenty, isn't it? Do you just mean Kilburn and Kensal Green?

Everywhere in London has a name for the area, so we can just say it, so we're all clear with each other on where we mean.

Weird replies.

This is a discussion forum, very useful as there will be people that know the area, and the poster is family and normal families talk about big decisions.

I don't know MK, but there are areas near me where I can completely understand why a question like this would be asked.

People do give a damn about postcodes though. Houses of the same type in this area, can vary in price by up to 50k depending on the postcode. Estate agents will tell you the same. If your sister and her husband are buying to stay for some time and prioritise the house over the postcode, then fine. If it’s a relatively short term buy, they need to think carefully.

Is this the house?

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/162730127

If so, it is in Woolstone, not Springfield. It is not on any border, because there is a river dividing the two areas!

Presumably the location is factored into the price ?

You'll likely get better responses in the property section than AIBU.
What is your sister worried about? If it's schools or crime would be best to check out some local groups.
Springfield has a nicer end and a not as nice end so it'll depend on the road.
The saying for MK is avoid anywhere with food in the name. Some of those estates are the poorest in England. Before everyone jumps on me, yes that is snobby but in real life there are addresses people have a certain impression of sadly.

I don't know MK, but there are areas near me where I can completely understand why a question like this would be asked.

That's fair enough @MrsRobinsonsHandprints but it's this kind of comment from the OP which I think is stirring the pot:

To get to the house on the ‘better’ part, you drive through areas that are’t so affluent.

It just feels a bit preposterous ... do we all have to live in genteel areas which are a short spur road off a motorway meaning we never have to drive past vape shops, high rise buildings and fried chicken outlets? Perish the thought we'd ever have to drive through such things!

Agree, very weird replies. Likewise I can't help I'm afraid, but asking for first-hand local knowledge about an area you don't know on behalf of your sister is a completely normal thing to do. I don't understand why PPs are seemingly refusing to recognise that some locations are more desirable places to live than others. The phrase is literally location, location, location.

There is an area near me where I would not want to drive through, and certainly not walk through.

If the only real access to the house was through this area I wouldn't recommend buying it.
I'm not talking about a few chicken shops, the bus company currently doesn't go down the road any more due to the level of anti social behaviour.

Areas, sure, every place has good and bad areas, but post codes are dished out by the post office to help them with sorting and distributing post - they do not always follow rational or geographic borders, rather logical postal delivery routes and sorting patterns.

Now that may also mirror a socio economic area, by pure chance, or may not.

Well I live in an area where the same postcode (as in the first 2 letters and number is the same) where house prices vary from around 300k -700k. And slap in the middle is a council estate. So people tend to go more on the name of the area rather than the postcode. And that tends to be a bit more fluid depending on how much of a snob you are.

The post office also have the absolute right to change your post code if they need to, so its physical address and area that count.

They built a new estate of houses about half a mile away and we got moved into another post code as they did a re-shuffle to fit everything in and re-draw the delivery routes, first 2 letters the same, rest different - the post code only exists to help the post office sort the mail, it has no other purpose!

This is such a bizarre question

God forbid anyone have to be near a "less affluent" area or be associated with the postcode for one.

Apparently ‘less affluent’ rubs off as you drive through. Even at speed.

Really not the same issue in MK
People know the areas well and where to buy and not to buy. IE estates and areas. If the house is in Woolstone I don't see the issue tbh.

@MrsRobinsonsHandprints thank you.

my sister asked my opinion. I’m not being nosey or snobby.

just wanting objective responses. So thanks for your input

I assume (although don't know MK at all) she was being polite and actually meant 'shit hole'.

Which if it is like the street near me, it most certainly can 'rub off' on you as you drive through, quite often with a firework or rock at your car.

Queen's Park is definitely desirable, esp on the west side of Salusbury Road. But even Kensal has been desirable for like, 15 years plus now!

I live in what you'd technically call West Kilburn, but our neighbours say they live in QP because it sounds better. It's still perfectly pleasant though - and no further than 10 mins walk to a Gail's 😂