Small house 150,000 budget - where to look?

[Winterjoy]

Recommendations please for areas where 150,000 is a realistic budget for a small house (pref 2 bed). Need to stay in England for work but otherwise open to anywhere (although would prefer south out of familiarity!).

Only stipulation is not too built up (some green space, e.g. nature reserve, within short driving distance at a minimum but preferably walkable) and somewhere relatively safe as I'll be living in/moving around the area alone.

I've done a nationwide search on rightmove and filtered by price but I've no idea where to start with narrowing down areas for the shortlist!

Brierley Hill, West Midlands, a few minutes from Merry Hill shopping centre? I was considering a 3 bed property there that was 180k and vendor was very flexible on price.

Shithole. Sorry.

I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/155768366

I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/147932027

Who are you saying 'sorry' to? You may not like it like many other areas being mentioned here, doesn't mean normally good people don't live there. By the way, there are many lovely parts with lots of green spaces quiet residential estates nearby. Everywhere is a shithole by someone's standards.

I wouldn’t recommend that area of Peterborough @urbanbuddha . I live in Peterborough, it’s not as bad a people say but you can’t get a house in a decent area for £150,000.

Darlington is fine (I live there). The town centre is ok with quite a few independents opening up, and it still has it's House of Fraser. If you want city shopping, York to the South and Newcastle to the north are only about 30 mins on the train. I think the fast train to London is 2hrs 15 mins but the East Coast Main line and cross country services can really connect you anywhere. 2 national parks within 30 mins drive and 2 more within an hours drive. 20 mins drive to the coast.

There are parts of the town that are less desirable but not many - frankly I defy you to show me a town anywhere in the UK that isn't like that. I'd say there are lots of reasonable areas in your price range. For a long time the town luminaries we're quakers so lots of Victorian parks and a good few nature reserves.

But I'd also say get in quick, the Treasury is building a large hub here and there are other investments happening in the town and prices are starting to rise.

Definitely look around the East Midlands - lots of areas of Derby & Nottingham and their surroundings have properties in your budget.

Chesterfield - quieter than Nottingham and Sheffield but still a reasonable sized town. Easy access to Peak District. Close to M1 and good rail links.

Bedford: its south, fast train to London in around 40 minutes I think. Has nice countryside around and river walks.

Completely agree. Of all the places you could go, Brierley Hill should be at the bottom of the list.

I’d take the addresses of some of the places and do a walk about on Google maps. I think you can get a good preliminary idea of places like that.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/145081592?utmcampaign=property-details&utmmcontent=buying&utmmedium=sharing&utmmsource=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY
Another option. Within walking distance to the station- can get a direct train to London from there twice a day (or change at Hull if you want more options).
The local park backs onto a nature reserve, and it's not far to the Wolds for lots of lively walks.