Erdington-Birmingham

[Starfish789]

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if any locals
could help. We have moved from the south and are looking at various areas in Birmingham. We have heard mixed views on Erdington.

Some say it is a nice area, others mention lots of gang wars etc? B24 is known for gangs?

I am assuming some parts are better than other. Any locals that could help out as we have seen some houses that interest us, however we have started to feel a bit worried about moving there especially as a family.

thank you!

Sorry, I don't know Erdington that well - I worked on the Chester Rd.

Selly Oak is really mixed. Be careful to avoid the mass of student housing, and you can get some nice areas - including Bournville Village Trust - that come under B29.
Stirchley prices have shot up in the last year, and you'd struggle with your budget now, sadly.
There are some nice areas in Hall Green, but I worry if they are really Hall Green if you can afford houses there for under £200K
Possibly look at Longbridge / Rednal on the South West (end of the cross City trainline) ?

It goes back to really individual areas within the postcode.

Do you need to be in Birmingham ?

I used to be a copper in West Mids and lived in Erdington.
It's not my dream area, but it's not that bad.
It's definitely run down and there are most certainly drug, gang and sex work going on there.
Having said that my neighbours were generally all decent and I never had a run in with anyone.
I have no idea about schools as I didn't have kids at the time. I knew someone who worked at a local secondary school and was fairly scathing of the kids there, sadly.

Wylde Green is much nicer. Sutton is lovely too.

Are you set on those areas or need to be in those areas? Could you move further afield to like Tamworth? I personally find them nicer areas than the ones you've listed

@Blueskythinking123

To be honest with your budget you'd struggle to buy on the nicer roads in erdington. There are nice family roads/houses around holly lane, Hollydale road, Ayre road, orphanage road. But I think they will be out your price range. How many bedrooms do you need?

Roads off eachelhurst road with B24 postcode would be a good option. The catchment for Walmley school (it is in Sutton) go out that far. There are some reasonable two bedrooms homes to be found around there.

We are looking for a 3 bed.

Does any know what the area around short heath park is.

I lived in Erdington as a student a lot of the roads off of Slade road were student houses. I lived there for two years and there were a few shootings and stabbings on Slade road and one year I slept in the front room and could hear drugs being dealt outside. We lived on Queens road. The houses were lovely big Victorian ones but the area we as quite scary. This was about 18 years ago so it may have changed! I remember Selly oak being nice. Moseley, Harbourne, Bournville were nice too but it was quite along time ago and I think they might be pricer areas.

Agree that Tamworth and Cannock worth investigating.

I worked in Selly Oak and this is a mixed bag, Stirchley too.

@Cotswoldmama

I lived in Erdington as a student a lot of the roads off of Slade road were student houses. I lived there for two years and there were a few shootings and stabbings on Slade road and one year I slept in the front room and could hear drugs being dealt outside. We lived on Queens road. The houses were lovely big Victorian ones but the area we as quite scary. This was about 18 years ago so it may have changed! I remember Selly oak being nice. Moseley, Harbourne, Bournville were nice too but it was quite along time ago and I think they might be pricer areas.

Slade Road still has massive issues, unfortunately, but lots of lovely roads like Orphanage Rd mentioned upthread, exist in B23/4. However, these are out of OP's price range.

I used to live in Erdington (Holly Lane, so technically a ‘nice’ area) and I definitely didn’t feel safe walking home at night. Several times I was even followed home by unmarked cars from the bus stop. But this was a few years ago now.

In your position I’d buy a smaller house or even a flat with a garden in the best areas of Birmingham rather than a large house in a shitty area. My cousin bought a two bed ground floor flat in Solihul a few years ago for 100k and sold it this year for 150k for a 3 bed flat which was 160k ish. So it would be well under your price range.

We want to be in Birmingham. Thank you everyone for your replies. Lots of good info that I need to go through on this thread. I will spend some time on google maps😵‍💫

I used to live on Gibbons Rd and Lodge Hill road in Selly Oak and although I was a student at the time it was quieter than the roads off Bristol Rd (Dawlish, Tiverton etc). There will be some student houses though so always a risk that a noisy bunch will move next door.

@Ozanj

I used to live in Erdington (Holly Lane, so technically a ‘nice’ area) and I definitely didn’t feel safe walking home at night. Several times I was even followed home by unmarked cars from the bus stop. But this was a few years ago now.

In your position I’d buy a smaller house or even a flat with a garden in the best areas of Birmingham rather than a large house in a shitty area. My cousin bought a two bed ground floor flat in Solihul a few years ago for 100k and sold it this year for 150k for a 3 bed flat which was 160k ish. So it would be well under your price range.

That is exactly it. I want to feel safe going for a walk with my little one in the buggy. And that was what was worrying me.

I also had a year living down Warwards lane (only just remembered that) and the closer the Pershore Rd you get the less studenty it is.

Just to add one more plug for Bearwood… The local community vibe is great, with an annual street festival (pre Covid anyway), Halloween trail, Christmas trail, and regular activities in Warley Woods for families with little ones (Forest School and the like) plus things like open air theatre and the Picnic in the Park festival. There’s also an active parents group on FB too, with info on baby groups, play sessions, activities etc. And I’ll stop now.

@MsShopper

Just to add one more plug for Bearwood… The local community vibe is great, with an annual street festival (pre Covid anyway), Halloween trail, Christmas trail, and regular activities in Warley Woods for families with little ones (Forest School and the like) plus things like open air theatre and the Picnic in the Park festival. There’s also an active parents group on FB too, with info on baby groups, play sessions, activities etc. And I’ll stop now.

thank you! Plug noted😀

Erdington and the like are under the flight path for the airport. The airport is only about 8 miles away so they fly low, as they are on the descent.
Map here

Thank you - I hadn’t thought about that.

I’d be another one to say I wouldn’t feel safe in erdington. Sounds strange but maybe use google earth and ‘walk around’ some of the places you’re looking at.
I grew up in hall green and it’s a little better than erdington but there’s not really a high street as such.
Hodge hill is similar to what others are saying - the bits that are ok aren’t in your budget but there are some roads that aren’t THAT bad.
I moved from smithswood (not too far from hodge hill) to Dudley and I really like it. It’s much more friendly, budget goes further, there’s loads of stuff going on, I’m walking distance from two massive nature reserves, local pubs! I didn’t realise how much I was missing out on all of that until I moved here.

@Starfish789

We are considering quite a few areas tbh.

Selly oak
Hodge hill
hall green
yardley
sheldon
great barr

We are FTB, although we have saved up our budget is not huge around the 170k mark so unfortunately the nicer areas are a bit out of reach for us.

Is erdington a complete no go? Even as a starter home?

Selly oak - Depends in what part Hodge hill - depends on what part some really nice house here but it comes under B8 so car insurance will be sky high. hall green - yes I'm looking here myself
yardley - no sheldon - yes I'm looking here myself great barr - yes towards Scott arms heading toward Walsall.

Other places to consider
Shirley
Coleshill
Shustoke
Acocks green
Solihull
Elmdon
Yarldey wood
Bromsgrove (outer Birmingham)
Moseley
Sutton Coldfield (again depends what part and budget)

If you can afford it, I would recommend getting something close to the cross-city line. For example this is not too far from King's Norton station (which, confusingly, isn't really in KIng's Norton imo; it's more like Cotteridge, which is a fairly busy, bustling place. Don't know about schools there).

I think some people are being a little unrealistic with the areas you can buy a decent 3 bed for 170-180k.

I don't know where in Bearwood or Stirchley you can do that. Both areas are properly gentrified now and house prices have risen this year. A nice 3 bed terrace in Bearwood within reach of the High St is 300k. Quinton is similarly out of this sort of range - only auction properties/properties needing modernisation.

I don't mind erdington. It's not remotely cool or interesting, but it's no more affected by crime or gangs than anywhere else.

The thing with Birmingham is that it is very working class and people on mumsnet are not really, so the perception of ok areas can be a bit skewed.

Will you/your other half (if you have one) be commuting in to the city centre or a certain place for work? Some areas are much better for travelling in or around the city than others in my experience

@TheGirlInTheGreenDress

Will you/your other half (if you have one) be commuting in to the city centre or a certain place for work? Some areas are much better for travelling in or around the city than others in my experience

Yes we will need to commute into the centre for work.

@Starfish789 in which case, somewhere like the Cotteridge side of Stirchley (towards Kings Norton station) could be a good bet as you’re on the Cross City line. Erdington is on the same line (in the opposite direction).

Bearwood is also commutable by bus (or bike on the towpath).

The one in Cotteridge that Senua has linked to would be a good buy then.
You are between Kings Norton and Bournville Stations there and also buses along the Pershore Rd into Town are very frequent. Or you can cycle in along the canal towpath. You can walk into Cotteridge for all your shopping needs and, as said, easy to get into town for the department stores. You are very close to Cotteridge School there which is fine for Primary and you'd be in catchment for Kings Norton Boys / Kings Norton Girls for secondary. That's a good buy for your money.

@TheWholeWorld

I think some people are being a little unrealistic with the areas you can buy a decent 3 bed for 170-180k.

I don't know where in Bearwood or Stirchley you can do that. Both areas are properly gentrified now and house prices have risen this year. A nice 3 bed terrace in Bearwood within reach of the High St is 300k. Quinton is similarly out of this sort of range - only auction properties/properties needing modernisation.

I don't mind erdington. It's not remotely cool or interesting, but it's no more affected by crime or gangs than anywhere else.

The thing with Birmingham is that it is very working class and people on mumsnet are not really, so the perception of ok areas can be a bit skewed.

Well said.