Good place to buy house and live in Birmingham

[Gorgygeorge]

I would like to buy a 3 bed semi-detached or terraced house in Birmingham, and would like to know some good places apart from Sutton coldfield, Solihull, Harborne, Bournville and Moseley

Those are the good parts I'm afraid. Certain parts of Kingsheath and Edgebaston are also good, some nice period properties.

That's a fairly comprehensive list! I love Birmingham, but it's a real mixture and there aren't many areas that are seen as exclusively 'nice'.

I'd look at Stirchley - it's not pretty but it's an area on the up (plenty of new bars, cafes etc) and has lots of terraced and semi detached housing. I also really like Kings Heath, but some areas might be seen as a bit rough.

Birmingham is also painful to drive around - so knowing where in the city you're hoping to work/get to easily would help you to identify the best areas. Being near to a stop on the cross city train line makes getting to the town centre so much easier, for example.

I know that people always say Moseley Harbourne, Bourneville etc. But honestly I wouldn't live there, I don't get the attraction at all.
Solihull isn't Birmingham and you pay a premium for that (not Chemelsy Wood Kingshurst Smith's Wood though they are rough as)
I think South Yardley and some of Sheldon (nearest to A45) are nice as they are practically Solihull but without the price tag.

@ToftheB I think Birmingham's one of the easiest cities to drive around.

Driving isn't a problem, we live on one side of city DH works on the other.
He goes across every day, never more than an hour with heaviest traffic, if he does half a day it is 20 mins door to door. Average normal rush hour 40 mins.

I grew up in Birmingham. Its a great place to live in my opinion. I suggest you consider Kings Norton or round by the Likey Hills is lovely, such as Barnt Green.

Kings Heath is nice (although commute can be a pain if you work in central Bham as no station)

Edgbaston

Stourbridge is also nice

Does it matter which side you live in? Where will work be?
Are you looking at schools?
Do you like to socialise within walking distance to shops and cafes?
Do you want to be close to the centre?

The places you mention mostly come with a hefty price tag. What's your budget?

If you're looking as far out as Stourbridge then Hayley is nice.

Hagley not Hayley!

Those are the good bits, really! The price does tend to reflect that.

Also are schools a factor? Harborne is a lovely area to live but without any decent schools beyond primary. Solihull schools are generally all great but as a PP says, not actually Birmingham and might be a bit far out if you want the city itself. Have you looked at Hall Green?

Somewhere near the outskirts so you can leave easily

Birmingham seems very popular all of a sudden!
For the kind of property you say you are looking for, Kings Heath works well. It is getting a train station in the next year or so if that is relevant to you (for commuting).
However it all depends on your budget, your priorities and whether you need schools locally.
If schools are not an issue, and just to give you a left-field/ alternative suggestion, you could look at the Jewellery Quarter or the new flats/ town houses in the Port Loop and other areas - the centre of town is being massively redeveloped with lots of housing that suits young couples or single people or retirees (anyone who hasn't got kids basically, as no schools!). There is also a lot of redevelopment in Longbridge, but again totally depends what sort of area, culture and lifestyle you are looking for.

Port Loop 3 bed house
www.rightmove.co.uk/new-homes-for-sale/property-65222436.html

JQ 3 bed house
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-73535311.html

Kings Heath 3 bed house near the park with potential for loft conversion
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-76297264.html

What is your budget? (I presume that is why you're eliminating SC, Harborne, Moseley and Bournville)
How old are your children, which sex(es) and what do you require for schooling?
Where do you need to get to for work?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-86288000.html#_full-description

This is the first house that came up when I searched, South Yardley.
Honestly, 10 mins drive from city centre, 10 minutes other way from Airport/NEC/resorts world/M6/M42
15 Minutes from Solihull, touchwood shopping centre. Lovely parks, good schools, safe and quiet.
I know its not somewhere 'cool' but it's a lovely place to live.

Barnt Green (strictly comes under as Worcester I think but you're neighboring Birmingham suburbs, 20 minutes into City centre), also close to there is Cofton Hackett.

I have lived in Kings Heath. Stirchley is getting lively and Cotteridge is also pleasant. But so much depends, as others have said, on ages of children, where people work etc - the sorts of activities people enjoy. The bits of Northfield where there's Bournville Village Trust housing also have access to plenty of green space.

Lickey and Barnt Green are lovely.

Birmingham is all about budget- you can pretty much get value for money irrespective of your budget as I think a lot of the not so good areas are really not that terrible

Look at London and gentrification of so many areas that used to be run down/high crime and now you won’t get much change out of a million for a decent family size house.

I believe this is Why Birmingham is becoming popular! Honestly watch this space with Birmingham.

A lot of the not so good areas aren't terrible, equally a lot of the so called good areas aren't that good.

We can all agree you wouldn't live in Lozells or anywhere like that.

I think Moseley is rough, I think Harbourne is horrible , you couldn't pay me to live in Kings Heath or Northfield, sometimes people list places (Balsall Heath for example is often mentioned) and I think have you actually been there or just seen pictures? I mean there are some beautiful houses in Sparkhill and Sparkbrook but you only have to drive through to know you wouldn't want to live there.

I was brought up in Small Heath - I wouldn't live there either.

I would happily live in South Yardley, Sheldon, some of Yardley.
I would prefer Acocks Green, Hall Green over the places always mentioned on where to live in Birmingham threads.

On the other side of the city some of Great Barr/Perry Barr/Hamstead is lovely but never gets a mention.

Thanks to everyone who have commented.

@maryberryslayers , thanks. But, KIngs heath is a bit expensive for our budget and to get a decent property we like. Our budget is £160,000 max.

@ValerieFlowers, thanks. Do you think Kings Norton is good? Some people say it's a little rough with some young gangs. Are there very good Primary and Secondary schools?

@HandsOffMyRights, thanks. School is one of the main priorities. I have two sons 13 and 11 years in Secondary school and a girl in Primary school. But, it seems that most school Ofsted ratings change almost everytime. One school is rated as excellent today and within a short time, one will be surprised that it has gone down. It seems that it's only the Grammar schools, that are stable in rating.

For the budget - it's £160,000 max. DH is a consultant and work at home most times. Close to the city centre is not essential, though we would prefer not to be more than 7 miles to the city center. Working distance to store and cafes is not essential.

@KingsHeathen, thanks. Budget is £160,000max. School is a priority - have two sons @ 13 years and 11 years in Secondary school and a girl @ 6 in primary school. DH is a consultant and would work at home most of the time.

@Frogonalog , thanks. What do you mean that "I know it's not a cool place"?

@albertatrilogy , thanks. Is Northfield part of Bournville?

@Anotherusefulname, thanks for your comment. Could you please talk a little more about Northfield, as has been mentioned is close to Bourneville?
And why will you happily live in : South Yardley, Sheldon, some of Yardley. and prefer to live in : Acocks Green, Hall Green ? Please give some tips.
If Great Barr is ok, please what's your opinion about Kingstanding and Erdington?

Our main priorities are good Primary and Secondary schools, low crime rate, security, central location for buses, and not too far to hospital and of course where the property could appreciate well at the long run.

If your budget is that then I would look at Longbridge. There is a brand new housing development that has been built. It's an area that is being rejuvenated and having a large cash injection into it.
There is a train station that has a direct line to Birmingham centre. My sister got her house there and in 3 years it has gone from 130k to on the market now for 170k (she has done nothing to it).
Longbridge also neighbors Northfield just so you are aware