Where to buy a house near Birmingham?

[FreddoBaggyMac]

We have just found out that DH's job is moving to Birmingham and the likelihood is we're going to have to move pretty quickly - before the end of the year. It's going to be hard for us as we have four small children (all under 6)and no family or friends around there and we don't know the area at all, and also DD1 is really settled at her primary school here which is just a few minutes walk from our house...

Anyway, we need to look to the future and I'd be really grateful for any advice anyone can give me about buying a house in that area. Which areas are good, which to avoid etc... we have no idea at all as we've never even been there.

We basically want to be in a nice area for our DCs to grow up in and as short a commute to Birmingham as possible for DH. We need three bedrooms and a study and would like a garden. Most important, we need to be walking distance to a good Catholic primary school. We prefer older style properties (Victorian or earlier) but we need somewhere that doesn't require any renovation (or preferably even decorating!) as we just won't have the time for at least five years! Our budget is going to be around £250k.

Have heard that Bournville is nice - but there seems to be lots of areas within Bournville, I think Bournville village is going to be too expensive for us. Have also heard good things about Edgbaston, Harborne and Moseley - but again I suppose all of these places have good and bad areas within them... Have also thought about living further out (Whitwick, Malvern?) but perhaps the commuting time would be too long?

I'd be completely grateful for any advice from anyone as we're really stuck - we're not even going to have much opportunity to go and look at houses as we'll need to move quickly and have our DCs to consider (not easy to househunt trailing 4 DCs behind you!)
If anyone could provide me with links to houses for sale that might be suitable for us I'd be eternally grateful!!

Thank you in advance.

Well I think if DH isn't going into the office full time it will definitely be Wombourne or Malvern (or perhaps Leamington Spa, haven't looked into that enough yet!)

Hi Freddo

There is no station at Norton - but its 5-10 mins maximum in a car to Stourbridge Junction which has really regular trains into Snow Hill (about 20 mins travel time). With a 5-10 minute walk the other end - its about 40 minutes total commute.

I don't think you need to worry too much about crime rates in Bournville - even though its very close to city centre its not an inner city area iyswim. Leafy, suburban and pretty if you're near to the Bournville Trust bit (near Cadbury World). I suspect the crime rate is much more of an issue in some of the other areas you are considering, even if they are further out of town.

Wombourne is the most like Sedgefield imho - but the lack of public transport is going to be an issue I think

That's V encouraging about Norton - thanks Tilly. DH was looking at some travel website last night and saying it was going to take about 1hr 20 - told him he was wrong!!

Bournville is definitely still an option - might love it when we visit, but we're unlikely to get a house there as nice as that one I linked to in Malvern a few posts ago...

Sorry I didn't explain so well about ledbury - I was meaning it as a place to visit for different shops rather than somewhere to move to - I agree it would be further from Brum and therefore not suitable for your purposes.

The refurbished victorian house looks in a good location but they don't show the garden so it might be small.

What about the 4 bed semi in greenfields road (249,000). If you took away their decor it might be ok! Has decent looking garden.

Yes happywomble,that one looks nice and big and has a gorgeous garden! Just wish i could go and look at all these houses now

Still like the look of the refurbished Victorian one, although you're right about the garden. Ideally we need somewhere that we can just move into without having to do anything as it's going to be at least a few years before we can even get any decorating done I think! With four DCs under 5 I'm estimating that unpacking alone will take about a year...

If you're considering Kidderminster, nip down the road (2-3 miles) to my hometown Bewdley. It's on the River Severn, is a Georgian town & is beautiful. Plenty of people commute to Birmingham from there.

Bournville & Harborne are by far the nicest areas actually in Brum that I've seen mentioned in the thread (skimmed over some of it).

The RC schools in Hagley have always had a good reputation locally. Some of my peers went to secondary school there. Local schools in Bewdley pretty solid anyhow.

I shouldn't really say this as Bromsgrove is currently No1 on the list but Tilly is right about Norton and trains.
St Peters Broms -> Broms station is about the same as Norton -> Stourbridge station.

Oh that's good - I'm so glad we can still consider Norton! (but Bromsgrove had nearly won there Wychbold )

Have just been told (independently of mumsnet!) that Knoll and Dorridge in Solihull are nice and have good schools. I'm thinking that I'd never get a house big enough in those places for £250k though - am I right? Why is Solihull more expensive?

I'm thinking that my friend means Knowle rather than Knoll!?!

Two catholic schools in Solihull, one on Whitefields Rd (B91) and another on Kineton Green Rd (B92). There are quite a few decent houses in my price range particularly in B92 postcode. Anyone have any info to provide on Solihull please?

Oh there are actually 4 schools! Any info on good areas of Solihull that I might be able to afford would be appreciated.
Schools are on Whitefields Rd, Windrush Close, Kineton Green rd and Statford Rd, Shirley.

Knowle/Dorridge even more £££ than Solihull. Never mind footballer territory, this is football manager territory

thought as much!!

I used to live in Knowle Its very nice but very expensive. Pretty sure you wouldn't get anything for your budget unfortunately (and not sure there is a catholic school in Knowle or Dorridge)

Ok - other Solihull areas

Shirley is a suburb on the B'ham side of Solihull. Commute by car or train would be fine. I would say Shirley is similarish to Low Fell - the Stratford Road is a main arterial route from Birmingham-Solihull. There are shops either side of the main road and then lots of residential roads off the main road - some nicer than others. I'm not sure its as rural as you'd like but its a pretty decent area with no really horrible bits that I can think of. There's a train station in Shirley and commute into town (via road or train) would be around 40 mins in rush hour. A 15-20 minute drive the other direction gets you into nice countryside in Warwickshire.

Whitefields Road is in Widney Manor. Nicer (read more expensive) bit of Solihull - just down the road from Knowle and Dorridge. Good train station in Widney Manor. Lots of new housing estates. Quite pricey and not sure you'd get the period property you're after but you might squeeze into a newish 3-4 bed for your budget. Its very popular but I always found it a bit "soulless"

Windrush Close is in Olton. Another suburb of Solihull on the Birmingham Side. Similar ish to Shirley (albeit I think I personally prefer it). Its sort of sandwiched between the warwick Road (arterial road Birmingham-Solihull) and the Coventry Road (road from Brum to Coventry). Generally speaking, the warwick rd side is a bit nicer Lots of 1930's houses - some ex local authority bits but ultimately quite "leafy" and a nice feel imo

Kineton Green Road is in Hall Green. On the same route as Shirley but closer to Birmingham. A bit more urban and nearer to some dodgier parts. I'd avoid to be honest

Solihull and Sutton Coldfield are both expensive areas. There's a certain kudos attached to them and they can be a tad pretentious sometimes. There are really lovely parts (like Knowle in Solihull and Four Oaks in Sutton) where the premium prices are probably justified but then there are not so nice parts where you still pay the price for having a "Solihull" address but the areas themselves aren't actually "all that" iyswim. There are better places with lower house prices elsewhere (some already mentioned) if pretentiousness prestige isn't a consideration

Having said all that - I think Olton (and possibly Shirley) might well both be worth a look, especially in the current market where there are some bargains to be had

x posted - I'm not a football manager and it was just a little flat honestly (but I sold that for over £300k about 7 years ago so prices are ridiculous !).

Meant to add - there is a train station in Olton as well and commute about the same as Shirley (if not a teeny bit less).

Thanks again Tilly - how would I manage without you
Will check out Olton and Shirley then.

How about this in olton? Near school which is on Kineton Green rd and station. It's a bit over budget though and we'd have to make the conservatory a study. Is it woth the money??
(It has the same tiles in the hallway as my current house which attracts me to it more than anything )

Sorry, wrong link, this is it!

Think you are right again Tilly - there are probably better places for us (given our budget) than Solihull

i liived in four oaks though in a three bed semi
so not all FOur oaks is posh

but it is considerably nicer than YAOU.

snort

Noahfence - considerably nicer than YAOU

yow torkin or brummie now?

My priorities are probably the same as your DM! So would you say that Bournville or Sutton are my only options then?