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

In your search area County Durham you can get a terrace and garden for your budget

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110883281

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111011372#/?channel=RES_BUYM

Galgate: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/80252391#/?channel=RES_BUY

Morecambe: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110362124

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110881688

Lancaster: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/107739677#/?channel=RES_BUY

You'd get something in a mining village but you would have to know the area well to land yourself in a decent bit.

Do you still have connections to Darlo?

[quote Dfdsdfds]In your search area County Durham you can get a terrace and garden for your budget

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110883281

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111011372#/?channel=RES_BUYM[/quote]
That first one is not at all a nice bit of Durham City. There is CCTV on the streets, mind.

Have you missed a zero from your budget OP?

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/88310812?utmcontent=v2-ealertspropertyimage&utmmmedium=email&utmsource=emailupdates&utmmcampaign=emailupdatesinstant&utmterm=buying&sccid=36398270&onetimeFromEmail=true&cid=339230a4-5e88-4b97-87e5-398ba3a2082e&csg=153c44bb77947fc016003fc186a81aa1bc0c8706d079aed575366ee474ce852c#/?channel=RESSBUY

Depends how far north, lots to offer in Scotland.
www.onthemarket.com/for-sale/2-bed-houses/scotland/?direction=asc&max-price=80000&min-price=60000&sort-field=price

You can get a nice little house in the Newland Ave area of Hull for that budget. I haven't lived there for 20 years but it was a fab place to grow up, and everyone I know who still lives in Hull raves about it.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

Another thing to bear in mind OP is that 2bed homes at that price point wont ever really make you money in the NE. Places dont gentrify/ are up and coming in the same way they do in London etc.

This, is a good point. We bought in 2003 for about 50k and sold in 2017 for about 60k. The house in the city that we paid 200k for went for 75k in 2004 - some of that gain in value was being modernised and extended but a house in our street with the original 2 bed layout is on the market for 225k, at the moment. Meantime, houses in my old village still seem to be selling for roughly the same.

Don't step foot in New Brighton.

The calibre of graffiti is terrible.

Don't step foot in New Brighton.

The calibre of graffiti is terrible

South Shields, parts can be decent. Very north but close enough to Newcastle!

Sunderland?

Not the prettiest house but it's 15 minutes walk to the beach - we have a stunning sea front, lovely schools...

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/107988263

This is in a decent small market town. Good primary school. www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/101887496#/?channel=RES_BUY

@SusanBAnthony999

Colne Lancashire?

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110498597#/?channel=RES_BUY

It‘s a bit mixed but you have beautiful countryside on your doorstep and lovely towns like Skipton easily accessible.

I'd say it's a fairly good bet in this area. A small town, but big enough to have some decent supermarkets,and DIY shops, etc. Not so posh that it's expensive. A short walk to the moors in any direction, great views from a lot of parts of the town (because it's all on hills!) and right at the end of the motorway. Traffic can be slow on the through road beyond that. Dales in easy reach, lakes not a lot further.

Not nice in MN standards but Bradford could be an option. Very diverse, cheap to live in and overall safer than its bad reputation would tell you.

Link to article with school ratings in the North East ( it has been years since ofsted for some
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/local-news/biddick-hall-junior-school-6486903

@jasminoide

Not nice in MN standards but Bradford could be an option. Very diverse, cheap to live in and overall safer than its bad reputation would tell you.

There is a wonderful thread running at the moment by an MNer who is spending a few weeks in Bradford over the summer and having a wonderful time exploring and discovering the city and its surroundings. Bradford really doesn’t deserve its reputation!

Lol!!!!! I’ve just realised it’s you @jasminoide!

[quote Batshitmeansbatshit]Link to article with school ratings in the North East ( it has been years since ofsted for some
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/local-news/biddick-hall-junior-school-6486903[/quote]
That is the case for many schools rated outstanding. They go onto a light touch regime.

Avoid Blackpool.

Blackpool has nice bits just like everywhere else, although I'm not up on current house prices there.

BikeRunSki I'll be flying the Bradford flag forevermore 😂

Ladies, thank you! I have been through all the properties and saved all of your suggestions and will start investigating! I can’t thank you enough! You’re wonderful 🙏🏼❤️

Would you consider Wales OP? I’ve looked 40+ miles from a town near me and there are quite a few two bed houses in your budget. I don’t know the areas, and I imagine they aren’t prosperous as there are so many cheap properties, but I do know having lived in and around Wales a few times in my life that it’s a) beautiful b) quite low in the violent crime stakes such as random teen stabbings etc and c) community orientated in most places. They have Esytn rather than OFSTED so can’t check how good the schools are on Rightmove but you could definitely find out more on the Estyn website.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E7&minBedrooms=2&maxPrice=70000&minPrice=50000&radius=40.0&sortType=1&propertyTypes=bungalow%2Cdetached%2Csemi-detached%2Cterraced&mustHave=&dontShow=sharedOwnership%2Cretirement&furnishTypes=&keywords=

PS Can’t seem to remove auction properties on a Rightmove search but generally, if it’s got a ? next to the price it means it’s an auction property and will probably sell for well over the suggested guide price.

Good luck!

Estyn website

www.estyn.gov.wales/