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.

Would you live somewhere different if your DH was only in the office for three days or less theDM (working from home the other days)? Or would you still only consider Sutton or Bournville on my list? This may be the case for us, which is why I'm also considering further afield.

what about places around Cannock? IMO you will get more for yr money there and bits are v rural / quite villagey feeling

Also places around tamworth / atherstone You could prob buy mancetter manor with yr budget! Feels v out in the sticks round there.

I think harbournemoseleybournvillekingsheathetc are great places to live. I like them more than where I live. However, wouldn't consider living there cos its more expensive, I wouldn't have support network I have where I am and main road routes are v congested.

S'oroight where leonie is going on about. But if you are looking for a bit of rural then butlers lane / shenstone onwards out towards lichfield on train line prob more yr cup of tea. Boldmere/ wylde green / erdington not v rural (then again nor is harbourne et al)

OK, been thinking about when I worked in Brum centre and where my colleagues lived, to give you an idea of what is doable.
People who were in office everyday:

Sutton/Redditch/Erdington/Stafford/Hagley/
Moseley/Stourport area/Solihill/Hall Green/Lichfield/Kings Heath/Edgbaston/Bromsgrove

There were some who commuted from Worcester and one who was near Telford, but they weren't in the office every day.

This includes 18yr old administrators/20 something Graduate trainees/men and women with families.

Agree with Noah about the "considerably richer than yow" brigade, but would include some more areas not just Four Oaks

What would the commute to Birmingham be like from Cannock/ Tamworth/ Atherstone??

Good to hear that Hagley is in there for the people who go in every day Lizzylou.

theDM, I need my DH at home as much as poss too (4 DCs aged 4 months, 2, 3 and 5 and no other help!) so that is the top priority for me. However I'm wondering if it is possible to have the reasonable commute, rural setting AND niceish house? I suppose that's the point of this thread for me really Perhaps it is not possible, but I need to explore all the possibilities (which everyone here is helping me do brilliantly!)

I'm thinking at the moment that Bromsgrove and Norton might give us just about everything we want - why is the commute worse from these areas than it would be from Sutton? Are the trains north of Birmingham more reliable than the trains south/ West of Birmingham?

No Freddo - they're not ! We lived in Hagley and commuted to town every day without any problems. The train from Hagley/Stourbridge are just as regular/reliable as ones from Sutton area.

I genuinely think reasonable commute, rural (ish) setting and nice makes Norton much more suited to your requirements than the less nice bits of Sutton

Trains from Stourbridge Junction approx every 10-15 mins at rush hour). Chiltern Line and Centro Line run trains. Trains from Bromsgrove are less frequent and take longer [[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/pj/tt here

sorry Stourbridge link messed up) Number 9 bus (plus others) from Stourbridge - straight up the Hagley Road with bus stop outside Brindleyplace Sutton is fine but I still stand by my point of it suffering from some pretentious pricing in areas which don't deserve it. Erdington is NOT Sutton and is nowhere near rural. [[http://www.findaproperty.com/crimefacts.aspx?edid=00&salerent=0&areaid=3261 crime rates also way above national average. No offence Leonie - I'm sure Erdington is great for you, but bearing in mind the things on Freddo's wish list - I really think there are loads of much better places for her

sorry - crime rates !

I blame pregnancy brain !

Bromsgrove trains are less frequent (every 30 mins) but I work in the rail industry and know that the tracks are due an upgrade and the station will be relocated which will allow faster trains (Bristol trains) to pass the Bromsgrove trains which means more commuter trains for us. This might not happen straight away but I would not let the trains to Bromsgrove bother you. If there is a problem my hubbie tends to drive to Northfield and get the trains from there. Additionally they are planning a park and ride at Longbridge which will improve transport into Brum from Bromsgrove.

One of the main reasons I like Bromsgrove is that it isn't Birmingham. It is a different county and a different authority. The schools are structured differently to Birmingham.

This could be a good thing or bad thing. Don't get me wrong I like Birmingham a lot and lived there during my single years but I prefer to be out of the city a bit more whilst I have the kids.

It is all down to personal preference. I would recommned that you spend a few days visiting the areas and the schools to see which you would like best. I don't think it is unreasonable to find a nice 3 bed house for £250K in Bromsgrove at all. I think this is a good amount for this area.

As long as the commute is reasonable from Stourbridge I think we can cope with that, the commute from Sutton sounds like it is a bit better but I'm happy to compromise on that a little bit if it means we get a cheaper house and squirrels in the garden

My main issue with your area Leonie is that I still haven't found a house that would accomodate a family of six in a reasonable area for around £250k. We need at least three bedrooms plus a study if DH is doing some work from home and all that seems to be available is on busy roads or areas that I wouldn't feel so safe in. I bet there are bargains to be had, but I don't know the area well enough to work out if something is a bargain or if it has a lower price because there's something wrong with the location... The good schools really attract me to your area, and if I find out that DD could get into one of them (which I have doubts about) I'll be scouring the area with more attention I'm sure

Congratulations on your pregnancy Tilly!!

Personally, for me I would say that a slightly longer commute would be worth it for me to bring my DC up somehwere leafier and less built up. But I don't "do" cities.

DH works in central Manchester and we live 20miles away, semi-rural with great schools. DH is home at around 6pm every night (except for when he has to go to blooming London) and myself and my boys love where we live. At the weekends we have a great family life in lovely surroundings.

For that reason I personally would go with something more villagey, but still doable Freddo.

BTW - My DH's commute from Bromsgrove consists of
a walk to the station - 10 mins
Train journey - 22 mins
Walk to office - 5 mins
TOTAL 40 mins MAX door to door.
He leaves at 7.30 and is home by 5.15. Hardly an issue in our family life!

Am definitely going to visit and plan to spend time at all the places on my list that could accomadate DD1 at their schools.

Perhaps we could have a thread get together or perhaps that might be a bad idea and would end in the worst riots Birmingham has seen in thirty years

That's very encouraging Spoo, and Lizzylou I agree completely with what you say!