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.

Warndon villages is definitely not what you're looking for! I don't think there are any RC primaries around there either.

Does anyone know Lawn St in the old quarter of Stourbridge? I love the look of this - and the price!

Your little girls are gorgeous Leonie

And this on Swan st - anyone know Swan St. These are the first 2 properties within budget that I've really felt we could go for - seem close to the school too.

Fab house Freddo - with a cellar for the dc's I mentioned the Old Quarter a bit further up the thread. I like it and its perfect in terms of the Victorian houses you're looking for. About 10 mins walk from Lawn St to school in Norton.

Swan St - same area. Teeny bit further away from school but still less than 15 mins walk I suspect. The only "issue" really (as with a lot of predominantly Victorian streets) is the lack of parking.

Mary Stephens Park is lovely as well (we go there quite often). About 10 mins in the car one way gets you to Kinver Edge which is lovely for countryside walks etc (and some great Mnetters live there ) - about 15 mins in another direction gets you to Clent Hills

Leonie - your girls are lovely

Awww, yours are gorgeous too Tilly! I didn't know you had pictures!!

thanks Leonie...... they're not really representative though ! That was on my wedding day after lots of time/effort/money had been spent on me - I normally look like the slightly haggard 34 year old that I actually am

Re Birmingham grammar schools- they take 5% of the schools population- there are over 20 children sitting the examination per place- it is very competitve.

There is St Paul's Girls School in Edgbaston/Ladywood close to Harborne which is quite good- I think lots of girls from St Mary's go there.

Is it really imperative that they go to RC school for secondary? because of course the grammars aren't, but in SC you have Arthur Terry and Plantsbrook, both excellent schools, though catchments are very very small.

Fairfax is also an excellant secondary school in SC. I'd avoid John Willmot school though personally.

St Paul's sounds great - I just had a look at the website. No, it wouldn't be as imperative that they went to a Catholic secondary... I was under the impression from comments earlier that if they didn't get into a grammar school they went to comprehensives surrounded by barbed wire and burnt out cars and run by drug barrons (!) St. Paul's doesn't sound like that though
The secondary school thing was a major factor in putting me off Bournville and Harbourne. Do I not need to worry about that then?

Actually I LOVE the look of St Pauls's (after a bit more reading). Would be great for my two DDs. Is there an equivalent boy's school?

After a 2 day break I am back again and have read the whole thread with interest.

I honestly think that before you do much more you really need to contact the schools you have listed to see if there are any places available and if not what the waiting list is like. I know from my own and my friends experiences that this can be a nightmare - all the 'good' & 'outstanding' schools are generally full and you may not even be allowed to put your name down on a waiting list until you have moved to the area.

I really like the OQ in Stourbridge and Norton and you would certainly be able to buy a nice period house within your price range. I would have to say however that if I were in your position (new area, no family, 4 very young children) I would want my husband to be home as much as possible and certainly for the tea & bath rush. Even if your Dh left work at 5.00 I really doubt he would get back home before 6.00 (and that would be on a good day). I have found the trains can be unreliable and car/bus out of the city is awful - very very slow all along the A456 until the M5 (J3). For that reason I really think you should look closer to town - Bournville / Harborne. Also have a look at Barclay Road / Lightwoods Hill in Bearwood (Look at Oulsnam estate agents for Barclay Road)- both have a fabulous view over Warley Woods.
Good Luck.

Forgot to say that there is a Catholic Primary in Bearwood - St Gregory's and quite a large Catholic population. They are also send girls to St Pauls

I went to St Philip's RC VI form in Edgbaston and there were a fair few St Paul's girls there. It is a very good school. I'm not sure what the boy's equivalent is .... Bishop Challinor perhaps ??

Bournville/Harborne are both fairly "posh" and your impression of burnt out cars and drug barons is way off mark I really don't think you need to worry too much - they're not your typical "inner city" areas - despite being very close to the city.

Lexie - not sure where you are but when I lived in Hagley - I commuted by train to Brum every day for two years and can count on one hand the times the trains didn't turn up and get me home well within 45 mins. DH now travels by car from 10 mins further out than Stourbridge and is always home within the hour.

Bournville/Harborne and Bearwood are undoubtedly closer though

Tilly - it looks like we have lived in similar places. Dare I say it but I was raised in WB - and have since lived in and around Birmingham & Broms & Hagley.

The commuting times I mentioned were really based on my husbands experience.

Bishop Challoner is mixed, not boys only... and also about 5 miles from St Paul's But it is a very good school.
Though there is a catholic primary on tthe same site- St Dunstan's... they are in Kings Heath which has lots of old victorian properties- decent sizes too.

this house is actually on the same rd as BC.

In Bournville- secondaries to go for would be Kings Norton Girls' and KN Boys- both v v good, though the girls' has the edge. Again- catchment is v small- I think last year you had to live within 600m for the girls' school.