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.

Oooh Freddo - I love Stanley Road. We very nearly bought a house on that road before we bought where we are now. Its right opposite the park and overlooks the lake. Lovely house

Definitely worth speaking to the agents to see whether they would consider selling the other one. I believe the current owners bought it in 2000 for £123,000 but suspect it would be worth around £300k now. Its right in the Old Quarter.

I had a lovely holiday thanks - last chance of relaxation before dc3 arrives I reckon

Stanley Road is fab i have a friend that lives near there. I am going to a friend's later on Hill Street so will have a nosey at the one on Greenfield Avenue

Do you know where you will be staying when you come up? I work at an Innkeeper's Lodge about 10 minutes away from Stourbridge if you're interested in a room there? If you book it 7 days in advance online it's £29.95 per room and you get a free continental breakfast. Not sure if you're bringing the children with you but we do family rooms. The only thing is that it's a double bed, a double sofa bed and obviously you can order travel cots free of charge so it'd be up to your opinion whether you think all of you can fit in one room or not.

That sounds brilliant nappyaddict, price seems extremely reasonable. Yes we will be bringing children but i'm sure we'd squash into one room as DS1 is still in a cot and DS2 is still in his Moses basket which we'll bring! I'll check it out

Cheltenham is absolutely gorgeous. I used to live there, and would move back in an instant! Wonderful shopping, lovely period houses, theatre, great countryside etc. etc.

I've never got the train from there to Birmingham. Is it a direct line? Which station in Birmingham does it go into?

The areas to avoid are:

Hesters Way
Princess Elizabeth Way

I used to teach there, so I might be able to give you a bit of info about the repuation of schools if you tell me the names.

Thanks Littlefish, the schools are St Gregory the great and St Thomas More, but have just been looking at their ofsteds and they don't look particularly wonderful. (I feel horrible about relying on ofsteds so much, basically I'm only looking at schools with an overall grade of 1 or 2 which might not be a very accurate measure of what they're really like - but what else can you do when you don't know the area?)

Really sorry - but I don't know either of those schools. I taught at two different ones - one was RC but private, the other was CofE.

I think it's good to use ofsted reports as a starting point, but it would be unwise to dismiss a school with a grade 3, particularly if it has had a new headteacher recently.

If you find a house/area which you absolutely love, but the school is not a 1 or 2, I would still go and see it and see what your gut feeling is.

I would rather send my child to a school which is an overall grade 3, but is rising, than a grade 2, which is falling!

Don't be disappointed that the Greenfield Ave house is only to let. It's virtually right on the ring road. There's a fab victorian semi on the Norton road and you generally get more house for your money on the other side of the Norton rd from St Joseph's because the schools aren't so favoured. Of course that's not an issue if you're going to St. Joseph's so you may as well take advantage.

Thanks ohno - is the road outside the Greenfield Ave house really busy? Will forget about it if that's the case. Will look online for the Norton rd one - do you know which agent it's under?

Freddo: if you are bringing the DC househunting with you next weekend, you may like to know about a bribe treat that you can promise them if they behave themselves.
Next w/e it is the Scarecrow Festival at Belbroughton, which is a village only a few miles from Stourbridge. There is fun & games organsied but, even if you can't spare the time from your schedule during the day, most of the scarecrows will still be on display during Saturday evening.

Hi Freddo

Not sure who the semi on Norton Rd is on with - I don't think I've seen it yet. If I get chance, I'll have a drive past sometime this week and let you know

In the meantime, its worth putting a call in to the main agents to get info/details. There might also be some stuff coming in that's not on the market yet which they might be able to get a viewing on

Lee Shaw, Walton & Hipkiss and Sequence Shipways in Hagley are probably your main 3. Also worth registering with Andrew Grant, Dixons, Midcalf Nicholls, Ian Perks and Connells (all in Stourbridge)

Thanks Wychbold and Tilly. I LOVE the sound of the scarecrows! Will def be there if we make it next weekend (which I desperately hope we will!)
DH doesn't want to do anything until he is told 'officially' at work (he has been told definitely - but unofficially!) and that just keeps getting put off and off which is very frustrating. We have the most promising signs yet that it will be today or tommorrow, and then I have an immediate list of school/ hotel/ estate agents to ring I'm desperately hoping we find out something today - I'm sooooo worried about missing the place at the school (and now I really want to see the scarecrows too!)
We have a shortlist of five houses that we definitely want to see (which I think will be more than enough for one weekend given we'll have the DCs with us!) - 2 larger ones in Norton and 3 smaller ones in the OQ (we've decided we may go for a cheaper/ smaller house there because we love the style of them - and put guests up in a hotel, DH's idea but I'm not sure what the PILs will think about it...!)

The house on Norton Rd is with Andrew Grant

Ps Yes the house on Greenfield Ave is right on the end near the ring road which is 3 solid lines of traffic.

Thanks Leonie - we still have Halesowen on the back burner as there are a few places in the school there, but the railway station makes Stourbridge more appealing.

Will have a look at Andrew grant now ohno!

Is it 118 Norton Rd OhNo? I absolutely love it, but at £400k it is really beyond our budget . the reality is we'll be pushing ourselves to stretch to £300k, and DH would prefer something around the £250k mark.
Would buy 118 Norton Road right now without even going to have a look if they'd accept £250k!!

Would love to go for one of those little villagey type places Leonie, but we'd need two cars then (one for DH to drive to work/ station and one for me to take children to school) - we manage with one now (which we barely use as we walk everywhere) - and would prefer to keep it that way.
I also really hate the idea of having to drive the children to school - strapping them all in the car takes absolutely ages and having to do it three times a day for school/ nursery runs is something I'd rather avoid... I love the walk to school anyway, anywhere near the school has huge plus points for me!

Clent hills look lovely... can't wait to visit!

Bromsgrove is a HOLE, don't live there.

It's actually on my list if Stourbridge falls through Sausage! Can you define 'HOLE' with more description please??

nothing to do, not particularly attractive.

Worcester is better if you want more to do and you can be in Birmingham in 45mins by car. Lots of green space, plenty of pretty villages if urban is not your thing. Lots of Victoriana/period stuff and you should find something for your budget (although the study may be tricky for £250k).

Barbourne in Worcester is near to the city centre, nice park, pleanty of the architecture you like and a good (I think) Catholic primary, St George's.

Worcester also has a Catholic state (voluntary aided) secondary which does ok in Ofsted (afaik). It is in an area called Battenhall, again lots of nice Victorian houses but your money will not go as far here as it will in Barbourne.