Moving to Birmingham with the family - where to look?

[lilyblue82]

Hello amazing mumsnetters,

We are moving to Birmingham from London in the Summer as husband will work at the University of Birmingham. I've never been there but I have started to have a look at properties, so I need your precious help and knowledge.

Considering South and East Birmingham and I wonder what is your opinion on Bromsgrove?

Budget is 400k but we can stretch. Looking for a 4 beds house. We want to be in a nice and friendly area with lots of family. Good schools are important as in Sep 2018 my son will go in Y2 and my daughter will start reception.

Thanks a lot for your help!

Val

This house in Cotteridge looks nice: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70591649.html

Something odd with that one though, plockplock (a Thursday Next fan?)
It sold about 7 months ago, then reappeared on the market yesterday. That's an awfully long time for a sale to fall through without something major being uncovered.
And it's a 3 bed!

I would initially prioritise the schools, give them a ring directly and see what's available then either rent or buy nearby to the school you choose.

But it's likely that the only schools to have spaces initially will be unpopular ones. I'm not sure there will be many spaces at all in the areas you're considering.

I would decide which general area you want to live in first and make sure you're happy enough with all the local schools. As soon as you move into the area you'll go to the top/near the top of the waiting lists. Bigger schools are better as a space is more likely to come up.

What is the plus of Bourville Village Trust?

The more rural areas will be more likely to have Spaces.

Hi @robinkitty, what are the rural areas? Outside Birmingham? Or even further out?

Borders of Birmingham and Worcestershire or Lichfield.

Having put Bromsgrove away, what do you think about Lichfield? What's the feeling there?

Would school be oversubscribed there too?

Thanks!

Another vote for Lichfield, (and surrounding villages) Can't help on schools as all mine are older but have not heard anything negative about getting places locally from other people.

What is the plus of Bournville Village Trust?

The Cadbury family are Quakers and generally try to Do The Right Thing. Back in the day, this meant that their chocolate was good quality and they were philanthropic employers. They moved their factory out of central Bham (back to the doughnut theory again) and created a Model Village for their workers at Bournville.
They exerted a benign dictatorship which meant that the model village, BVT, was kept spick and span. Houses used to be leasehold but, due to legal reforms, it is now possible to buy the freehold (and freedom) from the Trust. But BVT still has the legacy of naiceness that sets it apart from most other suburbs.

I don’t think there are many massively over subscribed schools in Lichfield. It’s one of those towns with a primary at the end of every street (or so it seems).
I know people with kids at Willows, Christchurch and the new Academy primary that have no complaints. I think Chadsmead primary is in special measures?

Would it not be possible for you to move when dh starts, in May ? The problem with moving after the Summer Term finishes in July, is all the schools will be shut here too. You would be better renting the family house from May and giving yourself 2 months to look, chase and harrass. It isn't easy finding workable space for 2 dc after the places have all been allocated, I can't help thinking the downside of leaving the current school before the end of term is balanced up the advantage of being able to be proactive about getting places for future years, up here.

BVT - very well described by Senua . People pay a premuim on the house price to live on BVT land, as it is 'naice'. It has rules about what alterations you can make and what businesses can be on the land. Every house used to have (? not 100% if is still?) to have a fruit tree in the garden. Lots of the roads have quite strict rules about front gardens particularly - some areas you have to have it open to the pavement, other it is difficult to extend your driveway, nowhere could you have stone cladding . It sounds a bit odd, and can be a pain if you want to extend as plans have to be approved by the Trust as well as the City planners, but it makes for a really nice ambience, and, as I say, people will pay a lot more for a house on BVT than the same house 2 roads away. They've also had really strict rules on alcohol and on takeaways, so you won't end up living next to a smelly, busy takeaway or a noisy pub!

Lichfield would be a long trek in to the University.

Commuting from Sutton Coldfield to South Birmingham can be a total ball ache, especially during the leaf fall timetable (for 6 weeks of the year total, unutterably chaos ensues because of leaves). It depends what time pressures you both have in terms of whether it would work for you. The Boldmere area of Sutton is lovely and has a great community spirit. Summer street parties, concerts in the park, easy access to the park which is great for kids, but school places are horrendously competitive. The rest of Sutton I'd avoid personally, lots of plus points, but vastly overrated and I'd echo what a previous poster said, can be very snobbish. It can be a very odd place and you might find it a bit of a culture shock coming from London.

Bournville is beautiful, it would work well for the University, but the school is hard to get into. If you're planning to be in London regularly, you might want to consider that that will be vastly easier from the south side of the City.

Solihull would be great for you getting to London (motorway links and International train station) but would be awful for the University.

lilyblue If your children are baptised Catholic and attend one of the Feeder schools, historically you have an extremely high chance of getting into Bishop Challoner Catholic College Whoever mentioned above that the catchment area is less than a mile is talking absolute poppycock! The admissions criteria simply does not work that crudely. They also have a 6th Form

There are several feeder schools and the areas of Kings Heath and Moseley, road dependent are very good.

I have a friend who lives on Billesley Lane whose husband cycles to New Street Station most days. It is not undoable.

Not sure if Four Oaks has been mooted. Major refurb recently and on train line.

A number of excellent primaries and Arthur Terry School of course.

Completely disagree with comments saying N Bham worst - last time I checked, Four Oaks, Little Aston, Streetly and Walmley fell into this Category!!!!!

Hello all!

Still me but getting somewhere thanks to your precious advice

What do you think of the below properties position and school wise?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-49920975.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-62544346.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-66485807.html?premiumA=true

I didn't say the cut-off for bishop Challoner was a mile, I said the cutoff for Queensbridge was under a mile!
BC don't publish their cutoff distance because they have specific feeder schools.

Ooh- there's a house on Rightmove just gone on today, Clarence Rd, Harborne (B17), 399. It's a v good Rd, really close to high street and all facilities, you'd get Harborne primary or Chad Vale, both decent schools, has off Rd parking (which is imperative there).
It's 3 beds, but has a basement if you needed a guest room or home office. It's a great road to live on i used to live on there!

Or, indeed you could try for St Mary's which is just past waitrose.

Houses are all lovely but I'd avoid northfield to be honest. Schools around the first property aren't too good.

@MiddleoftheRoad

I don't think anyone has said north Birmingham is the worst at all, just that south Birmingham would be preferable for the OP. Also, whilst Four Oaks, Walmley, Streetly and Little Aston are considered as nice areas of the city, I'd say they lack the personality and charm of other nice areas in the south; places such as Moseley, Harborne and Bounville, as already discussed.

I say this as a born and bred Brummie who has lived abroad for 10+ years, but who regularly returns to see friends and family scattered all over the city. I therefore notice the changes and differences perhaps more starkly than people who are living there all the time.

The south side of the city is undoubtedly better for UoB access and for trains to London too, which the OP was interested in.

House 1, wrong side of Middle Park Rd. House 2, busy road through to station, overpriced for area (hence it's not sold despite being lovely), schools would be a serious issue. House 3, is on a road that is a cut-through (albeit not a rat run!) and has no community- majority houses on there are rentals. Difficult for schools, as you'd likely get jervoise or paganel, but difficult to get to, due to the way the road system is.

Clarence Rd is a great Road, especially with off-Road parking. From another previous resident.

I don’t think any of the houses you’ve linked to are well located for schools. I’m dubious about Northfield but I don’t know it well, just the high st really.

Ooh- hello sellfridges! We loved living on there... so close to everything, but actually very quiet despite being so close to the high street.
Used to roll out of bed on Saturday, pop and get a paper, then get back in bed with tea and said paper, until about 12, then pop to Fenton's for brunch... Great times.