areas of the UK that are cheap-ish for houses now but bound to go up in value? + why is Nottingham so cheap?

[allaflutter]

This would have to exclude South coast (Hastings and so on), and also the North proper, as I need easy access to London and other parts of the country.
Just find myself really hankering after space and a house or large maisonette, without other people living on top of you or on both sides (3 good size beds semi-detached ideally, or a flat on two top floors with loft space), having only lived and looked at flats in London and SW - I'm increasingly finding that a nice area doesn't compensate for the lack of space anymore. I think the older you get the more space you want!

The area has to be reasonably nice but not chi-chi, i.e. low crime levels and must have a train station with access to london ideally in 1hr but could stretch a bit. It also has to be quite green with nice surrounding country. Town or city. I can't do cottages or modern boxes, used to live in high ceilinged London flats.

So far I found a couple of nice looking places with cheap houses, but usually too far from London (i.e. around Harrogate - just great old houses there, small towns in SW). Or places like Abingdon in Oxon but no train station.

Well, there is Nottingham - some nice spacious period houses on rightmove, MUCH bigger than what you can get in many places. What I don't understand is why it takes so long on the train - are there plans for faster trains there? York is much faster even though further out. What's Nottingham really like? Is it likely to go up in value? Is it better than Sheffield which I know a little?

What about Stamford/Northampton to compare with Nott? In sw there is Chippenham and Swindon that are cheap but not attractive, are these places better in comparison?

I need to buy somewhere where prices are not going to drop and ideally rise as my cash income is low atm and it's important to invest well. My mum may well need to move in with me when a bit older too, so somewhere with buses a bonus. Oh and reasonably nice, friendly people a big bonus. School cattchments are not important.

If anyone is selling something like this, PM me - and maybe introduce me to a new area!
Sorry for the long saga...I'd be grateful for someone to help put an end to this frustration!

Hmm, looking on google earth, MH seems to have a lot of large flat greens - I like proper parks with lots of trees and some flowers! this may be a problem. Bedford seems better for parks.

Derby is lovely from what I've seen when visiting friend who lived there. She was in (near?) Darley Abbey and there was a gorgeous huge park nearby. Lovely town centre with a York/Bath feel to it and said friend lived in a lovely Victorian terrace which she did up.

As for Swindon, I lived there for a few years and always thought it didn't deserve it's poor reputation. Nice mix of properties, old town was good for restaurants and nice shops, good shopping, and very well connected to get to other places. I lived in Rodbourne which was right next to outlet village and decent location for town/station etc. can't remember what the parks were like - have moved too many times since.

Derby is lovely, people are very friendly. There's naff all in Darley Abbey apart from the park though; a pub and a shop that's rarely open. Duffield (a little further up) is a lot better but a bit more expensive. Secondary and state schools there are 'outstanding'.

some of my favourite houses (esp interors) on rightmove have been in Derby, though the central ones (near te river) aer always terraced at this price. But locals just seem to have a knack for stylish interiors (I like traditional but not too dark), it's kind of on a par with Harrogate houses or York. I know Darley is a suburb, but isn't it walking distance from centre? or a quick bus? what;s shopping like in the centre? The countryside is just great around Notts/Derbyshire.
Does anyone know how fast aer these improved trains aer going to be (to London)?
Seen a few good value houses in Rugby, any more info on why is it good?
Other places still in the running, not much in Bedford on rightmove, but considering. And same with MH - though worried about lack of parks.

We went back to Bedford again today and I am so excited to move there. There is a great feel to it around the river and park. Go and have a mooch...

I'd say people in the East Mids are friendly in what I'd class as a 'northern' way, which is nice. We always thank bus drivers in Nottingham for example. I lived in the SW for a bit and um, hard to define but a bit different... maybe the friendliness here is more egalitarian, superficially at least and more matey?

I'm not from these parts originally and speak with a neutral English accent. in the SW (well it was Cornwall, so an extreme example) I was constantly being asked where I was from and was made very aware of not being from there. Here, I'm rarely asked and just feel that I'm living in some other part of the same country I grew up in. I'm sure there's a rural / urban aspect to that and all sorts of nuances but generally, there's a fairly relaxed feeling of inclusivity here.

yes, that's my first on the list - shortest journey to London and now I've looked on Google - really great parks! , reminded me of Hyde park/Ken gardens with the river instead of Serpentine, and less busy! I wish there was more on rightmove though, to actually go and see properties, but can't go before end of may anyway so maybe more will come up. Surprised at number of tall Vict houses - there should be more nice big flats/mais but doesn't seem to be.

Now list is down to:

Bedford
Newark (good-ish train times for size of houses)
Market Harborough
Derby at a stretch but hoping trains are getting faster.

Swindon a maybe,
so is Rugby but need to know more (house style very bland though! same with Huntingdon))
Nott'm let down by train times even though nearer than Newark - shame as great size/type houses. Why aren't they improving train links [sigh]

I thought I replied to this thread but it is not here.
Have you thought of Ramsgate?
Train just over 1 hour to St Pancras
Beach, Harbour, Golf, WEstwood Cross Shopping, Waitrose in the town. Some top class restaurants.
2 local grammar schools, "outstanding" High School in Sandwich (near). Good choice of independent schools in and near.

What is your budget?
3 bed semis in nice areas £180-£250.
Best area is Westcliff where 3/4 bed detached houses with big-ish gardens are about £300-£400.

I'll have a look on rightmove, MrsT, but my concern with coastal areas is, that the connection anywhere else is bad (slow), as I don't only go to London. Unless it has unusually good connection to the Mids (I also like the West to visit on and off). Also these areas feel sort of cut off from the rest, but again poss Ramsgate different. Is it like te nice but of Brighton but smaller/not crowded?

budget up to 250 so you got that right.

'the nice bit of Brighton'

Sorry to repeat myself - I just found my post and your reply. Budget under £250.
If you were to consider Ramsgate I see you want parks - look on google maps the Westcliff park, and King George V park - lovely areas. Nethercout is OK.

I know what you mean about cut off. We are at the end of the country here if you want to go somewhere else in England!
There is an airport (Manston - flights to Amsterdam), easy to get to Dover (25 mins drive) and Ashford International.
I do think it probably good value for money and likely to hold value and go up - meeting some of your criteria.
I would not buy a house in the nearby Margate or Broadstairs for various reasons - but both places are just minutes drive (Broadstairs is just a walk along the coast) and offer great things for an afternoon out.
Look for houses around Westcliff, Nethercourt hill, Southwood Gardens.

been to Margate - definitely not an option ! neither is Hastings (huge houses . I would look at areas you suggest if I discount the ones I'm comsidering above, due to transport links as mentioned - but thanks, you never know how life turns out so at least will know which part of Kent is good.

Stamford was number 1 on the times top 10 towns to live in uk! I live there it's lovely

hello again, Matilda! the thing is, I can't see these parks in MH, where are they? on google the green aeras look flat with some tress along borders, not landscaped or indeed woody parks. Maybe google is inaccurate though. I am planning to look at MH, as I do like the ook of houses there and the train link is quicker than to Derby.
Knock off Bedford - really? the pint there is that it's 40 min to london AND has great parks, so far the downside is lack of properties on rightmove (non-modern). I did look on google, and yes the High street is 'cute' rather than proper but I think it's going to develop further, I feel, and from what the posters who visited/live there say. What would you say, are 'cons' on Bedford?
You know, I've bee ndrawn to Derby for a while as I like the local taste in houses , been stopped by longer train times and by posters who say that the centre is no good. But I really am going to look at these three places as soon as I can (two weeks hopefully - can't wait!), I really should get going as eveb a year ago there wre more houses in Derby to choose from, looks likethe prices going up (nearer the centre).

I'm still hoping that someone knows when these new trains will start running Lon-Derby, and how much shorter the journey will be?

plan, I saw the top ten, and noted Stamford, but posterrs on here were saying there is not much there (places to eat, parks), you are welcome to contradict! have you moved from a city, or always lived there?

also I'm looking at prices up to 270 ish as some places may be negotiable - there are definitely a few nice ones in this range in Derby, around White st/Otter st towards the river, though admittedly not the size of Nott'm/Newark, but still for me good enough size. What do you think of Newark , Matilda? train is quite fast and same countryside around, though poss getting colder .

oh, and meant to say, I did consider Sheffiekd for the size of houses and the countryside (the peaks) and even viewed a few places, but decided it's not for me - too far, but also not that much there yet it's still big, I think I may like a smaller town that's easy to walk across with fewer shops but nice ones, than a city that has city's disadvantages (spread out, not so clean) with big dept store or two in it. So I might prefer MH, but until I look I wouldn't know. Anyway, so how Derby compares to Sheffield? (apart from being a shorter journey)

Yep, Newark is a nice market town with lots of independent businesses, wine bars, boutiques, a naice big Waitrose etc and is relatively unknown. It boats a really good train service to Kings Cross and much easier Road access to Nottingham now that the A46 had been dualled, although Lincoln is quicker to get to.

Have heard that the secondary schools aren't great (but not terrible either) but that both Tuxford Academy (look for villages slightly further North up the A1) and Southwell Minster have very good reputations. I think quite a few Newark kids go to Lincolnshire (just over the border) grammar schools though.

lottie sorry I've missed your post - that's good to know! I'm not anywhere as far as Cornwall, but get asked where I'm from (also being SW) too often, well by the chattier people at least, which is tiresome when it's the first question they ask! SW is definetely a bit cut off, and sort of on the past a bit, even though people are nice generally and gentle - which to me is much beeter than agressive (like in some areas, incl some of london).

thanks, Signora - do you know what are the parks/NT like around Newark? hopefully the crime from Nott wouldn't spill in there nowe the access is easier (as you say)! That's the point that trains aer quicker than to NOtt or Derby! yet it's further out. Is it colder there than London?

Doh! Just re read your op. Scrap what I said re schools! Housing wise though, can easily find a 4/5 bed period property for under £240k though.

Am sticking up for Chippenham- it has a great park( John Coles) There are places to eat- a nice farm shop, good Chinese and lots of gastro pubs within a couple of miles. There are a few independent shops opening and a waitrose food. ( plus only 10/15 minutes to Bath or Bristol on the train!)

I grew up near Newark- it does have better shops than Chippenham, nice independent clothes shops and lovely restaurants- Gannets for lunch, cafe bleu for dinner are my favourites bit is a long drive to anywhere other than Nottingham.