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Property/DIY

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Original poster

A friendly/nice place to live in the West Midlands/East Midlands?

21 replies

Yukana · 21/04/2011 10:20

I am really not sure if this is the right forum or not, but I was hoping someone could give me some advice.

We (me and DP) are looking to hopefully rent a place in that area, preferably with good transport links - good public transport or a train station as we don't have a car.

I'm six months pregnant with my first child and it doesn't really need to be quiet, just preferably with no rioting football fans, and not a high crime rate.

I must sound silly so I apologise! :) Just really struggling to find out where would be a good place to live for our new family.

OP posts:

Frimblypoo · 21/04/2011 10:24

That's a HUGE area -from Birmingham to Skegness, can you narrow it down a weeny bit? Where do you need to be near?

LynetteScavo · 21/04/2011 10:25

The midlands is a huge area!

Where do you want the train to take you?

Every town has nice area and high crime areas.

Personally I like Leamington Spa.

Original poster

Yukana · 21/04/2011 11:04

We have friends all over the county (Luton, Reading, Birmingham, Manchester), hence why we thought in the middle might be a good place!

Plus due to us not having a car, we thought it might help DP go to work.

In terms of finances, we're on a fairly small budget I suppose so the rent would need to be about £500-515 a month.

We probably wouldn't want to live in Birmingham as we've heard it isn't a very safe area. (It's just what I've heard, never actually been there!)

OP posts:

TheOriginalNutcracker · 21/04/2011 11:09

Is the £515 for a house or flat ? 2 or 3 bed ??

I live in Sutton Coldfield and you could get a 2 bed flat around here for between £495 and £550 a month. For a house though you'd be looking at anything between £575 and £800.

Erdington is cheaper but not as nice. I have lived there and it is ok, never had any trouble, but i'd no choose to live there again.
Areas of Great Barr are still ok, as are parts of Walsall, Aldridge etc.

Original poster

Yukana · 21/04/2011 11:24

2 bedroom house or ground floor flat, I'd like a garden but it's not absolutely necessary.
It would need to be the above because I'm pretty sure I have either spd or sciatica, and going up/down stairs is difficult. (I have been referred to a physiotherapist). We currently live in a top floor flat as I did not have any problems going up and down stairs/walking before pregnancy. I'm also unable to work and get disability living allowance for this. DP can work, however.

OP posts:

tyler80 · 21/04/2011 11:26

DP go to work where? Or do you mean he's looking for work and wants to give himself a large area to look for jobs?

Original poster

Yukana · 21/04/2011 11:30

Tyler you are correct, he's looking for work.

OP posts:

Danthe4th · 21/04/2011 11:31

Moreton in the marsh has a train station and really good facilities, on the bus route for cheltenham and stratford upon avon.

Slightlyreluctantexpat · 21/04/2011 11:36

I think you need to find the job first, then look for a place to live within reasonable travelling distance.

tyler80 · 21/04/2011 11:38

The area round where i live (Hucknall) might suit, although how nice it is is debatable (it's ex-mining). I like it, countryside on the doorstep, reasonable to good schools, good train links to Nottingham and Mansfield. Tram as well, more of a community then Nottingham suburbs.

£495 a month will get you something like this Http:www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-29297869.html

BikeRunSki · 21/04/2011 11:41

I am not sure you'd even get a parking space in Moreton in the Marsh for £500ish a month!

I'd second DP finding a job first, then moving house. There are nice parts of Derby (eg Mickleover) and Chesterfield, although they may be a bit far north for you.

LadyGoneGaga · 21/04/2011 12:46

Yukana as you are young and expecting your first baby I think it's really important that you have some support nearby - e.g. family or friends. And I mean nearby in a practical sense so that they could take baby for a couple of hours if you are struggling, be a shoulder to cry on etc. I think choosing somewhere at random might not be the most sensible way to go about things. And I agree, you would need to find the job first then the house.

Original poster

Yukana · 21/04/2011 13:06

Hello LadyGoneGaga, I've seen you around here. :)

Friends I don't have a lot of due to multiple mental health problems and agoraphobia, DP has friends but they are only up north i.e Manchester. We live with my mother currently, but she suffers from bipolar and is under stress at the moment from giving up her nicotine gum and financial issues - she isn't physically aggressive but definitely is verbally. She is tense and is causing us both stress.

My grandparents are five minutes up the road however, I don't think they realise how bad my mother's mental health situation is as well as ours.

Choosing somewhere outside of Somerset - where we currently live - is our current last resort as we are on full DSS and after months of searching not one will accept it.

Thank you for being kind however, I often get nervous (anxiety disorder) posting on MN. I will take your advice into consideration. :)

OP posts:

Mirage · 21/04/2011 13:26

Melton Mowbray is nice,low crime,good parks,library,swimming pool ect,easy to get to other places.£500 a month would easily get you somewhere nice in Melton.

ivykaty44 · 21/04/2011 13:33

Moreton in the marsh has a train station and really good facilities, on the bus route for cheltenham and stratford upon avon....I agree but you will lucky to find a cow shed to rent for £500 per month in MinM

If you want to find work I would suggest using the direct gov.com job search and seeing what type of work you can find in each area of the Midlands - as there is no point in living somewhere really cheap and then finding that you can't get work (that's why its often cheap to rent) and you have no transport to get to work outside of the area.

Leicestershire has some cheaper places to rent and lack of employment in those same areas.

Coventry isn't a wonderful place to work or live, but you will find some of both and good bus system and train system. IMO I wouldn't want to live in Coventry.

What type of work is your dp looking for? What type of facilities are you looking for in an area apart form the transport and employment and low rents?

LynetteScavo · 21/04/2011 16:54

Hmmm, I wouldn't want to live in Coventry, but you can easily get to B'ham or London. Why don't you look along the train lines to London? Rugby is only 55 mins to London on the train.

But yes, I agree with others the job needs to come first.

LynetteScavo · 21/04/2011 16:56

I would lurve to live in Morton on the Marsh! Nay, I dream of living there. Of course I would be SAHM with staff, and would spend my time purchasing items from the deli and antique shops.

Sorry, I'm getting carried away,.

greenlotus · 21/04/2011 21:45

South and east Derbyshire (not the Peak District) is generally both friendly and inexpensive to live in, it's very down-to-earth. There is as much job opportunity there as anywhere I would think.

Meatspin · 21/04/2011 22:47

Move to Chesterfield - It's ace!

I don't actually live there by the way.

LornMowa · 22/04/2011 15:43

If you will be relying on Housing Benefit to cover the cost of your rent whilst your partner looks for work, then I think it would be wise to check the Local Housing Allowance for the area you will be living in. Before your baby is born you would be entitled to the one bedroomed rate which can vary quite a bit from one area to another.

The borough where I live covers two Broad Rental Market Areas (BRMAs) and different amounts of housing benefit would be payable depending where you live.

Check the area you are interested in here You don't want to end up with a big shortfall between your rent and the amount that you receive in housing benefit.

I think that after your baby is born you would be entitled to the 2 bedroom rate.

supadupacreameggscupa · 22/04/2011 15:49

We are in a village south of lincoln and LOVE it here. There's plenty to do and the trains are great particularly from Newark to get to practically anywhere (only 1.5hrs to kings cross). The A1 is just up the road, and the A46 goes right through.
Love being in the countryside, house prices and rentals really low, and the seaside is about 40mins away too I think (only just moved so not measured it yet!).

As previously mentioned though I think you should be looking at where the best place is for work.

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