Where’s affordable to buy and decent area to raise a family up North?

[Dippydippydoo]

I live in the South and would like to buy my first house. I don’t mind doing somewhere up at all. I can afford between £64k-£70k max and need a two bedroom house in a decent area for me and my 7 year old. I’m really open to any good areas from the Midlands to the North but have no idea where’s family friendly and decent. I was born in Darlington but lived south for 40 years. Any suggestions please?! TIA

Really not sure where you're going to get a house on a decent area for that much sorry OP. Perhaps someone else will know.

I'm sorry, I live in a cheap place, not that far from Darlo. There's not much round me that I'd live in with those constraints, especially if a half reasonable school is also required.

Would you consider a flat ?

For that you won't get somewhere decent, likely just a very run down area with high unemployment or on a rough estate in a city.

There are places around Burnley, Wigan and Bolton for that but not sure what area you are really wanting

Sheffield is nice - you might just get something suitable there. Good luck!

On that budget? sorry but you are having a laugh.

There are pockets of places with those price tags but I suspect if you not from that area and have grownup there with family friends and contacts all your life, I think you would wouldn't perceive it as a decent nice area.

But lots of people from down south buy in these cheap areas never set foot there and then rent out to the locals

Actually there are in Darlington but I don't know anything about there and what the areas are like. Is that what you are actually asking?

I have lived round various areas of Yorkshire, Northumberland, Cumbria and I cannot think of 1 decent area that has property inc. Apartments at that price.

You may find properties under £100,000 but very likely to be on estates, neglected, that are problematic and people trying to move out of.

Possibly Barnsley, Rotherham, Doncaster way, but it would be a do-er upper and maybe nothin such a nice area.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111317105?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY
There's not much available for your price but this is an ok area in Sefton (North of Liverpool). Near to shops and public transport so easy access to Liverpool and Southport . I don't know the schools well so can't comment on this

Mythical cheap northern property as I much as MN says, does not exist.
You won’t get anything anywhere nice for that budget. Maybe something needing work in a bad area of one of the Lancashire towns or a very deprived area in the north east.
The value doesn’t fall out of things simply because it’s above the Watford gap.

Is this a joke?

@pannikin why would it be a joke? The place I live, with outstanding primary and secondary schools, you can buy a 2 up 2 down terrace for £70k. And I love it here! Yes, you can buy more expensive houses, but the cheap ones still exist.

@Dippydippydoo I will send you a pm!

This is not in too bad an area, good transport links and near a good primary school. It’s a flat but with outside space : www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/106367396#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/109842410#/media?channel=RES_BUY&id=media0&ref=photoCollage This is also available but is leasehold.

This is in a decent area with good amenities www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/109289696#/?channel=RES_BUY

You will need to be very careful of area at these prices. Particularly you will need to walk around the immediate neighbourhood, I would not try to purchase at a distance from where you currently live.

Blackpool, Burnley, Blackburn

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110384372#/?channel=RES_BUY

it depends on what you mean by decent areas. You could get a flat i reckon in some areas, and a lot of what you might think are dodgy areas will have good things going for them such as community, but maybe only seasonal work etc. If you can work from home or have a job thats transferable to anywhere, then should be ok

I dont know about up north but i can see flats and houses in Lowestoft and great yarmouth for your budget and maybe parts of clacton

You will get lots of options in Carlisle, Cumbria. The areas may not be fantastic looking but they are ok safety wise I think.

Preston. Superb parks. V.good transport connections. Pretty good shopping and culture for a very small northern city. You can probably find somewhere within a decent school catchment in an OKish area for that money (e.g. Bamber Bridge).

There are some OK areas of Burnley and Blackburn but there is less choice of schools. Avoid Blackpool.

You'll have no trouble getting the house you want in areas of Cumbria like Barrow or Workington but opportunities and facilities are poor.

We got a 2 bed semi for £65k 5 years ago, it needed work but was OK to live in from the start (new roof & boiler, plus changing 70 decor). We live near wallsend, on paper not a 'nice' area, but our immediate area is very family orientated. We're in catchment for outstanding schools (primary and secondary), and have a library, playground (x3) and leasure centre within walking distance, and lovely neighbours.

I think when you're on a tight budget you really need to do your homework to find pockets of 'nice' in areas other people might have written off, just 1/4 a mile away the areas much rougher, but that doesn't effect us.

Lovely area, Near fantastic schools - 2 bed, 2 bath apartment.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/79215246#/?channel=RES_BUY

You may find a terrace house in some places in the North but I think the decent area part will be impossible on that budget.

Have a look at Workington in Cumbria. It's not naice by Mumsnet standards but it's pretty safe and the secondary school was put in special measures a while ago and has had loads of money thrown at it which has turned it around.